That’s how many yards I knew I’d need to make eight living room curtains. It generally breaks down to five yards of fabric per window (or sliding door) for two floor-length curtains that I can hang high and wide over each one. So five yards times four windows/sliders = eight panels (two for the big back window, two for each of the two sliding doors to the right as you face the window, and two for the sliding door to the left (that leads out onto this balcony to nowhere). So that’s where the whole 20 yards thing came from. And yeah for those who can’t picture it, that’s a lot of fabric (60 feet of it to be exact). Even at a great price of oh let’s say seven dollars a yard it would have been $140 (not including curtain rods, etc). And it’s hard to find extra wide upholstery fabric for under $15 or so a yard (which is what we usually like to use), and that would add up to a heart-stopping $300 price tag).
Eeeks, eh? (<– that’s my Canadian impression). Anyway, so that’s probably the reason our living room sliders have sat around naked for over six months.
Oh yeah, and those pom-poms from Clara’s party hung around in the sunroom until this weekend when we finally decided to retire them to the playroom. Anyway, back to the curtains (or lack there-of). Originally we thought we wanted something bright and bold for the fabric. Just because we’re having so much fun with color in this house and also because the walls are soft gray, the beams are darker gray, and the sofa is also dark gray. We had a whole lotta gray going on so we thought some bold textile might break things up. But then we tossed up some bright place-holder $5 art (made here) and got Kermit (our big green cushy wool shag) and mixed in some brightly colored pillows, and brought in two big gleaming silver lamps on the back of the console that we built, and – can you see where I’m going with this? – we stepped back and realized we no longer wanted bright curtains.
Our big bright green rug was enough pop o’ color for us (and the bright art might get adapted but the tones will probably stay) so after our little course correction when it came to our fabric hunt we landed here: something with tone on tone texture. Not too bright. And not too expensive.
Then we realized that we had grabbed some fun tone on tone leafy guys from Ikea a few months back (they were on sale for $29 a pair, down from $49, so we tossed two packs into our cart with intentions of hanging them in the playroom someday). So since we already had four out of eight (and they worked out to be just $15 a panel) if we hung the four that we owned and liked them, we figured we could just head back to Ikea and grab two more packs and be done-zo. No more nekkid windows. So we grabbed some oil-rubbed bronze curtains and ring hooks from Target and hung our four panels on the two sliding doors on that right wall. And we liked it. Obviously they needed to be ironed and hemmed, but we loved the sweet and soft leafy sophistication that they layered in. Especially at $15 a panel. Sold. Just needed two more two-packs.
We miraculously heard that John’s mom would be up near Ikea the next day so we begged her to stop in and pick up two more packs for us. Before she left I popped over to ikea.com to find out their names for her. I like to play a game where I make up an Ikea-ish sounding product name to see how close I am to the actual product name (I’m never even close but it keeps me entertained) so I came up with Vika Lund and Skiv Rast as I searched. And searched. And that was the first sign that something tragic was about to happen. They weren’t online anymore. Nowhere to be found. That little know-it-all voice in the back of my head whispered: “They stopped selling them- you almost solved the naked living room window problem but you didn’t buy enough packs and now they’re gone. You lose.” But I’ve seen other things in the store that aren’t online (a bunch of rugs and mirrors for example) so I tried to convince myself that they were just were among the other in-store-but-not-online items.
About twenty four hours later we got the call I had been dreading. John’s mom was standing in the curtain aisle after asking a sweet guy about them and he confirmed they had in fact been discontinued. Hadn’t been sold since April. As the Brits say: majah bummah.
Of course that spurred on a marathon ebay/craigslist/google hunt for any and all available identical curtain packs. I turned up a few two paneled packs for around $75 a pop, but that hardly seemed reasonable when we paid $29 (they’re called Alvine Kottar by the way). So I gave myself permission to mope around and drown my sorrows in Oreos after throwing myself on the floor and telling John that the living room curtains would be the death of me. You know, totally normal behavior for a 29 year old.
Then as I was sitting on the sofa with Oreo crumbs all over my chest and lap (you’re welcome for that mental image), my eyes kept wandering over to the four panels that we had already hung. My one beef with them was that they were too bunchy. Too wide. All ganked up. See? Note: This is a terribly lit shot – sorry. I was too depressed to check my settings.
Yup, slowly it dawned on me. They were waaaay too wide. Especially since we’re not curtain closers so we always have them thrown open to let in maximum light (that area of our house is wooded and fenced so there’s not a privacy issue anyway). This next thought had me getting a wee bit excited. Picture my pace quickening and my chest rising and falling a little faster (just enough to make those Orea cookie crumbs do a little happy dance). What if I cut them down the middle thereby creating eight curtain panels from my four too-wide ones? Oh man, that would be sweet. The excitement was quickly followed by my good ol’ inner Debbie Downer voice saying: “But what if they look too skinny and you ruin them? Then you can’t even use them in the playroom because they’d be lame little slivers of fabric. Don’t do anything stupid.”
Darn that evil inner voice. She was right about Ikea no longer selling my curtains. Cue more Oreo eating. Then it dawned on me that I could test-drive the half-width by just unclipping them from my ring hooks and folding them in half and rehanging them. That would “simulate” the width that they’d be if I snipped and hemmed them without picking up the scissors (give or take an inch for the new hem). So I ate brushed the crumbs off of myself and gingerly got off the sofa to try it. Lo and behold, they looked pretty darn good. Not super full and mondo wide, but I didn’t like them that way to begin with (remember the word ganked came to mind?). And since they’d never be drawn and would always be smashed all the way open to let in light (and facilitate sliding door function) it was the perfect solution for us because we wouldn’t want anything much fuller anyway (which would just get in the way). And you’d see more of the pretty leafy pattern instead of ten million folds. Done deal.
Out came my neurotic “no John cuts” fabric scissors (more on those here) and I snipped those babies right up the middle. The best thing about the cutting-in-half process was that they had been perfectly folded in the packaging right down the middle, so they still had a center fold that I could just follow down with the scissors to end up with two exactly-the-same-size panels. Then I just hemmed them with my trusty iron + sewing machine technique (no pins required – yay Team Lazy). More on that here. Oh and this time I actually folded over and ironed the hem twice before sewing the hem (last time I folded it over once with the iron and then folded it again on the sewing machine as I stitched).
I must admit that ironing down that second fold made it even easier to slide through my sewing machine. So hemming the sides of all eight panels probably took twenty minutes (once they were all prepped with the iron, which probably took thirty).
Then after stitching that 1/2″ side hem (which looked exactly the same as the Ikea-made hem on the other side of each panel – thank goodness they didn’t do anything too fancy that I couldn’t replicate) I tossed them into the wash on cold (and then tumble dry lowed them) to pre-shrink ’em before hanging & pinning the bottoms.
I grabbed them right out of the dryer (they were still a little damp, but hanging them that way kept them from getting even more wrinkly from sitting in the dryer) and clipped them all up on the four oil-rubbed curtain rods (from Target, along with the ring clips) which we hung 14″ wider than the trim around the sliding doors and the window. Except for the sliders leading to the balcony to nowhere (there wasn’t as much wall space to go as wide on those, so we went 8″ wide on each of those). As for the distance down from the crown molding, we went with three inches so all of the rods would hang at the same height. That felt high enough to draw the eye up without completely crowding the dark beams above. You know I love a good oil-rubbed bronze rod hung high and wide like dark eyeliner on a window. Me-ow.
Then I pinned the bottoms of each panel so they’d just graze the floor…
… and hemmed those bottoms pretty quickly (I gave them a longer base hem since a few folks told us that nice drapes have 3-4″ base hems – yay Team Fancy). Oh but I used iron-on hem tape for the bottoms because I was tired and wanted the thick 4″ hem on each one to be uninterrupted by thread that you can see from the front (I’m still very very not-sewing-machine wise, so I couldn’t figure out how to get such a thick hem without seeing a telltale line of stitching 4″ off the bottom of the panel which I thought would interrupt the flow of the panel). I guess I could have tried to hand stitch them from the back so you couldn’t see it from the front, but I’m not so good at that whole thing. But the hem tape worked like a charm and I ended up with nice extra wide bottom hems in around a half an hour. I even hemmed them right from the rod (as they hung there after pinning them). Didn’t even unclip them and rehang ’em. Yay Team Lazy.
As for the curtain length, we definitely didn’t want our panels extra long and puddled since two of the three sliders are used often and we didn’t want the fabric to get all grungy (even though they hang to the side and aren’t in the path of anyone walking, we worried if they were too long they could drift underfoot).
Anyway, enough chitchat. Here they be:
I should mention that sometimes bright sun + window = blown out curtains. Oops. But in person you can see the leafy goodness from across the room, even on a sunny day. And as that over the top dude on Million Dollar Decorators says in his intro: it’s delicious.
Like this:
Only further away (so the leaves look smaller). Ok, now I’m giving you a little primer on perspective. Somebody slap me.
Oh but you can see the lesser-pictured sliders on the left side in the photo above (the ones that lead out to that odd patio that we someday want to revamp).
Who noticed that Burger literally gets up and repositions himself to face the camera? Diva much?
We love how the sweetness of the almost sheer-like curtains contrast the big chunky rustic-ish wood console we built:
And they play so nicely with the big round mirror too:
It was fun to add in a few pops of blue thanks to the hydrangeas from our patio and two awesome blue decorating books that I love: Domino and Decorate (the latter of which is Holly Becker’s new book that I got on Amazon – it’s great).
Hydrangeas = so pretty. But also pretty quick to wilt. I clipped these guys five days ago and some of them already look kind of… spent. Oh well. At least they were free.
See the curtains in the background of the pic above? That’s pretty much how they look from across the room in real life (the sunlight just blows them out in photos so they’re harder to read in the wide shots in this post).
Oooh artsy. Hydrangeas in the mirror:
Here’s Burg-dorf Goodman posing again. And here’s another shot of the lesser-pictured slider across from the two that lead out to the patio/sunroom on the other side of the living room. I love how the soft tone-on-tone curtains don’t steal too much attention from the frame wall nearby. They play well with others.
Oh and did you notice I had some fun switching up the pillows. Zero dollars spent (and proof that I have too many pillows). Pillows are like nomads in our house – they never live in one spot for long. These guys were all in the playroom and the sunroom (originally from Bed Bath & Beyond on clearance) except for the floofy one in the middle (which was originally from Target but has lived in our bedroom for a while) so I brought them out for more of that fun texture-y, layered, tone-on-tone thing.
Now the room is a nice little blend of happy (the shaggy green rug and the bright art that we might just switch up soon) + contrast (the dark sofa, the gray-washed beams, the chunky console, and the oil-rubbed bronze mirror) + softness (the faux sheepskin, the white frames, the white desk, the patterned curtains, the lighter toned pillows). Although I’m pretty sure those pillows will continue to get swapped around (Sue the Pillow and her bright friends are now living in the adjoined sunroom, so I can still see them from the sofa). And when we get around to building/refurbishing a media cabinet and refinishing the floors we’ll really be in business in here. Someday…
Let’s wrap this baby up. We love them. They’re our cup of tea. They add come-on-in-and-flop-down-on-the-sofa-and-eat-Oreos ambiance. And they were just $58 for four curtain panels (that we sliced up the middle to make eight). Which breaks down to $7.25 a panel. Which would mean that we’d have to find fabric that was $1.45 per yard to get this good of a deal if we were to make them from scratch. Pretty crazy how things work out, huh? Wait, I guess if we knew we could have cut our fabric in half (we wouldn’t recommend doing that unless it’s a really wide bolt, like 60″ or more, and you’re certain you won’t want to draw them for privacy) we only would have needed to find $2.90 a yard fabric. That’s still pretty tough though.
One thing’s for sure. This room has definitely evolved over the past six months. Here’s what it looked like when we moved in:
Yowsa. So yeah, we’re thanking the curtain powers that be. The only real bummer is the fact that cutting, ironing, hemming, and hanging my curtains probably only burned about one tenth of the calories from the curtain-drama-related cookie binge that ensued. Oh yeah, and it’s impossible to photograph how cozy this room feels (maybe because it’s so big it looks less inviting than it feels in real life?). Annoying. Anyway, here she blows at night. All glow-y thanks to the lamps:
And that brings us to 2,762 words on our living room curtains. Who do I think I am? I’m calling it. Have you guys ever split curtains up the middle or added extra length to them with banding at the bottom or top? Ever heard of Ikea selling out of things in April? Seems like a random month to decide not to bring stuff back, right? But maybe that’s why the panels we grabbed were on sale for $29 in the first place…
Tracie says
I just bought those curtains & hung them in my dining room this weekend! Our Ikea (Houston) had a bunch. I thought about going back & getting more bc they are so cute. But the point is… how cool that I picked out the same curtains as my favorite decorating blog???? Yay!!
Lindsay says
Do you know how many people you could make happy on this blog by buying all of those curtains and selling them here??? ;)
YoungHouseLove says
Haha- it’s true. And so, a business is born!
xo,
s
Mary says
With all these hydrangea tips you need to do some experiments and report back which ones work! :) the room looks great!
YoungHouseLove says
Seriously! I need to do some side by side comparison experiments.
xo,
s
Cristina says
Burger-diva makes me crazy!!
:D
Paulina J! says
Love the curtains. Not sure if anyone else has mentioned this about hydrangeas, but here is an awesome tip on how to bring them back to life:
http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/flower-of-the-week-the-wilted-sorry-ass-hydrangea-how-to-bring-it-back-to-life
Let me know if it works for you too :)
YoungHouseLove says
That’s amazing! Love the pics at the end.
xo,
s
Sara says
They look great! I have those exact same curtains from IKEA, I love them. All the curtains in our house are from IKEA because we have 9′ and 14′ tall ceilings and IKEA is the best place for super cheap and loooong curtains.
Susanna B. says
As a Swede living in the US, it is delightful to see that you guys are embracing IKEA which is the like the “mother ship” to me. I love how you split the curtains – makes so much sense. Next time you visit IKEA, promise to try some food at their foodshop. There is some amazing pastries in the fridge that I would highly recommend. Also, the Marabou brand chocolate is the best. Don’t miss it!
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks for the tips! Love getting the Swedish scoop!
xo,
s
Amy @ Lovely Nest says
love the curtains. I picked up a pair of those while on vacation back in march when they were on sale for $39, so you got an even better deal than me! After hanging ours, I was sort of wishing I had bought a second set, but we don’t have an Ikea close, so I was out of luck. Thanks for the tip on splitting them up though. It’s great to keep in mind in case I want to “double” them in the future! They look great in your living room. You can see ours in our guest room here: http://www.lovely-nest.com/blog/2011/3/31/lookin-good-mr-kottar.html
YoungHouseLove says
What a sweet and charming little room!
xo,
s
Salena Santos says
I actually did cut the fabirc for my curtains down the middle so I could save money.(I am cheap.) But it worked out perfectly since I didn’t want them to be to chunky on each side. Also, since I also put up some wood shades underneath, the curtains are more for a pop of color and texture then they are for function. Cutting the fabric down the middle meant I needed half of the fabric which saved me lots of money:)
Elizabeth says
Speaking of Burger…I may need to try one of these, in honor of Burger (yeah, that’s why!)
http://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2011/06/19/disney-worlds-new-burger-cupcake/
YoungHouseLove says
That looks deeeeeelicious!
xo,
s
Christin says
I really love those curtains. I’m bummed Ikea doesn’t sell them anymore (they might work in uor living room, oh well)! Your room is coming together beautifully. And I know I’ve said this before when you first posted about it, but the console you built for the back of Karl is incredible. Seriously love it. :)
Bryony says
Love the curtains! That’s the sort of thing I want in our nursery (now that the walls are a lovely pale-hay-like yellow called “sunflower”). Nice to know that chopping them in half worked. I thought about doing that with some sage green curtains in our bedroom. They’re way too wide for the window, but that was the only way to get the right length. I can’t get 4 curtains out of it, but I might trim them anyway…
Alex R. says
K-razy! I am right in the middle of my curtain project with these exact same curtains. I kept screaming through the first half of this post “they don’t make these anymore!” and I was very anxious for you and actually thought “darn I wish I hadn’t cut mine already so I could just send them my pair.”
Don’t you love that Ikea gives you extra long curtains with the hem tape included for the non-sewers?? So thoughtful.
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, they are very nice. Except when they discontinue curtains that you love. Haha.
xo,
s
Virginia says
Curtains look fabulous!
A little hydrangea tip: If you bash the stems with a hammer to kinda open them up before you put them in water, they’ll drink up and won’t wilt as fast. (Also works on lilacs, rose of sharon and anything else with tough woody stems.)
candace @ thecandace.com says
I’m loving this curtains! The tone on tone but great pattern is the perfect fit…and the perfect price! Your living room is looking lovely!
allison says
Sherry,
I have never actually commented on a post (outside of trying to win a contest:) But I just had to when you said that your Hydrangeas were wilting- I read this the other week and thought it was a cool way of bringing a wilted flower back to life! Granted, I haven’t actually tried it…
http://www.theartofdoingstuff.com/flower-of-the-week-the-wilted-sorry-ass-hydrangea-how-to-bring-it-back-to-life
YoungHouseLove says
Love it! Thanks so much.
xo,
s
Elaine says
Love it! Looks great! Wonderful post as always!
holly@LoveofLifeblog says
Looks great! And Oreos only make a situation much, much better.
Lori @ Richmond, BABY! says
Beautiful. Love the fabric pattern. The room looks super cozy!
Kelly Morley says
Looks great!!! I like those pillows even better :-) Just me…but thought I’d share!
Megan W says
I did something similar with a duvet cover from Ikea. I bought two twin duvet covers for $9.95 each, split them down the middle, and created four curtain panels. (They had a fun lime green circle pattern on them, perfect for my office.)
They just happened to be the perfect height for my windows, and since it was a duvet, the panels ending up being double sided so they’re nice and thick. I also had the two pillow covers that came with the duvets left over, so I created a mouse pad out of one of them to match the curtains!
Like you, I had been researching how much fabric would cost to make curtains for the space and it was scary! So happy I went with the Ikea duvet route. $20 for 4 panels (and a mousepad) — you can’t beat that with a stick!
YoungHouseLove says
What a steal. Love the mouse pad extra!
xo,
s
Torrie @ a place to share... says
Love, love, love, x’s 20.
I read all “2,762” words- plus clicked on the pillow post, AND the Kermit post, AND after pinning a pic from the latter (more rug inspiration! thank you!)- started following you on Pinterest.
…a very ‘eventful’ post-reading session I’d say =).
YoungHouseLove says
Wow- you’ve been busy. So glad.
xo,
s
Erin says
They look great! And what luck to spend so little on curtains for 4 windows/sliders. I just placed an order at JoAnn for 13 yards of decorator fabric (for 2 sliders and a window)… even with a 60% off sale, the fabric was $13.99 a yard. I know pre-fab curtains would have been way more expensive, but $200 bucks isn’t easy to part with! Let’s hope they’re every bit as lovely as I’m dreaming they’ll be!
BreAnne Benzel says
How wide did your curtains end up being? I’m considering cutting some upholstery fabric in half to double my curtain coverage, but mine would be 25 inches wide and think that will be too small? I’m not closing my curtains either.
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
The original Ikea curtains were 60″ wide so they each are 30″ wide (and they hang in around an 18″ expanse, so they have some room to be wavy). I think somewhere I read that you want your curtains to be about twice as long as the panel of space that they hang in when open, so they can be nice and drapey. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Lisa says
I love IKEA curtains. I use the fabric to sew pillow covers, napkins, tablecloths and use them as curtains. :-)
I’ve also used tablecloths as curtains using clips – already hemmed.
Kay says
I love how those pillows look on that sofa!
Giulia says
This looks great – love the subtle pattern.
One of our first projects in our new house was to cover our windows for privacy. My challenge was having 5 windows in the living room, one of them 8 foot wide. We have to draw our curtains at night unless we want all the dog walking neighbors to wave to us as they walk by. So I split IKEA curtain panels down the middle for the smaller windows and added those panels to the full panels which made them wide anough for the 8 foot window. It was the most economical solution for us.
Ruth Ellen says
Another cheap curtain idea I’ve used…buy fabric shower curtains on clearance and cut those up the middle…then they are wide enough to close over standard windows…
Janette@The2Seasons says
As I mentioned on your last curtain project, I really think you should add lining. Sometimes you can buy it already made. It will give them more weight to hang evenly, it will keep them from the fading effects of the sun, and it will make your windows all look uniform from the outside. Just saying……
YoungHouseLove says
That’s always a possibility when it comes to upgrading them down the line!
xo,
s
Catherine says
Ok, I was legit on the edge of my seat in suspense reading the beginning of this post. OMG! Curtain Drama! How will this dilemma be solved??! Sherry, props to you on the ability to transform curtain-problem-solving into a total thriller.
As for your sad little wilty hydrangeas- they may be saved! Cut off the stems about an inch from the bottom at an angle while running under hot water. Continue to hold the stems under the hot water for a couple minutes before placing in a vase of fresh, warm-hot water. They should perk up. Hydrangeas really love a warm bath :)
Liz says
Oh, the elusive discontinued item at Ikea. I used to work there, so let me fill you in. Generally, Ikea launches *most* of their new product leading up to August (for the new catalogue) and December/January (for the new year). So, it stands to reason that Ikea also discontinues product in the same time frames. For you to find and awesome discount in April makes sense… The curtains were likely discontinued in the December/January release of new product, and the last of them were making their way to stores in the following months. As months go by, the prices gets discounted further and further to move the discontinued item out of the store, so getting that great deal in April really does makes sense.
I know in the Canadian stores, they’ve started doing this “last chance” signage on discontinued items, which is great because not everyone knows that the yellow tag and sale sign at Ikea mean discontinued! Not sure how your local Ikea’s signage works, but if they follow the same convention (which I would bet they do, Ikea maintains a pretty strong and consistent corporate identity) if you see that big yellow price banner or tag (instead of white) it very likely means that product is on sale because it’s discontinued.
Usually when Ikea has a sale and it’s *not* for discontinued items, its either a percentage off or a percent back in gift cards. Actual marked down prices on individual pieces mean discontinued.
Many previous commenter have mentioned the extreme helpfulness of Ikea staff to track down items at other stores. They have full stock-checking capabilites at other stores, so if you don’t see it, ask!
And that concludes your “How to Shop at Ikea” lesson for the day!
YoungHouseLove says
Love it. Thanks for the inside scoop!
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
I am totally sucked in by the yellow “LAST CHANCE” banners at IKEA…sneaky Swedes!
Kat says
I’m using shower curtains from Target to make drapes for a wide window in my son’s room. I’ll sew a coordinating band across the top to make them long enough. In fact, I like the shower curtain in your guest bathroom as curtains for my living room. I haven’t quite pulled the trigger on that project yet.
Rachel Gross says
Just a quick tip on the hydrangeas. Depending on the variety and maturity, if you don’t put water in the vase and just let them dry out, they don’t wilt and you have beautiful dried flowers to use. I have them all over my house all year long!
angel says
I am super cheap when it comes to curtains too. I have a beautiful set of curtains that I made from a tablecloth off the clearance rack at Home Goods. I just split it up the middle and then I only had to hem up the side that was cut and I added a rod pocket. I think I paid $6 for the tablecloth and they are definitely “statements” on my window. In my kitchen I have clearance window scarves that are hanging with napkin rings and they look awesome and only cost about $21 for all 3 windows and one is really really wide. In my living room our windows are 1 1/2 stories tall so I took window scarves and hung them long ways and made them into panels and once again they were already hemmed on the sides and top. Yay!! I love getting creative with curtains and materials so that I can do it on the cheap. Right now I am on the hunt for something perfectly cheap for the game room. Your curtains turned out awesome and fit the room nicely.
Jaimie says
I love how your living room is turning out. You’ve made such a great use of the space and the colors are fantastic.
Brandy says
I love it! I once upon a time, found the prefect fabric for curtains in my old home, but it was heavy upholstery fabric. I washed it like a million time to make it all snoft, and just could not sew through it since it was so heavy. So I used the trusty old glue gun, and bam, it looked great!
Laurel says
Before I saw the “after” picture, I was afraid of them being too bland when paired with the gray walls, but you were right – as always! :) LOVING the while pillows too. More sophisticated and more pizzazz!
Melanie says
They add such a softness and elegance to the room. Nice job. I really love them. You got so lucky to think of splitting them. Thank goodness for oreo brainstorming.
Brandy says
oh, And what you have done reminds me of what my pops always said “Improvise, adapt, overcome!”
Alison says
Curtains are fab! Haven’t gone through all the comments, so someone might have said this, but have you tried an itty bitty bit of bleach in the vase that holds the hydrangeas? I haven’t tried this trick with hydrangeas, but it’s worked with me on other flowers and has kept some “crap-it’s-mother’s-day” gas station flowers for up to three weeks!
YoungHouseLove says
Haven’t tried it yet, but I’m getting lots of ideas from you guys! Thanks!
xo,
s
Sarah says
Wow – so smart! Glad everything turned out beautifully. I love curtains – they add so much personality to a room and really make it feel “finished”. It’s fun seeing this room evolve. Happy Monday :)
Emily says
Just thought you might like to know that “kottar” means pinecone in Swedish. :) The curtains look great!
YoungHouseLove says
I love that!!! Makes so much sense.
xo,
s
kimb says
If you ever found fabric the colour of the rug a nice outside edging could make the curtian interesting.
YoungHouseLove says
That could be fun!
xo,
s
amyks says
I have changed up store bought curtains twice, both for bedrooms. A pair of ivory damask curtains in my master bedroom. They weren’t quite long enough and a bit boring so I added a thick band of black and ivory buffalo check to the bottom. They looked really great. In my daughter’s bedroom, I added a patch work of big squares to the bottom of plain white canvas curtains to tie them into her bedding. They were playful and fun! But then we moved and I sent both sets of curtains to goodwill, I probably should have out them on craigslist, but I was being lazy and just wanted to be done packing! Boo hoo in hindsight.
Emilie says
Wow, I really love how the room is coming together. I also love how you guys are taking more risks in the new place. You have such a good eye, it really works out well for you….and it’s inspired me to take a few more risks in my decorating too. As for curtains, I miss standard height ceilings a lot when I try to find some for my house! With 12 foot ceilings, it’s hard to find cheap curtains that actually fit, but I have plans to adapt some curtains in my son’s room. I’m taking some plain white Ikea curtains and sewing on some nice fabric I found at the thrift store for a nice thrifty option! Maybe I’ll send in some pictures when all is said and done…
Mel V. says
Wow, amazing what a difference curtains make! It doesn’t look like an awkwardly half-furnished room in progress any more.
Now that the room’s filling out a bit, I’m actually really liking the media table you have. The long and low thing works well with the sofa’s lines. The TV just looks kind of stranded. Maybe it needs a wall mount, and a few floating shelves?
When I moved into my current rental, I immediately wanted curtains (which I hadn’t bothered with in any previous places). I found four gorgeous sheer panels with a subtle leaf pattern at the thrift store. However, the room has extra-high ceilings, and these were normal length curtains. So I grabbed a fifth (plain) sheer made of similar material, and cut it up to make a wide hem, a header, and hanging loops for each of the other four. It looks great, the lack of a pattern in those pieces really isn’t noticeable, and even if someone does notice it looks intentional. I was so proud of myself! Still am, to be honest.
jess says
I like the muted pillows instead of the bright ones. It brings out the floors more and the rug really POPS. I love the curtains though- great buy and way to use your noggin!!!
Megan says
I recently paid a trip to IKEA for those same curtains and was sad when I couldn’t find them! We ended up buying the Ritva panels instead and love them.
tia says
once upon a time there was a striped rug from ikea that i had to have but was sold out everywhere except one location in the bay area (which is on the other side of the country for me and yes, i called every location). luckily, i had an internet friend who lived nearby and was kind enough to purchase and mail the rug to me. now it sits rolled up in my guest room so it doesn’t get dirty from guest shoes…lol.
Valerie says
I absolutely love this post! Not only do I admire your thriftiness, but you have a wonderful way with words! Rarely can I wade blog posts of more than a few hundred syllables, but yours kept me entertained the whole time. The pics are great too.
Good for you to be so clever!
I once cut off one side of a shower curtain (we have a narrow master shower) and used it to make a matching valance. How’s that for using what you’ve got? :)
YoungHouseLove says
Very smart. Love the shower curtain cleverness!
xo,
s
Rachel Tatem says
That’s great! I am in the process or making some of my own curtains too! I’ll have to make sure to keep an open mind about adjusting already made curtains… so far I had only considered from raw. Thanks!