Curtain Ideas .. Help

Question

I need help with curtain ideas for my dining room. Thanks so much for looking!

Paula Jones · Answer

If everything stays, I would be inclined to add crown molding and paint all the woodwork cream to freshen it up and add interest. I don't know what it looks like in daytime, but I would probably use a fabric that is cream or mostly cream and cover as little of the window as possible, unless you wanted to make the window look balanced and in that case there are a lot of tricks for that. You could also put up a nice rod and drape that would open and close easily and ditch the blinds since they don't add a lot of interest and it takes time to open and close four of them.

The Garden Frog with C Renee · Answer

check out JCP and curtains for some great ideas. Target even gets really cool ones in but when JCP has sales they are better than Target and right now clearance sales abound. You need a nice wooden or metal rod and lighter curtains in tan or beige to lighten up the room a bit. Sheers underneath will soften up the windows as well. There is a curtain that has vertiial strip about 18'+ in the middle of the curtain and it has grommets. It is multi color and I think It would look great with your rug and decor. There is another one that has the stencil look and it is leaves in a khaki color on the 2nd page I think. If you want a pattern I would go with something a bit subdued so the room does not look busy. If you like the shades, then you can just keep them but if you use grommet curtains you can easily close them on a metal rod at night and the sheers will allow light to come in and give you some sense of privacy. I would hang the rod at the top of the windows too so the curtains just touch the floor. good luck

Amy Gullia · Answer

White waynes coating, lose the rug to emphasize beautiful hardwood floors, paint upper walls light beige or yellow, Paint dining room furniture white, white shutters on windows, crystal chandelier. Remove 'stuff' on wall & hang a beautiful formal framed mirror on that wall. Will brighten and beautify a formal diningroom.

Anna Ibarra · Answer

I agree w/Amy & Paula, painting the room would add and refreshen the room, and paint the trim as well. Simply add that and curtains depends on how much you'd like to work with? Are you one to open and close them and need insulation, get those black out drapes. Simply ones, where you just use clips on a rod and are sheer. Color depends on your preference, stay neutral w/wo min. print pattern. if you don't like changing them out. Go to online stores to get some ideas, then shop to see how you like them. Then narrow it down to 3 to make choices easier.

Nickkels Contracting Limited · Answer

A nice decorative curtain rod with a decorative print including the yellow/golds you have in your cabinet and art work would really tie the room together. I would suggest a curtain that goes to the floor to elongate the windows and draw attention to the back wall. Also I would suggest either keeping the blinds you already have or upgrading to a panel blind. Reason being blinds act as a form of insulation to keep in the warm and keep out the cold. This can help with reduce your energy consumption and save you on your energy bill.

Lisa Schembri · Answer

Thank you so much everyone!

Tamela Bowie Interiors · Answer

If you are planning on keeping the wall color, my suggestions would be to lighten up the furniture and accessories. I would install my drapery hardware to the ceiling to make the room appear to be taller. Simple panels are all that are needed on a decorative rod. I would remove the yellow cabinet and replace it with the nice medium brown open storage cabinet. This will allow display of your favorite accent pieces or collections. Replace the rug with a lighter color and pattern. A larger chandelier would balance out the size of your dining table. And placing a mirror opposite from the cabinet would make the room appear larger and allow the light to bounce around the space.

Jim L · Answer

By all means, paint the wood trim and added crown molding Sherwin-Williams 'Dover White'. It will really brighten the room. Add a 'hefty' rod and do a double-cut of panels for the panels at the window. Take them as far out as you can to have them the same size. Use something with red and have a white background. I think that I would opt for an oriental rug...MOVE THE CHANDELIER! As Amy suggested, get a crystal chandelier and add shades to cut out the glare of 'naked' bulbs...and add a dimmer. Paint over the outlets near the bottom of the walls (you do not need to make them so noticeable.) You can have a good looking room with just a little work. Are those 'mini' blinds? If so, ditch them! Buy Roman shades and add trim to pick-up a secondary color in the curtain panels.

Jeanette S · Answer

I love the darkness of this room...I happen to be one of those folks like likes low light and dark colors. But I would either get rid of the shades or raise them completely and then put up off white shears all the way across...making them rather full so as to block out sight. Crown molding and a chair rail would help. Since this is a bit formal, you can avoid having to do a lot of fitting by using decorative dowels in the corners...which allows you to just butt the molding up to the corner piece. These can be trimmed shorter to meet your wishes...can be used at the top with the crown molding and with the chair rail. With a room this formal, please use a large crown molding and at least 3' on the chair rail.

Gloria Duy · Answer

The windows look kind of off center. If you hang a rod sticking out to the left more and hang an extra panel it will look like the window goes all the way across the wall. I would go with light curtains to brighten up the room and go full length. I have found good bargains on curtains on Overstock.com. I think white would look too jarring against the red. I would go with a cream or beige to match with your hutch. I slight print would give you some contrast. If you sew and make panels you could do a matching table runner to tie it in. Or just buy an extra panel and make one.

Sfg178760 · Answer

Yes....curtains would be good. o) Something lighter in color.

Vicky Hudson Williams · Answer

I purchased 4 extra wide, extra long panels at JCPenny many, many years ago and they are still in tremendous shape. They are a very thin cotton fabric that washes up beautifully but is not so sheer that neighbors can see in. This kind of treatment in a cream or soft white would look beautiful on this window. Dump the blinds, they are just in the way. Hang them like drapes as close to the ceiling as you can get, take them past the window trim, even wall to wall, to make the window look larger. I've used these in several different homes. on many different style rooms and they always look fantastic.

Robin James · Answer

Check out Smith Noble window coverings for Ideas. The carpet is too modern for the style of furniture you have. How about a nice indoor out door carpet, that brings out the colors of the room.

Nancy Spencer Carlson · Answer

If the off-center windows drive you nuts, like they would me, you might try what I did with my two off-center windows. It appears that there might be enough room on the left wall to fake a 4th window. The trick, then, is to make the light during the day appear evenly through the windows, so it isn't obvious that there is one blocked out window on the right. My suggestion is to use heavy, light colored drapes on both sides, starting from the left corner, covering the wall, and the window on the right. The drapes can either be stationary, or wide enough to draw in the evenings - in which case when they are open there wouldn't be any problem blocking out the light from the window on the right. 
That will be one very long and expensive curtain rod. My suggestion is pipe. You can get them in 10 foot sections. I don't think they come longer than that, but if you needed it longer, have two of them cut to half the length and use a coupling to screw them together. Paint the whole thing to match the curtains.
My idea of color is a bit different than the current fads, so I won't add to the advice as to color. ;-)

Terra Gazelle · Answer

I love the very gauzy sheer look that billows on the floor. It gives a privacy while letting the filtered light in. I don't like shades so the sheers would just be beautiful right across the window. I agree paint the molding a light color and maybe add a stencil to the ceiling for interest.

Pat Griffith · Answer

I agree a wall of sheers will soften the look take up the rug and remove the modern picture and country shutters add mirrors ( you can get door mirrors from a big box store and hang 3 or 4 together or an inch or 2 apart they have oblong rounded or square ends ) another hint keep a light tablecloth on the table with a centerpiece a vase with silk flowers, same with the top of the cabinet . small touches will make you smile when you walk into the room

Pat Griffith · Answer

http://www.houzz.com/photos/2268973/Elle-s-House-contemporary-dining-room-toronto

Btty · Answer

If you are looking for a large piece of fabric I was told to get drop cloths at big box stores. Comes in several sizes.

Terra Gazelle · Answer

Btty, I used painters drop cloth on some chairs in my studio..they look really nice. I plan on getting around to stenciling them with some chalk paint, when I get round tuit.

Lex263207 · Answer

I'm no decorator, but I agree with the idea of long sheers/drapes. They just add so much warmth & drama to a room. I found some large stainless rods on clearance at TJ Maxx & painted them with Rustoleum Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint. They were a steal at $18. Still searching for just the right panels or fabric to make my own curtains. Good luck!

Terra Gazelle · Answer

Pat, I love that idea with the mirrors! I have a wall in my dining room where that would look nice and bounce the light around that comes from the french doors. I wish I had those ideas..I just borrow from creative people usually.

Kim Dagenais · Answer

Hi Lisa I would install a thick wood curtain rod from one end of wall to the next, and leave maybe a couple of inches of space between the rod and the corners. I would put up light beige to french vanilla coloured drapes that are plain or with a pattern that goes with your decor. I would install the panels/drapes and rod as close to the ceiling as possible. Since the shades are a solid light colour I would go with a pattern for the panels, but nothing too loud in pattern style or it will take over the room.

If it was my dining room, I would definitely paint all baseboards and window trims in a light beige to off white. It will complement the red walls.

Also to really lighten up the room, I wood put a light coloured table cloth on the table, or even go as far to paint the whole dining room set in a off white chalk paint, and do the same for the buffet cabinet. The whole room will be brighter and won't look so dark. I have seen buffets like yours done in chalk paint and they look like a totally different cabinet was painted. Maybe you can spray paint the hardware to the cabinet a silver colour, and use a silver tone curtain rod for the windows.

Off whites and light beige colours really compliment the colour red. I had painted my son's room red before and did all the trims in a off white cream colour. It really did complement the red better.

I am just throwing out some of my own visions, and hope everyone has been helpful in giving you some great ideas. Can't wait to see what you end up doing in your dining room, whether it is just panels or more.

Cindi · Answer

Love your colors, I love red. It looks to me like its a country/colonial feel to room. I would do some cafe curtains, maybe a plaid, and on the left side of window I would put up a long narrow pic of some sort to add all your colors of room. 
Oh, just noticed the shutter boards you have up, you have two. I would take one and hang on the left side of windows.

Joanna Stoltzfus · Answer

i would go for ruffly white, or another light color of some kind. btw- love the red room :)

KathrynElizabeth Etier · Answer

A wall of sheers in an off white, parchment, or cream would work well, as others have noted. But the rug is fine. You can mix periods and styles, sometimes the more the better. The idea is that you don't want the room to look like a thrift store stock room, packed with one of this and one of that, but you can spice it up with accents in contrasting styles, as you have done.

Lisa Schembri · Answer

Thanks everyone. I actually just redid the table and buffet in chalk paint. This is the after. I'll put up before after pics soon.

Lisa Schembri · Answer

Thank you Kathryn. I love this room, just my style.

Diana Lafavor · Answer

I was wondering if you have considered moving the hutch to the opposite wall ? this would allow your table to sit more centered to the windows. It looks like you have swagged the light so moving it shouldn't be too difficult. I agree lots of sheers would be pretty i like triple width just for the extra fullness. If the off center window bothers you extend the rod and add stationary panels on either end to camouflage the difference by extending past the frame on the left

Red Wind Studio · Answer

what about shutters instead of curtains like this post I just saw http://www.hometalk.com/diy/floors-ceilings/how-to-add-trim-to-make-your-shutters-reach-the-ceiling-3031272. I bet something like this would look fantastic in your dining room

LeeAnn Gerleman · Answer

I would put up a curtain rod up near the ceiling, and all the way from wall to wall, with curtains hanging to the floor. You can close them for privacy, or leave them open just as the window's edge, and I think it will make your room (and your windows) look bigger. I'd also move the hutch so the window will look more centered. Nice room.

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