New curtains to flank the front door.

16 years ago

I just finished making new curtains for the windows on either side of the front door. This is the second set of curtains I've made for these windows (not counting the fabric wings that I put on when we first moved in). The second curtains were a nice African inspired print, but the print was too small, and I was lucky enough to find the new fabric panels at the Abbot Kinney Street Fair. They were not exactly the same length, and so one had to be shortened, and one had to be lengthened, which was tricky to get them to look like a matched set with the loops at the top. It took several fittings to get it right. The fabric looks painted when you look at it close up, and so they are each one of a kind, which is one of the reasons they don't match. I'm not concerned with things matching exactly, but I did want them to be the same size!

This picture shows the vase that we bought at the fair - off to the left. It's from Honduras and was made by the Lencan tribe, who have revived an ancient technique of making pottery and are using ancient designs. This goes well with my Zapotec tapestry, the design of which comes from a small cylinder 2000 years old, now in the Anthropology Museum in Mexico City.

I have a lot more to do to finish getting the house all settled, but I wanted to have the living room ready for Halloween, since we now have a few children in the neighborhood. We bought Japanese gummy candy in case we get trick or treaters.

Lars

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Comments (23)

annie1992
16 years ago
Lars, I love it and I didn't even notice that the panels didn't match until you mentioned it, then I looked and sure enough, they didn't. I'm not much good at that kind of thing, so I just noticed they were all the same colors!

The square is the vase? goes to show you what I know, I thought those dark patterns were cut outs and it was some kind of candle holder.

Oh yeah, I sure do lack the decorating gene, but entry way is very striking, even to me.

Annie
Lars
Original Author
16 years ago
Annie, the vase is a trapezoid in plan view - it's a rather unusual shape, and cannot be used to hold water, and so I just put some African fishing spears in it.

The curtain panels aren't even really the same colors! I put the one on the right where it is so that it would be close to the Indonesian mask that has orange in it, like the curtain, and the other one has colors that are more similar to the Zapotec rug and round African mask.

There will be a Soul Food/African Festival this Saturday near Leimert Park (not too far from us), and we might go to that, even though I'm not crazy about soul food (except for the fish), but I might find some more fabric to buy.

Lars
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lindac
16 years ago
Smashing! Love that fabric and can't really believe it's not mud cloth.
I bought a huge hunk of some painted, dyed or whatever fabric when I was in Africa 12 years ago....think I got it from Lamu....but maybe Zanzibar...
I have never done anything with it....because I don't know what to do...
I found it in a drawer a few days ago...there's got to be about 8 yards 45 inches wide...in shades of green.
Love the African/south American thing you have going.
Linda c
dlynn2
16 years ago
My 14 year old son walked in just as the first picture popped up, so I'll just tell you exactly what he said:

"Wow! Who's house is that? I love it -- it's gorgeous! It's open, spacious, and artistic. Really cool looking. And I love the bookshelves --just the right height and size. Mom, do you know these people? Can I see more pictures of that house?"

I love it, too. You have awesome taste.
mitchdesj
16 years ago
The panels are works of art, they are gorgeous !!

You could insert a glass vase or container inside your new vase if you ever want to use fresh flowers.
canarybird01
16 years ago
Very tastefully decorated Lars. I love the strong earthy colours and the ethnic designs and artifacts.

You made the perfect curtains for the room.

SharonCb
jessyf
16 years ago
Congrats - you've done more decorating in the few months you've been there than we have in....oh I won't say how many years. Or decades, LOL. Looking great!
woodie
16 years ago
Very striking, Lars! I really love what you've done .
mustangs81
16 years ago
You are amazing!

I'm with Jessica--I am slow to pull things together.
User
16 years ago
I have to agree with Dlynn's son. Lars, I love the panels and what you have done in the way of tying everything together.
gbsim1
16 years ago
Bravo! The scale of everything is great and the curtain panels add the perfect zing of color.

I'm a book lover so it's my style when books are a focal point in a room. Saw a designer home once in a magazine where they had turned all of the books so that the page ends faced out (spine in) in order to give a cohesive look to the room.... can you imagine!?

Grace
dedtired
16 years ago
You certainly have accomplished a lot in a short time. The curtains match your decor perfectly.

I've been in my house 36 years and I am just getting some much-needed den furniture delivered tomorrow -- a media stand and matching hutch. Hope I like it. I never like what i pick out. It's awful. I admire you!
Lars
Original Author
16 years ago
Linda, you should post some pictures of your fabric, and then maybe we can help you decide what to do with it! I have quite a bit of fabric in storage on bolts that I've collected, and I expect to be using quite a bit of it fairly soon. I already made two new pillows for our sofa using some tapestry fabric that was fairly difficult to work with, considering I was putting zippers in. I also made new cushions for our ottomans and the black pillow you see on the Ghana chair. For me, what I liked most about the curtains was the scale of the design - and that it was hand made and didn't repeat. If I hadn't found the fabric, I was going to paint some myself, and that would have taken quite a bit of time.

Dlynn, your son would probably like the rest of the house because DB and I also collect action figures when we go to ComiCon and other comic book conventions. I'll try to post some pictures of some of those as well, but we did have a better display set up in Venice.

To tell the truth, I am not a fan of earth colors, and I generally avoid them, but I do like them when they are natural and are used in native crafts, although I am still very particular about what I will buy, which is good so that I don't end up with too much stuff.

I'm having a hard time imagining books put backwards into a bookcase!

Lars
doucanoe
16 years ago
I love your curtains, Lars, and actually, I love it even more that they "coordinate" rather than "match"! LOL

I need to find a new sewing machine. My old Singer died and I bought a cabinet model machine at a garage sale for $30. I hated the cabinet and decided I prefer a portable model, so sold the cabinet machine on craig's list for $75!

That vase is cool, and I think mitchdesj has a great idea about inserting a glass container inside to use for flowers.

Thanks for sharing your lovely home with us!

Linda
claire_de_luna
16 years ago
Your living room is very thoughtfully and well put together Lars, and I think anyone would enjoy hanging out there. I love that a 14 year old even noticed! (I notice we have the same doorstop... ;)
Lars
Original Author
16 years ago
Linda, I also prefer the portable sewing machines. I have a Husqvarna machine, made in Sweden, which I've had for over 15 years, and I also have an overlock machine, which is even older. I bought the Husqvarna because it had the most stitches suitable for knits and the fewest stitches that I would never use. I don't know what machines are like today, but I didn't like the computerized machine that I used to have. Once the program stopped working, it would have cost more to fix the machine that it was worth, and that's when I replaced it. The manual portable machines have fewer problems and are easier to fix when they do.

I also like Mitch's idea of inserting a glass container for flowers, but I doubt I will ever use it for flowers.
Because the opening is very small (considering the overall width), I would not be able to get a very large container inside. I could make an acrylic liner, however, as I have worked with acrylic before and have the tools for making the seams.

Lars
shaun
16 years ago
Hey that looks pretty cool! Have you posted this on the decorating forum? They'd probably love it.
Lars
Original Author
16 years ago
Claire, it's interesting that you have the same doorstop. Mine was made by a friend of my Alsatian great-grandfather, who immigrated to Texas and brought a lot of things with him. My mother said that the friend was an old German man and that he cast it himself. If you want, I can post a close-up photo of it. DB almost sold it in our garage sale, but I intervened! It had been in our grandmother's house forever.

Shaun, I haven't posted on the decorating forum, and Rococogurl warned me about that forum. I kind of don't want to get sucked in there.

Lars
shaun
16 years ago
Oooooooooooooooh ok. I try not to post on the Pets Forum! hahah!
craftyrn
16 years ago
Looks great, Lars -- the pattern size is perfect with the wall rug-- love the bold colors--
Lars
Original Author
16 years ago
I forgot to mention that the fabric is batik from South Africa. There was another South African booth right next to the one where I bought the fabric panels, but they were charging three times as much. The booth I went to didn't have fabric displays, but I asked them if they did have fabric, and then they pulled out several batiks that they said they wanted to get rid of so that they wouldn't have to take them back to South Africa. I bought three panels because they gave me such a good price, and one I will use as a tablecloth. The fabric is 60" wide and varies in length from 76" to 80" in length, which is why I had to make an adjustment in the panels for the curtains. I feel very lucky that they came out as well as they did, considering the differences in dimensions. Maybe I will get lucky again this Saturday!

Lars
sheshebop
16 years ago
I know I posted yesterday, but I don't see it.
Lars, I absolutely love the curtains. I really love your decorating style! Vivid, bold, striking, artsy!
Sherry
claire_de_luna
16 years ago
Sure, Lars; I'd love to see a close-up! I'm so glad you saved it before someone wanted to buy it, because you know they would have. What's even better is that you have the story to go with it!

New curtains to flank the front door.

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