Great shelf!!! I think plants would look nice in those silver pots.

Comment by Anne — March 14, 2006 @ 5:03 am

The window shelf looks great! What a nifty idea! I’ve wanted some kind of shelf above our sink and in front of our window, but we have a long pendant light that hangs down.

About the silver pots, are they empty now? (I can’t tell on my moniter in this early morning light…) If so, I think they’d look great with some kind of plant in them. If you have other silver elements in the room, the pots would just tie right in!

Comment by Twilightmama — March 14, 2006 @ 5:19 am

Thanks Anne and Kim,

Yes, there is silver in the rest of the room (chrome, satin nicket, etc). There are no plants in the silver ones yet, and Eric thinks the silver pots are too big compared to the other pots. But, at this moment I disagree…besides, I agree with Kim that the silver pots fit right in, especially since I went with a silver chain. If the pots were a tange shorter, that would be nice…

Comment by Administrator — March 14, 2006 @ 8:33 am

I agree with the previous posters - the shelf looks great and definitely keep the silver pots (sorry Eric). They look more contemporary and their shape lends a nice contrast to the other pots. Now all you need to do is buy a basil plant to put in one and maybe sage for the other. Not sure if you were considering rosemary, but be aware that it grows like a weed and you might want to consider putting it outside instead. It’s very hearty, though, and will last year-round.

Comment by Darla — March 16, 2006 @ 9:45 am

I told Eric he’s been over-ruled. He didn’t say much. I did put Rosemary in one of the pots, and I have grown it ouside before and it does get HUGE. I think at the moment I’m kinda hoping it’ll stay tiny in a pot. I’m in denial.

Comment by Administrator — March 16, 2006 @ 7:04 pm

Your window idea is a great solution to a condundrum I’ve had about my kitchen. I have two windows on either side of a sliding door and I couldn’t figure out what i was going to do. This is a great solution. So glad you posted it. (Even if it is a boring suburban track place … )

Comment by Amy — March 23, 2006 @ 11:42 pm

Thanks Amy! I have to say it wasn’t my idea, I saw it in a magazine, although I can’t remember which one. At one point someone asked why I was planning on putting up wood shutters instead of a half-curtain to match my other roman blinds. I said, “I can’t, I saw it in a magazine, I want it to look just like the magazine.” I think the wood shutters right by the wood shelf help it make visual “sense”. Oh, and our first place was a track house, but everything can be great with paint! Here’s a pic of our first place: www.willamettehouse.com

Comment by Administrator — March 24, 2006 @ 11:33 pm

That kitchen paint looks amazing. I can’t believe how it makes the cupboards seem so much more unique. I’m really impressed. I posed my kitchen windown condundrum at Home Improvements Net Blog where the moderator is currently talking about kitchen curtains. But so far the best solution I’ve seen is yours because it’s not just some plantation look — its very unique… and I’m an herb gardening nut (even here in the desert with snow - Reno)
Do you remember what magazine? Any idea where I can go for plans on that?
Amy

Comment by Amy — March 30, 2006 @ 6:13 pm

Thanks Amy. I’m sorry, I wish I could remember. I tried to remember before I did it, because I was explaining it to my husband pre-installation and he was not liking the idea. He likes it now though. I knew if I had the picture he’d like it. I’ll tell you what I did, and perhaps that will help?

First, I have a double hung window, so I decided to get plantation shutters that would cover up the middle bar. So, all in all, they probably cover 60% of the height of the window. I bought the shutters from coastal shutters - so DON’T go there, it took forever and they never answered my phone calls or email. I got the biggest slats I could…I think 3″ each, which is why there are only 4 on each side. After my dad hung the shutters (and I’m so happy he did, because it required a lot of patience, something I don’t have and my husband doesn’t like detail work). I went to home depot and looked at their premium wood selection. I got a 3 foot wide and 6 inches deep piece of wood. I wanted the premium wood ‘cause my assumption was that it was stronger, ‘cause I wanted to make sure it wouldn’t bow in the middle. While I was at home depot I also went to the chain department and bought a thin chain, but made sure to see that it could carry a heavier load. I didn’t want them pulling apart and then having a sink full of ceramic bits, plants, and dirt! I think I bought 10 feet or something. I also bought the hooks you see on the ceiling, I got white ones, and each one holds 40 pounds or something insane like that. I made sure to get hooks that could be turned 360, ‘cause I wasn’t sure if it would create problems with the chain if the hooks were stationary.
Then, I got everything home and spent the next day painting the shelf white with a sponge brush in semi-gloss. I did two coats on either side. Then I was getting ready to hang it, and realized the chain was too strong for me to bend. So, that’s when I decided I’d need some S-hooks. So, I went to the local hardware store and bought 4 silver S-hooks. I then put the entire thing together by laying the board across the two chains, and making a triangle with each end to loop around the board. I secured the end of the loops to the main chain with the S-hooks. I also made sure to count the chain links so that each triangle was the same size. I then went to the kitchen, and began hanging it at different heights, with the goal of getting it level and about 1-inch above the shutter. I hung the chain by the hooks from the S-hooks. Finally I figured out the right height and got a wire cutter and snipped them and voila, done. I should add I’m not sure what the cutter was, I assume it was a wire cutter, but I’m not exactly sure because it was one of my husbands tools and I was thinking he probably wouldn’t like that I was using it to cut the chain, so I never told him. Heehee. Also, I don’t think he reads the comments on our blog, so he’ll never know.

Comment by Administrator — March 30, 2006 @ 6:42 pm