Yeah, a good primer is crucial!

They're not blinds, they're drapes. At first sight they are pretty shocking and outdated. Strangely enough, they are kind of growing on me. They go with a lot of the artwork I was going to put in there. I was thinking of keeping the full length ones as side panels on the ends of both windows, with sheers in the middle, and some kind of valance that goes almost to the ceiling to pull it together. Just a thought.

Thanks! I'm gonna test it out with a band of paint.

Yes, I love the look of sheers! I have them spanning a large window in my living room. I've learned that if you bunch them together tight enough you can still have privacy.

OH, I hadn't thought of that! It would certainly simplify the process! Thanks!

Exactly! That's what bugs me about it. It either needs to be higher or lower, not split down the middle like it is.

You sound so much like me, typos and all! LOL! It also sounds like you've got a good sense for design. I'm like you in that I've taken a whole lot of 'nothings' and turned them into 'somethings' in my life. But then, I've also let a whole lot of 'nothings' gather dust and become obstacles while they waited to be turned into somethings. FIL isn't the only hoarder in the family, (though I think I've made great strides in that department!)

One thing I was considering was leaving it in, but visually extending it higher with paint, and another row of molding about a foot above the top. It may not look like much in the photo but it is real wood at least, and does shimmer when polished.

I've removed paneling before that was glued on and ended up having to do major wall repair. I haven't tried to pry this off to see how it's been applied. I noticed what seemed like a black, gap around one of the outlets and my biggest fear is that there might not be any sheetrock underneath, or that they were trying to hide something. I'm going to start by removing that outlet and see what I can see. Tomorrow, lol.

Since I have to have someone come and fix the ceiling anyway, though, it really isn't that big a deal to have him do other things if it's more than I can handle with a trowel and some mud. My biggest obstacle really is indecision. And that is why I appreciate your input so much!

LMAO! I did it AGAIN! One of my greatest talents is turning NOTHING into SOMETHING with almost nothing!

Gawd. I'm such a dork sometimes!

Yes, the hauling and finding a place to take it part is the hardest for me, and these boxes were HEAVY. I had been doing it the slow way by taking a couple of boxes at a time to the Goodwill drop. Having forty boxes disappear in one trip was a real boost!

Thanks for encouraging me to get rid of the wainscoting. It helps to get another opinion. There was something about it that didn't appeal to me. It's hard for me to know when to leave well enough alone, and when a complete overhaul is in order. This helps a lot!

I could tell what you meant. I'm glad to hear your opinion about the wainscoting and window treatments. I'm so used to trying to work with what I have that I sometimes lose perspective on what would actually look good. Thanks!

oops, pull the vie view up INSTEAD of horizontally. I really need to take the time to proof read before I post!