When we think bead curtains, we usually think hippie dens and incense, but recently we've noticed the decorative door alternative making a come back in some interesting new forms. More for embellishment than for privacy, the new curtains are less about beads and more about found natural objects strung together for ornamentation — think necklace for your door, or multi-stringed window mobile...

Most recently, we noticed West Elm selling strings of shells as part of their summer line.


The kid in me cannot help but collect shells whenever I visit the beach, and I love ideas for interesting ways to display seaside treasures that are not too theme-y. These simple garlands wood be easy enough to make yourself with a roll of kitchen twine and a standard drill for making the beads holes.

Or if shells are not your thing, Susie from ATSF did a wonderful post on using cut flowers to a similar effect.

We dig the airiness of the new forms. What about you?

(Images: 1: Hotel Azucar, 2,3: West Elm, 4: Gunnar Kaj/ Poppytalk via ATSF)