Thinking About Curtains
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In the month (+ a week) that Ivy and I have lived here in the house I call Mamie, time and again I’ve thought about curtains. Mini blinds cover all the windows. So I’m just looking for something decorative.
The windows are so tall that I tend to think they look kind of odd without curtains. Like there are too many angles and I need to soften them
So I asked myself: What kind of curtains do I want for this 103-year-old house? Do I want them all to look alike, or should I have different curtains in every room? I think maybe different curtains for each room. What do you think?
Let’s look at a few types of curtains in various colors.
1.
I find myself leaning toward this type of curtain, which I found on Amazon.
What do I like about these curtains? I like the green on white. The fruit and birds appeal to me. And the florals seem to join them together.
These curtains are soft French country toile farmhouse/cottage style curtains that are light-filtering.
2.
Then there are other French country toile-style curtains to consider. What do you think about these curtains?
I like the vines trailing down. But I don’t know if I like this color. Yeah, I don’t think I care for this color.
3.
Another floral linen light-filtering French Country style of curtains is this one:
These curtains appeal to me with butterflies, dragonflies, and leafy vines. I think I may like this set of curtains more than #1. They’re less busy.
4.
I also like this simple floral curtain. It is semi-sheer with a vintage sketch pattern.
But how would this khaki color look next to the gray walls?
There are 3 curtains in the living room and 3 windows in the guest room. Two windows in my bedroom. One window in the bathroom. Four windows in the sitting/TV room. One window in the kitchen. A door window and a tall window in my little office space. And 2 windows in the laundry room.
That’s 3 + 3 + 2 + 1 + 4 + 1 + 2 + 2 windows. Wow, that’s a lot of windows! If my math is correct that’s 18 windows!
I think I want patterned curtains with only two colors. There would be a lot of fabric for 96-inch tall windows and I don’t want the color or pattern to overwhelm the room.
6.
I like the tassels on these floral curtains. But Ivy might try to rip them off. So I don’t know.
7.
I’m not opposed to lacy curtains. How about these white lacy-patterned curtains? They might be too light and “barely there.”
And do I want to hang the curtains on rings? I already have these curtain rings in black. Or do I want tabs? Pockets? Grommets?
Ivy’s Christmas Present:
Speaking of Ivy, she is acting bored lately. She sleeps most of the time, though she does like to play fetch.
Ivy was accustomed to people with their dogs coming in and out of our last home. Maybe she misses that.
Anyway, I have ordered her a cat tower to see if it will ease her boredom and get her moving.
It is 55 inches high. I’ll probably put it in front of the guest room window so she can look outside. Greg said he’d put it together when it gets here.
This is what I read on New Cat Condo’s web page about their family-owned company:
Prior to building Cat Furniture, Mr. Baker used to frame houses. We use solid wood for our products, just like we used to frame houses. This ensures that the products will be extremely sturdy and hold up well to years of cat use. A lot of time goes into hand-cutting every piece of wood and assembling it in the proper order. This wood construction is the key foundation to a quality cat condo.
New Cat Condos is located in Phoenix, Arizona. They have been making cat trees/towers/furniture/scratching posts for 35 years.
You truly get what you pay for with these sturdy cat towers. I hope Ivy will like it. It’s her Christmas present.
Are You Confused With All These Curtains?
I think maybe I’m considering too many curtain choices. My head is swimming. I only want to buy curtains for one room at a time because of the sheer cost of decorating/covering 18 windows.
This is a lot to think about. Suggestions are much appreciated.
Brenda, my windows need to be replaced so during the week of all below freezing, I bought some thermal curtains – a solid color – with the grommets. I hate the grommets and the solid color but they sure helped when it stays so cold or hot. I found some with floral patterns but that is so expensive. I’m going to try 3 layers like my grandmother had, sheers then the thermal plain curtains and then curtains that I really like. That way, I can keep the thermal curtains hidden behind the regular curtains. The curtain rods that have 3 rods are not cheap so it will take a while to get most of the windows done.
My living room faces the back yard so I didn’t have anything on the windows until we had the week long hot/cold weather.
I have sheers on most windows and I love just having the sheers. In the bedroom, I have some of the bamboo shades behind the shades and that helps in the summer when it is hot & that rooms gets sun all day.
Window coverings are a tough decision and now that I’m older, I’m trying to get something to fit the weather so I don’t have to keep climbing ladders.
Your decorating is a joy to follow and I can’t wait to see more of Mamie
What about just a plain sheer curtain? No pattern. You can change the color to match each room. As people have mentioned, the blinds offer you privacy, so you just want to soften things up a bit. A solid sheer will be like a neutral base that won’t interfere with your other decorations that will add the colors and textures and patterns you like and can be switched up with the neutral curtains not interfering. Just a thought.
Brenda, I see that the #1 green toile curtain in your post also comes in a blue print, which might go with your back TV room. I haven’t checked out the others.
I like #3 … they have such a nice vibe to me. I looked them up and I see that they come in a number of colors and patterns. I might think about using these curtains in all my rooms to bring a cohesive element but choosing a different color/pattern from their choices to bring some life and vitality to each room yet everything blends together. That’s just me and my style … not matching but blending. Look forward to seeing what you do … you have a great eye for such things.
That’s an idea I hadn’t thought of!
I like 3 & 4. The kakhi could be nice – shades of the wall which wouldn’t be overwhelming, then you can change the colors as needed. That’s what I require – curtains where I can do whatever I want in any room. So honestly, I’m a lace person. I’d choose lace with lovely scalloped edges. I think they would be wonderful with your quilts. For the tv room and bedrooms, I’d probably go heavier. I’m not much into fruit, but I do like nature. If it’s too colorful or too busy, I get bored really quick. And I despise grommets with my entire being. They don’t slide and they open flat to where it looks like you have nothing there. It doesn’t show the drape. I’m a back tab person myself. 🙂
I’ll probably go with back tabs.
I was immediately drawn to the white lace curtain panels. Soft, pretty and light filtering that adds to the charm of Mamie. There’s just something calming and comforting about these. It’s not a bad idea to give the other rooms a little time to see how you feel about the windows and which coverings they are wanting. A house will let you know. Lace curtains also layer nicely if you add a patterned curtain later. Your home is looking so good!
Thanks! I like the lace too. So soft and pretty.
Brenda, I think you need to just do one room at a time. In addition to 18 windows of curtains, all of which will be extra long which cost more, you also will need curtain rods. it adds up quickly. I’m always happier if I spend a little more to get a better quality curtain that is thicker and lined so it will have more folds and lay better. it just looks a lot more lush. Which means I’m not doing a lot of rooms at once. Stay away from the grommets that slide over the rod, that’s a modern look that doesn’t belong in a century old craftsman home. I also wouldn’t use the rings with clips because they often look messy. Stick with a tab top, and you can buy a cheaper rod because the curtains end up covering a lot of it.
I can only afford to do one room at a time anyway. I agree about going for quality curtains.
The key is focus, I believe, Brenda! Just focus on completing one room at a time. Otherwise, you could drive yourself crazy with that many windows!
Never would I have thought I’d end up living in a house with 18 windows!
I like having curtains, but I live in a condo with lots of neighbors.Plus my windows are old and need to be replaced . I agree with you on doing one room at a time . Another thought is would just a valance be ok in some rooms ? Such as the tv room, laundry room , and the other room , not the guest room . My walls are tan or white and my curtains are a cream color. In my bathrooms my curtains are white battenburg lace . Sorry it’s not spelled right. What ever you decide on it will be beautiful.
I do like battenburg lace. All the windows I believe are new here.
I have drapes on each end of my windows with sheer panels in the middle. This provide light and I can still see outside. The beige color will look nice with the grey walls. I have beige drapes in my front room. With your miniblinds you won’t need to worry about closing the drapes because the miniblinds will provide you with the privacy you need. Check out Walmarts selection.
That’s right. I already have the privacy of the blinds.
I like curtains 1, 3, and 6 but I do think that Ivy would like to play with the tassels on number 6.
I think those tassels would be a little too tempting for Ivy.
Have you ever heard of http://www.vermontcountrystore.com they have a variety of curtains. My house is old (1870), the curtains I bought for my kitchen are called Woodland Hills in the red color. They were pricey but they are not a flimsy material. Toile curtains in red are in my living room, blue Toile in my dining room. Vermont Country Store also has a curtain catalog that can be requested. Your house is coming together nicely. Ivy is cute. We have two dogs, Siberian Husky and a mini Goldendoodle,they keep me on the go!
I believe I used to get their catalog. I am familiar with them.
I’ve always shied away from patterned curtains. Not really sure why. I’ve had great luck with painter’s drop cloths. The ones i currently have I bought at Lowe’s but they can be bought practically anywhere. Unsure how well they’d go with gray walls.
The more I look at them, the more I think I should go with something very light like lace.
Lace is my favorite too, especially if privacy isn’t a concern.
You may like a solid fabric better since you have your hand made quilts with so many colors. I never cared for fruity prints in my home. Eighteen curtains is a huge investment. Do you need a black out or noise restricting fabric for a west room or bedroom? I would also make the decisions slowly.
I will have to put blinds in the back south-facing room that help keep out the sun, because it gets really warm in there. That will be an investment.
Brenda, all the curtains are nice but I like 1,3 and 4 the best. I’d use different curtains in different rooms too.
Your home has come together so nicely. I do believe it was meant to be that you move to this house! You belong there.
I do feel like I belong here. Kendra is pleased with all my decorating.
I personally prefer curtains that have an embroidered pattern but are all the same color. you get texture but it’s a subtle tone on tone. I also like light filtering but have thermal on my north windows.
That’s a thought. I don’t want them to look too busy.
When the past few places we have lived have had blinds, I did like having patterned sheers over them…it gives some privacy and allows enough light to come in. I have several different patterns. My favored ones (antiques I think), from a thrift shop in a teeny town years ago, was not delivered by the movers here…which when you move very far is common…never have gotten all my stuff in those moves. But life goes on…always working on making lemonade from lemons of life dealt.
I didn’t have as much luck with the movers this time either. Last time they were great. This time: mediocre.
Could Ivy be any cuter??!! I truly love reading your blog- you seem like the kind of person who I would love to have coffee with. You are authentic.
I don’t see much point in sugar coating things. Life is too short!
Brenda that’s so true…
I like choice #3, but have you considered a solid color? My personal taste is not a lot of pattern, but I do love a rich linen curtain. I like the rings that you showed. Tried the grommet style and for me looks a bit too casual for your home, which just coming along so beautifully….have fun , trust your instinct and taste which is great…….
I have considered a solid color. I have no idea which way I want to go. So I guess I’ll think about it awhile.