So I have a window dilemma – I think I want to cover the long window in our family room, but with what? I HATE vertical blinds – and that’s the only thing I’ve seen on my neighbor’s houses who have windows like ours. The window isn’t centered in the room, so I think curtains are out – plus I wouldn’t want them to go to the floor since it’s the playroom too. I can’t imagine finding pull down shades that would work since it’s soooo big. And I have a feeling any custom pull down blinds would cost almost a grand. I just don’t want to spend more than a couple/few hundred dollars…. Do you have any suggestions? Should we just keep it open? Do you think your readers would want to chime in? If not, that’s totally fine…just thought I would check with you since you’ve been so helpful in the past!  { . . . }  ~ Christy

{ P.S.  If you haven’t already checked out Christy’s post about her family room makeover, you totally should – it’s awesome!  Just click here to scope it out. }

In some followup emails with Christy, I learned that she wanted any window treatments to be functional so that she can completely cover the windows when she wants to.  Knowing all that, here are some affordable ideas I came up with to conquer her large {and gorgeous} windows:

1.  DIY Roman Shades.  I’ve been dying to try this idea ever since Britt made them for her bedroom.

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The basic idea is that Christy would use a length of fabric that extends from one side of the windows to the other, and from the ceiling to the window ledge beneath the windows (treating the 3 panels of the window like one big window).  Screw a cup hook near the top of the window frame on each vertical section of the frame (so you’ll have 4 cup hooks in all).  Then sew four little rings onto the back side of the fabric panel to line up with the cup hooks – these rings will be used to pull up the shades and let in some light, so think about how much window you’ll want to expose.  That’s it!  Check out Britt’s blog for even more details.

Drop cloths {like the ones Britt used} would be a great affordable fabric that can be gussied up with ribbon, and the neutral tones would work well with Christy’s furniture – another alternative would be to use one long length of a punchy, graphic fabric like the ones below to play off the beautiful blues and patterns in the space {and remember that you might want to line the shades for extra light control and so that they’re pretty when you see them from outside, as well}.

From left to right, top to bottom. 1. Waverly Sun N Shade Lenox Horizon, 2. Woodland Delight CD4085-Blue Fabric by Paula Prass, 3. Waverly Ellis Turquoise, 4. Premier Prints Giraffe Brown/French Blue, 5. Premier Prints Trellis French Blue/Kelso Brown, 6. P Kaufmann Loopy Lou Robin’s Egg, 7. Woodland Delight DC4084-Blue Fabric by Paula Prass, 8. Shangri-La 3883-22 Fabric by 3 Sisters, 9. Pavilion Indoor/Outdoor by Duralee, 10. Waverly Sun N Shade Outdoor Fabric-Lovely Lattice Lagoon Fabric, 11. Invidgodk in Confetti, 12. Waverly Cross Section Charcoal.

2.  Alternate Version of DIY Roman Shades. This version will let you have two different fabrics, like a neutral on the front and a pattern on the back.  Instead of the fabric folding underneath itself, you would “button up” the bottom of the shade to expose the patterned fabric on the back of the shade.

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You can check out a more detailed tutorial here.

3.  Faux Custom Roman Blinds. Custom blinds are expensive, so why not fake it?  The Youngsters do it, and so can you.

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Believe it or not, these custom-looking bamboo blinds {above and below} are just a series of inexpensive blinds hung together to look like a single unit.  Can’t tell, can ya?

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Just be sure to keep any cords out of the reach of little ones.  And for a more polished look, you can always add a pair of curtain panels or a valance.

So those are my ideas for Christy’s naked window – what about you guys?  Chime on in, we want to hear about your solution!

P.S.  I loved reading all of your guesses about yesterday’s post . . . you’ll have to stay tuned to find out for sure!  :)

Take the third bedroom, for example.  It has great bones – pretty linen-colored paint, crown molding, nice nightstands, etc. – but it’s pretty blah, wouldn’t you agree?

While I love the sage green bedspread, those white and black floral curtains were doing absolutely nothing to give the room any character.  All that changed when I decided to whip up some fun, colorful curtains for our sad little bedroom with this gorgeous fabric:

I know what you’re thinking – Huh?  I didn’t know this chick could sew??

Well, you’re right.  I’m no seamstress.  The last time I touched a sewing machine was during a summer in college when my mom taught me how to make some pillows for my dorm room.  Lucky for me, it turned out that sewing curtains is just about as easy as it gets!!  Here’s how I pulled it off:

1.  Decide how long you want the curtains to be. With this particular window, we had already hung a curtain rod with 85 inch long sheers, so I knew that I wanted the curtains to also be 85 inches long.  I checked all of my measurements before I ordered the fabric so that I could make sure that I would have enough fabric – patching random pieces together to make the curtains long enough was definitely something that I wanted to avoid.  Since I was making two 85 inch curtain panels, that meant that I would need 5 yards of fabric – and I went ahead and ordered an extra yard “just in case.”  I can use any extra fabric for another project.

2.  Give yourself a little wiggle room.  Once I was ready to start making the curtains, I laid out the fabric on the floor and measured 90 inches.  I decided to cut each curtain 90 inches long to make sure that I had ample room for hemming and the rod pocket top.  If you’re going to hang your curtains from curtain rings, you can give yourself a little less wiggle room.

After I measured out 90 inches, I folded the fabric over itself (with the non-printed side facing up) so that I had two matching 90-inch pieces of fabric, and a little left over.  I cut off the extra material and set it aside, and then cut the two pieces of fabric apart right at the fold.

3.  To pin or not to pin.  Being new to sewing, I decided to pin the hem on the first curtain.  Since the fabric was already laying face-down, it was easy to get right down to work.  I just folded the fabric over so that the non-finished edge was completely hidden and only the printed fabric would show on the finished curtain.  A pin every few inches did the trick.

After I sewed the first curtain, I realized that I could easily skip this step – by just holding the fabric taut while I pulled it through the sewing machine, I was able to maintain a pretty even hem.  Once you feel comfortable using the sewing machine, I definitely recommend skipping the pinning step, as it will save you a lot of time on an easy project like this.

4.  Sew easy. Now it’s time to hit up the sewing machine!!  For me, the most intimidating part of this whole sewing process was setting up the sewing machine (winding the bobbin, threading the needle, etc.) – luckily, my machine came with pretty great instructions and I had the machine up and running in no time.  I just used the default stitch (a hem stitch) and pulled the fabric through the machine, taking out pins as I went along.  Seriously, that’s about all there is to it!!

5.  Make a rod pocket. Once I had the entire curtain hemmed, I folded over the top edge of the curtain to form a pocket for the curtain rod.  I measured three inches all the way across the top of the curtain and stuck in a few pins to hold everything in place.  Then I ran it through the sewing machine and the pocket was finished in a jiffy!

6.  Admire your handiwork. It’s not often that something so simple can make such a transformation and give you a ton of satisfaction.  The quick and easy addition of some DIY curtains quickly gave our third bedroom a dash of personality that we can build upon in the future when we finally get around to decorating.  In the meantime, it’s a welcoming space that any guest would enjoy.

Easy, right?  What DIY projects have you conquered lately?

This post is shared with A Soft Place To Land and Fireflies and Jellybeans.

Don’t you love it??  The bright pink accents and the swirly floral paisley pattern get me all giddy.  I can’t wait to have a free moment so that I can lug that new sewing machine out of the box (yes, I’m a slacker and it’s still in the box), brush up on my sewing skills and whip out some fab curtains in a flurry of frenzied sewing activity – so fun!!  And I know I’ll have some extra fabric left over, so now the wheels are turning to come up with another little side project for the material – any suggestions?  I’m thinking of a throw pillow, maybe framing a few squares to put on the opposite wall for some color, or maybe using it to add some interest to the edge of the euro pillows on the bed?  Too many options to think about!

The trick is hanging the curtain rod at the same height as the top of the blinds for a cohesive, unified look.  Pretty snazzy, right??  The combination of warm wooden blinds and breezy sheers adds a touch of natural sophistication that will look great in any room.

What window treatments do you have in your home?  Plantation shutters?  Blinds?  Curtain panels?  Or maybe you leave your windows bare!  We’d love to hear about it!!

Image courtesy of Young House Love.

Lauren’s cozy home is filled to the brim with her husband, beautiful baby girl and Chihuahua-mix pup, so it’s no surprise that Lauren and her fam are desperate to move to larger digs within the next few years.  Lauren contacted me for a few inspired (and affordable) ideas for making her home both livable for her family and attractive to potential buyers.

Lauren requested that the TV, leather furniture and large bookshelf stay in the room and said that she would love a rug and curtains with a traditional, Pottery Barn-feel with splashes of color.  Here’s the “before” of Lauren’s living room:

Lauren’s living room already has very traditional bones with a brick fireplace, beautiful crown molding and warm wood floors, so that was a great jumping off point for this project.  After taking Lauren’s requests into account, here is her custom design plan:

As you can see, the foundation of the design plan is a neutral, beige wall color with fresh and inviting splashes of a bright, mossy green.  This color palette will give Lauren’s living room an updated and welcoming feel, while still staying neutral enough to appeal to those potential buyers.

Here’s the plan for putting this custom design into action:

Layout. The layout of Lauren’s living room is begging for an easy switcheroo.  I’d love to see the chair moved from the bay window to in front of the window where the couch is now – the little side table will stay right where it is, the perfect place to set a drink while reclining in that comfy leather chair.  The couch will then slide in front of the bay window, facing the fireplace and leaving enough room to walk between the sofa and the bay window.  That glass-topped coffee table’s new home is centered in front of the couch, in line with the leather chair.  The bookshelf by the front door will disappear, while the bigger bookshelf next to the fireplace will relocate to the left of the chair, near the bay window.  The console table is already in the perfect spot, so it’s staying right where it is.  Here’s a little visual of the new layout:

That recessed area in front of the bay window will serve as the new home for all of the baby’s goodies – toys, rocking chair, etc.  One or two woven chests like this one would be perfect for storing loose toys and books for a clutter-free look.  When the house is ready to go on the market, switch out the kiddie toys for a simple wooden desk and chair with a table lamp to show potential buyers that this living room can also function as a home office.

Rug. I love, love, LOVE this rug.  It is unbelievably priced for its size (8 x 10), and its simple geometric pattern and jute fibers are new and fresh-looking, while the pattern of light and dark fibers will look amazing with Lauren’s dark wood floors and leather furniture.  This rug is neutral in color, so it will work even when Lauren decides to move.  And as the mom of a young one, Lauren will love that this rug is fully reversible so spills and scuffs are no big deal.  The rug should be positioned so that the front legs of the couch and chair are resting on the rug.

Windows. Lauren hates the mini-blinds that were left by the former homeowner, so I’m bringing in bamboo roman shades.  The warm wood tones of these blinds will look beautiful with Lauren’s wood floors and leather furniture, and will bring a natural, cozy feeling into the room that you just can’t get with mini-blinds.  Some of the windows in Lauren’s room are at varying heights, so the blinds should be hung at a consistent height throughout the room to give the appearance of uniformity.  This means that the blinds over the shorter bay window will be “cheated” up just a bit, but you won’t even be able to tell once the blinds are hung.

These white sheers are ridiculously inexpensive and will really pop from Lauren’s tan walls and warm wooden blinds.  The curtains will look amazing hung with the curtain rod at the same height as the top of the blinds, with about 12 inches of curtain on either side of each window.  The bay window is a little pesky, but I would recommend hanging a curtain panel on either side of the large bay window, and only one curtain panel next to the two smaller windows in the bay window.  This will give that little nook a cohesive and unified look.  This curtain rod is a great black/brown that goes with Lauren’s color scheme, and can be shortened to any length with a cheapo tool.

Throw pillows. These pillows (1, 2 & 3) are really what brings this whole room together – the punchy, summery green is the perfect balance to the rich, dark leather of Lauren’s couch and chair.  TIP: when shopping online for pillows, keep an eye out for whether the price of the pillow includes the pillow as well as the pillow cover.

Accessories. Bright, mossy green is the accent color for this room, and beautiful little accents like this vase can typically be picked up for a steal.  I would love to see the tan lampshades on Lauren’s three lamps switched out for new ones in either bright white or green to match the pillows.  And while we’re talking about lamps, let’s take that floor lamp that was near the couch over to the left side of the fireplace – the wooden piece of furniture that’s there right now can switch on over to the right side of the fireplace.  And all of those books and movies that are in the bookcase would look amazing with this simple trick – just organize them by size and color.  Now Lauren’s books and movies will make a visual statement and have an element of both style and function.

Artwork and photographs. Lauren has really beautiful artwork and photos.  I would love to see the floral painting that is currently above the console moved to the right of the leather chair, centered between the edge of the curtains and the doorway.  The Paris photos that are currently to the right of the sofa would look amazing hung in a vertical line (with only about two inches between them) on the right of the fireplace.  The photograph that is currently to the right of the couch near the bay window would look great to the immediate right of the front door.  Finally, Lauren’s photos on the console table would have awesome impact if they were hung in an abstract grid pattern above the console table.  This collection can be supplemented with other framed photos, and mismatched frames can be spraypainted on the cheap for an easy, cohesive look.

That’s it!!  Lauren, I hope you love it and I can’t wait to hear what you guys think!  (And don’t be shy with those “after” pictures when you’ve put the plan into action!!)  Click here for your very own custom design plan.

Images courtesy of West Elm, Crate & Barrel, Pier 1, Target, Ikea, and Pottery Barn.

Yay!

As you may recall, I’ve been eyeing some fabrics for some simple decorating projects around the house.  Only 5 days after ordering swatches of four different fabrics from Buy Fabrics, my awesome swatches have arrived!!

These are pretty generous swatches, about 6 – 8 inches long and 3 inches wide – definitely enough fabric to decide whether or not you like it, and what a steal for only $2.50 per swatch!!

I think I’ve decided to go for two of the four swatches – the two on the right, which are the ones that I originally ran past you guys a few days ago.  The top right black and white graphic fabric will look great on the barstools in the kitchen, and the bottom right paisley fabric will really add some interest and color as curtains in the third bedroom.  At $13 and $10 a yard, they are a great price.

The swatches on the left didn’t make the cut, so I’m really glad that I checked out the swatches before committing to buying several yards of the fabrics!!  I was interested in the top left floral fabric for outdoor pillows for our covered patio, and the chocolate paisley fabric for curtains in the third bedroom – but after comparing them to the fabrics on the right they just don’t cut the mustard.

What do you guys think??