Hello AT,
I just moved into a tiny 1950's ranch home and the previous owner installed a window air conditioning unit in one of the bedroom windows.
The unit is old, I mean really old and ugly. It completely fills the small window, is in the center of the wall and is fairly high up. The worst part being it is opposite the bed, so I lay there and stare at it.
I can't get rid of it because we occasionally need AC and have looked at just covering it with curtains and "pretending" its still a window but the unit sticks out about 6 or 7 inches from the window.
Can anyone please help me with suggestions how to cover the unit or what I should do?
-Hilary
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what about a screen that sits in front of the unit?
or what about a big flowy plant sitting on top of it that would wind around it and over it, and hang down, like a philodendron?
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/houseplants/photos/philodendron.jpg
Hello, I strung curtains across the whole wall to hide such. Out of sight, out of mind.
This may not be what you want to hear, but . . .
If it bothers you that much, I say you gotta bite the bullet and get rid of it. Just because you need AC sometimes doesn't mean you have to use that old thing! Buy yourself a new, sleeker air conditioner and put it in a less conspicuous window. Then lie down and enjoy the view!
As a bonus, you will also be using less electricity, as the new one will undoubtedly be more efficient.
Buy a new unit and you get some sort of rebate from DWP. The little ones suck down less energy.
I have that same issue but ours does not stick out so far. What we did was we bought Ikea bookshelves to cover the wall, (to look like built -ins but you can do this with just one bookshelf.) We cut out a hole the size of the AC and "placed" it in one of the bookshelves. Since I could adjust the height of the shelves,we could give the AC its own shelf. Then we placed a mirror on that shelf to hide the AC. That way, we can take down the mirror to use the AC and put it back to hide it. (Does that make sense? I feel I need to send a picture).
I really wish I only had to use my A/C once in awhile! Our air's like soup over here. Anyway, I agree with the "get a new one" folks. I had an old A/c that I got from a former tenant of an apartment I used to live in, and not only was it ugly, but it didn't work well either. They aren't that expensive, and you might even be able to find someone who's moving who wants to sell one.
I believe I have the same problem and same unit. I am thinking of building a kind of window seat with a sliding door to store stuff on the side of the air conditioner and cover the unit. I can slide open the door when I want cool air.
That's what I'm thinking anyway...
Jerry
http://www.jerrylentz.com/IMG_0284.jpg
I believe I have the same problem and same unit. I am thinking of building a kind of window seat with a sliding door to store stuff on the side of the air conditioner and cover the unit. I can slide open the door when I want cool air.
That's what I'm thinking anyway...
Jerry
See www.hgtv.com for a solution using shutters to create a box frame to hide the wall air conditioner. Show's name, title and number: Decorating Cents, Shabby Chic Living Room Makeover, DCT-2004. Scroll down midway to see picture.
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_design_living_area/article/0,1793,HGTV_3376_2607741,00.html