I’ve been thinking that my dining room needed a facelift for quite some time. I love the look of my dark maroon velvet drapes, but sometimes I long for a little more light to come through the windows. Over the weekend we took down the drapes to wash and I just couldn’t imagine them going back up! After some careful consideration (an early morning trip to Target), here’s the updated look!
I went to Target with the intention of buying drapery panels that I had seen on the Golden Boys and Me blog. Target carries them in a red and orange version and I knew it would look warm and cozy, but still let lots of light in. When I got to Target, I spotted a different panel that I thought matched my paint color exactly. Now, I will confess, I’m NOT a very good decorator. I am drawn toward matchy-matchy and I know that good designers don’t do matchy-matchy. Well, when in doubt… call your sister. I sent her pictures of the drapes I had come for and then pictures of the drapes I was leaning toward. She agreed that the yellow and gray were the way to go, so I put the panels in my cart. I had a couple of gray runners that tied in perfectly with the curtains. (Now, I’m eyeing some gray and gold Ikat fabric on fabric.com to finish out the look with some new placemats!)
Next came the centerpiece. Like I said, I’m absolutely not a decorator. I browsed Pinterest for ideas, but nothing seemed to jump out at me. Then I remembered my Reggio Emilia board. There are tons of beautiful displays with glass jars on my pinboard.
I gathered all of the jars I could find in the house. (Well, not all of them.) Then I started arranging them and cutting a few flowers. One thing I love about the Reggio Emilia displays is that the jars are not overcrowded. There are just a few simple stems in each jar. That way you can really see the individual flowers. (Although I didn’t follow through with that when I picked my hydrangeas.)
Who knew that my early childhood education pinboards would influence my interior decorating! It’s simple, reflective, and lets the light in. I love it!
By the way, the curtain panels were 54″ wide, and my windows are really skinny, so I cut each panel in half. Before finishing the edges, I unstitched the hem and raised it by about an inch. I finished the raw/cut edges to have the same look as the finished side. They look pretty good, if I do say so myself! I can’t even tell you how much lighter and brighter it feels. I love the dark maroon drapes, though, so they will be making a return in the winter.
Two days after the dining room was finished, I asked my hubby if he noticed the pretty new dining room. He hadn’t. Hmmm… maybe I can add a long skinny table and a gallery wall in the hallway without him noticing either!
Happy decorating!
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