I'm definitely in the process of doing this. Since I had to compromise big time on wall color with my husband (ended up with greige) I've worn him down to letting me have my slate blue curtains.

It's easier, although probably not cheaper, to change out curtains than repaint the whole room when you get sick of a bold color.

I love the idea but I am also so drawn to beautiful white curtains. I made my first attempt to change and made natural coloured curtains. Baby steps.

@lady: I think white curtains look very crisp and fresh, both ends of the spectrum are good.

I love this idea, but curtains are so expensive that it might be cheaper to paint every few years than buy new curtains (especially if you have a lot of windows).

What I wouldn't give for a house full of curtains from Anthropologie though.

I have sort of a love/hate relationship with curtains ... right now I only have them on two windows in bedrooms that I almost never go into. I don't have any in the other rooms. I tend to prefer my windows "naked" :) I don't like the look of elaborate, fussy curtains. The few that I do have are simple tab-topped panels. They are colored though ;)

I made my curtains out of vintage Indian saris. You can get them for about 10 bucks on eBay, and very little sewing is required. It's an inexpensive way to try color if you aren't sure. Worst case scenario: you use them for tablecloths.

Ahh! I love this! Especially the room with the yellow curtains. This is a great resolution to my color needs.

A sewing machine definitely brings down the cost of curtains but you'd be surprised how expensive the "home dec" fabric can get.

The saris are a great idea! I am going to go look.

I do sew, but the problem (aside from not having enough time in the day!) I always run into is that our house has a ton of windows (54, to be exact). Right now we need 8 panels for our dining room--even at $10/yard (which would be a steal) and without lining, I am looking at well over $200 just for fabric.

I'll probably end up with a solid linen in there, but would love a bold print because there aren't many other places to add color or pattern in that room.

Lisa, I love the sari idea. I might have to try that.

I guess I'm odd about this particular subject. I've always hated the idea of draperies that seem to visually jump off the wall, preferring instead for the visual focus of my room to be on the furniture pieces I've worked so hard to collect over time. The first photo is a perfect example of why I hate this trend - the first thing you look at are those banana yellow drapes on the wall, not the beautiful furniture or artwork. The second photo is better because the pattern draws your eye down to the sofa, but only because of the multiple patterns on the pillows. Photo 3 - too bad those bright green draperies pull focus away from that lovely chandelier. Don't get me started on the pink pattern drapes - yikes. Out of all of these, the one room that I view as really successful is the last photo where you have the drama with the drapes, but their neutral color doesn't make them a focal point because the color that draws your eye is in accessories and furniture.

So, that sums up my preference - neutral draperies that complement and add drama to a room without pulling focus away from the real stars of a room - the pieces you hand-select that represent you as an individual in a way that some long panels of fabric never will.

I'm in love with the first room. For me, the 'banana yellow drapes' get my attention and then I look around the room and notice how fabulous everything it is. It's very sophisticate without looking like your mother's living room. I also like buying furniture that I want to have for a long time in neutral colors. This technique works beautifully.

We have raspberry satin curtains in our dining room. They remind me of those puffy satin jackets from the 80s. (But in a good way, if you can believe that.) I love the punch of color against the gray walls. Plus, in the dining room, it's really your chance to make a fabric splash.

You can see 'em in this link. Just scroll down to the dining room.
http://thenestinggame.com/nest-tour/

ElanB, you don't have to use home dec fabric for curtains; you can use pretty much any weight of fabric if you decide to line them. I pretty much never buy home decor fabric (except I saw some at the thrift store recently, based on the 60" width). You can also use sheets as the fabric. And if you use clips, any big square or rectangle can become curtains, even temporarily. One of the easiest AND cheapest things to DIY.

My mother in law has this living room that she doesn't really use except as an extension of the dining room and for big family gatherings. She's recently painted the room with a hint of paint. Now the room is a mix of little bit of light pink walls, lots of brown trim, and sage green. What color should I go with for the curtains? The pictures of the room can be seen here: https://picasaweb.google.com/lalavina7/Room?authuser=0&feat=directlink

I don't know how I missed this, but thank you, thank you!!! So nice of you to mention my blog!
Teresa
xoxo