apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

great windows! why do you need to cover them? I would think about the answer to that question, and then work from there. if it's privacy, how about curtains on the lower half?

I would just leave them. why block all that light? once you fill in the room, they shouldn't feel bare/awkward. my windows are about the same size, and I leave them bare and have enjoyed them.

I would buy fabric (if your budget is really tight, you can just buy plain white or natural muslin for now until you can afford something else down the road) and if you don't feel comfortable with a sewing machine, just get fabric tape to "hem" off the top and bottom edges. Iron it up all pretty and voila! This works best if you use the curtain hooks that have the clips on the bottom.

I found some people who make them on ebay
you send your fabric to them and they sew them up for about 200 bucks. I've had great luck!

Oh, but just make sure to get fabric with finished edges (sides for your curtains). If you can't sew, the sides will be harder to pass off as a finished curtain.

Draperies in this room would look silly and messy with the A/C unit under the window and the base of the door at a different height than the windows...

I'd simply get solar/roller-shades for all 3 openings.

If you can find a nice fabric that doesn't have writing on the selvedge, all you'll need to do is tackle top and bottom hems (and as ridge_van_winkle said, iron on hem is AMAZING). Check out large remnants at fabric stores, or perhaps IKEA.

Hi Zak-
Why don't you buy existing curtains and then add some length with a different color fabric on the bottom to create two-tone curtains? You could do that pretty easily using a no-sew technique. Just pick sturdier fabrics so the glue/fusing doesn't show through. If you placed the main curtain so the bottom of it ends at the top of your steps, then you could even paint the side of the little staircase the same color as the bottom layer of fabric to extend the color.

How about adding a wide border to the bottom of your 108" drapes? You can see examples of that look in some of the catalogs, like West Elm or Pottery Barn.

What about sheets or sheeting? I bought two duvet covers in Ikea, they are thicker than sheets and hang well. Mine were very cheap. you can look around and get the right thing when you're settled.

Upholstery / decorator fabric is anywhere from 54" to 60" wide (most bolts). You can buy the length you need and finsh the sides and ends any voy-ola! new curtains. And BTW, there are lots of sources for amazingly inexpensive decor fabric. You can get silk dupioni for as little as $12/yd, for example.

Alternatively, I like the idea of sewing a contrast panel on the bottom to lengthen them.

Hmmm... Interesting dilemma. You say you want to use the window treatment to add color, so you definitely want some sort of treatment. Also, that front door looks very commercial. Do you need to cover that for privacy?

Here are my suggestions.
1. Buy some custom roller shades. Smith & Noble sells these online, but you can find a local shop that can do it. You can choose a colorful fabric and roll them up or down as you please. You can even buy one for the door. This will create color, privacy, and they don't cost a fortune. If you want a crisp, clean look, this is the way to go.

2. Make one large drapery panel out of saris. Buy a rod (IKEA?) that will extend from the right-hand corner of the wall to the end of the windows on the left. Hang it over the window.

Find an Indian sari shop in your area. Saris come in a standard length that's long enough to cover your wall. But you'll need more than one to create the width you need. You want to buy enough so that, once you sew them together, they'll be twice the width of the rod. You can find beautiful, colorful saris for next to nothing ($30).

Now you have to make the curtains. You need to finish the top and bottom edges and sew the widths together. Check online for exact instructions. If you don't have a sewing machine, you probably know someone who does. If not, you can use iron-on tape for the hems and leave the panels separate.

Once your curtains are done, you can either gather them on the rod, through a pocket at the top, or use rings and clips to hang them.

During the day, leave the panels gathered against the right-hand wall. At night, close them to cover the windows and create a cozy feeling.

Finally, for the door, if you need privacy, ask your landlord is you can frost the glass. Hardware stores sell kits to do this. You just spray it on the glass. It's pretty simple.

That's it! Questions? Come see me over at Design Hole.

many local fabric shops have b.cards for local sewers, try that.

Or, maybe try papering the windows with a mulberry paper that let's light in, but acts as a privacy screen!

Another vote here for inside mount solar shades for your main privacy/lighting issues. As you have discovered, though, they are not cheap. Try Janovic and also The Shade Store.

You can always add stationary panels on the sides as needed for color.

Need design help?? I'm here in NYC... :)

I second bepsf's idea of solar/roller shades or even matchstick blinds. If you want to soften the look, you can get power hooks to hang drapes, BUT to look right, they should only be drawn to the right because of the interference of the steps and, as bepsf mentioned. the varying height of the door and the A/C unit.

http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/hang-curtain-rods-in-minutes-without-drilling-into-walls.

You could add a window film on the bottom portion for some privacy, while keeping the tops uncovered. This could give you some privacy, while still allowing the open feeling and plenty of light.

I got custom blinds made by Budget Blinds in Brooklyn. It cost way less than $1000. (I think it was more like $300 or $400 for two tall windows.) They look great and open from the top and the bottom, so you can have both privacy and light. I wanted them to blend into the walls, so I ordered a neutral tone, but I think they come in lots of colors.

My friend just got solar/roller shades from home depot for his unusual loft windows. His ceiling is probably about 18 feet high although the shades are probably about 12 feet long. They cost him under 400 dollars and they look fantastic!

Smith and Noble are great. NOT expensive for shades... they even tell you how to measure for shades RIGHT and they make them EXACTLY right

I'm of the no curtains or shades school ( I don't see who can see in from your photo)

I have one word for those who don't sew: FELT

and the light is great through felt, and felt is cheap, and comes in a lot of colors, and is probably flammable....

if that is an A/C no sweat curtains to floor, if it's a heater... don't

How about a bunch of crazy hanging plants on chains from the ceiling at different heights, all kinds?

a green version of a beaded curtain what?

Solar shades from justshades.com and blinds.com are much cheaper than other custom shops... i'm planning to order some from there soon.

I also like the idea of no curtains.

If you want more privacy, you can place a trellis halfway up the windows on the outside of the windows. That would filter in light and add some green.

About a year and a half ago I purchased custom shades (woven wood for the LR, wide wood slat blinds for the kitchen and a honeycomb shade for the BR) online from justblinds.com. My windows are pretty big (~40" wide and ~90" tall). I don't remember the per-window cost, but the whole thing was about $800 for 7 windows, which included the top-down / bottom-up control option on most of the shades. They'll send you free samples, the blinds arrived in about a week and a half, and measuring and installation was pretty simple (and I'm not very handy!). Much less than the $1000 price tag you mentioned.

Here are three suggestions:

1) Cheapest. Use spray on frosted glass from a company like Rust-o-Leum or Krylon. It will allow privacy but it won't help you control light. You will need a can or 2 per window at $5 a can. You can find it at hardware and art supply stores.

2)Cheap. Buy solar roller shades from Ikea and have the fabric custom cut and mounted on custom rollers by a window treatment place. I did this and saved a bundle. Most window treatment places load their profits into the fabric yardage. If you bring your own fabric and have them resize it, you will save about half. I used Aero Shades in Los Angeles. Each window cost me about $75-$100 all in.

3)Make your own curtains as ridge van winkle suggested. I made some floor to ceiling curtains to create extra storage in my bedroom. I used fabric (gray wool crepe) from Mood Fabric ($16/yd) and heavy duty iron on fabric bonding. I mounted the drapes on a track from konnectinternational.com using using Ikea dignet clips. It's not a perfect solution and takes some time to do, but it will save you a bunch over custom drapes. Here is a picture:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28955208@N05/2705420611/

I think the natural lighting on your hardwood floors is beautiful. If those were my windows I'd do a simple cafe-curtain in a bold yellow cotton fabric to cover the lower half of the window and door. That'd provide both privacy and a fun pop of color. However, if you want some extra defense against the cold during the winter I'd suggest a full-length curtain of thicker material.

Love the hanging plants idea, Philip_Littell.

You could get 4 sets of roman blinds - use 2 for each window. Then you can raise just the top ones, just the bottom ones, etc. You can get cheap roman blinds from Ikea or spendy ones from Smith and Noble or somewhere like that.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30107575

http://www.smithandnoble.com/sn/product_detail.jsp?sch_cat=Classic%20Roman%20Fabric%20Shades&prod_oid=251291&nav_cat=-18001&view=swatch

http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODp105&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1RUGWIN&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1RUGWIN

Hi Zak,
I think you are on the right track with draperies. They will add some color, warmth and sound absorption to the room. I found some reasonable 120" length curtains on overstock.com. I am not sure the style you have chosen for your apartment but they have many styles and colors. Since you have the radiator to deal with, I would just put panels on either end and to frame both windows. Don't skimp on the hardware because it really finishes the look and helps determine wheather is looks more traditional or modern.

This is a nice basic choice in many colors:
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Italian-Cotton-Silk-120L-x-46W-Curtain-Panel/3256636/product.html

Here are all the choices:
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Window-Treatments/1456/cat.html?count=120

Stay away from cheap blinds because they will break in no time at all.

Good luck!
http://www.MyDesignSecrets.com

some of ikea's curtains are 118".

pick something solid and buy two shorter lengths and have them sewn to the correct length.

look at sheets. that's a cost effective fabric source, as are urban outfitters tapestries. Those are usually 90" wide and 108" long for under $35. two of those can go a long way in a project like this.

I second the bed sheets comment. You'd just have to sew/use fabric tape for the top. I use sheets in my living room and absolutely no one knows the difference.

Zak,

I am a seamstress looking for some work. I live in Columbus Circle. Let me know if you're interested in some fair priced work. Btw, eeeek on bedsheets and velcro! Go cheap, buy twice... no no, that simply won't do.

DesignHole is right about saris. They are typically nine feet, which should work just perfectly. I made my own drapes from saris -- it's not hard. I did it by hand, since it only requires two seams (top and hem).

I am posting without reading previous posts, but you could buy some very inexpensive roller blinds and paint them with glorious colors. During the day they would all but disappear and let the light in and at night they'd cover the dark caverns that windows can become. Plus, you'd have some really large-scale art to brighten up the room.

And, roller shades are fabulously cheap. The store-that-shall-not-be-named had some for five dollars. : )

Hi---Zak here. And wow, I didn't expect all these responses. I did look at Smith & Noble and it would still cost upwards of 350-400 per window. I'm guess my main question is if I do a sari/fabric/sheet/etc. treatment, would I hang them inside the frame? That IS a heater below, though I've never used it so I'm not sure of how it works yet. Should I do one treatment on the windows and a different treatment on the door? The door leads out to a balcony, so there is a bit of privacy---it is more for nighttime privacy (lofts across the street which you cannot see from this angle in the photo) and from buildings in the distance.

How about some bamboo roman shades? They fold up to the desired opening you want, but yet when closed, still allow light to filter through? I'm a bit concerned why you want floor length as well....isn't that a heater in front of the window??

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You can get the same energy-saving double-cell window shades that can provide significant benefits as far as heating and cooling go, but at a fraction of the price.

It's kind of like a discount outlet, in that it's all name-brand products but the surplus discount stuff.

Order online at www.discountwindowshades.com

Really great prices!