Last night, in a fit of pique, I finally remove the side valences in the study:

I can’t believe what a difference it makes!!!!!!

I can’t wait to remove the top portion, too, but another thing the mobile house taught me is that if I destroy something, I have to fix it. Seeing as the new valances won’t happen for a while now, I’m leaving the top part intact for now, even if that gold trim is blinding.

There is damage under the windows from the brackets and screw holes but that won’t be hard to fix satisfactorily. I’ll wipe down the walls to remove the grime, sand the holes smooth, and then cover them with wood filler. Such a repair is quite common throughout Miranda and is only obvious if you’re staring right at it.

Now, if I could just find some inexpensive blinds to replace the shades, this room will be almost perfect. 🙂