Some exciting news!
I’ve got new curtains! Ever since I looked through my first Charles Faudree book, I fell in love with French country style. I have been trying to achieve that look, slowly but surely! I have had my eye on the Chelsea Textiles check linen for a long time. And… I finally got some!!
So let’s talk about the before. I had some burlap drop cloths as my drapes. It was cheap, on-trend with burlap, and cost a total of under $20. However… they are so boring. And, they aren’t really drapes. But they did the job.
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BEFORE with burlap drop cloths:
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| Yes, the only picture I have of them is with the Halloween tablescape. |
AFTER!! Oh my gosh I’m in love… with some fabric. I suppose that’s what happens when your mother is an antique linen collector… runs in the genes!
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| swooon, aren’t they pretty? |
I love how they go with my French farmhouse table and French Louis XVI dining chairs!
Ok, now let’s talk about the process. First, my design goals are pretty much summed up on the cover of Charles Faudree’s French Country Signature. He has checks, toiles, French furniture, and antiques.
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| my favorite designer! |
Another designer, Mario Buatta, uses check fabrics too. And hey! I just noticed the floral fabric on the bed is the SAME pattern I chose as a 5 year old to wallpaper my room. Talk about being stylish at age 5!
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| Mario Buatta |
Ok, so I like checks on the curtains.
Next question, big checks or small checks?
Here’s a picture with smaller checks…
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| Cathy Kincaid |
And larger checks…
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| John Stefinidis |
After scouring the internet and my design books, I decided I wanted a large check for my curtains. I think the smaller checks get lost from further away and blend into one color.
Next question, what color?!
Well, we’re limited on colors based on the colors in the room. So, I started with the rug. Here are the 3 options I narrowed it down to.
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| Seafoam left, seamist center, sand right |
Hmm, can’t decide. I think the Seamist looks the best. They all look good. Let’s look at it against the couch…
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| Seafoam left, seamist center, sand right |
Well, geez, that didn’t help much. The seafoam looks a little too white. I like the sand the best.
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| Sand left, seafoam center, seamist right. |
Well… the seafoam looks really good against my toile chairs.
The brown looked the best with everything… but brown is so boring! It’s not much change from the burlap that I had. Seamist in person looked the best with everything and it is the color I went with. It may be a little hard to tell in the pictures.
Ok, fabric ordered, time to make curtains! I want to give a shout-out to my mom, the best mom in the world. She can make curtains. I need to learn this from her. She said the secret to good curtains is a great sewing machine.
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| The Pfaff, our trusty Pferd (translation, Pferd = Horse in German!) |
Choosing pleats… we went with the two finger. Debated between the two finger, French, and goblet.
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This is where I came back in to help (besides picking the colors)… laying out fabric/measuring. Excuse the mess!
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One side is up!
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And now the other side. Love it!
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Now I just need the paint the walls! Don’t these new drapes look great?
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This is a picture from nighttime, so you can see how the colors change at night.
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Slowly achieving my goal of decorating in the French country style. Toile French chairs? check. French dining chairs? Check. French farmhouse table? check. Check curtains? check. All I need is some transferware, more antiques, and a petit gâteau at the table and we’ll be good to go!
To read about my French toile chairs as pictured above, click here!
Written at http://peoniesandorangeblossoms.blogspot.com
Your room is fabulous! Charles Faudree would approve!
Oh wow, the drapes are absolutely stunning. I totally adore them and I love, love, love checks. Thanks tons for linking to Inspire Me. Hugs, Marty
I am a foodie, but I just had to comment. Your Mother did an excellent job on your curtains. Plaid is not easy to match up and the pleating, well, I am amazed. A petit gâteau will be the easiest of all the projects.
Madonna
MakeMineLemon
I love the drapes….I have always loved large checks….they are elegant without looking too formal. I also just love your french chairs with the toile upholstery! Gorgeous!
Simone- hopefully he wouldn't rollover in his grave.
Marty- Thanks for the compliment.
Madonna- Thanks for stopping by. My mom did run into some trouble lining them up, we had to redo one of them. She's great, I need to learn how to make curtains from her!
Holly- Thanks for all of the compliments!
These are gorgeous !
My Mother was a custom drapery maker so I have a " thing " for drapes too !
So perfect in your dining room 🙂
Visiting from French Country Cottage
xxx
Glad to know I'm not the only one to swoon for some drapes!
WOW!! Would love to know where you found the fabric?? I have been looking for weeks for a grey buffalo check and have had no luck. Thanks for your help
Hi Elaine, the fabric is made by Chelsea Textiles and this color is "seamist" which has a green tone to it. They have many other color waves. To find a retailer in the US near you, visit here: http://www.chelseatextiles.com/us/stockists
gorgeous, I was hoping you had purchased them somewhere, because I'm seeing these in our new home. LOVE them, great job!!
Oh my gosh! Who wouldn't love the French country style? It's absolutely fabulous. I love the new drapes, with the seamist palette and large checks. You sew perfectly, if I may say so myself. Thank you for sharing those lovely photos! All the best to you!
Shirley Todd @ Arjay SWF
This is great post, thank you very much Angelina , i like your ideas 🙂