Curtains | Design Happens

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HGTV How-To: Create No-Sew Embellished Roller Shades

by Kayla Kitts July 13, 2011 5 Comments

So, today is moving day for me! Well, lease-signing day. And that means I have brand new bare windows and walls…a blank slate to go design crazy. No matter what design I choose for my new abode, draperies/shades are something I absolutely cannot live without and must go up — fast. (There’s nothing worse than waking up to a blinding ray of sunlight in your face or introducing yourself to neighbors in a way you never intended.) What I love about roller shades is that you can pair them with floor-to-ceiling draperies for a dramatic and sophisticated look or let them shine on their own. So if you’re looking for some budget-friendly, easy-to-make window treatments, check out this roller shade embellishment project. (You won’t believe how easy it is! No sewing involved.)

DIY-Project-Embellish-Window-Treatments

This teenage girls’ bedroom gets an instant boost of color and detail with the addition of green rick-rack to the bottom of crisp, white roller shades. If rick-rack isn’t your style, you can use any kind of upholstery trim: grosgrain ribbon, bullion fringe, gimp and jute burlap trim, to name a few. Various trim styles allow you to be as elegant or playful as you like. So grab some plain roller shades in your ideal hue, find a gorgeous trim and get crafty! HGTV.com has a detailed materials list and step-by-step instructions (with pictures!) to help you out along the way.

Come back after you’ve finished the project, and let us know how your shades turned out! If you’ve already embarked on a shade embellishment project, share your tips and suggestions with everyone in the comments below.

Design for Mankind: How Do You Choose Window Treatments? Here’s 4 Helpful Tips

by Erin Loechner June 1, 2011 20 Comments

Window treatments can make or break a room…

Roller shades in our kitchen keep the look modern and fresh.

…and there’s nothing that can feel more unfinished in a space than a bare window. Yet with copious amounts of options (shades! draperies! panels!) how do you know what to pick for your space? Here’s the four things I keep in mind, and you can use as guidelines, when planning window treatments…along with a sneak peek of what we chose in our own home!

Choosing The Right Window Treatments

1. Consider the room’s purpose.

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Daily Delight: Gray Curtains

by Lili Zarghami April 9, 2011 9 Comments

I admit that I lobbied hard for gray to be the Color of the Month. And as a not-terribly-graceful loser, I wanted to share these lovely, deep gray curtains. Keep this versatile shade on your color horizons.
gray velvet anthropologie curtains

The rich, satin-backed curtains would add an element of retro-glamor to a bedroom and look like they would provide good light blockage if needed. I do love a bit of old world charm in small doses, and I think these window coverings have it.

Chevron Curtains

by Jeanine Hays April 4, 2011 26 Comments

I’ve been seeing the classic chevron zigzag everywhere — from pillows to throws to rugs. My favorite? Chevron curtains.

Via Go{4}Pro

Thom Filicia & Iman Fabrics from Calico Corners

by Brian Patrick Flynn March 10, 2011 5 Comments

As a decorator, I admit to being a major fabric snob, and when I say snob, I mean addict. For years, I’ve enabled my high-end fabric addiction by shopping solely at to-the-trade-only showrooms which non-professional decorators or designers can’t get into. Since this is all part of how I make my living, there’s no need for a 12 Step Program even though my reasoning is somewhat out of whack. I’d rather spend $12 on a chair, then use a $50 per yard fabric to recover its seat cushion than the other way around.

My to-the-trade-only situation recently changed—thanks to my amazing project manager, Dayka. She brought me to a magical place where everyone is welcome to purchase designer fabrics without enormous designer price tags, Calico Corners. Of all their offerings, I fell in love mostly with those from Thom Filicia and Iman. While I go pick up custom pillows and tableskirts made from them, you go scroll down and take a look-sie.

Iman Punkab Peacock Fabric

Iman’s “Punjab Peacock” is $39.19 per yard shown in Radicchio.

Check Out More Budget-Chic Fabrics

Living In Classic Black And White

by Jeanine Hays December 27, 2010 5 Comments

Black and white interiors never go out of style. This simple color palette can take a room from casual to classic, adding a touch of sophistication and luxury to any space.

Mary McDonald in Veranda

This living room by interior designer Mary McDonald infuses bits of gold and pink in this black and white space. The little pops of color spice up the room.

I’d Rather Have the Flat

by Kelley Walters October 14, 2010 4 Comments

I read this article on Sunday in the Telegraph, and I can’t stop thinking about it.

For 70 years, a Parisian flat was uninhabited, the rent faithfully paid. The owner, who moved to the South of France before World War II and never returned, died recently at age 91. When her estate managers opened the apartment, one said, “Entering the untouched, cobweb-filled flat in Paris’ 9th arrondissement was like stumbling into the castle of Sleeping Beauty, where time had stood still since 1900.”

The find that’s being touted in the news is the romantic Boldini painting of the owner’s actress grandmother, which sold at auction for 2.1 million pounds.

But I have to wonder…am I the only one who’d rather have the flat? I mean, look at it:

The whole story: Parisian flat containing €2.1 million painting lay untouched for 70 years

Recycled Glass Curtains

by siteadmin October 14, 2008 3 Comments

As a young renter in New York City, I don’t have a lot of freedom (or discretionary income or storage) to redesign my apartment every season. Instead, I flag pages in the latest Domino or bookmark Style Saves the World for my mental wishlist. But lately I’ve been living vicariously through my parents, who have leveled their old cookie-cutter rancher to create a custom dream home — hand-constructed and designed by them.

Being a green-leaning gal, I’m always sending my Mom links to the latest on reclaimed wood flooring, alternative backsplashes, or forward-thinking granite countertop alternatives. But when I saw these recycled glass curtains from Bedrock Industries, I fell in love:

The windows in my dark, ground-floor apartment wouldn’t do these structural “curtains” justice (or afford me much privacy), but my parents will have a wall of floor-to-ceiling windows in their great room — all looking out on the back 40 acres.

There are colorful, pop-arty curtains that might please the palette-pushing folks, but the simple white rectangles, both big and small, feel serene, and the striation adds some unique texture. As standalone screens, they might be a nice addition to other rooms and help carry the glass aesthetic throughout the house.

Needless to say, Mom just got the link. She’s an art glass fanatic already so I don’t think she’ll need much convincing.

Do you use — or reuse — glass in any interesting ways in your home? Any ideas to share with my mom?