Remember when we cut four curtain panels that we loved from Ikea (which were sadly discontinued) right down the middle to make eight of them for our living room? Well, here’s that story, but to refresh your memory, here are a few pics:
We loved the added height, texture, and pattern that they brought to the room, but I always wondered if layering some breezy sheers in there someday might make my curtain-loving heart sing. You know, so they’d be fuller and airier and sort of layered and soft looking. So I lived without ’em for a while but kept my eye out for some cheap fabric or sheers that I thought might do the trick.
And then one day in Ikea… I pounced. Two already made 98″ curtain panels for $9 was enough of a deal to make me jump, so I grabbed four packs of white breezy curtains with my living room windows (and glass sliders) in mind. I wish I knew the name for you guys but the packaging got tossed before I could take note and I looked online and didn’t see anything that matched what I got (in price and look). I don’t think they’re Vivan panels since we had those in our last house and these are lighter/thinner, and they’re definitely not Lill curtains (those are super sheer and mosquito-net-y). Update: We think they’re called Wilma. Hope it helps!
Anyway, the first thing I did was toss the panels in the wash (to pre-shrink them so that when I hemmed them they wouldn’t later get washed and be too short if there was any shrinkage). Then I grabbed some ring-clips from Target (the same ones I used to hang the original 8 panels)…
When my sherr-ish panels came out of the dryer I cut the tab tops off (since I could just clip them along the top with my ring-clips to hang them). Oh the tab tops might be a clue if you’re looking for which curtains they are (if they have a rod pocket, like the Vivan panels, it’s not them).
Then I hung them all up using the additional ring clips on the same curtain rod with the patterned panels. To make both curtain panels flow into each other I actually overlapped them a smidge with the ring clips.
Basically the two left-most clips on the patterned panel below also have the white sheers clipped behind them. That way there’s no gap between the curtains and they all move as one unit (ex: if I pull the sheer out both curtain panels extend). Not that we move our curtains. Haha. They’re really more for softness and height. Especially in a giant room like this one – adding anything soft and breezy makes it feel less like a gymnasium and more like a real room.
So I got past the tab-cutting/washing/hanging steps and then I stalled. I had been meaning to hem them and share them for a while but other projects and book stuff popped up so I left these guys unhemmed and a few of you even noticed them in posts like this one, to which I replied “ack, still have to finish that project and then I promise I’ll blog all about it!” Haha, which brings us to this post.
Yup, I finally hemmed them all using heavy-duty iron-on hem tape (Heat N Bond from Michael’s) which I did while they were still hanging right on the rod (see more about that method in this post). I just used a scissors to cut off the excess (there was actually about a foot of it on each one) while leaving an extra inch to accommodate the hem (so once it was hemmed up they’d just graze the floor).
Don’t mind the dust bunnies. Let’s zoom out, shall we?
It’s hard to really see the curtains when ya pan way out thanks to all the light coming in, but here ya go. We can’t wait to tackle a big media cabinet build, by the way. Probably after we conquer the kitchen…
Oh and for anyone wondering where the last two curtain panels hang (since it’s easy to see the other 6 in the pics above), we have this slider right off the living room so that’s where those live:
Aw and look at Clara’s little homemade coloring desk. It’s been getting tons of action (she’s either cooking in her kitchen or going nuts with stickers and crayons at her table). Ah to be 20 months old and living it up with tiny furnishings and fake fruit.
But back to the curtains. I really like the breezy layered look and there’s something about a double dose of ring-hooks on each side of those curtain rods that feels kind of posh. At least to a weirdo like me. So that’s my pretty quick (except I took forever to hem them) curtain upgrade. What have you guys been clipping up/sewing/hem-taping these days?
Loren says
I love how you hung them. I have some very similar (if not exact same) curtains in my apartment and they are so hard to close. (Which we do sometimes) these would glide much nicer.
Whitney Dupuis says
They look beautiful!
Quick question: If you wanted to add fabric to the bottom of a curtain (in a two-toned effect), could you use that same hem tape or would it not be strong enough to hold?
YoungHouseLove says
I think it would work with the heavy duty stuff (that’s what we use- Heat N Bond, Heavy Duty) – it’s even washable. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
allie says
hey girl! i love your work!
follow my new blog, if you wish of course….
http://allieandhusband.blogspot.com/
allie
YoungHouseLove says
Off to check it out! Happy blogging…
xo,
s
Cheryl says
I have the same curtains in my bedroom and I love them! Wish I could get some more for my dining room. By the way, our bedroom is also painted Moonshine from Benjamin Moore–months before I found your lovable little site! Maybe I’ll add a little more “breeze” to my room too! Thanks for the idea!
Erica says
Sorry if this has already been asked (16 month twins prevent me from reading it all) – can you tell me about a pillow on Karl? The cream/blue Union Jack-ish one? Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
That was from HomeGoods!
xo,
s
Mary says
Love the curtains. And while you’re in the living room… Do you still love your IKEA couch? I’m thinking of getting the same one and i just wanted to know how yours is holding up. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! No complaints! We snuggle up to Karl every night.
xo,
s
Meredith says
Thank you so much for posting about curtains today! I could use some advice in that area… I recently bought the AINA linen curtains from IKEA and I still haven’t put them up yet because I need to hem them, but I can’t decide if I should wash them first! The instructions say “do not tumble dry”… should I try to dry them on really low or air dry? Should I hang them up to dry? They are sooooo long… what do you do to dry yours?
P.S. I love the new layered look :-)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I’d tumble dry them on really low or air dry. That’s how we did ours (tumble dry low).
xo,
s
jeannie says
I always hang my curtains with a sheer panel. They feel naked without one : ).
maxwellhouseinteriors.blogspot.com
Kim says
Ooo the media cabinet project sounds good–your TV looks so itty bitty in your huge living room! Will you buy a new TV or keep the one you have?
YoungHouseLove says
We’re definitely in the market for a new TV (we hear sales are best at the end of Feb, so we’re crossing our fingers). The funny thing is that I’m the one dying for a new TV and John is hedging. Aren’t men supposed to demand them? Haha.
xo,
s
karen says
grrrreat addition!
Natalie says
An idea for your media console when you get to it:
We bought a giant entertainment center (an armoire with two side pieces) when we bought our first house about 12 years ago. Problem being that it held a 36″ tv, so it won’t fit any of the new flat panel tvs:( It also was a giant hulking mass of cherrywood, which seemed to takeover the living room. Since we spent almost three thousand on it (yearly bonus before we had kids…) from an upscale furniture store – we weren’t excited about getting rid of it. We tried to sell it on Craigslist, but no one wanted it, not even for $500!!
We finally came up with the idea to lop off the top of it! We used a skil saw to saw off each side of the three pieces right above the base cabinets. In other words we cut off the upper portion that housed the tv and were left with the bottom portion that housed the componets, dvds… We placed the bases against the wall underneath our wall mounted flat screen to create a console. We still need to get a large piece of wood to cap off the top (1″ thick) and unify them. Maybe some crown too…
It turned out really well. I had been eyeing the Hudson media console from Pottery Barn, but couldn’t justify spending $1600 on it… Once we top it off – this will look every bit as nice. If you found something on Craigslist you might be able to do something similar!
YoungHouseLove says
So smart!
xo
s
Teresa @ wherelovemeetslife says
I love the layered effect. It adds nice dimension. I also like how your curtains have pattern, but don’t try to be the star of the show. Truly is a refreshing room.
I have really had curtains on the mind since Christmas. I am pretty sure they will be one of my projects in the next month or so. Can’t wait!
Allison says
Hi Guys- I love the way your living room is coming together, and I can’t wait for the media cabinet!
I guess I have some questions about that, if you have time :) Are you going to hide the tv do you think, or display it? We have a sectional now that is roughly the same shape as yours, and it faces the tv and people are always like, “Oh, you shouldn’t focus an entire room around a tv, that’s tacky” Which, you know, is hard when you have a sectional that pretty much faces one way, and that you kinda maybe secretly got because then you could sprawl out while watching Cupcake Wars….
and I get it, I really do, the focus of lives and rooms probably should not be the tv, but to what extent should the room reflect that? I think you all really shine in exemplifying that area when design meets life, and would love to hear any thoughts on the subject :)
YoungHouseLove says
We actually don’t mind a TV that’s out because we like to keep it real. Haha. We watch TV. So there it is. We like media cabinets (sort of like big buffet cabinets with a sleek flat screen sitting on top) or even those open cabinets from places like Pottery Barn (with the TV still out, but with cabinets under and shelves on the side and on top of it). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lisa says
That’s the tiniest tv! The only reason I noticed is because I have 3 kids (and often a kid guest)and from our sectional, we can’t all fit on the tv facing side. I was jealous of how wide your sectional is for family tv watching. I’m sure it’s because you don’t have 10 minutes to even sit and watch tv.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- I know! We can’t even read the little numbers for the weather channel or the subtitles for things! It worked in our last house (the den was only 8 feet wide!) but it’s crazy small in this bigger room!
xo,
s
Julie says
Looks great! Just wondering if you ever use that desk in the living room now that your office is all done up?
YoungHouseLove says
That desk is great for one thing: holding Burger’s food and treats (he comes in and out that slider, so he gets a treat as soon as he comes in). Haha. And sometimes I write cards there. It has all my stationery in the drawers along with my address book and stamps, so it’s nice to have that all in one place.
xo,
s
Heather S. says
Since I’m going to be tackling a media cabinet soon, I was wondering if you knew of any other bloggers that have built one? I guess I could always wait for you guys since my “carpenter” is slightly unwilling!
Bethney says
I love the mirror switch up. I really liked the orb one but that chunky white one looks great too!
Sarah says
The addition of sheers definitely adds some volume, which is great, but can we talk about how in love I am with that desk area? I love the darker chair, the pops of color in the lanterns, and oh, that mirror! It’s definitely “decorated,” but there’s still room for function. With your office, do you all ever actually use the desk?
Seeing this post also gave me an idea. I would really like to be able to see an aerial view of your house (and how the colors flow from room to room, etc., etc.), so I think you should take the roof off and take some pictures. Ok? Thanks, I’d appreciate that! :) I know y’all have done some drawings with Google Sketch-up and some other programs, but I’d really like to see the aerial view in real life. Someone should come up with the technology to do this right now!
YoungHouseLove says
That desk is perfect for housing Burger’s treats and food for when he comes in and out of the slider. Haha. And it’s full of stationery and stamps and my address books, so I sit there and write cards. Love that it’s a laptop free zone. Haha.
xo,
Kasey M. says
I finanlly took a sewing class and LOVED it. I can’t wait to start working on (easy, square) projects!
If anyone else is thinking of taking a sewing class I reviewed the one I took at Jo-Anne on my blog. Here’s the post http://buttonwoodcottage.blogspot.com/2012/01/sewing-101.html
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo! You go girl!
xo,
s
Brooke says
Just had to make a belated comment to say that I was watching Scream 4 over the weekend, and I think (although I’m not absolutely sure) that one of the characters (Sydney’s cousin Jill) has those same curtains in her bedroom. I said to my husband, “I’m pretty sure those are Sherry and John’s curtains,” even though he had no idea what I was talking about. So maybe you have an eye for set design… (Or maybe I’m completely crazy and they’re not the same curtains… Also please don’t ask why I was watching Scream 4. Because it’s ironic?)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s so funny! I think we rented that and noticed the same thing! Hilarious.
xo,
s
Holly says
Very timely post. I’ve just ordered some fabric online and am going to be making some curtains on my own. Thanks for such great tutorials! Can’t wait to see how they look!
Julie Fitch says
Does the middle support bracket on the sliding glass doors’ curtain rod mean that you can’t pull the curtains closed, or do you have curtains on both sides that meet in the middle if you want to close them? I can’t figure out what kind of rig I need for my sliding glass doors–I really think they need to pull back to one side only in my house.
YoungHouseLove says
You can pull them closed I think! We just don’t because we love the light and are too lazy to close and open them every day! Haha.
xo,
s
Candice says
I love the mirror hanging above the desk in your living room, is it new? Apologies if y’all have already written about it and I missed it!
And your curtain idea is what I was thinking of doing in my bedroom, but my current curtains have that white light-blocking backing (required by our complex) and I doubt it would look as light and airy.
YoungHouseLove says
That used to hang in our kitchen over the fireplace but we swapped it out! It’s from jossandmain.com a while back. Maybe try overstock.com or wayfair.com?
xo,
s
Karen O says
From an older reader who used to sell custom draperies in a department store, here’s a little bit of curtain/drapery trivia that might be interesting or come in handy at some point for someone:
Hems on floor length draperies used to be between 3 and 4 inches wide and they were doubled on regular weight fabrics and tripled on sheers. The extra fabric in the hem was to give the fabric enough weight to hang nicely from the rods. Drapery weights were often inserted in hems to keep things hanging evenly. Fishing weights work too, if something’s hanging wonky and needs tweaking that only extra weight will help.
I suspect that hem widths began to change when draperies were “puddled” on the floor – many went unhemmed at that time!
I have no idea what drapery hems look like now – I’ve gone to honeycomb shades (Duettes) and doubt I’ll ever look back!
Long live iron-on tape!!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- so interesting!
xo,
s
Nicole says
They are beautiful, I am really in love with blues and greys right now. And I totally love your minimal sewing approach, a girl after my own heart!
eileen marie says
“Ah to be 20 months old and living it up with tiny furnishings and fake fruit.” LMAO!!
I think you got a lot of bang for your buck adding those sheers! I like the new look even better.
Karitas says
Looks great! I have those exact same curtains in my house in black. Looks so breezy and airy, love them :) I didn´t think we needed curtains – but when they were up, I realized how much difference it makes!! Frames the window and makes the room ;)
With love from Iceland
-Karitas
Trisha says
Hello! One question about your living room: why do you have so many tables? If I remember correctly you have the round table in the corner by the window and the desk in the other corner – do you use these or are they just there for decorating purposes? Just curious!
YoungHouseLove says
We eat at the little bistro table when we want to watch TV and stuff our faces without getting something messy on the sofa (think spaghetti) – haha. And the desk is where I write cards and thank you notes (I keep all my stationery and stamps and address book in there). It’s nice to have a laptop free zone like that!
xo,
s
Rabeeya says
Your living room is seriously stunning. Stylish yet cozy!!
Where did you get the chair from ?
YoungHouseLove says
That’s from jossandmain.com a while ago so maybe try overstock.com or wayfair.com?
xo,
s
Claire says
I just made baby leg warmers for my 6 month old daughter! Found some knee high socks with hearts on them in the Valentine candy aisle at Walgreens for $1.99! I cut off the feet & hemmed the cut end.
I have a pic of her in them but I don’t know how I’d share it since I don’t have a blog or site to link you to. Maybe I’ll try to post it on your FB site…
Aaaanyway, they were super easy & I’ve gotten so many compliments on them. You can buy them on etsy or get the Babylegs brand for $12 a pop.
YoungHouseLove says
They sound so cute!
xo,
s
Heidi P. says
You’re right! The extra ring clips and the extra layer DO make it look more posh and flow-y and soft! Never would’ve thought of it myself.
Lindsay says
I really like that last whole room view photo. I just love the way this room has transformed and come together with the new rug, new art & new accessories!
Courtney Rutledge says
Random. Where did you find that white mirror over the white table? I. love. it. and kind of want to steal it.
YoungHouseLove says
That’s from jossandmain.com a while ago (it used to hang in our kitchen over the fireplace). Maybe try overstock.com or wayfair.com?
xo,
s
Cathleen Pearson says
Yours turned out cute. And we just did the same thing to our house -added sheers! http://www.peahenpad.com/2012/01/privacy-please.html
YoungHouseLove says
Looking good!
xo,
s
Delia says
SCHOOL ME
If I could back to school and study anything I think I would have chosen to get a degree in Art.
Whitney says
Perfection! I always enjoy a no-sew tutorial! You make me feel like I could tackle this project! ;)
Sabrina says
This is just the post I needed! I went a little crazy and died over these curtains from Target. My mother bought them for me as a birthday gift. Now I totally changed my livingroom and they just don’t go. I also decided that they are pretty ugly lol But she bought them for me so I am keeping them. I am putting them in my bedroom which I am doing gray,black,white, and touches of yellow. I am trying to decide between using black sheers or yellow with them. They are solid white with large black flowers on them. I thought they were so Ikea at the time……..
Clare says
I’m a long time reader but finally had to post because I did this EXACT same thing in my dining room this week, but sort of the opposite. I already had those same IKEA tab top sheers, but wanted to add some punch and pattern to the window to go with my newly finished dining room chairs and table. I had a piece of fabric that was long enough to use for curtains but not really wide enough to use alone, and I only had the one piece (bought a LONG time ago) So I cut it down the middle and clipped it to the end of the sheers in the same way. Love it!
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- I love it!
xo,
s
Jennifer says
Hi Sher-dawg. Had to do that, loved the other post – about your realness. Thanks, it was so candid & genuine.
But, about the room- what kind of set up do you guys have behind the sectional, that I think has a name… ?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that’s a console table we built! Here’s one of many posts about it (it links back to the others). Hope it helps!
xo,
$herdog
Isabel says
They´re absolutely lovely. I must have missed the post about the ikea panels, but what a terrific combination! :)
Kaely says
I’m reading blogs way too early in the morning apparently. I totally thought that your ironing board fabric (from the picture with your ring clips) was what you were talking about for your new curtains and it was making my head hurt.
It all made much more sense once I realized that was the ironing board.
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- sorry for the confusion! I could see how that fabric with our curtains would be a major head scratcher! Haha.
xo,
s
Georgia says
Gotta love ikea curtains. I’ve been waiting for my hubby to get a job for 7 months now so that I can go to Ikea. I love the length of their curtains- perfect for our house with really tall windows….i don’t even have to hem the curtains. But they have such fantastic fabrics, and lamps, and everything else. When he gets that job, I’m emptying the mini van out and hitting ikea hard!
Maureen says
Dust bunny? Really? The ones in my house could take on Burger! Where does it all come from???
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- I like to pretend that mythical bunny fairies choose my house as the best house and hang out here at night while I’m sleeping, leaving magical bunny dust behind.
xo,
s
carly says
I JUST used that hem tape and so glad you mentioned it because I couldn’t imagine doing this project without it or trying to tackle it with my sewing machine.
http://thehousethatbuiltusstory.blogspot.com/2012/01/when-you-know-you-have-watched-little.html
YoungHouseLove says
Fun!
xo,
s
Mindy says
Curtain clips are invaluable when you have small kids! If they happen to pull down the curtain, the rod doesn’t come with it! I used these in my kids’ room when I covered their closet doorway with curtains.
YoungHouseLove says
Amen! I love using them in Clara’s room (that was the first room I tried them out in for that reason).
xo,
s
Nicole Shields says
Love the curtains! The pattern is one of my favorites.
We did our first building project this weekend! We used Ana White’s plans to build a king sized bed for our bedroom! Not gonna lie – we are pretty proud of ourselves. I think building may be addicting.
If you’re interested, check it out! http://www.nicoleshields.blogspot.com/2012/01/one-where-we-build-bed.html
YoungHouseLove says
Oh my gosh it’s gorgeous! And totally addicting!
xo,
s
Dana says
After your blog inspired me to update our family room – I am still stuck on what to use as window coverings in my “new” room. I have attached a link of BEFORE & AFTER (progress) pictures.. Any ideas of what I should use on the 4 windows – to compliment the panels (similar to yours!) on the doors. I have cellular/honeycomb shades on each window which I do not love but they were hidden behind my out dated cornice boxes. Now they are exposed and not sure what to do.. I would love to change them to woven shades (but feel bad wasting the money when there are shades there already) but was hoping you might have another idea???
http://share.shutterfly.com/share/received/welcome.sfly?fid=d6e75c0f02ce53486cbbd47cbb382743&sid=0SZNGTdy1ZueA
YoungHouseLove says
I love that transformation! It looks gorgeous as-is! You could totally add woven shades or just fill in the room with furniture and art and other accessories/textiles and see how it feels! Good luck!
xo,
s
Dana says
thanks.. I like how simple it the room has become. Since this “progress” picture.. I have added some artwork and textiles like you mentioned. I’ll be sure to show you the finished product. We are also in the midst of a ‘built in” similar to the one in your dining room and eventually painting our kitchen cabinets!! Love your blog and keep stealing your ideas :) thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, share after pics for sure! Good luck!
xo,
s
Ashley @ DesignBuildLove says
LOVE the new curtains- they add such a light, playfullness to the room. I absolutely love how the room has been changing as you go. I’ve totally loved it all along, but the room has gone from a bit juvenile-y bright (not in a bad way) to still young and bright but with a sophisticated edge! Nice work!!! And really can’t wait to see the built-in! :)
Hell on Heels Housewife says
Love the look of the curtains. I need my husband to get on board with a more light and airy look for ours. Are you both always on board with all of your ideas?
Maggie
YoungHouseLove says
We have a Full Agreement Agreement, which pretty much means if we don’t both agree we don’t do something. Sure it takes longer to find something or make something that we both love, but it keeps us from holding grudges when we see something we hate in our house from then the other person got their way!
xo,
s
Becky says
I actually just cut some Ikea panels in half too! You know, I used to be terrified of window treatments. They were SO expensive and SO hard to pick out. But with Ikea, it’s a cinch and SO inexpensive! The first panels I ever bought there baffled me. “Wait, so there are TWO panels in this package? And it’s a total of $29?” The salesperson thought I was nuts. But how many times have you fallen in love with curtains only to find out that they are EACH $60? Who can afford that??!