I am just a 40 something husband checking on something I posted so my opinion may be worhless but I have to ask...is this your dining room or a picture of the curtains in an ad..I am confused. I know if I came home to that print on my chairs and those stripes my wife would be hightailing them back to whereever she got them! Again...what the heck do I know though...

Do you need something up to the ceiling and down to the floor. This room strikes me as being a bit formal and those curatins like something I might find at the shore in a contemproary but relaxed setting....maybe shutters, vertical blinds, smaller curtains....????

just my two cents...

Yes, this is my dining room. Contemporary but relaxed (with a touch of classic/eclectic) is the look we're going for. We want to keep all the natural light in the room, so shutters or blinds aren't an option. I don't like dusting them anyway. :)

THey do seem large in scale. YOu already have a pretty busy pattern on the chairs. By pretty busy I mean they look very pretty. I wonder how just a cream panel with a band on the bottom or on the inside would look.
What color are your chairs? Maybe a double band in the bottom with black and then the other chairs color.

thanks, jeannie - the chairs are cream. I might try just a cream panel with a black band and see how that works. The geometric print chairs are a statement, and there's a piece of artwork that is going on the wall that will also be bold. Perhaps I should let the curtains fade into the background. I wanted something that had a little pop, but nothing with pop seems to be working.

I think that it looks very striking and fabulous!

I love horizontally striped curtains and as long as they aren't in the same scale as the fabric on your chairs, (which they don't appear to be) they would look wonderful.

Often, the price you pay for using different patterns is that some won't get it. Small price, IMHO.

Two pictures where those type of curtains go so well with another pattern

Because they are so striking, to me those bold horizontal stripes seem to dominate the rooms. My eyes are drawn to them, and I have to concentrate to look elsewhere.

Wow those stripes are bold!

Not my style. I would go with something more subtle....

I love them!

Venus favors the bold.
~Ovid

Go for it!

I am sorry, but I think those take away from the look you are trying to achieve in the room. The chairs ARE a wonderful print, and give the contemporary but elegant feel you want that works with the panel moulding.

The curtains, on the other hand, say casual IKEA family room. The ones that francypants posted in the grey tone and white work, imo, because they pull from the wall color, so create a less jarring, "look at me" sensibility. The ones in the second pix don't work at all.

So, you might consider doing wide stripes, but in the tones of the wall color. You could do a solid color in the wall color family, that has a banded bottom or edge, or top in black, for a tie in.

But I think I would go with a more neutral look for the drapery, and let the black chairs be the star. Perhaps add a mirror or art framed in black for the empty wall.

If it were me, I would also change the chandy to black or the finish of the nailheads on the leather chairs. It feels very light for all the dramatic furniture. If you went with the nailhead finish, you could also then add some drum shades in black.

I am with Les. You need something that reads more elegant. Your house is stunning and I adore your kitchen. I know you will find the perfect thing as always!

{{!gwi}}

thanks to all for your input! After a long weekend of thinking about your comments and considering the suggestions in my head, we decided we're going to look for some curtains that are more subtle.

Les, I think you're right - the stars in the room should be the chairs. I love the first photo that francypants posted, but the black and cream curtains I mocked up seem more dramatic than the softer silk gray and cream, and I think there's a chance they might overpower the space. I like the ones that palimpsest posted and may do something with a smaller black vertical stripe. All depends on what kind of fabric I can find!

We're hoping to have this project done by the end of next week, so i'll post what we decide on. thanks for the input, everyone!

I think they are fabulous! Much better than something quieter and less exclting. They don't overpower the chairs at all, IMO, and wide horizontal stripes are classic.

I will give my 2 cents even though it is late. I agree with les. Those curtains take your star away from the limelight which is the chairs. An off white with a black greek key trim will look great too! I love your nail head chairs. Would you mind sharing the source?

thanks! the table and all chairs were purchased at Mortise and Tenon in LA.

Here is a link that might be useful: M&T

Thanks pipdog!