It was all about window treatments this week at Metamorefix.

I’ve been told that the words “window treatments” bring a glazed look to most people. But to me, the words mean an entire world of possibilities in style and beauty. How do I begin to describe the magic in bringing  just the right design to a window?

It’s not just the need behind the glass. It’s the whole idea of making something equal parts function and beauty. Since a picture is worth a thousand words, here’s what we did this week:

This room needed a solution for too much light. We designed a “wall of curtains” look, with English-style lace sheers to filter bright light and lined curtain panels to draw closed at night for room-darkening.  Custom bedding still to come.

This family room and breakfast area was ready for an update. We chose Roman shades, lined for insulation, and selected a fabric that complemented the rest of the room in both color and style. In the breakfast room, we used a top-down Roman shade to let in light yet add privacy and still protect against a drafty north-facing room.

When it comes to windows, you can truly have it all!

If you haven’t been to Fredericksburg, TX lately you’re in for a treat!

The offerings have really gone upscale since we were there last (probably 3-4 yrs ago). We found wonderful quilts, custom bedding, reasonably-priced antiques, and lots of great displays. And check out the plates! You know how we love to use family china for wall displays. The wildflowers weren’t too bad, either.

See for yourself:

Of course, I don’t remember the names of all the great Main Street shops we visited. But I can get you therejust the same because I do remember the name of the wonderful bakery we went to: Rather Sweet. There’s a Dan Rather connection involved here, a niece or something.

Anyway, the bakery goods looked marvelous but the portions were sooo big. One cookie ($2) is the size of about 8 package-size cookies (think Oreos). When did helpings get so very large? We were going to buy one lemon square ($4) and split it four ways, but we did a couple of cookies to go instead.

Anyway, just turn left as you leave the bakery and head up Main Street — wonderful shopping awaits!

Our design party at Kirkland’s Open House last weekend was a blast! We arrived with a well thought out plan to do a presentation at the top of each hour, with lots of fun announcements, etc. So guess what we discovered when we arrived? No PA system!

I thought every store had a minimal PA system; you know, an “Attention K-Mart Shoppers” kind of thing. Well, turns out it aint necessarily so. We had to revamp our plans quickly.

But it turned out great anyway. We set up a table and ran our before-and-after photos on a continuous loop, attracting loads of  Kirkland’s shoppers. They are a dedicated bunch! They love Kirkland’s and they love looking for just the right thing to give their homes a pulled-together look.

Sallie and yours truly at Kirkland's Open House

Here’s a few of our favorite pieces now available at Kirkland’s:

We don’t recommend using them all together like this — too matchy, matchy. But I love the mirror with a wood console or in a dining room, the sconces hung on either side of a large piece of art, or this colorful console paired with a black wrought iron mirror or other piece you may already have.

And that’s how we Metamorefix!

I am always so fascinated with Pantone’s Color of the Year. The announcement is made at the beginning of each December (posted here shortly thereafter) and I love to watch the color work its way through the design industry in the months and years that follow.

To refresh your mind, here are the COTYs for the past three years:

And here’s an invite I received today for a home furnishings showroom at this week’s High Point furniture/home accessory market:

Notice anything? All three colors! In one ad! The Blue Iris is more purple here, but to me the influence is clear. Note the showroom’s name, “Cyan Design” appears in the 2010 COTY, Turquoise.

Isn’t this fun? (Great showroom, by the way)

I confess to a weakness for refrigerator magnets. Not the kind that hold up a grocery list or the schedule of church services, but magnets as art.

Our refrigerator has countless magnets, all mementos of our travels. They are artfully arranged in neat rows and give me a lot of pleasure every time I see them.

But you don’t have to limit your collection to travelling. Here are several wonderful sets of refrigerator magnets I came across the other day:

The butterfly set even comes “under glass” to mimic a naturalist’s collection. Guaranteed to bring a smile every time you go to the fridge for chocolate ice cream. All from Gumps.com, $24 per set.