New Living Room Curtains & A Little Tip

02 Jun New Living Room Curtains & A Little Tip

Thanks so much for the great comments on my DIY Acrylic Rod Update!  I have loved getting photos of what you guys have done with the idea so keep them coming!

Curtains are an easy change usually, which is good for me because I like to change mine every few years.  : )  Now there are some I will not change as often because the fabric is a one-of-a-kind, or it is some amazing pattern and was more expensive, etc.  I also like to get creative when changing out curtains and will use them to make pillows or cover a small bench or chair, etc.  In fact, that is exactly what I did for a client in her guest room.  We covered a sad bench with two panels of gray velvet drapery I used to have in my office, and it turned out great!  (see the post here)  I mean, seriously, would you ever know those were curtains?

photo courtesy of Sabrina Gebhardt Photography

As I’m sure you have noticed, wide,  horizontal-striped curtains with a bold color have been all the rage the past few years, although a stripe is classic and will probably never go out of style.

janie molster designs

I have loved this look for years, but wanted something a little softer for my living room.   Brightening this room up is something I have really worked on (through changing color palette – paint, trim, etc.) because even though it has two large and two small windows, it can feel rather dark.  None of the windows have direct light as the front porch presides over the two large windows, and the porte cochere hovers over the two small windows.

When I spied this neutral wide striped fabric, I knew this was just what I wanted.

However, the fabric had been discontinued, so luckily, my friend and talented designer, Emily, helped me track it down!  Thanks again, Emily!

I like drapery with pleating at the top because I think it helps the fabric hang better, but I wanted the pleats to be very very minimal.  Pinch pleats can look very formal and sometimes a little severe to me.  Since I have an old home, and this is our living room, I did not want it to feel overly formal as these rooms can project “stuffiness”.  The slight pleats give it a more casual, livable vibe.  I’m so happy with how they turned out.

You can see in the below “Before” photo there is a gap between the wall and the edge of the curtains which is a no-no, and also not very aesthetically pleasing.

I had not done my little trick yet when I took that photo, but what I do to ensure a nice natural-looking folded edge along the wall is to insert an eyelet screw into the wall where I want the curtain to attach.  Then I insert the drapery hook into the eyelet, and voila, a professional looking, beautiful seam between wall and curtain.  This is an easy trick of the trade you should know!

My vintage screen is the highlight of this room, and it is one of my top five favorite things in my house.  I will never be able to thank Kristen enough for dropping it off on my porch a few years ago.  : )  I don’t think the curtains before did much for the screen even though that fabric pattern is really pretty.

The new curtains with the graphic, more geometric design contrast nicely with all of the movement in the screen.  A definite step in the right direction, I think.

Have a great day.  xo