Asked on Dec 29, 2012

Need Ideas for curtains

Rebecca K
by Rebecca K
I am lost on what to do for curtains in this room! I need privacy but want something with style, I have tried so many different ones and am yet to find one i like. The living room is pretty much a blank slate so open to any suggestions, photos or links for curtains. Off of my living room is my dining/kitchen- color on the walls in there is a sage green. I liked some curtains on my board by adventures in decorating, thought they may look nice in living room? Any ideas?
8
did dark panels last year, now couch is in front of window.
Valance- Now
White sheers before- didnt like them with the color paint on the wall
ideas for some i like
  16 answers
  • Z Z on Dec 29, 2012
    WTs are my specialty. Have you thought about roman shades for privacy along with decorative panels? Also if you still the ones shown in the first photo have you checked their color with the new wall color?
  • Rebecca K Rebecca K on Dec 29, 2012
    I had wanted to get shades but to get them made for each panel in the window was costing a lot at the moment so was looking at cheaper route with panels, but def want some for sure. Wall color is the same in all the pics, havent changed it in 6 years. Though I have wanted to many times :)
  • Rebecca K Rebecca K on Dec 30, 2012
    I like the drop cloth ones, idk if it would be a enough of a color for my living room since the walls are a cream color and the couch is brown. I do have blue throw pillows I could add in there if need be. Debating on board and batten too so that would add some interest with the curtains?
  • Z Z on Dec 30, 2012
    Yes, shades can get costly if you can't find ready made in the size you need. Have you checked Overstock or JCP? I've gotten great deals at both on roman shades. Either bamboo or fabric. January should be a good time to shop for them too.
  • Rebecca K Rebecca K on Dec 30, 2012
    I was thinking of having jcp come in and measure, i want them to fit in each window panel in the living room window so would need 5 of them. Had a local place come in and they were costly. I was going to do just big blinds inserted straight across but not my fav opition. This room is being more of a challenge for me to find what i like than any other room in my house.
  • Mary Insana Mary Insana on Dec 30, 2012
    Are you a sewer? I wanted to be able to raise my Roman shades in our bedroom but still didn't want just the clear glass showing. I used an off white lace double the width of the window and made a narrow pocket at the top and bottom and but it on tension rods. You can use any shear fabric to blurr the outside but let the light in.The Roman shades were bought at Home Depot and I added trim along the bottom to dress them up a little.
  • Rebecca K Rebecca K on Dec 31, 2012
    Those are very pretty, I dont show but my sister in law does, she could make them I'm sure
  • Kristi C Kristi C on Dec 31, 2012
    I work in the JCPenney window dept. , if you have JCP come out to your house, it will be expensive. Measure your windows,to the 1/8 of inch, and bring the measurements into the store along with a pillow or something that shows the colors in the room, even a pic. The girls at the store will give you great ideas and save you money over custom.
  • Kristi C Kristi C on Dec 31, 2012
    also, since the couch is now in front of the window, get the panels in a 63 inch length instead of the standard inch. / I would do some type of light filtering, not blackout, shade with grommet top panels.
  • Patricia Vassar Patricia Vassar on Feb 11, 2014
    Hoping that you've found something you love by now. If not, may I suggest that you check out www.countrycurtains.com. It is a wealth of beautiful ideas. I think the closest store to you would be in Naperville, IL. A long way to go for curtains, but if you ever visit Chicago, it's a great side trip. The web site is full of great ideas. You can even order fabric samples . They have everything for the home. Curtains, shades, rods, bedding, pillows, lamps, tables, quilts, the list goes on and on.
  • Use a tailored cornice all across the length of the window, taking it all the way to the ceiling. Add decorative shades to each individual window to give your privacy. This would be very smart. Be sure to coordinate fabrics with shades. You can add a band or cornice fabric to the bottom of each shade. You can buy inexpensive shades at Big Lots, Lowes, Home Improvement & Walmart. At Lowes, they will cut them to the width you need at no charge. You can add trim to them yourself. The reason I would use a cornice is that it will add visual height to the room. With just the shades, the room will look a little squatty.
  • Linda Fraser Linda Fraser on Jul 08, 2015
    I just read a post on hometalk which was a great idea. Check out fabric shower curtains. They come in so many patterns. Check in stores and online. If you need more length you can add to the top or bottom. Regular curtains have gotten so high in price it's insane. Anyway, check it out. You might be surprised.
  • Tamara Sanders Tamara Sanders on Mar 08, 2016
    Your curtains should not touch your baseboard heaters. I can tell you that its a fire hazard. We bought a fixer upper 30 years ago and one bedroom had been burned up the wall over baseboard heater. The previous owners had curtains touching heaters. Your sofa also will get filthy in front of heaters. I would hang cafe style lace curtains half way up window. The room is so dark.tension rods are great for this type of curtain.
  • Tamara Sanders Tamara Sanders on Mar 08, 2016
    I would make window base a type of pillow display in light colors with some printed patterns. You can corner your sofa at an angle with bright area rug. All the brown in the room makes it darker. You could make a pretty valance for top of with Dow with coordinating fabrics matching your pillows As you can see I am a fan of color.
  • Eroque022810 Eroque022810 on Sep 07, 2016
    Is it possible to move sofa across from window, then I Agee with one of the answer's put pillows their or plants as well. If room is already dark, must you have curtains? Try living without them for a while. I actually like the valance because it doesn't block your view. It appears to be a beautiful window why cover it up?