Ingrid, I’m just now seeing your last post. You’ve hit the nail on the head with why I’m nervous; that’s what I meant by too bold, as suzmtl questioned upthread. I do love color however. I just don’t want a garish, juvenile look. I’m glad you think I can get by with 1.5:))

It's definitely not a garish, juvenile look or print.

I do think think one of the problems is what fabrics are available currently; one is stuck with whatever is currently in fashion, and fabric goes through cycles like everything else. I know I first fell in love with floral chintz fabrics for curtains in the eighties, reading shelter magazines in college, when they were all over the place. This last while, block prints have been back in style. Though as suzmtl says, the pendulum seems to be swinging back to bright florals. I just saw that Pottery Barn has new vivid pink flowery curtains on the website.

Since I think so many people are used to neutrals and/or solids, a colorful print is a leap from the usual. I think color and pattern are underused and are a wonderful way to decorate a room.

I understand your concern now, Nancy. Bold can be garish but nothing about this print, to my eye, is juvenile. I just did a Houzz search for bold print draperies and found this image from Andrea Schumacher Interiors. Perhaps more subdued prints are the norm in a traditional room but if you love the print you chose, I'm sure you can make it work.

2010 Colorado Homes & Lifestyles "Home of the Year" · More Info

A Google search yielded this living room from Bailey McCarthy published in HB.

Have you thought of doing an image search of your fabric and seeing if you can find it used in a room?

Well said, Becky. (Now I'm off to check out those PB curtains!)

Nancy, estate sales are a great way to go. You know, the whole “estate fresh” thing! Right from one person’s home into yours.

Maybe you would feel more sure of you curtain choice if you did a mood board and narrowed down your inspiration photos? Yes, the fabric is bold, but as beckysharp said— this is an underused way of making a room look wonderful. They seem bold enough to give life to the room but not dominate it. It just depends on the direction you want to go overall.

I would NOT do 1 1/2 width. I did this once in my daughter's bedroom due to the huge cost of the fabric and 4 windows plus valences; I've regretted it ever since. Your curtains should be able to close, even if they will not regularly. There are few things that can ruin a look more than skimpy curtains, and 1 1/2 widths will be skimpy.

As far as the width goes, it is the width of your ROD, not the window.

nancy, how many windows will you be doing? And will you keep the shade (is it bamboo?) underneath? I love the look of curtains over bamboo shades.

I ask because the effect of the color and pattern will be moderated with fewer, and shorter, windows in the room, and by the use of shades underneath.

suz, here's the link for the PB pinks : )

https://www.potterybarn.com/products/marla-floral-print-drape

I forgot to ask, does your screen name mean you're in Montreal? If so, here's the link at PB Canada,

http://www.potterybarn.ca/marla-floral-print-drape

Suz- that Schumacher print was what I originally was captivated by! As you may imagine, it’s a leeeetle bit too expensive to be feasible;) I found the richloom print I’m considering now by searching for something similar. That living room you posted is heavenly! Yes I’ve searched exhaustively for rooms using this print, no luck. I found an old post on here about someone using it for dining room drapes; she even posted a reveal, but of course the pics are gone:(

anele- estate sales are my happy place! I love to honor old and loved furnishings by giving them a new home. And a mood board is a great idea. I’ve never done one but I ought to try to figure it out.

anglo- I am nervous about 1.5. I want the curtains to close as two of the windows are on the west side of the house, so I want to be able to close them on summer afternoons. I found a source that says 1.5 width pleated drapes should finish at 35-37 inches. If the area I want exposed of my window is about 56 inches, or 28 on each half, that only leaves nine inches to cover the part of the rod to the side when the drapes are closed. What width of rod would you do? How much do I need for the stackback to look natural and only cover my window trim, no glass? If I have to pony up for 2 full widths I will. I respect your opinion!

Becky- I described the windows I plan to cover in an above reply to someone. There are two windows in each room, although in the dining room my buffet will cover the bottom of the curtains. I will leave the shades up. The drapes will all be floor length, like celerygirl mocked them up earlier. The ceilings are only eight feet and I want to hang them close to the ceiling to add height. So there will be quite a bit of pattern in the room:) The Cote de Texas blog has an excellent post about drapes that I’ve used for some inspiration.

The window width pictured is about 70" including casing. The rod extends about 8 inches on each side. Here, I used 1 1/2 panels.

If you have any more questions, just ask.

Ratherbesewing, do your drapes close and what do they look like when you try?.. If you made them yourself, I may have some questions for you during my process!

Just checked and didn't feel like taking a picture. If I close, there is a 10 inch gap . Ouch. And, I sewed them myself. I cannot remember why I didn't use 2 widths of fabric...

Nancy, one more thing to consider before you make your decision... and that’s the flooring. Are you keeping your carpet or will you be getting a rug? Curtains + rug can be tricky to coordinate so I’d just want to have a plan.

Well, then, you'll be a maverick using this print, Nancy. ;-) I'm only half teasing. I know it's not an easy decision. But there's more than one way to make a room come alive and you seem to have a solid plan in hand so be confident in your choices. It's your home. If you decide to keep looking for another (easier?) fabric, could you use this one on pillows?

Becky, yes, I'm in Montreal. Thanks for the links. PB doesn't have a Canadian website yet and annoyingly enough, detects my location whenever I want to visit the US one, defaulting to their Cdn intro page with store addresses.

Ratherbesewing- and your window is not quite ten inches wider than mine, hmmmm.

Anele- ah you’ve hit on the other reason I’m concerned. We will do hardwood sometime in the next few years and I will get a rug. I love Persians but I’m afraid this fabric choice will rule that out. My backup plan is seagrass or another similar material, with something warmer layered over for winter. There are a few pics I can find with patterned drapes and a busy patterned rug, but I imagine that takes a lot of trial and error, which isn’t practical since I would have to order.

Suz- I may make pillows regardless, since I have this 1.5 yard length that I ordered to gaze at. If and when I get anything accomplished, I’ll post pics so the next person who wants to use this fabric won’t feel so alone:)

However you decide to proceed, I've a strong feeling it will be lovely, Nancy. I wish you the best of luck and look forward to any pics you'll share.

I get it, Nancy! I had the same issue. I knew I wanted old, worn Persians in my room... partly because I like the look, but partly because I have kids and pets and it’s just easier to have pattern on the floor. So I felt I had to pick one, pattern on the floor or pattern in the curtains. NOT, as you say, that it can’t be done— I love a lot of mixes of pattern— but because it’s harder. I think if you do want old Persians vs something you can order new, it’s easier to get the rug first and then the fabric for curtains because you have more choice in fabric than rugs, or at least I did. My awkward room size made for limited choices. I ended up with solid linen for curtains, which I am second-guessing, though I did get a toile, too, which would work.

But if hardwood is years down the road, maybe you should just go for the pattern on the curtains now and let Future Nancy deal with this then, because at least you will have pattern now in the room.

I just found this photo; this is the Schumacher hothouse flowers fabric. This definitely looks a little skimpy to me. Could this be one width?

suz, does the newish PB Canada website not come up for you at all? I wonder if it's a Quebec thing.

A few months ago I noticed I got the new PB Canada website instead of the US one. The shipping doesn't seem to be much cheaper (it's awfully high for within Canada), and some items aren't available -- usually whatever I like, sigh.

Anele- that’s why I’m considering going ahead with this fabric, because the hardwood and rug will be at least one year, maybe two. We have so many other things to do to update this place! But I don’t want to just kick the can down the road now and cause a problem later. My budget wouldn’t allow for a super high end antique oriental, and we have no local sources anyway. So I may have to be content with a subtler patterned new wool rug in a neutral or green or blue. Orientals that aren’t predominantly red are harder to find anyway, it seems to me, and red isn’t the color I want to focus on in this room. There’s always the family room when I get ready to work on it, warmer colors will be better in there because it’s north facing, dimmer and has a wood stove so it’s our winter sitting room:) You mention toile; I should check that out. Off to look at yet more pics:) Btw, you’ve been so helpful, thank you!

Nancy, I didn’t pay a lot for my rugs. They are not high-end but they are vintage and the style I like. I got them on ebay for less than what is sold in big box stores. BUT, as you say, it’s harder to find a rug without red as the predominant color... I love red so I went into my plan knowing it would be the main color in the room, and bought the rugs accordingly.

Any time you make a decision about a room, it means there is something to work around/with... and that’s OK. Especially if you love what you are working with!

I really like your inspiration pics and went to pin some of them myself. I had a good experience buying a vintage persian on ebay, though it took some time waiting for the right one at the right price.

Ok you’ve all convinced me to stop dithering and commit! Now I’m ready to do it and get it done, but the price for this fabric on fabric.com has gone up a bunch now, so I’ll have to watch it til it goes down again. I called them and asked them to honor the price of a few days ago: no dice. Not too friendly either:/ It does fluctuate quite a bit, but the last few days was the lowest I had ever seen. Should have just bought it then:/

No, it doesn't, Becky. It's a Quebec thing, I'm sure.

Nancy, did you try other sites? There was OnlineFabricStore.net mentioned in another thread recently. I've never bought there but I've bookmarked it. Selection and price seemed very appealing.

Have you mentioned the fabric by name? There are lots of good shoppers on this site. FabricGuru also has discounted fabrics. While you wait for a sale, remeasure and recalculate yardage amounts and check for the pattern repeat which will require more yardage. You didn't say if you an experienced sewer, but handling this amount of fabric + lining can be daunting (and heavy).

nancyjwb-

Your fabric selection is beautiful as are your inspiration photos.

Do you plan on closing those curtains?

If so, they must be double width. If you don't plan on closing them and they are only for decoration at the sides of the window, that is another story, and you can get them single width, and you don't need the interlining either. But does that really make sense?

You can trust Anglophilia, she is not only a seasoned professional decorator, she has exquisite taste and especially in the style you prefer!

You needn't worry about a strongly colored Persian rug not working with your curtains, just look at your inspiration photos above and many more traditional home photos to see how these rugs work with patterned curtains. And remember, your curtains are a pattern on a white/ivory ground.

Your Persian rug can be handmade and good quality and doesn't have to be antique.

You can get a Kashan for not tons of money these days that have a lot of blue that are not screaming red.

It is actually rare to find a traditional room without a Persian rug unless it is a British Colonial or British Raj , where a rug might not be used at all because of the intense humidity in those places and concerns about rot and infestation.

Suz, yes I’ve looked everywhere!

The fabric is Richloom Whipporwill, in summer ivory.

ratherbesewing- I know how to sew; don’t particularly enjoy it because the things I’m usually sewing are smaller and more fiddly, flimsier fabric, etc. It sounds nice for a change to work on something large with all straight seams:) I may just get busy and make a pillow cover or two with what I have while I wait for the fabric to go down again. I’ve never done any home decor sewing. I’ve thought about this long enough I think I’m set on yardage, and the repeat is 27”, which divides perfectly into a 3 yard panel.

loo- I do need these drapes to be functional for light and heat blocking since they’re on the west side of the house. Also, Anglo has persuaded me that I do need two widths for it to look right. Thanks for the reassurance on the rug, too:)

Is this your fabric?

Garish- no! Stunning- Yes!!! Don’t you dare chicken out!!! It’s bold and beautiful and very Schumacher (even if it isn’t).

I just wanted to say that I think the fabric you have selected is beautiful! I think the fabric will make stunning curtains for a traditional space. The pattern looks traditional, but not stuffy. I look forward to seeing them finished!

Please post pictures of your pillows in this beautiful fabric. Will you center the bird?

Just one more thing to love about these drapes - this fabric has so many beautiful colors it would be easy as time passes to change paint, upholstery, pillows, and rug to give the room a whole new look and still continue using the drapes.

Check out their outdoor fabric. They have similar colors/movements for $10-$12/yd. It doesn't have the look or feel of silk or linen, but it does drape nicely, and is easy to clean. My biggest complaint with it is that it won't hold a serge on the vertical, you have to melt it.

Suz-that’s it! Fabric.com had it on sale last week so that with the quantity discount it was $10/yard...but I missed it:(

kendall and prickly pear, I love it too, hope it lives up to my vision..!

kootenay- I’ll check it out. I haven’t looked at that type of fabric.

I hesitate to chime in here since it seems you have made a decision. But, FWIW, I too fell in love with that fabric and bought it as soon as I saw it. The colors are magnificent and the quality of the fabric is amazing. I had drapes made for my Dining room that I thought I was going to love, but I ended up selling them. The color was so bright and vivid that it just seemed to dominate the room. I am a big fan of pattern in draperies, but in this case the combination of the vivid color and pattern looked like too much going on. I remember thinking that the drapes would have looked great in a sunroom, garden room, or a bedroom. It was a relief when I took them down and put my old drapes back up. Good Luck with whatever you decide to do. It is beautiful fabric, just didn't work for me.

Jjam- hey you must be the one! I ran across an old post about a dining room but the pics were gone. Do you by any chance still have a picture?

I’m so glad you did post because I am still worried about just what you say! I don’t want to spend the money and not be happy. I have four windows in both rooms so I’m afraid it will be too much! I love the fabric, but maybe I should just do a couple cushions out of it and go with a solid or subtler drapery.

The fact that I am still dithering probably means I shouldn’t do it; usually I’m quite decisive! I’ve been all over the place with this though.

I found a couple, and honestly they look fine in the photo. I learned that, in my DR, I'd rather have the focus on the art, furniture, and rug. Introducing the drapes was one too many guests at the party, IYKWIM. I think it depends on the room and what you are comfortable with. Good Luck!

Sorry for the quality of the photos; these aren't the best. I hope they give you a good idea of how they look finished. These were done with 1 1/2 times width per panel.

Good Luck!

Oh I’m so glad you found some pictures! I think those look gorgeous, and a busy (even cluttered) room is a look I kinda like. So you’ve swayed me again in favor! I think I better stop posting on this thread; everyone’s going to think I’m a nutcase:)

These look gorgeous, jjam. I don't think you're a nutcase, nancy. It's a lot of time, effort and money and you don't want to regret your choice. There's a case to be made for both drapery style: subdued and bold. The important thing, as you know, is to decorate to your taste.

jjam, just echoing nancy and suz about your beyond lovely curtains. I'm sorry they didn't work out the way you wanted.

Love the first photo, the red in the painting is set off so beautifully by the red in the fabric.

I reread my comment above about your curtains jjam. I didn’t mean to imply that your room was cluttered, far from it! I intended to say that I must have a much higher tolerance for pattern and busyness because I think your curtains were great in your room, and after seeing your photos, I’m thinking they’ll be great in mine:)

No worries! I do think the drapes in the photo look nice so I am wondering in a way why I didn't like them. Sounds like they will be a winner for you :)

Ratherbesewing,

What fabric did you use? They look great!

Mini update: here is the pillow cover I made with my sample piece. I still haven’t bought more fabric for drapes, but for the moment I’m pretty pleased with this:) It was the easiest and most fun sewing project I’ve ever done!

I love the fabric you chose. Your pillow looks fabulous. I just want to reiterate what Anglo said, don't chintz on the width of the curtains. You will spoil the look of your investment that way. It's not worth the cost savings to me.

I love your fabric! I also love “busy” rooms! I made myself some patterned drapes a few years ago using that exact tutorial! I’ll see if I can find a pic and post it.

nancy, love the pillow! Especially with the perfect butterfly placement : ) .

Rita- I’ve been convinced on that. It would really stink to go to the trouble and expense and then always wish they were fuller. Thank you!

sowkmom- thanks! Glad to hear you accomplished it. The pillow was a lot of fun, I hope the drapes are as well.

becky- thank you! The bird isn’t my favorite part of the fabric, so I spent some time figuring how to cut around it and mainly feature the blue flowers. I love how it turned out!

I love your fabric and can't wait to see the drapes. Have you considered removing the wallpaper border? It's easy do to and would instantly update the room. Following along!