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Refresh the Room: Swapping Curtains

051908_newcurtains2.jpgA few weeks ago, we were having issues with our living room windows, and one of the most popular suggestions was to get rid of the dark curtains. So we finally did, and we couldn't be more pleased! Our living room now gets great light in the morning, and it looks less like a movie theater (thank goodness). Take a look at the before after the jump...

 
 

051908_newcurtains1.jpg

Before the Big Curtain Swap!

We got tired of the look of the sheer liners, especially the tab tops. Instead of buying new ones, we snipped off the tabs, folded it over, and sewed a pocket for the back curtain rod. Also, the old blue curtains had tab tops that kept snagging on the curtain rod or getting stuck on each other, making it difficult to open and close them, so we opted for grommet drapes this time around.

A big thank you for all of your suggestions!

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Comments (18)

wow that looks awesome...awesomER, anyway :)

posted by kdkaboom on May 19th 2008 at 11:46am
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Love that... where did you get them, or did you make them?

posted by Valerie on May 19th 2008 at 11:53am
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Glad you got rid of the tab tops - They were stylish for about a month several years ago before they ended up a tired old Pottery Barn cliche.

posted by bepsf on May 19th 2008 at 11:57am
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The drapes are from Ikea, the Merete ones that come in a pack of two. It worked out really well because 1) waaay cheaper than any other grommet drape I checked out; and 2) the curtain rod is at an in-between height (too short for 95", and too long for 84"), so I could hem them up to the right length. Although don't look too closely, I got a little hasty towards the end ;)

posted by grace on May 19th 2008 at 12:19pm
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I've been looking for them, where can i get grommet drapes?

posted by callbob on May 19th 2008 at 12:21pm
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callbob, you can buy grommet kits at the fabric store and make your own! also i got some great grommet drapes at smartbargains.com.

posted by pinko on May 19th 2008 at 1:31pm
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What a difference, great job!

posted by endia0716001 on May 19th 2008 at 1:51pm
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Agh, I just bought some from another source.

Totally different ones, but I didn't know the answer would be "IKEA, which you can get online!"

Maybe I'll send the other ones back.


Thanks, Grace. They do look awesome.

posted by Valerie on May 19th 2008 at 3:27pm
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Spoke too soon... not available online.

Why don't they have all the textiles online? They slay me.:)

posted by Valerie on May 19th 2008 at 3:28pm
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Also - they're phasing out the Merete curtains, which makes me SO sad, as yes they are FAR cheaper than anything else out there. None available at any of the NYC-area Ikeas at least.

posted by eebnyc on May 19th 2008 at 6:47pm
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West Elm and Ikea sells this style personally I am getting tired of them seeing them in all my friends houses and open houses..I loved them five years ago.

posted by LoriSF on May 19th 2008 at 6:48pm
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Ikea doesn't sell anything online that would be worth the shipping cost. It is pretty much just the big stuff, for which the shipping usually ends up costing as much if not more than the product. WHY does Ikea do shipping so poorly??

posted by rebecca326 on May 20th 2008 at 10:24am
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This room looks great! I love that red chair. I know I've seen it before but can't recall. Who is it?

posted by lrlatina on May 20th 2008 at 11:26am
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That really makes a great difference. I just bought new curtains, and I hope they have a similar effect on my place!

posted by jennifer in sf on May 20th 2008 at 1:24pm
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What about the privacy issue when only using sheers? Doesn't it factor in?

posted by iluvcolor on May 23rd 2008 at 9:22pm
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Grace,

Are your new drapes in color BEIGE or WHITE...?
Looks like white sheers on white drapes, but i could be wrong.


NICE, simple new look.

posted by callbob on May 25th 2008 at 11:54pm
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iluvcolor: the sheers are actually pretty good in the daytime, privacy-wise. A lot more effective than I expected! At night, I usually close the drapes.

callbob: thanks! It is indeed white sheers and white drapes, not beige. I really wanted the natural linen look for a little bit of contrast, but they were out of those at Ikea when I went. :(

posted by grace on August 26th 2008 at 8:06am
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I actually just bought these at IKEA in Carson, CA. So hopefully they are still available nationwide. The display showed an olive-brown color, white, beige, and a dark berry-blue color. All were in stock except the olive-brown color.

posted by CallieGirl on November 22nd 2008 at 3:47pm
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