Salutations! Well it’s hot here on the east coast to say the least. When I headed out for my morning walk with Paisley it didn’t seem that bad. But, I’m just back now from errands and it’s thick and muggy! So glad to be here in the AC with my freshly painted barely blue walls.
I’m here in the family room today with a new barely blue wall color and creamy white drapes on our back slider. Actually the blue really isn’t all that new. It’s leftover from when I painted the kitchen. I guess that’s one bonus to small spaces; one can of paint and two freshly painted rooms.
I wanted to put something on this window that could really block out the sun and afternoon heat. Something to make it nice in here when we’re watching a movie together on Sunday afternoons.
And so the curtain saga began! Help! I planned on steeling the Pottery Barn tie top panels from the sun porch to put in here. But when I tried them, all the little tie tops across one long window looked busy and awkward. So I scrapped that idea and put them back on the sun porch where they’re apparently meant to be.
Hmm… now what? I looked at my Pinterest board and flipped through some of my favorite books and magazines, and I decided I really like the way drapery rings look on sliding glass doors. The curtain rod the previous homeowners had hanging here was brushed nickle with rings. So I went ahead and added those. Now what in the world am I going to attach to them?
So I headed to Target with the plan of buying four of the Shabby Chic pinch-pleat drapes in pink, because that really makes a lot of sense with all the pink going on in our little cottage. Wink. They were all out of pink and I ended up heading back home with four of the same panels in Snowflake, which is a soft silvery-gray shade. Well, they looked drab against the pale blue wall color and made an already drab day seem extra dreary. What next?
One more try at Target seemed worth my efforts at this point since I needed to return the silvery gray panels anyhow. Really I’m just so confused by now, and just want to get something up. Do you know what I mean? So it’s these semi sheers that seem to be the winner. They’re lightweight, have a subtle texture, and softly diffuse the light. I’m so glad I saved my receipt!
I bought four panels to create a full look even when the drapes are completely closed. Unfortunately I only bought enough of the little rings for two panels. But that’s okay, I can at least see the finish line.
xoxo Sally
ps curtains make me tired!
Sharing with Share Your Style and Shabbilicious Fridays
Window treatments are one of the hardest things, I think. I like what you ended up with, Sally. They look really nice and I’m sure you are loving your freshly painted room!
I think the light color drapes you chose are the perfect color for that room! they coordinate with your sofa and are neutral enough to go with everything in your house. Your wall color is pretty too. It’s always nice when you can use up extra paint too.
I loooove your barely blue walls! It’s such a nice, subtle shade:) Your curtains look gorgeous, soft and flowy. I’ve spent hours moving stuff around before only to realize I liked it better the previous way…a good workout at least! Even tho you took the Simply Shabby drapes back, how did you like them? I’ve been mulling over getting some for our bedroom.
We’re renting right now and our apartment has those ugly thick blinds all over the sliding door to the lanai so my husband put hooks in the ceiling then I got little loops and those same clips you have and hung lace all across it. All the direct sun goes onto the lanai so during the day, I open the ugly blinds all the way to the end so you barely know they’re there:)
Have a lovely weekend in your gorgeous cottage and stay cool!!!
Thanks Victoria! I’m really enjoying the pale blue wall color.
The Shabby Chic drapes were really nice, well lined, and the silvery-gray color was soo pretty. I liked the pink too. I only hung one and it blocked out the light very well, a little too well for what I was looking for. Hope that helps!
Have a great weekend!
xo Sally
I have curtains in only one room in our house – the way the house sits on the street allows privacy where we need it. And, I am glad that I don’t need curtains because they are so hard to get just right.
I like your solution.
Oh I hear yah! Sally,
Curtains make me tired as well. I have two rooms with DropCloth Panels …I took and made 4 years ago curtain panels out of inexpensive drop cloths. Some from our local hardware store OSH, and the others believe it or not came from Walmart.
They were so nubby, rough, and such a flax hemp feel to them that I knew they with there tone and texture would feel and look ructic french cottage in my home. And after a couple of hot washes, and hot dryer they shrunk enough that the fabric weave was perfect. I sewed a 4 inch cuff across the top and ran it on my rods. The kitchen ones are a taupe like grain (Walmart) and the living room was more French vanella (OSH) as much as I still love them and boy was it cheep to do them in drop cloth, I have tired of the look and the hassle of curtain panels and want to do old shutters…. Yet some nice white linen ones are calling out to me, or a sheer lace, but a bit of privacy is also needed….
SO as you see, CURTAINS make me tired as well.
Fondly,
Dore
I LOVE the wall color. I have it in my dining room and also one of the bedrooms.
It looks great with the white trim, and also the white curtains! You made the right choice!
I feel it has a clean, calming look to it. Kind of like the sea.
VERY pretty!
Debbie
I’m so glad I caught this post, Sally! Now I know I’m not the only one who has this problem. I STILL haven’t found curtains for our bedroom after the fiasco of the curtains I made and hated. I think I’ve bought and returned at least a half dozen pairs that didn’t work for me. Are we just too picky? hehe
Anyway, your final choice looks fabulous in the room!
Normally I’m not a blue person, per se, but I really love this shade of blue paint, Sally. It is so soft and subtle but it adds a little personality to the room. The draperies look great, too!
I know what you mean about curtains making you tired. I find it quite challenging to find just the right fit for a room. Love what you ended up with!
Mary Alice