What kind of drapes

Question

Most my house Living room and dinning room is antiques. Dining room is from 1955 but I have a a couple 1800s pieces in there also.. Right now in Living room I have just a straight lacy panel on each window and a frilly type lacy white one in large window in Dining room home is very old but was striped of the old and made to look more modern. What sort of drape do you think I should use? Or should I just stay with what I have?

Jeanette S · Answer

You need a pretty color...maybe a burgundy or cranberry to accent above the windows. Cover a Cornice board and add some fringe. Make them a tad wider than needed and staple a swatch of fabric on each side. It will all make the windows look larger

AvonelleRed · Answer

I think I would just stick with what you have. You have a lot of big, heavy pieces of furniture in there, and a lacy curtain is a nice way to 'lighten' it up a bit. If you add drapes, it will just add to the 'heavy' look of the room. Gorgeous furniture, by the way!

Gwendolyn · Answer

I think some nice tie back drapes would look great. You could still use lace curtains in the middle. you want to keep the antique look. Things looked very heavy back then. 
gwendolyn

Marion Nesbitt · Answer

You have a lot of furniture, etc. in the room. As beautiful as it is, I would try to edit a bit. Maybe the family photogs could be grouped and hung. Maybe the rocker could go to a bedroom. With the furniture style, I think a crown molding is important to the overall feel of the room. I find the curtains a bit 'light' for the furnishings. Maybe a plain tailored valence with some contrasting piping for definition - hung so bottom just skirts the top of the window. Side panels hung wider than the windows to make them look larger. Could go with colour of your rug and a contrast in the piping and some part of the tassel . Fringe, as Jeanette mentioned, definitely suits your style of furnishings.

Shirley Kalinosky · Answer

Just wondered about that curved glass china cabinet you have. We have one also and I was would like to know something about the date or wood, etc. Thank you

Patricia C · Answer

i would bring the drapes up to the ceiling to add height to the room and extend the drapes on either side to make the window appear larger. plain silk drapes in a color that is already in the room or something that goes with the walls would look nice. the white lace attracts the eye to the window and not the furniture. definitely move the family photos and put in larger frames and cluster on a wall. good luck

Jen · Answer

I think the piece with the family pics should go flat on the other wall...it appears to be crowding the window. I agree with thinning out the photos and even lightening up the quantity of china in the cabinet. The beautiful furniture will be better appreciated with a 'lighter load'. Because the room is a bit bottom heavy to the eye, a crown molding would be nice and a valance of a heavier fabric at the top of the lace drapes only.

Karen T · Answer

I would keep it light and airy. No lace, no dark colours. (Less accessories/photos). Neutral. The furniture is already heavy and anchors the room. If you didn't 'need' drapes for privacy or weather insulation, I'd go without them all together. This site has some ideas similar: http://www.nallau.com/wonderful-pretentious-antique-looking-dining-room-sets/ We inherited a lot of tall, heavy, antique furniture with our Florida home. My final decision was to go with sheers. Gives some privacy, but also doesn't add to the heaviness of the room already created by the furniture. If neutrals (soft beige or cream whites or gentles grays to match your kitchen) aren't for you try colours from the landscape around you. Bring the outdoors in. We actually mixed in with our white sheers, bright colours such as turquoise and ocean green (from our lake) and then pulled those colours throughout the room with accessories, cushions, candles, table cloth. We removed all dark reds, burgundy, dark blues...any colours that were also 'heavy.' Just because the pieces are antiques, doesn't mean the whole feel of the room must harken back to that time period. The furniture speaks for itself and doesn't need this antique repetition as in a Large hotel or large older home that can handle a richer, darker decor. Keep it light, airy and simply adorned.

B · Answer

Striped silk, lined panel in coordinating colors drawn to side over a light colored sheer

Ann Juurinen · Answer

I too think the window treatment should be more ornate. Yes to the silk panel with the lacy curtain and corded tie backs. Maybe a simple cornice... things back then were designed to keep out the cold. Cornices work to do just that, stopping the convection that happens at the window.

Suzanne · Answer

I haveblinds and cafes for light

SV · Answer

I would do a light golden heavy drape pulled to the side. '

Joyce King · Answer

I too am an antiques lover, especially victorian! However I have combined that with more of a sleek look, easy to clean, and uncluttered look! I don't know your situation, but I'm in the middle of 18 acres, and we love to watch wildlife, so I have blinds where needed. I have come up with a simple pattern to make inexpensive window treatments creating valences only! One pair of curtains in your choice of color, lay out longways put a hem for curtain flipping side seam over, run another stitch for rod to run through, add fringe on bottom part of valance! Make 2 strips, aprox 2-3', 24-36 depending desired length, using wonder under and ironing those together, hang at ceiling height with regular rod, or decorative one. Divide in 3 sections, easy if you have 4 paneled windows, gather up in your hand from bottom fringe slip loop you've made, pin and sew by hand or machine for the 2 sections. The results looks like a very expensive valance, with very little investment. I've also used a shower curtain fabric, and cut in half! I like my windows open, but you can combine with blinds for privacy! Cut down on knick-nacks, and put away doily's, bring out for holidays, if you wish! Faster to clean, and an up to date look!

Bobby Beasley · Answer

I would go for a heavy curtain the same colour as the walls or wooden blinds in the same tone as your furniture.

Wendy Johnson · Answer

i agree with grouping the pictures on the wall =lots of info on how to do that on here, I also think a solid color drape that blended with the wall would be less distracting and bring more attention to the furniture. How how and how wide I leave to you and others...Beautiful furniture. And yes put the one piece flush against the wall. Post new pics with whatever you decide please

Sue H · Answer

That is a lot of stuff in one room. Because I am moving I paired down and have to tell you what a lighter feeling. Rotate your things and display less at a time..easier for the eye to really see the object. Set the drapes higher and outside the window to make the window in better balance and let in more light. The room is very very heavy. Lighten up your life. Enjoy.

Karen T · Answer

Just an idea: i.e. simple window treatments. This photo has your wall colour plus heavy antiques. http://cdn.overstock.com/img/mxc/101012_Dining-Room.jpg

Louise Adkins · Answer

If you add drapes I would take them to the ceiling and extend at the sides to give the appearance of larger windows.

Jocelyn Z · Answer

You have received so many good ideas.  I too would recommend striped silk or faux silk drapes hung high and wide.  We have similar pieces in our home. I have the same dining room hutch and the companion buffet to the piece with all your pictures. I use sheers with panels on either side.  My wall color is also the same dark gold.  I plan to paint very soon and use a lighter, brighter color.

Nancy Spencer Carlson · Answer

Wow! Thanks for the inspiration! I have two little upholstered parlor-type chairs on the side of the road that need to be thrown away because of the weather. BUT!! Your chair that is nothing but a frame has inspired me to remove all the upholstery from the chairs and add a simple plywood seat! I saw on here somewhere recently a lady who decorated a studio with 'in progress' furniture. That would be kinda like what I'll do with the chairs!

Oh, and for the curtains, I'd leave them alone, personally. They fit the 'antique' feel, to me.

Peggy Hoots · Answer

Definitely higher and wider, match the wall.

Lisa Shackelford · Answer

JCP has great drapes and curtain panels. If you need more length add a strip of fabric to the bottom. I agree hang them at the ceiling and extend the drapes on the wall for a larger window look.

Patsy · Answer

I would first choose another color theme to go with the wall color a mahogany or red color would go perfect then I would get 2 panels with the mahogany color or the color you choose then I would group the pictures on the walls cause walls also need attention.  Try moving the desk to where the table is and put the table in the corner. I hope this helped and goodluck...

Diane Nuckolls · Answer

Elegant make a cornice board out of foam core. Matching curtains underneath.   Looks custom

Shannon I · Answer

Your Antiques are beautiful!  I agree with several others that you should go high and wide. You may want to consider toile or buffalo check. You don't have any patterns in the room,  so it wouldn't clash. You may also want to consider a big needlepoint pillow on your antique chair for a pop of color and some softness.

Karen · Answer

I vote for no drapes at all but instead a lovely swagged valance, maybe something with tassels or even let it drape down and puddle on the floor-but skip the drapes.

Centrd · Answer

I agree with Shannon. Silk and stripes. You could definitely use some pattern and color in the room. You can always leave the lace sheers under the drapes, if you like that look. And I agree about going higher and wider to make the window look bigger. Here's an option, but you could go bolder, too: http://www.halfpricedrapes.com/toscano-taffeta-silk-stripe-curtains-drapes.html

Jim L · Answer

Please do not add more 'vanilla' to tis room by adding drapes the same color as the walls. Give the room a much needed shot of color. Find a stripe that has the beige as the base color and that also has red, blue, green, yellow and some other colors. (Personally, I would not take them to the ceiling.) Use a big wooden rod with large finials...make them wider than the window to make more of a statement. Move the piece that is hovering in the corner flat against the wall. Move the little round table in front of the window. Move the plant to the corner where the piece of furniture is not and but that chair in front of it. Maybe remove some of the family photos...while they are nice, there are to many there. Put the larger one lower and the smaller ones up on the top. (Now they look like they are about to fall off...)

Cath windmueller · Answer

To the ceiling, striped silk drapes with a neutral base color and other colors that pull some coordinating color into the room. Because the room is so full and busy, the drapes would give the eyes a place to rest and also help with the cohesiveness of the room. Have you thought of perhaps paring down the items on display and then maybe change them out every 6 - 12 months? You have lovely treasures and gorgeous pieces of furniture that might show better with fewer pieces on display at one time.

Pamela Langone · Answer

Thank you for all your opinions I will take all your ideas and make a few changes that I can. Right now no funds for the nice drapery.. The beige with a stripe sounds interesting but did you see the chase lounger in the first picture? There is a lot of color and a strip pattern in it. Wouldn't that be to much? Or no? Im not real good with decorating. And do hesitate to mix color patterns.

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