Inspiration: Bold-Patterned Draperies
After moving into a new house last year, we decided at first not to worry about window treatments in the living room; why not enjoy the view for a while? Soon, however, we realized that our little block, because it connects to a scenic staircase, is part of a popular walking tour, and so our afternoon napping and dog-playing and Dexter-watching has been on display for a steady stream of tourists. Think it’s time for some curtains, don't you? We’re usually drawn to bold prints on draperies, but since this can be a tough look to pull off, we went in search of some inspiration…
Here are some rooms we discovered, and the ideas we gleaned for making bold-patterned curtains work:
FIRST ROW
• 1 Of course, keeping the rest of the room simple and uncluttered, like this kitchen from Dufner & Heighes (via Houzz), will make a printed curtain stand out in a good way.
• 2 Matching a curtain print with the wallpaper, lampshade, or upholstery is a bold choice that unifies a room. Designer Jamie Molster does it here with Ikea fabric.
• 3 Similar idea in this living room from House Beautiful; the diamond pattern is repeated in the texture of the fiber rug.
• 4 Choosing a pattern with just a touch of color, and then echoing that color throughout the room, can create a harmonious look. Nicole from Making it Lovely picks up the red from her Marimekko curtains in her sofa fabric and in the small artwork hanging alongside.
• 5 In a dramatic room, why not go for long, dramatic printed curtains? The windows in this palatial dining room from Elle Decor are a statement in themselves, so the designer plays up the drama even further with the drapes (and with the crazy oversized light fixture).
SECOND ROW
• 6 Layering different black and white patterns and accenting them with pops of color (like the red lamp and poster in this photo) creates a chic look. Photographer Kimberley Hurst used Target curtains in her office.
• 7 Or you can reverse the idea, and go with a bold color for your curtains, sticking to black and white in the rest of the room. Photo from the Marimekko blog Always Mod.
• 8 In this vignette from Galbraith and Paul, different patterns in the same colorway are layered, tying the curtains in with the rest of the room.
• 9 Anthropologie's catalog layouts always contain lots of print and pattern inspiration. We love the way the curtains here are paired with a wallpaper that contains similar shapes, but contrasting colors.
• 10 This look seems like an inevitable success: a print with lots of bold colors paired together with natural linen furnishings. From De Sousa Hughes.
For all our fellow print and pattern lovers: Do you have curtains in bold prints? How do you make it work?
Comments (14)
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It is amazing that curtains can be both aesthetically attractive and eco-friendly. Those passive systems of keeping heat in or the sun out are so underrated in our modern era of HVAC. And let's not forget the way a great curtain can transform a room. Thanks for showcasing some modern picks. Best, Nadine Bouler
view nadine@bdg's profile
Can anyone identify the chairs in the first photo from Dufner Heighes? Thanks.
view HM123's profile
The curtains in the first photo are SO cool.
I think I tend to shy away from strong patterns, but if the rest of the room is somewhat neutral, it works.
Think of all the incredible 40's / 50's 'bark cloth' curtains of the past....like the 'atomic' inspired, or free-form 'Miro-like' patterns.
view LuvModern's profile
Excellent reminder of what interesting window treatments can do for a room. I especially liked that examples of otherwise basic-looking, white rooms were chosen (for the renters who can't paint).
view slowdown's profile
The chairs in the first photo are Wegner Wishbone chairs. I love them, too!
view neverdoubt's profile
I think the chair looks more like the George Nakashima Grass Seat Chair.
view miaedu's profile
I think you're right about the chairs. Look for Wegner's wishbone chair for something similar but a bit softer looking.
view neverdoubt's profile
First pic is excellent - the colour, pattern and floor-to-ceiling length are all spot on.
But the second one...??!!
view WeeBeastie's profile
Wonderful photos!
I have these panels from West Elm:
http://www.westelm.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?partNumber=WE-PRODr669&storeId=17001&langId=-1&catalogId=17002&viewSetCode=E&parentId=WE-SH1RUGWIN&retainNav=true&cmsrc=WE-SH1RUGWIN
and they helped my living room SO much! I rent and can't paint the walls so these replaced the hideous vertical blinds perfectly. I think the main thing to pulling off such a huge pattern is that you have to use them sparingly in the rest of the room. Otherwise it will start to feel too busy, I think.
view Erin Lang Norris/Yellow Canoe's profile
Seems like a good alternative to wallpaper. Hmmm. But in the photos above, it seems to look best when in a room with really high ceilings. I wonder if it would look quite as good in my normal-height living room.
view Where You Hang Your Hat's profile
Our pumpkin orange "workout room" (HA!) has blue on white IKEA Alvine Tapet curtains. Lined, floor length, and really nice for the price. (Look beautiful with the orange, too.)
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60114782
view SherryBinNH's profile
"Hmmm. But in the photos above, it seems to look best when in a room with really high ceilings. I wonder if it would look quite as good in my normal-height living room."
Just hang the draperies floor-to ceiling for maximum impact - my ceilings are just @ 8.5 feet high, but they seem higher because all of the draperies are hung this way and the furniture is all relatively low.
view bepsf's profile
I really like the first shot. The fabric reminds me of birch bark. More importantly, the fabric brings together the industrial, geometric view from the apartment window with the mid-modern furniture. This tableau would be less appealing without the complimentary pattern and splash of color from the branch set in the middle of the window.
#4 is pretty, because the rest of the apartment appears minimally decorated in colors that augment the curtains. Also, the curtains in #4 leave a space at the end of the fabric makes the print appear more organic (and less repetitive).
All things to consider when choosing patterned hangings. Pattern can all too easily take over a space if there isn't a purpose, meaning or balance.
view dianalily's profile
I really like the white room with the blue curtains and terrazzo floors! Very dramatic!
http://thebluepearlgirl.wordpress.com
view EWood's profile