The Final Curtain

Alright friends, we tore everything out of that big, ugly basement of ours and after months of hard work we finally put it all back together.  There's basically nothing in this room that isn't new or refinished in some way.  It's clean and beautiful, but it's also a little sterile.

That was done intentionally of course. We're big fans of minimal and neutral design at the base of the room, and then adding fun, depth and warmth through accessories.  That gives you much more flexibility to change your design style over the years without having to start from scratch.  Heck, you can even change your color pallet with the seasons if you like, switching out bright yellows and blues in the summer for more golds and greens in the winter.  I'm like the dog from Up when it comes to design- "Squirrel!" A shiny object at Home Goods can change my whole course, so it's good to have options.

First up- let's get some soft and fun curtains on that big slider.

Hubs and I had been looking for a long time for just the right fit.  Yes that's right, the Hubs was actively shopping for window treatments with me.  He may or may not have even suggested one Saturday that we all head to Ikea to check out some curtains.  Back away ladies- he's mine.

Unfortunately nothing at Ikea fit our bill for a relatively neutral gray and white color pallet, with a bold pattern.  We'd been loving a set we found at West Elm, but not loving the $50 a panel price point so much.

 

So we stopped into West Elm on our way home,  just to get inspiration if nothing else, and magic happened.  There were two of the Scribble Window Panels in gray, just hanging out in the clearance section with a $19 price tag on them.  The very ones we had been lusting over looking at, in exactly the quantity we needed.  Too good to be true?  Maybe.

We didn't realize (or bother to look) until we got home, but our amazing little panels were about 7" too short for our window.  They were also marked "Final Sale" since they were on clearance.  Ruh-roh. 

Fear not friends, I not only have a sewing machine, but I happened to have the perfect gray color, upholstery fabric left over from our Outdoor Section project.

Remember from back when I built a couch and then sewed cushions for it?  Sorry, I just love saying that. :)

So anyway, I just happened to have a little of this fabric left over, not a lot, but the perfect amount for this project.  Crazy right?  I cut 7" pieces to add to each panel, adding about an inch at the top and the bottom to account for seams.  I also cut, ironed and stitched 7 tabs for the back of each to run my curtain rod through.

And here's how they look finished:

 

Not bad- eh?  I actually like them better with the gray panel on top than not.  As purchased I think the pattern is a little busy, but the solid on top gives your eyes a place to land and feels a little more finished.  Maybe it's just me. 

How about a little before and after for fun?  Okay, but only because you made me do it.

 Everything for this project seemed to fall right in my lap, it was like it was meant to be. And FYI- that NEVER happens in DIY.  At least not for us.  It seems like there's always that huge road block you find that screws everything up.  Like the day we thought we were going to hang kitchen cabinets in our first house and instead ended up re-shingling the roof.  True story.  But this little baby is coming together nicely.  Next up- we've got a little surprise addition to the room.  I'm not going to give it away, but let's just say it's party time.