I enjoy beautiful window treatments. When we purchased our present home, I was thrilled with the draperies in the great room. I was even more excited when I realized that I had leftover upholstery fabric that matched our loveseats. So, while the room was being painted, I recovered the cornices and voila, a custom decorated room. I also liked the fact that the previous owners had used the fabric between the windows, so that none of the gorgeous view was blocked.
1. Deb, What beautiful windows and gorgeous yard. The window treatments are the perfect design to show off those 2 great assets.
I love your idea of adding some of your own fabric to the top for nice looking valances. Nicely done.
by Cathy — 6/18/07 at 3:46 pm #
2. Thanks Cathy, It was a nice surprise when I realized that I had fabric that would match perfectly. This view is what made us fall in love with the house.
by Deb — 6/18/07 at 11:40 pm #
3. I need help covering long skinny windows on either side of my entrance door. Bamboo blinds have to be mounted outside of the window frame and a “insert” of plastic or stained glass is very expensive. HELP! My money is going fast!
by Sally [...] — 6/20/07 at 12:35 pm #
4. Thanks for your comment, Sally. I am hoping that some of the other girls will comment on this as well, because I am quite certain you would like several ideas. Unless you need to block out light, or need complete privacy around the door. I like to hang sheer curtains in these spots. They are usually inexpensive, the skinny little rods may be hung inside the frame if you get tension rods or outside using a wall mount. They are very easy to make if you can’t find ready made, as they only need straight line seams around the edges.
by Deb — 6/23/07 at 10:09 am #
5. Hi Deb,
I need to know how to measure for vert. blinds. Also for drapes.
Thanks a bunch,
Ann
by Ann [...] — 7/7/07 at 3:10 pm #
6. Ann, that is a great question! I don’t know myself. Let’s see if we can get Cathy in on this question. She may have some advice for us.
by Deb — 7/9/07 at 11:11 am #
7. Hello Ann,
This is Cathy.
Deb asked me to comment on your drapery question. The best place to send you is to the web. (Too long and involved to answer here). Google: drapery measuring, or window measuring or go to wikihow.com for exact instruction. Your vertical blind dealer will also show you or they will come out to measure. HGTV or DIY site has good info as well.
A few things to consider with drapery design are…
1. Always line drapery in a white color lining, hangs nicely, drapery will last longer, looks custom, “white” to the outside windows of the house
2. With 8 or 9 ft. ceilings, hang drapery near the ceiling or just under the crown moulding. A custom look, not a ready-made look.
3. Extend drapery onto the wall area so its not “stacked” on the windows when opened. More light availible and makes the window look bigger.
These are probably the 3 most common problems that people don’t do in hanging drapery.
Hope that gave you a few ideas. Good Luck,
Cathy
by Cathy — 7/9/07 at 5:19 pm #
8. Thanks Cathy, I knew you would have some great suggestions. Now, I know where to look as well. Thanks again!!!
by Deb — 7/9/07 at 7:08 pm #
9. I got inspired when I saw Deb’s drapes between the windows. I am building a home and it has a similar set of windows a little over 13 feet high. I am planning on putting long drapes on either side and would like to put long drapes in the space between the windows as Deb did. My windows are straight across and am wondering what type of rod(s) to use. I had planned on two rods on each side (when I was just doing the sides) and am finding that the space with some overlap on the side walls requires about 11′ of rod. Most rods seem to be 10′. Would 3 rods work…any ideas?
by Karen — 7/21/07 at 11:37 am #
10. Hi Karen, How exciting to build a new home. My dh and I have built a couple of homes, and would still like to do one more. It is stressful but exhilerating as well.
As far as your curtain rods go, it will depend somewhat on the weight of your curtains. If the curtains are light, and will hang together well you should be okay hanging rods next to each other. Especially if you are putting a valance or cornice over the top. Cathy has a beautiful idea using sheets on one of her posts.
One of the things I loved about these curtains when we moved in is that they don’t detract from the beautiful view outside. I am not sure if any of this helps or not. You may want to ask Cathy or Betty for their ideas as well, they decorate professionally and may be able to give you even more help.
Have fun with the new house!
by Deb — 7/23/07 at 1:12 pm #
11. Thanks for the info. I have a bad picture of the window and it appears that the spacing may be wrong but once I get into the house I will have a better idea. Right now I’m back to the idea of having one pair and leaving the space in between empty. The side windows are very narrow and I am afraid that your treatment may not work afterall. Yours look fabulous and the view is wonderful. Karen
by Karen — 7/23/07 at 6:12 pm #
12. My 5 year old’s bedroom has a very long window that I don’t know how to decorate. Any suggestions? I did have a valance at the top but it seemed to just draw the eyes away to the wooden blinds. My husband doesn’t want to get rid of the blinds so I am stuck with them, but I need help in figuring out the best way to make this window look good. Should I try long curtains, short curtains, or what? I really can’t go out and buy a lot of different ones just to ‘test’ the look because I am on a tight budge. Suggestions greatly appreciated! Thanks.
by Sarah — 2/4/08 at 12:26 am #
13. Hi Sarah,
That’s a good question. I will throw out a couple of possible ideas. One thought is to Google: Window Treatments for some suggestions. Also, if you use Google images, pages of pictures and ideas will come up. A couple of thoughts I had were the possibility of cafe curtains, which would include both a valance at the top and a half curtain at the bottom. That way the eye is drawn to the entire window. If you sew at all, bedsheets make great bedroom curtains, because you get alot of fabric quite inexpensively. If you are fortunate enough to have the length close they are hemmed and you could use a cute swag to hold it to the side for light to enter the room. Have fun and thanks again for your comment. Deb
by Deb — 2/4/08 at 3:31 pm #