you did a great job!
i am very impressed.

this is awesome. i want a full tour.

I would definitely add the fabric to the bottom...

Drapery lining is also very inexpensive and could be used as draperies - and would provide more fullness and body.

bepsf- We started out looking at drapery lining, although it was still almost double the cost of what the sheets were! Great suggestion!

so lovely! looks like a great loft.

I'm sure adding colored fabric to the bottom would make it look more finished, but I think it also looks great as it is. What color would you use?

Isn't it amazing how some sheets are cheaper than unfinished fabric? Somebody had to hem those things!

THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR ALL THESE TIPS! HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A GREAT LOOKING YET CHEAP WAY TO DO MORE FABRICS IN OUR SMALL HOUSE! :)

Btw, I think it looks great as is! It totally takes advantage of the "pipes" across the space! Yes, I want a full tour too! :)

Picture wire IS extremely strong; I used to work in a framing shop, and we used to hang hundred-pound pictures on the stuff.

A few LITTLE notes....

1. Find the picture wire that will hold 50lbs MORE than you think you need. You'll thank me when that toddler who's visiting decides to play in those curtains, or when the cat thinks that he can climb to the top.

2. ALWAYS get plastic-coated. This will keep your curtains snag-free. (it's also stronger)

3. Make SURE to secure the ends well. You can see in these pictures that the wire is wrapped several times around itself and then knotted. Double- or Triple-Knot that wire to be sure. The last thing you want is THAT wire flinging itself around when it slips loose...it can take out an eye!

Also, Sarahrae, we would love to see a floorplan of your place. How big is it?

Really really impressive. Thanks for sharing both the how and the sourcing. Very cool.

im not sure why i never thought to use sheets as curtains before this. pretty awesome, considering ive been looking for a contrasting texture from my couches. everything "simple" seems to be too casual. sheets are simple and soft but not sheer.. nice. not to mention you can get flat sheets pretty cheaply.

also, as many have already said, your place is killer. :>

Very nice how-to. Would love to see your entire space.

For anyone who's actually thinking of doing this, it may be hlepful to know that it's called a TURNBUCKLE, not a "t-buckle".
Also, a pick up a couple of crimps (FERULES) at the hardware store to make a nice tidy finished loop on the ends of the wire instead of that messy looking bent around itself bit. Much neater and won't snag your fabric.

These were applied/crimped with a swageing tool because this was a heavy duty application, but you can easily use a regular pliers or a vise to crimp the smaller gauge versions:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/splatgirl/428443472/

Very very nice job for that price. Maybe spend a tiny bit more and add some fabric to the bottom so the curtains reach the floor. Might be interesting to do it in a darker richer color.

whoaa, impressive!

splatgirl- My husband and I had always called them "the double ended twisty things" but that sounded wrong. The tag said t-buckle, thanks for letting us know they are a Turnbuckle!

We didn't use Ferules because it was an extra cost to the project. Although it would finish things off nicely, you really can't see the extra wire when you're in the apartment. Just with a close up lens for the photo. The last cafe clip hooks over the end of the Turnbuckle and stays put, so there's no chance of snagging!

Hello sarahrae ! FULL TOURS PLEASE?? (tail wagging....) :)

Great job! I love an economical solution that looks expensive.

Beautiful job! It looks like such an oasis.

How rad this must look when you've got your windows thrown open and there's a nice breeze blowing through your pad. Great job ; )

Love your space -- the lockers, the eating area. Curtains or no -- nice job!

sheets as walls. . .

i was ten. moved out on my little sister and our pink room in favour of an unfinished basement bedroom.
carpet remnants and color-coordinated sheets with bale twine between teleposts. heaven.

This looks great, as do the glimpses of your loft beyond the "tent" - add my voice to the clamour calling for a full tour!

I used a similar idea with dark curtains that are actually sheets from Ikea. They were super cheap and I adored the color. Thanks for showing a better alternative to the wire that Ikea offers. This seems like it will be more secure!

I'll be changing mine this weekend.

I would definitely add the color bar along the bottom...my thought was either that or lower the curtain so it does just hit the floor...because the space looks accidental to me, not planned (like, oops, these weren't quite long enough!).

That said, the place looks lovely, and I too would love to see a full house tour!

Personally, I like them a bit short. The goal here wasn't to completely close off the other areas, but to provide a light screen so they could watch TV without a glare. You're achieving that, and you're also leaving it a bit open. Also, curtains hitting the floor with pets gets them super dirty. I know, because I had a similar setup in an open storefront that we lived in. We hung the Ikea heavy duty natural curtains to section off our bedroom, using metal electrical piping secured to the walls. I hemmed the curtains so they just touched the floor, and they would get sooo dirty, a real pain to wash without a washer/dryer in unit!

Oh this is such a nice solution! I really like the all-white look, but perhaps if a few more sheets were added to each wire it would "thicken" the whole look, give it some more volume when open and closed? The sheets could be overlapped at the mid-way points - I think that this would provide just that much more light to be blocked and also make it all look a little richer?

Great job! Adds industrial romance to the place--love the way the light comes through the white curtains--glowing!

The punches of color when the curtains are drawn (I'm thinking of the red TV console) is dramatic, love it.

I.

Woo! I just used this wire system to put up a wall of curtains in my apartment, and it looks great. I love how it looks a little industrial/utilitarian. Thanks for the info, and yeah the guy at Lowe's didn't know what a T Buckle was, but he pointed me to the turnbuckles, which is what I needed. I love how a few dollars can get you the equipment to cover an entire wall with curtains. I can't imagine the nightmare it would have been for me to do a whole wall using curtain rods. Thanks apartment therapy!

I'm totally using this idea. Thank you!

Hmm, this one is also a recycle of the same article from last year... or am I loosing my mind?

This is a series of hacks and how too's taken from the last year, how clever of you to notice, hope you understand now.

ahhh, perhaps 'Home Hacks 2009' would be a better title then.

I LOVE this! Wouldn't change a thing :)

I've always wanted to know how to hang curtains on a wire. Can somebody explain how the ferrules work?

Love the red console. Your loft looks great.

P.S. What's with all the snarky "this is so last year" comments?
It seems a lot of us are appreciating it NOW.

thank you.

IF you want something a bit less translucent, painters' drop cloths are usually cheap and heavier. Canvas by the yard is also pretty cheap.

Another material suggestion: Unbleached Muslin (can buy online by the bolt).
If block printing, washing with vinegar will set the dye.

Lastly, another way to finish the bottom is with fringe. Fine inexpensive fringy curtains (Ikea, Cost Plus, World Market), sew fabric across the fringe to the length you want the final edging. Cut the fringe and attach to the sheets. (can get tons o fringe from a standard curtain if you use 6-7" fringe on the bottom).

Nice. I just hung sheets in my apartment, too, but didn't think of using framing wire.

I've made ALL my curtains from those $3 sheets! I did black and white vertical stripes in the living room, white with a panel of a hug modern floral in the dining room, and plain white in the bedrooms... That said, your picture wire is waaaaay better than my iron pipe and eye hook curtain rod (looks kinda industrial and I'd like it if there wasn't a slight curve to it...causing one end to be about an inch and a half higher). Thanks for the detailed instructions!

Lovely, but I have a different question for you. I love your placement of your tv and have been looking to do a similar set up in mine but I can't figure out what to do with all the cords when placing a tv anywhere other than flush on a wall. How did you get past this?

Love your place. I think the short length feels practical and personal. It keeps it feeling comfortable and not too contrived. Also very practical for pet lovers.

I can imagine if I lived with this treatment how fun it would be to pin seasonal decorations and substitute different sheets to accomodate my nutty need for constant re-decorating. I could change the entire room for pennies! dreamy.

I've had a project like this on my to-do list for a while. I'm glad to see an alternative to the Ikea cord. Do you have a solution for drooping in the middle? I want to do a wall like this, but am concerned that if it droops in the middle I'll hate it.

I'd appreciate any of your ideas...thanks.

I love this idea and I did it in my dining room and my bedroom. I may do it in a few other rooms next! Brilliant, thanks so much!!