As promised...

I finally took a picture of my great big window that I told you about in my last post, although as usual I failed to wait until the lighting was perfect so  it is a little blurry.  Someday I'll become one of those people who has a decent camera and posts decent pictures on their blog....for now, you get the idea.  Hanging the curtains by the ceiling heightens the room.  I love the white because, as you can see, I can't help putting bright color on my table.  And yes, there is a pile of snow outside.  And yes, I love it.

  

While I'm in the mood for posting blurry pictures, might as well share one of this little cutie pants - all warm and cute in her snow sweater.

A cheap window treatment

Do you have any of those ridiculously wide 70's windows in your place?  Our dining room window is 14 feet wide!  14 ft!!  Without wanting to fork out hundreds of dollars for a custom window treatment, I found a much cheaper option that will do for now.

I bought two of these finials from Amazon:



Then three of these brackets:


And I got a 14.5 foot wooden dowel from the building supply store.  We drilled holes in the end of the dowel to screw on the finials and painted the whole thing white.  You could easily paint it black or brown or red or whatever color you feel like you need above your window.  The brackets are the best I found (and I looked at a ton!), plus they are pretty when painted the same color as your curtain rod. I just settled for a bunch of Ikea panels like these:


When you get enough panels on there, you can cover a 14 foot expanse.  It's not the easiest thing in the world to open and close, but it works for now and all together I spent under $50!  I'll get a picture up once we get the curtain rod hung in the right spot - right up next to the ceiling.  The panels are 118" long, so I have plenty of fabric to add some height to the room.

Anthro Curtains

I am loving these reverse pin-tucked curtains from Anthropologie.  The colors are pretty and the fabric is rich.  It would dress up any room in a second. 

Details, Details

Check out these adorable curtain tie-backs from Urban Outfitters! Little details like this is what really gives a space personality and interest, plus they are a great price.

Bamboo Shades

If you are looking for an elegant alternative to curtains, and blinds annoy you as much as they do me, a shade is your next best option. I'm a big fan of Roman Shades and Bamboo shades like the ones pictured above. They add a beautiful natural element to the room without feeling too heavy. You can find them in all different stains to match your color scheme. They can stand alone or be placed with a drape to frame the window.

A perfectly hung curtain

There are few things that cheer me as much as meticulously hung curtains. Genevieve Gorder is sort of a curtain hanging goddess. Watch her show - she has a thousand tiny tips on how to make your drapes speak for themselves. Aren't these great in the picture above? So precise and perfect, and I love the monochromatic color with the wall, which draws attention to the texture and creates an architectural statement in the room. If your curtains are creating architectural statements, you know you're doing well.

Bold drapes

There really is nothing more that can make a room look immediately amazing than a bold, beautiful drape. I love bright colors and pattern, but you can still do something beautiful in a neutral. If you are hoping to make a statement with your drapes, go with a bold color and make sure they reach from floor to ceiling like the picture above. So lovely!

Door knob

This is a great idea for re-purposing an old door knob, or find it new at Urban Outfitters

Shades

I've been sort of obsessed with roman shades lately, and these are the best inspiration I have found. I love the fabric and the coordinating papered ceiling. Wall-papering a ceiling is a great solution for dated ceiling panels.

Curtain Lengths

There are a few general rules for making sure that your curtains are the right length for your window. They should either go all the way to the ground (and maybe even puddle), or they should stop at the window sill.

This is an example of curtains that are too short. Don't they look like high-waters?



And here they are at the floor. Looks like they belong, huh?