Meenakshi wants to make pleated drapes for her light-filled high rise windows. She is planning to custom order some of our printed fabric by the yard, and is wondering which will work best with her yellow-cream walls.
…as you are very creative :), can you suggest some great curtain choices for the living room please? My intention is to create a warm feeling in the living room. There is the same style of window on the opposite wall, too, which is the dining area. Just by the look, can you suggest something and also estimate just by the look how many yards will be needed? I would highly appreciate it. I was thinking Indian Summer – the orange Paisley Indian saree cotton… or will that be too much yellow?
First, let’s take a look at Meenakshi’s idea of using Indian Summer in her space.
The print certainly warms the room up. A classic Indian saree pattern, it is all ripe mangos and rosy blossoms. While Indian Summer is gorgeously traditional, and creates a rich warmth in the room, I’m not sure that it’s my favorite for the space. I think the current wall color and the light fixture might need to be swapped out to make Indian Summer really work. Let’s take a look at a few other ideas.
Is it too soon for me to say that this is my favorite? I adore the way that Spice Route makes this room come alive! For the richest, warmest, dare I say it – spiciest – look, this one is it! The decor possibilities are endless,too. Play off of the cinnamon red, turmeric yellow, and even the sparkling gems of turquoise. Fun, fun, fun.
There’s a completely different look that I really like for Meenakshi’s living room/ dining room combo, though, so let’s see that before we go!
What do you think about a light, breezy look for this apartment? I think the pale blues and turquoises of Dance O Peacock (c) play beautifully into all the natural light in Meenakshi’s space. This print lends itself to light colored furniture and bright accents in greens, golds and blues, and is a classic look that can swing global or glam.
I think I’d go with the Spice Route because it’s darker than the walls. I like the dark stripe on the example. It grounds the drapes. I have another suggestion. If this is her window, I see buildings which may be unavoidable in an apartment but she could soften that and gain some privacy by using Lace Oak(?) in the living area – between the Spice Route and the window. That would allow light and a filtered view through during the day when you might want the drapes drawn away from the windows. People across the way wouldn’t be able to see much because they’d be on the sun side of the window. At night however the situation would be reversed, outsiders could easily see through those sheers if the drapes weren’t drawn. Because they’re sheer so don’t have a strong pattern you might try a different one on the other window, like Vanilla Glace’ since that’s the dining area.
Spice Route for the win! Thanks, Charles. And yes, you’re so right that sheers would make a big difference, and may even be necessary given the amount of light and the visibility from other buildings. Thanks for lending your eye for design to our Ask the Designer post!
– Heidi