I'm sure it's possible to lighten it, but I would ask professionals what they think first to be sure it's safe for your curtains.

Sunlight may fade them over time. Meanwhile, you might improve the room's color balance by bringing in white elsewhere and upgrading the lighting.

Fly to Greece, hang them flat in the sun for 3 days, voila, you have lighter shades. That is the only method that comes to mind. Otherwise, ask a professional...

Sunlight, as well as bleach, will rot silk. I would just get used to them; they look beautiful in the picture.

sell them and buy new ones?

I agree with pbsteele - I think in time, you'll get used to them. They're quite delicate and pretty.

If that's the picture of yours, is it possible to put some black-out fabric behind them? It looks like they only look yellow because of the light.

could you sew (or have sewn) a lighter color of fabric over the side of the curtain you see from the inside? or sheer panels, perhaps with a nice pattern, could be sewn onto them. that would be cheaper than completely remaking them. i would suggest only covering the large middle swath of each shade to keep a little of the original color, which i like a lot.

i would consult a professional about dying the silk. take them a leftover swatch and see what they can do.

Yes, bleach will ruin silk. But being that silk is a nature fiber, you may be able to dye them but only darker, not lighter.

Dupioni silk is super fussy, I don't think you'd be able to bleach them (or even get them wet, really). I would line them to keep the light from shining through so much, but otherwise, just live with them for a few months and see if you get used to the color.

Perhaps add some white to the drapes somehow. Maybe two rows of white trim running vertically?

I would ask a professional, but I don't think it's possible to dye or lighten the silk. It probably be less expensive to hire a professional decorator to come in and give you some advice. I think adding a white trim to the drapes would only draw attention to them, and it doesn't sound as if that's what you want to do. I'm thinking the room could somehow be balanced with color or accessories so that you'd like the drapes better. One time I ordered a pair of custom club chairs from a small swatch. When they came in, I actually sprawled out on the floor and cried. They were the ugliest things I'd ever seen and looked like camoflage fabric rather than the handsome jungle-like print I'd picked out. I was devastated. I called in a decorator, and she suggested I order extra chair fabric and have throw pillows made for the sofa. I did and the result was amazing. It balanced out the room somehow and I got so many compliments. I eventually grew tired of the bold print and replaced the chairs with a subtle stripe. Sorry for the long post, but just wanted to make the point that sometimes there's a simple solution you haven't thought of. Good luck.

If the picture in the post is of your actual drapes, I think they look absolutely lovely. Personally, I suffer from a severe case of "I should have," no matter what decision I make (especially if it was expensive). If you ordered lighter shades, is it possible you would look at them now and think, "If only they were darker"?

Live with them for awhile. They might grow on you, or you might find you can make a few other tweaks to incorporate the drapes with the rest of your decor.

Silk is far washable than people assume. You will lose some shine/patina/finish, but if you hate them, what have you got to lose? If you still have the swatch, measure it and stitch it to a stable piece of cotton (like a dish towel - do this so the unfinished swatch doesn't get pulled apart at the edges or lost in the washer, etc). Then run it through whatever process you are considering (bleach, oxy clean, color remover, dye, etc). Then analyze the results for color, finish, shrinkage, etc and decide if you want to proceed.

First, consider why you liked that swatch when you chose it. Did it work with another print in the room or something? Because it probably still works, if that's the case. Tweak your accessories to make the color look good.

UV light or bleach might change the color but the silk is likely to begin to decompose quickly, shredding, and wasting your investment, if you mess with them that way.

Don't mess with duponi silk. You will regret it. You might speak to the company and ask if they have ideas. Sometimes a lining can be added or removed.

Or add more light or paint to the room.

You cannot bleach Dupioni silk and sunlight will degrade the fabric over time. I assume they are lined? If the company will not exchange them for you, either sell them or find a way to make the color work.

I have some Pottery Barn dupioni silk pillows...one of them got direct sunlight and basically fell apart. That's why silk drapes need to be lined.

If you really hate the color, I recommend selling them and starting over. If you had them custom made, didn't you see a fabric swatch first? Maybe ask to see the whole bolt next time since different lots of fabric will have some color variation.

Good luck!

You can make silk darker, but like everyone said, you can't make it lighter. The science behind why bleach destroys silk is that it is a protein fiber, and bleach breaks down protein cells (which is why you can use it to kill bacteria). Sunlight lightens the dyes used in silk so bright, saturated colors will fade. Over time, silk also responds to UV light the same way as your hair (another protein fiber) -- it fades and becomes brittle.

If you really hate the color, and the problem isn't backlighting (which can be solved with a standard lining or blackout lining), all you can do is go darker or find a way to work with the color.

Yes, you can lighten silk dupioni. Dupioni can be hand-washed, or gently in the washing machine on the delicates cycle. The others commenting are correct in that it shouldn't be bleached with chlorine bleach, but it is perfectly acceptable to use a dilute solution of hydrogen peroxide to lighten the fabric. For a point of reference, this come directly from my "Understanding Textiles" textbook from my studies in Apparel Design.

The only problem that I can see is if it is sewn together in pleats. The problem there is that the bunching of fabric could make it lighten unevenly (the same principle as the gaps in tie-dye). I think that it would be best left to a professional with better equipment than a washing machine or a bucket.

I think many people, including myself, have made expensive decorating mistakes, so I feel your pain. Designers create sample boards with all the paint colors and furniture and fabrics together so they and the clients can see how everything works together. Perhaps you could repaint the walls a color that would tie the shades and everything else in your rooms together? Then you might like them better. Good luck.