The way they look on my monitor..........They look great together. I do not see any peachy. It is probably the walls reflecting color onto them that is making them look clashy.

But you have said the wall color does not look good with the drapes, right? So are you willing to repaint the room just so these drapes can work? Are the drapes directly next to bedding or across the room? From what we see here, I think they can work together if your wall color works with both fabrics.

Dilly, thanks, and that's what's so crazy. The lining is bone white, so that can't be it, but as soon as night lights hit the drapes they turn on me. Here's another shot with different lighting:

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I guess it's not really peachy, but more or an orangey yellow that shows up when the panels (six total) are hung. So maybe it is the wall color. Any ideas on a neutral that would bridge the gap?

Some cross posting here; and yes, I'd repaint. Can't change the fabric colors but could work with the wall color, so that's my best option. Powell Buff is there now, and it looks like three shades of beige/yellow/gold with different undertones. They're not gellin', IYKWIM. So what to do? I'm looking for that color that would pull it together, I guess.

Why not a cream for the walls that is close to lighter color of pattern in the drapes?

Did you try different light bulbs yet? Reveal...yadda, yadda...

In reading different suggestions by different designer's some suggest that you paint the walls the background color of the drape.

Oh, I hadn't even thought about bulbs. DH has a compact flourescent on his dresser; others are a mixed bag. I'll try a reveal bulb.

ThreeD, the idea of a lighter shade of the drapery fabric was my first thought but I'm afraid of not getting it right....neutrals are hard. I also wonder if a contrast would bring the two together better.

Thanks, and also wonder, do you think the fabrics work together in general?? As I said first, I went nuts over the drape fabric, especially for the price, wonder if it's a case of love at first sight gone awry??? Sometimes the fix doesn't really help if the two aren't meant to be together in the first place. Hey, this is beginning to sound like therapy......

The fabrics DO seem to work well together - can you see yourself using a sheer combined with the panels - in the off white OR white colour and a black rod to enhance the continuity?

At the risk of sounding like Ms. Flavor of the Month, what about going the other direction and painting the walls a rich gray? Then the panels would gain strength by contrast, and you'd put them more in league with your wonderful Jacobean linens.

Here is a far out idea... coffee stain the drapes. It works and it will tone down the cream look of the drapes.
As for wall color... Creamy brown or rusty orange (either way with coffee stain drapes or not.)

I personally don't think paint will do it. I see a peachy tone in one and a mustard tone in the other. One reads as a cool color and the other warm. I love both fabrics, but the jacobean should win the battle (It's fabulous!). I don't know that lining again would help, but you could try a brown lining and see what that does to the fabric.

If the velvet is not cotton...tea staining might or might not work. Natural fibers tend to do better in tea stain than others. It might be worth a try to see how that goes with some scrap fabric. And then the question of "did you make the drapes to be washable?" comes up....

I also like both fabrics but am not so crazy about them together. Would you be able to use the drapes in another room?

Black would look fabulous with your bedding.

tina

I don't really care for those two fabrics together because the pattern on both is about the same size. Although the lighter fabric has a white pattern, it is too similar in size to toile and I don't think they complement each other.

Thanks ladies. First, frenchdressing, I'm dying of curiosity....what is coffee/tea staining? The drapes are already finished; I'm guessing I'd have to take them apart to do it?? Either way I'd love to know how to do it and what results are like. I have a ton of scrap fabric so practice would be no problem.

Brownysmom, I've been thinking about grey, too, and will probably try a grey paint if I decide to repaint for sure. It could be the answer, but I know getting a good shade of grey is very tricky. If anyone has one that has worked well I will certainly try it.

Igloochic, you have spotted the color problem exactly. I wish you had been with me when I bought the fabric! I even tried a big bolt on the bed to see the colors and I thought they were fine. Ah, well. So I guess the task would be to find a color that could bridge the gap, but as you say, paint may not do it. Do you think using grey has any possibilities?

As far as the pattern on the drape fabric; it goes away when draped; they honestly look like solid panels until you get up close, so the pattern issue isn't a problem IRL, just the color.

Oh, and I did try these in my LR and they don't work very well there either; too many adjoining rooms that are already done, so it wouldn't be practical to use them there.

Again, thanks for your honesty; it really helps.

If you can't see the pattern in the lighter fabric you should have no problem using them as the colours look fine together, imo.

I love those drapes!! I'll take them off your hands. :o) he, he

I too see a yellow tone to the drapes, and more of a mustardy tone to the fabric. But it doesn't sound like they will sit on top of one another, so I think a stronger wall color would help them "compliment" one another. I'm not usually a fan of gray, but I am becoming one in the past few days, thanks to GW. There's a thread on here about grays, with some photos. I thought the one photo was gorgeous. Poster had an alcove in a darker shade and bedroom in the lighter shade. I thought it was delicious looking! Wish I could point you to the post, but it can't be far. I saw it last night. :o)

If you want to bridge the gap with paint, you can't do it with another neutral. Gray will just bring in a third neutral, making them all look off, IMO.

To use wall color here, you need an actual color that will work with each of the fabrics individually. Green comes to mind (it always does for me), something in the light olive range. This would be good if the Reveal bulbs take care of the peach problem.

If not, painting the walls a terra cotta color would also bridge the two colors and would, by comparison, make the cream fabric look less peachy.

I have this little rule with fabrics. If they (together)can't stand on their own I don't try to work them into a room with other accents. Even strong contrasts will look good next to each other (say bolt to bolt) if they work.

I see paint as the canvas in an artists bag of tricks. White background, green background, gray background, it's still just a canvas background. The picture painted on it has to stand on it's own, maybe be complimented by the background, but the picture (and in the realm of decorating that's the fabrics and furnishings) still have to work well with each other to make the whole picture come as a masterpiece...verses one of those elvis velvet paintings...

I think the only way to fix this would be with dye...and I have concerns it won't take well, especially if the drapes are already made...were they made dry clean only or can you wash them? If you can hand or machine wash them, you could dye them...but if not...you might end up with some pretty awful ratty fabric in the attempt.

Coffee or tea staining is really what it sounds like :) You get a big big big vat and fill it with boiling water. Add tea bags or ground coffee which is wrapped in cheese cloth and let the additive color your water. It takes a lot of tea or coffee :) But it gives you a lovely antique hue especially with natural fabrics (cotton, linen, silk etc). But poly blends are not as generous in taking the dye as they should be, and most velvets are a blend...ie rayon or poly. Silk velvet will take the dye evenly though, but it may change the nap of the velvet.

If you're going to try coffee or tea (I'd do coffee in this case to dampen down the cool tone of the peach) you want to practice on a yard at least. I suggest this because you want to have a decent sized piece to see how the dye takes all over it...is it even or splotchy? But again, I'm not sure how your drapes were made and I think it sounds like a recipe for disaster...

I'd definately try switching out bulbs first...but if your picture under flash is any indication...I'm just not sure it's going to work. Which sucks because I love both fabrics (I'm a textile freak) and I especially love the two textures...they're wonderful together...just not the right color :O(

I see a peachy color in your drapes too. One other suggestion, if they're washable, you can dye them in the washing machine with Rit dye. It will only tint them, like layering color in a watercolor painting. To get close to the value of the toile, you would probably need a rusty color wash. What have you got to lose? My mother and grandmother always did this when they wanted to change the look of the room and couldn't afford new drapes (grew up poor, guess I still am). The dye rinses out of the washing machine if you run it with clear water when you're through. If they still don't work together, they're not ruined, you can cut your losses and go with something else, right?

I see a definite peachy undertone in your drapes and I'm sorry but they do not compliment each other.
They're both beautiful on their own but just not together. I would certainly try tea staining an extra left over piece
before re-painting your entire room. I feel for you I have yards upon yards of fabric that I was sure would be the perfect compliment to my couch, chaise, bedding etc...

I love the texture on the drapes! Can you use them in another room?

It's really hard to say because monitor colors don't tell the whole story. But even though I think both the bedding and the draperies are beautiful, I'm not so sure they work together the way you would like. IME, yellows, golds, and off-whites can be very tricky.

My take on it would be to put your lovely drapes in another room (guest bedroom?), and do something different for your drapes with that bedding.

Here are some different curtain ideas that could be very dramatic with your bedding.

Starting with a pic of your bedding...

This would be so simple to do with ready-mades (if you can find the right color) and just make the zebra valances. This would really give punch...

More ideas...

This style, but just a little better color match:

I just love this one...

Oh, thank you, thank you oceanna, mldao, prairiegirl, igloo, and so many others. I think you have told me what I knew instinctively, and I'm going to revisit the drapes in my LR. That will at least ease the pain...and if I have to CL them eventually it won't seem so bad.

I'm going to try the tea staining on something else; not these drapes, as they are already made with lining and interlining, and I don't think I can wash them. So, it's on to other ideas for my MBR.

Oceanna, you are a marvel. You found some killer ideas for me, and one of them is the exact match of the duvet cover!!! Where did you find that photo?
I was thinking of solid color drapery because we have a lot of art in the room, and wasn't sure about the print on the drapes, but it certainly looks wonderful in that photo. I love the idea of the zebra valance, too.

Luckily I didn't spend a fortune on these; enough to make it sting but not as bad as it could have been, and they may work out in the LR. As soon as I put the computer down I'm going to try them!

Live and Learn....

jjam - I love the fabric on your pillow. Can you show us what the comforter that goes with it looks like.

Laurie

Igloo,

Just want to say that i love your thoughts on the background of the room being a canvas, and the furniture, fabrics, etc, being the painting. Love the way you put that into words. That could be the start of a great book on interior design!

I think everyone who suggests altering the tone of the curtains is right...and if you do decide to try to help the process with paint, I would vote against any shade of green. Colors intensify their opposites, and green will make the peach tone much stronger.
But truth to tell, I think you may have to jettison or move these curtains, despite their attractiveness on their own. You shouldn't have to work this hard to make it work.

Oceanna, you are a marvel. You found some killer ideas for me, and one of them is the exact match of the duvet cover!!! Where did you find that photo?
I was thinking of solid color drapery because we have a lot of art in the room, and wasn't sure about the print on the drapes, but it certainly looks wonderful in that photo. I love the idea of the zebra valance, too.

I'm glad you enjoyed my contributions. :)

I don't know where I got the photo but if I had to guess I'd say at least some of those pics are from patemeadows.com which means someone found the fabric in a store and sewed it themselves. If you haven't already, you could enjoy looking through their gallery. Their sewing patterns/designs are just beautiful, with so many little touches that make them look so professional.

I love the zebra valances with the plain curtains. To me that is the most practical and versatile, by far. Plus it adds a kicky little punch to the room. As Sherri (of Room by Room) would have said, it's the unexpected. You can always use or sell the plain colored curtains, and you can subtract or switch out the valances.

But there are some other ideas for you there too. I'd think black and white, and if you can get them trimmed or mixed with some of the color in your bedding too, so much the better. There really is a wide field of what could look good as long as you stay with those colors, I think. Anyway, I just wanted to show you something that I think could make people say "wow" and I'm sad to say I don't think your new curtains do that for the room. But they are so lovely, don't you have another place in the house for them as is?

Tea dye... I've played with that. Real tea did nothing to change my (cotton) fabric. So I tried coffee and saw very little change. So I switched to Rit dye, which worked. I did it all in my washing machine, btw. By the time I'd reached the color I wanted, my fabric looked very old and worn out. I was not happy. If you try it I hope your mileage is better than mine. Right now your new curtains are crisp and beautiful. I don't know if I'd risk it.

If you decide to sell your new curtains, you might do better on eBay than CL, I'm thinking.

What I want to know is how did you find someone to sew them for you so inexpensively?

One more thought... do you know the name of the fabric in your bedding? Or of your style of bedding? If yes, you might "google" it on eBay to see what they have available. Sometimes we can find yardage. Sometimes we find switch plates or waste baskets. Lots of times we can find curtains. The one that used your fabric was cool I thought because it had the black rod and the black buttons, was it?

Another vote to say that the two fabrics (each is gorgeous on their own) do NOT play well together ....

A vote for bamboo blinds and simple linen or "burlap-type" lined draperies ......on a chunky black curtain rod .....

Just some thoughts .....

Jan

Hi and thanks again Oceanna, Jan, and everyone for your thoughts. I think there may be new life for the drapes in my LR. Too busy for photos today but I tried them on one window and I didn't cringe...color looked better than in the MBR; although I'll probably paint the LR for a better match if I use them. At least there isn't one dominant print fabric there that it has to get along with, like in the BR.

Oceanna, I almost did a separate post about the labor on the drapes. I asked my alterations place if they would do drapes, and I was surprised to learn the answer was, "oh, yes, we do drapes, pillows, anything that can be sewn." So I took one panel for them to copy as there is a bit of a language barrier there and I didn't want to take a chance on verbal instructions. The workmanship on the drapes is wonderful. They were pinch pleated, lined, and interlined, and the charge was $32 per panel. I had thought about sewing these myself but at those prices I quickly gave up on that idea. I'll be using them again; this time I'll check the fabric out a bit more carefully first...:)

Coffee staining:
Make a vat of strong coffee.
Put the fabric in,
Make sure the fabric is evenly wet.
Let it brew,
Keep an eye on it
When it is stained the way you want
take the fabric out squeeze the excess water and drip dry.

jjam thank you :) I have a penchant for BS :oP or so I'm told. I was supposed to start a text book on regulatory issues...pehaps decorating would be more fun. It's hard to work in artists canvas and risk ratings in a paragraph of any value heh heh

Jjam, that's helpful information. What do you mean by "alterations place?" You mean dry cleaners? Or a separate outfit?

igloo, I too enjoyed your comments on "paint being a canvas", etc.
I'm glad you're trying the drapes in another room. I think you can do better. :o)

Thanks for the coffeestaining info, frenchdressing. I can't wait to try it on something other than these drapes. Sounds like a wonderful effect.

Oceanna, where I live we have walk in alterations places where all they do (generally) is alterations. The one I go to has a sign that says they make clothing also, so that's what made me think they might do drapes. There are lots of them scattered around town. I have a lot of confidence in their ability, as they have done alterations for me for years, and even made a costume for me once. Really, anyone who knows how to sew should be able to make draperies, pillows, and other home decor items. And, if they're not part of an interior design business, their prices are a lot less. Thanks again for all of your help with my drape mismatch. I'm hopeful the drapes will work in my Living Room; will post pics soon.

Thanks for the info, Jjam.

I'm eager to see your pics, both of your lovely new drapes in your LR, and of what you come up with for your BR. This has been a fun thread and I'm confident that you'll work it out so it all has a very happy ending.

jjam - I love the fabric on your pillow. Can you post a picture of the comforter that goes with it?

Laurie

Hi Laurie,

DH took the digital camera to work today...but check tomorrow or early next week; I'll take some shots and post them