Yup, we finally called it. The old floral curtains couldn’t last another day. So we made a few jokes about Kim Kardashian’s Met ball dress and got ready to say goodbye.
They looked pretty fancy, but they just weren’t our style, so it was time to take them down and make a nice little donate pile for Habitat for Humanity. The funny thing is that when we got up on chairs and lifted them down, we discovered that these babies were pinned and even screwed right into the window at times! Cracked us up. I mean, we’re no strangers to using fabric remnants and wood braces screwed into windowsills, but seeing white pushpins sticking out of the blue molding was pretty unexpected. Gotta love those “make it work” DIY moments…
The most surprising part of Mission Remove Dem Curtains was… the time it took to remove dem! Thanks to the screws and pins (there were straight pins, safety pins, and even tacks and twine attaching them to windows, trim, and even themselves) it was a somewhat slow process full of “how is this thing still clinging to the window?!”
Finally, about an hour spent running around with the screwdriver and hammer (to be sure we popped out every last nail and screw so all the windows are ready for spackle and eventual paint) we were left with this pile:
And this pretty impressive collection of tacks, nails, screws, and pushpins:
And even though the curtains were riddled with tacks (and a fair amount of dust) I did this. Because I just can’t control myself.
My favorite touch was the curtain rod turned scepter. All hail Curtains McFlower.
Now that they’re down, more light is streaming in and each of those four rooms feel a little more like us. We’re dreaming of a nice swanky layered look for the curtains in our new house. Perhaps bamboo blinds with curtains hung high and wide over them? Sort of like this. Or this. Or this. Except not necessarily with plain white or cream curtains.
Oh happy day. It’s the little things. Playing dress up never hurts either…
Psst- We announced this week’s giveaway winner. Click here to see if it’s you.
Anele @ Success Along the Weigh says
Oh wow…the 80’s will appreciate having their curtains back! Were there any Home Interiors brass cat tails left on the wall for you? :)
I cracked up at the makeshift dress/scepter. It reminded me of when the Cowardly Lion dressed up in the rug and flower pot in the Wizard of Oz!
LINDSAY says
Sherry you totally rocked the curtain dress! (way better than nasty Kim K). I find it funny there is more blue trim on the main level. The previous owners clearly only owned 1 shade of paint.
Jenn says
(Not like she would EVERY wear that) but in those picks you look EVEN MORE like Daenerys!
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahah! Now if only we found a dragon in the attic or something…
xo
s
Jenny says
YES! I didn’t see it until now, but you’re absolutely right. Love it!
courtney says
Ah!!! That’s exactly what I thought, too!!!
deb says
I came to the comments to see if anyone had already said that! I can’t watch GOT without thinking that Daenerys looks like Sherry. :)
Liz Marie says
So crazy what a huge difference that just taking the curtains down made! I can’t wait to see what you guys pick out for the new window treatments! xx Liz Marie
Brit [House Updated] says
So.Much.Better. Amazing what a little deflowering can do! Wait, that sounded wrong.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahahahah! Our windows got deflowered. Hey now.
xo
s
JenB says
Excellent pun, Brit. That made me laugh out loud!
Kathryn says
Ditto! This post brought the funny. Cheers Brit & Sherry! Needed that today.
Stephanie says
Haha, I love you Sherry! And your Kim K tribute. Can’t wait to see what the new house has in store!
Helene says
This post makes me want to take a shower.
Leigh Anne says
Ya look better than Kim K. Is that curtain ;-) definitely an improvement to those rooms. I guess the previous homeowners didn’t want those curtains going anywhere?! Maybe they had cats? Wild kids? Lol
kate says
The pic of Sherry in her floral “gown” totally made my morning. All hail, goddess of curtains!
JenB says
Doesn’t that wallpaper in the kitchen/dining area take you back to 9th grade math & make you wanna draw a graph??
I can’t believe how much better it already looks just by taking the curtains down! All hail, Curtains McFlower!
Jana says
I was thinking with that graph wallpaper they could completely plan the kitchen remodel to scale. Great way to have the plan right at your fingertips!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! That’s a hilarious/smart idea!
xo
s
Cassie says
Oh my!
I can’t do it because I’m on my iPad, but someone needs to make a “who wore it better” with Sherry and Kim Kardashian for us to spread all over Pinterest and the rest of the Internet world!
YoungHouseLove says
Uh oh! That scares me. Haha!
xo
s
MissPinkKate says
Done.
http://i44.tinypic.com/fdxc77.jpg
YoungHouseLove says
Hahahah! Her leg looks better. I’m giving it to KK.
xo
s
Amanda Quam says
She is showing the leg, which is nice, but she doesn’t have a super fancy and magical staff, like you do Sherry. So, sorry Kim, this one goes to Sherry.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, what I really needed was a giant fan a la Atlanta Housewives!
xo
s
Erin {Home Everyday} says
WOOT! Bye bye yucky curtains. I was wondering how long it would take Sherry to pull those babies down. I don’t know if this is a compliment or not, but Sherry looks better in the nasty curtains than Kim in her Givenchy gown.
Kate says
Can you please, please, please dress up like Daenerys Targaryen for Halloween this year? And John can be Sir Jorah Mormont and Clara can be a dragon. Seriously. That above pic is begging for you to take the next step with your costuming.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, you never know…
xo
s
heather says
I am so clearly missing something relevant in pop culture, because these “Daenerys Targaryen” do not even register as English words in my head. Can. Not. Pronounce. Bahaha.
YoungHouseLove says
Hahah! It’s a strange character name from Game of Thrones. We love that show!
xo
s
Heather says
Ooohhh, well that makes sense then. I don’t have HBO and I tend to not watch/like violent shows haha. My style is more the “Alaska: The Last Frontier” type shows haha. Does that really surprise anyone who even remotely knows me? I feel like probably not.
Amy says
Costume designer, at your service!
Michelle says
With Clara’s love of dragons… Pretty perfect.
Valerie says
Mmmm… look at that beautiful light streaming in those big, unincumbered windows! Amazing.
Almost as amazing as Sherry’s (Gone With the Wind? or Sound of Music?) inspired curtain gown. Love it.
Kathryn says
Dude! I had completely forgotten the cinematic pedigree that curtain dresses have! Reminds me of Carol Burnett’s classic comedic take on the Gone With the Wind dress where she leaves the curtain rod in.
mribaro says
Flowers become you! Maybe you should wear curtains more often… :)
Mia says
Carol Burnett and Gone with the Wind–What a classic! For those too young,she made a dress from the drapery and left the rod in. It ran along her shoulders and protruded on either side.
Kate says
When my parents moved out of my childhood home, I hated that they decided to toss the curtains. My Mom surprised me for my birthday by making a dress out of the curtains, true Sound of Music style: http://semperstylish.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/drapery-dress/
I got a lot more lucky in the pattern department, though. Although you do look stunning in those prints, Sherry! Haha
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so sweet!
xo
s
Wendy @ New Moms Talk says
There are probably some set designers and/or costume makers who would secretly (or not so secretly?) love to get a hold of those. Hmm..
They remind me that beauty is in the eye of the curtain hanger, and beauty is defined differently for each person.
YoungHouseLove says
Amen! We definitely hope by donating them that someone who will give them lots of love will snatch them up!
xo
s
Stefanie says
Love the curtain dress. It’s like Ursula from The Little Mermaid had a baby with Kim Kardashian’s Met Gala gown.
Noelle says
I’m not even sure what Kim K wore could be called a “gown”…
Diane says
My mom made her living room curtains over 15 years ago and took them down for the first time a few weeks ago. When taking them down, she found four butter knives in the curtains she used to weigh down the sides to get them to lay flat. Apparently she forgot to get weights for them after testing it out with the butter knives!
YoungHouseLove says
So funny!!
xo
s
Matthea says
Feeling inspired to take down some floral throwbacks here, too!…
Christie says
I might have used thumbtacks for a temporary set-up once or twice, and temporary turned into years…
:D
Brenda says
I bet you’ll have lots if fun with and use for the graph paper wallpaper. Like a giant storyboard for designers!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha!
xo
s
feep says
I had just scrolled down so I comment about the same thing! Ha!
Liz E. says
Ditto! I’d probably go full-out nerd and draw in some asymptotes, parabolas, anything really. It’d be a great way to teach Clara, too. It’s never too early to introduce some calculus :)
YoungHouseLove says
And, my brain just started hurting. Haha! Maybe John will bring on the math.
xo
s
Jessica says
Since you studied art, Sherry, you could make one of those graph-scale drawings on a large scale in the kitchen. Just for fun until you take down the wallpaper. I don’t really remember what it’s called, but it’s when you have a picture on a small graph, then you copy what’s in each square onto a new, blank graph. Math makes my head hurt, too, but I always loved those. It’s the only way I could convince myself I could draw.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, I loved those!
xo
s
Christy says
You definitely wore it better Sherry!
Whitney says
My, my you look stunning in floral curtains. Thank you for the morning laugh! I am sure someone had a similar prom dress in the 80’s! Having those down changes the rooms so much! I wondered why the old owners left them (after all, they are so pretty ;)) apparently they knew how long it would take to get them down! Can’t wait to see what you do with the house!
Laura says
My mom is a well-known seamstress in the Richmond area and specialized in fancy curtains for years. She will be pretty appalled to see this! haha
YoungHouseLove says
It definitely wasn’t her handiwork!
xo
s
Renee says
“we discovered that these babies were not only sewn with hem tape they were also pinned and even screwed right into the window at times! Cracked us up. The most surprising part of Mission Remove Dem Curtains was… the time it took to remove dem!”
Can you imagine that’s what the new owners of your house will say when they remove fabric remnants screwed into boards on your window frames, too?! Karma!
It will all be worth it in the end!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha it’s true! Although I think our wooden rods screwed into the window frames with a few easy to remove screws might be slightly simpler to get down than tacked and twined up swoops and poofs ;)
xo
s
Karen says
I was actually wondering if the new owners knew this? One looks like it rolls down–do you think it will be surprising for the to learn they don’t? Also, is that a common practice? I had never seen it down before….
YoungHouseLove says
In person it’s pretty easy to see that it doesn’t roll down. There are lots of window treatments that don’t unfurl (many types of valances) so it’s just like one of those. And since the window’s frosted there’s no reason to want to lower things and block more light since the frosting provides privacy while still letting light stream in :)
xo,
s
Janelle @ Two Cups of Happy says
You look like you stepped straight out of Game of Thrones, Sherry! Except, you know, a more modest version of the show. Haha. On topic: I’m excited to see your undoubtedly more modern curtains/blinds etc.
Ade@fortheloveofpainting says
It looks so much better already! It always amazes me how things like curtains make such a difference!
Charlotte @ Ciburbanity says
I always envision the previous owners walking away feeling so generous for the beautiful window treatments and light fixtures they’ve gifted to the new owners when typically they’re the first things to get ripped out with feverish glee! Isn’t taste a funny thing?! (Our 1900s house left us with a treasure trove of mismatched doorknobs… brass on one side, silver on the other.)
Isn’t a new house the best! :)
xo
Dianne says
What, no play clothes for the Bean? Seriously, look forward to seeing what you construct for updated window treatments — sans the unique hardware. An hour well spent!
Alisa says
I’m sneezing after just thinking about the dust that was in those things..so glad they’re down!
Ashley says
I love the curtain dress but was a little disappointed you did pull off a Carol Burnett as Scarlett O’Hara! An all time favorite!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha! If only…
xo
s
Bethany says
Sherry… the curtain rod goes on your shoulder! http://www.itsthecarolburnettshow.com/screengrabs/went_with_the_wind/pdvd_071.jpg
Love the look though! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Bwahahah!
xo
s
Elizabeth T says
With your first house you went with calm, cool colors and the next was much more fun and bright. Any ideas what you will go for with number 3?
YoungHouseLove says
I think we still love pops of color but envision a ton of white and neutral tones like wood and stone floors. Maybe classic with a hit of color and texture? Should be fun to see where we end up!
xo
s
April says
I might be in the minority, but I LOVE the wood-toned trim. Have you considered leaving it as is, or is it destined for a date with the paint sprayer?
YoungHouseLove says
I definitely think that’s a personal preference thing and we’re fans of glossy white trim (it just seems to make spaces feel bigger and fresher to us). I’ve seen gorgeous craftsman homes with wood trim though, so for that style I really think it works :)
xo
s
Rachel says
Oh hellz to the yes!
Jen says
HA! My reading this blog went something like this:
chuckle, chuckle, chuckle….”Oh, NO!”
chuckle, chuckle, chuckle….”Oh, good LORD NO!”
::flashback to my childhood::
chuckle, chuckle, chuckle….”ERMAHGHERD! How the?!”
chuckle, chuckle, chuckle….”Phew! Much better.”
Alison says
Looking good already, sans floral!
I have a question for you guys. I admire how you can fix up these houses, make them beautiful and then sell them to move into another fixer upper. I realize this is your livelyhood and money maker, but down the road do you see youselves as flippers? Keeping this great house and then buying something else to flip? Just wondering!
YoungHouseLove says
This house feels like a definite long-term possibility. So we want to spend a nice long time on it (making thoughtful non-rushed decisions) and if we’re still lucky enough to do this for a living when we’re finished, we definitely would be open to getting a rental property or another house to makeover while still living in the new one :)
xo
s
Manda says
Between Kim Kardashian’s Met ball gown and Curtains McFlower…this post had me laughing out loud! LOL ain’t no joke on this post!!
It is amazing what tacky curtains can take away from a room!
Laura says
it’s too bad you guys aren’t doing monthly photos for clara- using one of those hilarious florals would be fun for a backdrop!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha, it’s true!
xo
s
Dominique says
That post was downright hilarious to read. I can just imagine!
Karen F says
VAST improvement!! (how could it not be) I know you have a lot on your plate for the next few weeks (go Petersiks! you can do it!) but are you planning on spraying the downstairs trim before you get furniture, etc moved into place?
YoungHouseLove says
Unfortunately we think we’ll be laying flooring upstairs right until moving day, so there’s no more time for painting until we move in. That’s usually the drill for us anyway, so I’m sure we’ll make it work :)
xo
s
Susan says
There is no better feeling than taking down the previous owner’s curtains! It instantly makes the house feel more like your own. Congrats :)
Henna | HENNA BLOSSOM BLOG says
Sherry you crack me up! :)
Amy says
We had similar lovely curtains when we moved into our house…they make excellent drop cloths for painting!!
Rene @thedomesticlady says
This is so funny. I just helped a coworker redo her living room. Her curtains looks similar to this. She could not believe the update with just the curtains removed:) Can’t wait to get the whole room done:)
Ginny @ Goofy Monkeys says
OMG THE WINDOWS ARE NAKED!!!
There’s something satisfying about taking down the previous owner’s window treatments. It’s not always about getting rid of something you hate or that is dirty or dated, but about really removing the vestiges of “them” so that you can make the home more “you”. Ya know?
Can’t wait to see what you guys do with these windows!
Jamie says
Exactly! We just took down burgendy Roman Shades from the previous owner and replaced with white blinds. The room instantly feels taller, fresher, more “us,” and we’re glad to know that no more jumping spiders are lurking in them.
Adeline says
Now, imagine that curtain dress with the 80’s hair of your latest instagram picture: you would have rocked the Met Ball red carpet!
With the upstair blue trims and the curtains gone, it’s already looking better. Well done!
Kara says
I just CRACKED up… that fabric is hilariously close to the print on Kim K’s dress.
Kristen | Popcorn on the Stove says
I’m so glad you removed the curtains – it looks so much better! I had the same feeling when we replaced the red blinds in our bedroom with white blinds (I still have no idea who custom-ordered red blinds).
Barbara says
Are your windows vinyl replacement windows? If so, are you going to paint on the vinyl? Just wondering because we have them with faux wood and want to paint them white but don’t know if it’ll adhere to the vinyl in the long run.
YoungHouseLove says
They’re actually original wood windows but they’re in good shape so we’ll paint them :)
xo
s