Have you ever had a problem for which you wanted to find a solution that most people would hear about and advise you to “just give up and start over?” I’m dealing with this same scenario right now in my daughter’s curtained bedroom. However, let me remind you about a decade ago, to give you some quick context that may explain why I’m not ready to scratch a piece of home decor that’s giving me a bit of a headache.
Long before I became a mother, before I left Florida for California (and, of course, long before I left California for North Carolina), I used to spend my lunch break from work wandering the aisles of either ReStore for nearby gems or Calico Corner for discounted clothes. On one of those lunch breaks, my eye fell on a dress that wasn’t exactly my style, but I was floored by it (and the price). It was a heavyweight linen with such beautiful watercolor flowers all over it. At that time I was not fond of flowers, leave alone the color purple, but that day something touched my heart and whispered, “Bring this cloth. One day you will definitely want it for your daughter.”
Of course, there was no guarantee that I would have a daughter, or that said daughter would even care for this clothing, but I was handing over my payment in a fog of future “what ifs” before I could talk myself out of buying something I didn’t need. I bought the entire deadstock bolt, which turned out enough fabric for two curtain panels about 96 inches in length, and soon after, I actually made those curtain panels. They sat in plastic storage containers for almost a decade, patiently waiting their turn to cover any window! In all my activities, friends who helped me pack would ask if I was going to donate them, and every time, it seemed like a ridiculous proposition. Donate to them? My future daughter’s curtains? No way.
Fast forward to my last house, which housed my (real!) daughter’s first bedroom. It had a large window, and when we first visited the space, I knew those curtains were ready to take center stage. They were the perfect size for the width and height of the window, as if by Calico Corner’s destiny. But then we moved to North Carolina, and my daughter’s new bedroom no longer had that ideal window; Instead, it had two panels so different that the two panels no longer made any sense.
Since we needed to block out bright afternoon light, I decided to put them on anyway (with an extra blackout lining I had on hand). The resulting look was sloppy and so narrow that it could not be completely stretched even on a window or rod.
case in point:
When the window was open, it wasn’t so terrible. I mean, I knew the design editor in me would criticize how thin the side panels of the windows are, but the mom in me who had collected curtain panels for 10 years kept making excuses for them.
“I hope we don’t stay there that long. No one will care or even notice them.” or “Does it really matter?” But I can’t shake the frustration I feel every time I have to turn things off for the night, especially because the light spills in so much from the edges and my daughter cleverly tries to avoid bedtime because “it’s still daytime outside”, as she claims.
As a reminder, according to design rules, curtains should be at least 1.5x the width of the span you’re trying to cover, although I like the look of 2x. It was like this…0.8x.
I was tempted to cut my losses, but honestly, sometimes, you just want to figure something out, both as a money and/or resource saver, but also because it feels really good.
So, here’s what I consider as my options for taking these curtains from woomp-womp to woo-hoo! And keep reading, because although my point may be a little different, I’m exploring other curtain detail ideas for those who don’t want to replace their curtains, but instead want to make them work.
Curtain Solution #1: Add Complementary Panels
The easiest and probably least expensive option for me here today is to find panels in one of the colors from the original curtain, and attach them to the inside or outside of the curtain rod. My daughter’s favorite color is purple, so I looked for a similar grey-lavender extracted from one of the larger flowers on the print:
The color isn’t right (too red, needs more blue/grey), and of course, in Photoshop, it looks so much more because the lighting isn’t uniform, but not a terrible choice. However, not great.
I tried a neutral that blended more into the wall, and I actually liked that better:
My graphic skills leave a lot to be desired here, but here are some better-looking examples of mix-and-match curtains:
This warm neutral space is very inviting and luxurious, and if you flip through all the slides, you’ll see different earth-toned concrete panels living in harmony together on the same rod. Maybe the solid on solid is less in your face than the print + solid, but I think the look is interesting.
I shared this image in my recent post about sofa wrap-around bookcases, but it applies here too. A design by Zoe Feldman, she added two solids (again) to this gorgeous living room. It’s hard to tell if one is slightly lagging behind the other and acting like a light-filtering shear, but the concept still applies.
I wanted to show this photo because it feels so “real” and could be in anyone’s home, not just a high-end boutique or designed residence. These two patterns are put together to cover a large window, and it is very attractive. The inner part is more transparent, while the outer curtain is going to darken the room a bit more.
how beautiful it is?!? Although it probably wouldn’t be best to have multiple curtains of different colors put together, the ombre effect is a nice reminder that we can have some fun with our window coverings, that’s for sure.
Curtain Solution #2: Keep Panels for “Decoration”, Add Function with Romans
Okay, so here’s another way I can go. While I know my panels are still fairly narrow, I can train them and even add some width with a larger tape or trim (keep reading), and just keep them stable. This way, they will serve less as a window covering, and more as just a visual element. The actual function of letting light in or blocking it out will be with the Roman shade. I worked on this:
Of course, I love the look of it, especially the small check with the big floral. The only problem here is that these are custom-made from Paper Home and quite expensive for what I want to put in the rental property. I probably could have made something like this, but as a reader suggested to me in a previous post about my relocation: no more projects. He is right.
Curtain Solution #3: Add Wide Trim on the Edges
If you need a little more width, you always have the option of sewing, ironing the edges of your existing panels, or gluing on wider tape/trim. That alone can buy you six inches on each panel, or a foot total. not bad. Here is an example:
This is probably a 2- or 3-inch trim, and if you fake it a bit by adding it to the very edge of your existing fabric, you definitely get more width. You can also do this on the downside, like this cute cafe curtain:
The benefit of adding trim is that the curtains look very high-end designer! You can do this yourself quite easily (easiest with iron-on fusing tape).
Seeing this I came up with my secret option #3: Add a neutral colored panel as well as trim around them to help them marry better and give them an intentional feel. My friends, this is always the goal when doing something different. Make it feel like you always intended to do this, not that it’s a solution to an issue that has arisen.
To be honest, I probably won’t even need the lower trim. Adding side trim on both print and solid panels can be enough to make them feel like they belong together!
Now, I don’t mind the length here (in fact, I need to hem the panels a bit here), but this is the most common problem people run into when purchasing or transferring second-hand curtains. Remember you can always try taking the hem out a little bit, and you might get a few extra inches, but if that’s not enough, here are two things that I think look great and can solve that problem without buying all new curtains:
Curtain Solution #4: Add Bottom Fringe
I’ve had this video bookmarked for about two years, because the curtains I had in my previous living room were too small for the ceiling height, and I considered going this route. But I got lazy and did nothing instead (#real). Isn’t this so much fun?!?
The long fringe look is definitely not for every home, but if you want to bring some flair or intrigue, this is a sure-fire way to accomplish it, even if just in a main room.
Curtain Solution #5: Add a Block of Coordinating Fabric
This isn’t a big reveal, but it’s a nice reminder that you can really transform your curtains by adding a block of fabric (whether by necessity or just desire). For me, this works best when the line made with the new fabric is related to something in the room, like the height of the window for example. Again, it’s all about intention!
On another note, if you’re going to DIY something like this, be sure to choose a fabric that has the same weight as the existing curtain. You can certainly be creative if you want, but if the top part is light-filtering linen, choose something in the same range. The caveat is that if you are mixing fabrics like cotton and velvet, choose a heavier fabric underneath.
If you have wildly high windows (or ceilings), you know how expensive extra-long curtains can be (in fact, it’s surprising). This is an easy way to add some much-needed length without tapping your 401k for money.
I usually see a small solid section underneath a larger patterned fabric, but this turns that idea upside down, and it’s so much fun. A great idea for anyone who is afraid of having a full-on print. Sort of like a print amuse-bouche.
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And this brings me to the end of my post today. I hope this will either serve as inspiration to get creative with your window coverings, or as some kind of “ah-ha” moment balm for your curtain problems if you have them. Remember, don’t give up on something you love without trying to make it work first. There isn’t always a solution, but if you expand your imagination about what’s “allowed” in our homes, you’re more likely to find a solution if there is one. 🙂
Until next time, friends…
Opening Image Credit: Photo by Tessa Newstad | From: Staging my dream Parisian hotel suite with Sotheby’s
