My curtains are finally finished! Some of you might remember this post awhile back when I asked for suggestions for curtain colors after we moved into our new apartment in Chevy Chase, MD.

Before:

After:
The curtains the apartment came with were drab and heavy. Our couch had to stay, and is an olive-colored suede, that depending on the light and colors around it can look gray, brown, or green. The rug is a new purchase that I love, and wanted to make it work. Our walls, though hard to tell in the picture above, are a light aqua blue.

I tried photoshopping some different color options in this post, but all of them left me a bit underwhelmed. You guys offered up some amazing suggestions for DIY's, specific fabrics, and other resources. The amazing Christine of Design with Christine came up with an amazing edesign for me, utilizing some Ikat curtains, and some throw pillows to tie the rug in with the couch. You can see the amazing job she did in her post.

The curtains Christine chose.

My photoshopping the curtains and pillows Christine found. Christine’s genius really got the ball rolling for me to find a pattern to balance out the visual weight of the bottom half of the room with the visual weight of the top. So, since I wanted to sew my own curtains, I began the search for the perfect (afforadable) fabric.

via 6th Street Design School

I really liked the fabric above, which a reader suggested to me . Even though it was above our price range, I ordered a swatch. The medallions were a bit too large for my liking, and the background was more of a beige than a white, so we decided against this one. I also ordered a few more swatches, but I wasn’t sold on any of them. Then, I noticed the curtains below on Danielle Oakey's blog, and went on an internet scavenger hunt to find the fabric.

Long story short, I finally located enough to sew my curtains (9 yards) from Red Rhino on ebay. They were actually the only seller I found with the fabric available. Red Rhino gave me a great price, amazing response times, and I couldn’t have been happier with the fabric. The match was very accurate to what was on screen.

via Danielle Oakey Interiors

So, after hours and hours of measuring, ironing, starching, sewing, and ironing and starching again, we finally had our curtains. I also added a black tape on the right and left vertical borders of the outermost curtains to mimick the black border on the rug. We are really happy with the results. I'm also in the process of testing out some swatches to sew throw pillow covers.

Another view of the room with the ikat curtains

A close up of the curtain and the black border

I'm testing out a suzani style swatch, as you can see from the bottom pillow.


Isn't this red pillow AMAZING!?!?

I couldn’t be more thrilled with the pillow, which  I received from The LoadedTrunk!

There couldn’t be a better cohesive element between my couch and my rug!What’s even cooler is the history of the pillow, called a Hmong pillow:

“This beautifulvintage textile was once part of a garment worn by Hmong women in Vietnam. TheHmong, an Asian ethnic group living in the mountainous regions of Vietnam andLaos, are known for their traditional textiles which feature cross-stitchingand often indigo block printing. They have been given a second life and werere-cycled to make these lovely pillows.”


I love that mine is one of-a-kind.They have other hmong pillows, and lots of other global goods. I could make a really long wishlist of itemsfrom this store, but here are just a few:



These bronze hammered bowls would look glamorous and beautifully organic anywhere.


The color in this Mexican coverlet is so rich.

Thanks again to The Loaded Trunk! You can see all their treasures on the online shop.

SO..how do you think our living room is coming along so far? 

We still have some art to hang,  maybe a floor lamp for the corner behind the palm, and the rest of the throw pillows for the couch (I want a pillow that will tie in the colors from the curtains)

And how about that pillow from the Loaded Trunk?

I can't wait to hear what you guys think!

*disclosure: I received the Hmong pillow as a sample

I'm trying to slowly begin the decorating in the dining room and formal living room.  In the last house, I rushed to make decisions on purchases and I end up regretting them in the end.  We bought a red sofa that I liked initially but over the years, I wasn't feeling it too much.  I can't find a picture of it.  I've erased it from memory too.  Red is one of those colors that stands out and you can't really change the surrounding decor around too much for fear of clashing with this huge piece of furniture.  It wasn't a neutral color I could work with.  When I found out we were really moving, that red sofa had to go.


I see light fixtures and curtains I like but want to make sure they are right for the space.  There are some spaces that are inspiring me right now.

For the dining room, I love this light fixture and the striped curtains.  Not sure if these curtains would be too much for the stenciled wall though.

I would like a buffet or hutch along the wall and some shelving like this room.  Notice another drum chandelier.  I'm drawn to them.  Also the wall color is very similar to mine.


Since the dining room connects to the formal dining room, I want them to go together.  So most likely the curtains and some of the decor elements would be the same in the two spaces.

This room is a lot like my layout since it connects right onto the dining.  I would love to put floor to ceiling book shelves in the living area with a couple chairs.  Make it a reading space or library if you will.




I love this space as well.  It has a half wall of book shelves and two chairs.  It's also very bright and I love the neutral rug.




This room is simple, two chairs and a table.  I spied the wood roman shades too.  Thought about changing some of the current blinds to these.  They add a nice warmth to the room. 



Hubby knows I'll change my mind in a heartbeat and want to change things up again in a few months, or weeks, or days.  He tells me I'm never satisfied but I think it's just my decorating taste evolving.  I mention changes to him and the eyes roll.  Sorry honey, I'm indecisive sometimes.  I tend to see spaces I like online and want it right now.  So I'm trying to pace myself and really look at my home and embrace my style before I make any changes right now.  I don't want to waste any money because I rushed into it.  At least all the painting is done downstairs.  That I could commit to.  Finally finished it all over the Christmas break.  Paint is a minor fix if I change my mind later.  It's bound to happen.

So you know how you love a photo of a room and you are a little surprised when you see the entire space, well I am sure you have seen this one before but I came across all of the photos together on pinterest and I am so in love with this space still!!!  It is so dreamy!

It was featured in Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles back in 2007 and it is still one of my all time favorites so many years later.

Happy Saturday!! 

images via Benecki fine homes