Curtain Placement 101

First of all, I just have to say how proud I am of myself today. I got both of the girls ready, AND myself (including make-up and a hair wash--big accomplishment right there even without a newborn), went to story time, the bank, the grocery store, AND...wait for it...I made dinner (again, big accomplishment even without a newborn). This is kind of a big deal for me, because having a newborn again is rocking my world. This momma needs her sleep. I'll be honest, this probably won't happen again any time soon, but, for today, I'm feeling pretty awesome.

But, enough about me.  Let's talk about my curtains instead. My number one, most important design tip is hanging window treatments appropriately. First of all, they need to be long enough. Unfortunately, most big box retailers sell 84" curtains. Eighty-four inches is not long enough. You most likely need at least 96" or 108". Try to hang your curtains as high as you can and as wide as you can. It makes your window look way bigger, makes the room look bigger, and also lets in more light, which is always a bonus. Check out my bedroom with and without curtains. See? Curtain placement makes a huge difference!

[kreyv of the day]

image from Decorpad

[kreyv of the day]

image source unknown

[color kreyv]: Salmon

Yes, it's CLEARLY salmon; not pink, not peach, salmon. Remember the episode of Friends, aka THE best show of all time, where Ross leaves his shirt at Mona's house? Everyone keeps calling the shirt pink, and Ross corrects them each time by telling them it's actually salmon. That crazy Ross, he knew what he was talking about. Anywho, love the show, love the color.  P.S. I welcome anyone who ever dares challenge me at a game of Friends Scene It.  Just putting that out there.

image from Therese Sennerholt

image from Animal Print Shop

image from Homelife via Apartment Therapy

[kreyv of the day]

image from Lonny

Curtains: Can't Live With Em...

Was that a great Labor Day weekend, or what? We had so much quality family time. Honestly, now that residency is done, it's like I have my husband back. I kind of like him, so having him around is pretty awesome. 

Speaking of awesome husbands, mine may have won the Husband of the Year Award. Again. He drove all the way down to Ikea to pick up a curtain rod, then back up the opposite direction to West Elm to get the curtains I had a 20 percent off coupon for. Wait, I'm not done...he then hung up the rod and the curtains. Still not done...none of us (of course, I also got Stella's vote) liked the way the curtains looked in the living room...so...down they went, and up went spackle and paint. So, even though window treatments are a no go in my living room, these ones are to die for. By the way, do you think Mr. Hubs is as happy as I am that residency is over? Just wondering.

image from Elle Decor

image from Sisters Agency

image from Vogue

Beds & Windows: Can't We All Just Get Along?

Bedroom windows can be tricky, but don't let them discourage you OR have too much control of your bed placement. A bed in front of a window can definitely work. Just remember: Window treatments should not compete with your headboard or furniture--they need to get along! Here are some tips:

Beds Blocking Windows: If your bed is directly in front of your window, opt for a non-obtrusive headboard. You don't want your headboard to be too tall and block a majority of the light coming in. Remember, they need to get along. If possible, install panels, so that they flank the bed. Try to avoid blocking your panels with your bed.

Windows Above the Bed: I recently worked with a client who had three square windows above her bed. Rather than using full-length panels (that would have been covered by the bed), we opted for pelmet boxes and roman shades similar to what's shown in the House Beautiful picture. This gives a completed look without cluttering the wall behind the bed. 

Windows Flanking the Bed: This one's not as difficult, since you can install two panels on each window. The tricky part comes when there is little space between the bed and the window, and/or the bed and the wall. If this is the case, try using a light or shear panel, so that you are not blocking light. This will also help avoid window treatments that feel too heavy and compete with the headboard and/or nightstands. Another option is using a partial rod and one panel on each window. This gives the illusion of one big window and avoids a feeling of being crowded (especially if you have a headboard, panels, and nightstands to work with). 

image from House Beautiful

image from Atlanta Homes Mag

image from The Lettered Cottage

My Top 3 Design Tips

You know how you sometimes hear that there are no rules in design--that you should just do what you like? Well, it's kind of not true. There are rules, it's just that you're not going to get in trouble if you break them (unless you are in my family, then you'll definitely get in trouble). If you follow these "rules", your house, your eyes, and myself will thank you. Most design "rules" are all about scale and space and have nothing to do with style or taste. It's all about taking your home to the next level, which we all want to do, right?  Here are my top three design tips:

1| Rethink Furniture Placement: Try floating your furniture instead of pushing it up against the walls. This creates a more intimate setting and puts you in control of your room layout. Even in a small room, where the size is conducive to  creating an appropriately sized conversation area, pull your furniture slightly away from the walls and/or (especially) windows. Remember, the whole purpose behind your furniture layout is to create a comfortable gathering area.

image from Caldwell Flake

2| Buy Long(er) Curtains: The length of your curtains is SO important! Unfortunately, most "off the rack" curtains are 84 inches. I hate to break it to you, but 84 inches is never long enough. How curtains hang on the floor depends on fabric, style, and preference. But, how HIGH the curtains hang should always be well above the window. Additionally, curtains should always flank the windows as much as possible. The illustration below does a perfect job of showing what a HUGE difference curtain placement makes. Let the light in and maximize the height of your rooms!

image from Me Oh My

image from Real Simple

3| Use the Right Size Rug: There's not just one rug size that works for every room, just make sure your rug is BIG enough. Using a rug that is too small can make the room look closed in and make the scale all wrong. Ideally, the rug is either big enough for all of your furniture to fit on (which can be super pricey), or the outside perimeter of the rug follows closely to the inside perimeter of your furniture. Remember, rugs should anchor the room. There you have it, my top three tips that will make a HUGE difference! Now, let's go buy new rugs, curtains, and, what the heck, new furniture!

image form Alice Lane

Linking up at 
The Dedicated House
Mom on Timeout
The Jenny Evolution

[color kreyv]: Regal Blue

So there I was about to start work on a design board, when I came across these West Elm panels (pictured below). They are so uh-maze-ing. Besides the fact that they are regal blue, (sounds so fancy), they are absolutely gorgeous--stunning, even. And now, I must design the room around my newfound love: regal blue. (She said with a rolled r as she raised her head up high and raised one fist into the air...) I know. I'm a nerd. Just one big regal nerd.

image from House to Home

image from House Beautiful

image from West Elm

Wait For It...

I'm pretty good with secrets, so I'm not going to give this one away. Let's just say it has something to do with a giveaway. On this very blog. This very week. And it rhymes with Gutting Ledge Pencils. And that's all I'm going to say about that.

image from Balancing Home via Cutting Edge Stencils

image from Cutting Edge Stencils

image from Cutting Edge Stencils

Bamboo Shades. Love. Them.

I have really been loving bamboo shades for quite some time now. Of course, it would make no sense to get too serious about them since we're moving...and renting...and will probably rent again. I'll just blog about them instead and hope that these pictures will inspire someone. That someone could then buy said shades, and I can just live vicariously through him/her. If you're not convinced, here's why you should love them: 

The naturalness.  I think that every room should have something from nature or something that looks like it could be from nature (i.e. rocks, sticks, coral, bamboo, flowers, etc.) 

The texture. Adding different textures to a room makes the room feel collected, warm, and gives the space personality.

And lastly...well, there's really no competition between these and the standard white mini-blinds that currently adorn my windows. Are you convinced? I want them even more than I did before I wrote this post. Man, I'm convincing.

image from Coastal Living

image from Coastal Living

image from Houzz

[so cheap, so easy]: Painted Curtains

That's right. You can pretty much paint anything. And, after painting my rug, everything else seems to be pretty easy. After all, I didn't try to change the color of the curtains, I just painted stripes. (What can I say...sometimes I just have to learn things the hard way!)

My dining room curtains desperately NEEDED to be replaced. This is probably the only time that when I say NEED, it's actually true. Not that I should remind anyone of how bad they were, but if you don't believe me, check them out here. They were sad, sad, sad--wrong color, saggy, the lines were neither cut nor sewn straight...they had some issues (more accurately, I have cutting straight line and sewing issues). My new curtains? I'm happy with these. And, even though stripes aren't that unique anymore, I still love them, and the impact you get for the price of some cheap curtains, paint, and tape...you can't go wrong. Check out the full tutorial at Reckless Glamour. The only thing I would add is making sure you apply the paint generously so that when the sun shines through, you don't have any splotchy areas. I also taped my curtains to the floor to make sure they were pulled tight.

Linking Up At:

How to Nest For Less
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