Living Room Transformation

Nalini confessed she wanted to dress this window for years, but she didn’t know exactly how...

It is a large window, with a large arch!
She wants it nice but not too formal...
something practical for the family,
and funtional since direct sunlight on furniture and screen are a problem.

Ok...

The shape and size of the opening can be a bit intimidating… but, you know me, I LOVE challenge!

So, after a short consultation we came out with a plan and promptly found the right materials to make it work…

She also decided to dress the smaller windows in the living room and adjacent dining room, keeping the existing shades.

So, after a few weeks of fabrication, here are the results:

Casual, yet elegant these valances bring softness into the room.

Nalini picked a beautiful gold and chocolate cord that beautifuly highlights the shapes and bring the valances out from the wall. Even though the shape of the other windows was different, using the same fabric and trim makes the set unified and harmonious.

Warm and inviting, this room is ready to celebrate family time!

Shades for Wide Windows

Décor fabrics are usually 54 inches wide.
What if we want to make a shade for a window
a little wider than 54 inches?
A seam in the center would look odd...

Simple solutions:
We could make 2 shades for each window, or
add borders in a matching fabric,
or… (of course we are not going to take the easy ones;)

The Karns liked a pleated valance I made for their family room...
So, we decided to do a mix of all of it!

A pleated shade, with contrasting borders, that looks like 2 shades!

This way we hide the seams under the pleats to make the shade wider as we add some interest and definition framing the print with a solid fabric.

Can't wait to see them installed! This fabric works beautifully with their home office wall color.

Don't know if this style has a particular name, but I think is a nice solution for wide windows in a casual shape that works for almost any room.

 

Roman Shade Rescue

INTERN'S CORNER

As I have mentioned before, I rent and cannot paint my walls, so the way I bring color, texture, and interest into my rooms is through fabrics, carpets and framed art. Recently, I asked Cecile’s help in transforming my bare bedroom window into a centerpiece by making a relaxed shade. Of course, I didn’t ask Cecile’s help until I failed at making “easy” roman shades they advertise on DIY websites and TV shows.

Lucky for me, Cecile appreciated that I tried the project myself and offered to teach me the proper way to make a soft shade. For fabric, we re-used some old drapes I had used in a previous home and scrap fabric that Cecile had in her studio. To my surprise, roman shades are a lot more work than I thought they were! I am so glad I got help from a professional; otherwise, I would still have a bare window.

How fun is that?

.

Never thought of

an animal print for a hobbled shade...

for a bathroom!...
and it just looks great!!! doesn't it?