Shore Files: Hang em High

So yea, summer is over. What better time to get a few of those projects crossed off down the shore? This weekend we took a trip down to spend time with friends, catch a few last rays before the cold gets here and hang curtains in the living room.

If you need a refresher, check out my full on cry for help for improving this room here.

I was really torn about what to do with the windows. I was thinking of maybe sheers but I thought that might be a little bit too delicate for the look I had in mind. And then I found some grommet panels at Pottery Barn that I got fixated on. The problem is that it would have cost me about $500 for the drapes alone. Of course I wanted it to look right but I really didn't want to shell out a lot. So when I was pointed to some pretty similar looking grommet top sailcloth panels at a online store called Curtainworks, it was a done deal. I also ordered hanging rod from them as well.

excuse the weird color - sun was setting and I just wanted to get a few quick snaps off while hanging

Out came the drill and a kitchen chair in place of a ladder. The rod was very simple to hang - a couple of screws for each bracket and it was in. (Of course I can't manage any project that requires holes in the wall without making a mistake - I eyeballed the width the first time and made it a bit too far out and the rod wasn't long enough to reach. Doh! I'll just have to fix that later with some spackle.)

After the rod was hung, I pulled out the panels. So glad I went with the grommet tops. They seem a bit more beachy than pole pockets or clip rings, don't you think?

Honestly, it was one the quickest windows I've ever dressed - I don't know why I was putting it off so long. Its such a small thing but makes all the difference. (Even if its not really finished yet, its something, right?) Just having the drapes there balances the window side of the room with the couch side so much better.

Now for the specifics: The drapes are 95 inches long. I put up two panels on each side (a total of 4) to give it a little bit more of a full look. And of course I hung them high. If you are wondering about the quality of the drapes themselves - I'm pretty happy with them. They aren't lined so as you can see some light comes through which I expected. Because the description said it was made of "sailcloth" I sort of expected a much heavier weight material but other than that, everything is exactly as I expected. They are 100% cotton so they can be washed (although I hope I never need to). They came really quicky too. Overall, I'd definitely recommend them because of their prices and their options in the longer lengths (which seem impossible to find affordably)

I'm also thinking of adding a little embellishment to the drapes themselves. Maybe dying them gray (anyone know anything about dying panels??)? Or adding some ribbon like I did with the roman shade in my guest bedroom? Thoughts?

You'll notice I still have those nasty mini blinds up. That's because I haven't quite figured out what to do in the middle. Should I leave it bare and just close the curtains when I want privacy? Should I get some bamboo shades to add some more texture in here? Maybe I should get those transparent roller shade thingies? Or make my own roman shades in an interesting fabric? Still undecided. What do you think?