picture insert, try again

Here is a link that might be useful:

Love your inspiration photo! I am a huge fan of window treatments that put function before form. This would be a refreshing alternative to a more mundane solution.

I agree with blessedbe, I think it's the beautiful heavy moulding that carries it off.

Many years ago, before they became more popular, I had "cafe" curtains in my living room where the windows were nearly floor to ceiling and were the whole length of a 14 foot wall.. They are not weird and can make a very nice statement. Just as those in your inspiration photo do. Cafe type window dressing are a good look with the right material and 'sheerish' on the very opaque side are better for the privacy issue. I first put up a more sheer material and it was fine until the night when the lights came on inside. The sheer material could be seen thru and privacy was gone.

Lil

Your inspiration room is like a supermodel wearing a weird dress (the weird dress being the drapes). The drapes look good because the room looks great. Personally, I could never carry it off in a room.

That's a beautiful room but I still dislike the curtains. It looks strange to me and the first thing my eye goes to.
Full panels hung at the top of the window would be so much more attractive although I understand what you want.

I dislike the way the rods are not hung level with the mullions. I think you need to see full panes of glass, either one or two, depending on the size of the window.

I am contemplating doing this in an upstairs hallway where we need coverage on the lower two-thirds of the window but I hate to lose all the light and connection to outside. I am still in stall-mode though. Twas ever thus with me and WTs. :(

I think the WT are the weak link in an otherwise beautiful room.
Dee

There are opaque sheers and transparent sheers. I have opaque sheers on several windows and you canÂt see our interior from outside when the lights are on at night.

The beauty of using this longer café style is that the OP gets to enjoy the light and views from the uncovered 1/3 portion and is secure in her privacy on the lower 2/3 of her windows. Using full length curtains would rob her of the views when closed and hinder her privacy when open.

This is the best option to have the ability to control both light/views and privacy w/out having to resort to shutters, blinds, drapes, etcÂ..

I have seen this style done in several shelter mags lately and am pleased to see designers moving away from the expected rote solutions to the unexpected. The mullions being divided in the posted pic do not bother me at all. I also donÂt think that you need to have the beefy trim around a window to pull this off. But I tend to appreciate the off beat, eclectic and unexpected. :)

That's the style I used in one of our bathrooms. The cafe curtains cover 3/4 of the window instead of the typical half.

I think it depends on your particular setting. I'm not crazy about the ones in the photo, but it think it's more because of the furniture than anything. And I agree that the rod would look better hanging level to the muntins.

Here's another example.

Not loving the 3/4 cafe curtains in the inspiration pic, but they don't look bad in the pic natal posted...maybe b/c the windows are taller and the decor is more clean-lined and not overly done.

Another vote against the curtains in the inspiration picture. But, they don't look that bad . . . just not that great either. Have you thought about top down bottom up shades? Then you can view out whichever part of the window you choose.

Here is a link that might be useful: Top Down Bottom Up Shades

Not weird at all. I had extra long windows in my older home built in '84, and have long windows in my current new home also. I used this treatment twice, since privacy was an issue. I had to cut mine a bit shorter than 63" and added rods to the top and bottom, like you would use on a French door~I actually had one of my new neighbors call me to find out what type of WT I was using in my kitchen.LOL

To give it a little more opulance, I added a plaid valance w/fringe that has the color of the sheers in the plaid, sort of a golden tan.

The biggest piece of advice I can give you is to make sure you have the sheers very full, rather than skimpy. ;o)

I should also mention I used tension rods and installed them inside the window frame. I did this in my MB, along with floor length panels, and GR also. One of the greatest things I find is how much it cozy's up the rooms, and gives them a feeling of being complete. Bare windows just ain't my thing. ;o)

It would really help to see a photo of the room and windows you're wanting to use this style of curtain on. The room and windows themselves can make all the difference whether this style of curtain will work or not.

Well I used this treatment Yesterday LOL! When I sewed some 3/4 length curtain panels (cafe style) for my entryway.

I like the way they came out. I did it to let light in through the top and give me privacy when I walk by the window which is a LOT.

I have a cheap aluminum window frame (1960 house) and it really perked up the window.
The treatments themselves are *perky* LOL.
I was actually thinking yesterday .. "I wonder if I could do this in the LR?"

But I won't .. I already know about the top down bottom up shades/blinds and will probably go with something like that :)

I use this method in several rooms in my house and I don't think it looks weird because it is necessary given the views into the house. It would look far weirder if the neighbours could look directly into my bathroom (long story, strange house) or passersby could see me cooking.

That said, the inspiration picture has a couple of things that I would change. One is how the curtains are not lined up with the window pane dividers, though that's not a deal breaker for me; every inch of daylight counts. I think more importantly they have the wrong rods and the rods should not be showing in any case. This is a place for unobtrusive rods and/or rod pockets, not for hooks or tabs. I also think a fabric in the wall colour would work better here than the beige, and I'm not sure about gingham in a living room.

On principle though, there is nothing wrong with 3/4 curtains in a living room or any room where you need them.

KarinL

{{!gwi}}

Faudree does a lot of the 3/4 length cafe curtains. I think they work great in his style of decorating. It does usually look a little neater to line up the top of the curtain with the panes, but then the rod is above the divider, so you have to decide which looks best (that's using pinch pleat curtains). I think the shirred-on-the rod style looks best if they are also shirred on the bottom as on a french door. We've done the 3/4 or 2/3 style of semi-sheer fabrics on french doors several times. It gives privacy and still allows you to see outside and let light in.

Oooohhhh...I love the photo sallymo posted!!!

I happen to like the cafe height in the original photo too. If I changed anything with those curtains is to avoid the pinch pleat style and use a more casual gathering with the clips/rings. I think a simple scallop would look more relaxed. And, yeah, I'd probably have aligned the tops with the window mullions.

We had the bottom-up shades in our old house and they work well too, but they tend to look more modern.

Well, obviously I like them since I have them throughout most of my house! I guess I don't mind that they could be construed as weird because because I have established my own style in my house, which may be "weird" to some. Nobody confuses my house with another though. :]
Diane

What about plantation shutter instead? Personally I like that look a lot better.
BUT I would get the kind that fold in the middle so you can "accordian" them back if you want. You could do top and bottom and then close and shut as you like. ALSO they make a blind that has a bottom up option...but Im not fond of those either...just giving you options.

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/decor/msg021252575488.html

http://shuttersetc.reachlocal.com/coupon/?scid=753911&cid=472636&tc=10011113480829491&rl_key=c5e7147168e9e731c786fded5a7d0061&kw=71369&dynamic_proxy=1&primary_serv=shuttersetc.reachlocal.net&se_refer=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.google.com%252Fsearch%253Fhl%253Den%2526ei%253DjZxLS6rNN47plAeRrvSMDQ%2526sa%253DX%2526oi%253Dspellfullpage%2526resnum%253D0%2526ct%253Dresult%2526cd%253D2%2526ved%253D0CBMQvwUoAQ%2526%2526q%253Dhalf%252Bplantation%252Bshutters%2526spell%253D1

I personally like the look of cafe curtains...I plan on using them in my dining room.

I've always liked cafes aesthetically and functionally and have always had them at least somewhere, so it's really nice to see so many people here are using them, too. After this extended period of being their being out of style, this must mean this forum is well out ahead of the curve. :)

The most handsome ones to me always seemed hung (low, middle, or higher) to relate to a crossbar or mullion. Exactly as those in Sallymo's picture are.

Just my 2 cents, but plantation shutters are just another trend that's been over-used~I don't even see them being used in model homes anymore. *This is in no way meant as a derogatory remark to anyone who has them.*

Sheers have been around for eons, which to me says classic/traditional, so IMO, think they're very acceptable in any WT design. ;o)

lorriekay - do you have any pics of your project
sallymo - thanks for the picture. i like it - it may be like graywings said though, the whole room is awesome. where did you find the pic and what do you think the cafe part fabric is?
Thanks everyone!!