Looking for more space?
These listings have oodles of it. Also, we're talking about curtains today.
Friday October 3
On the Market
Three Listings Worth Seeing
301 W Central Street - the historic McKinnon house, built in 1925, a gently updated 3,500 square foot gem with an abundance of charm, and enough space for everyone. Stunning fireplaces, wonderful arched doorways, and original built-in bookcases await the future owner of this deceptively humble-looking abode.
512 Medcalf Drive SW - if you like the idea of the beach but not the sand, this little retreat in the Sunset Lakes waterfront community in Sunset Beach is the perfect fit. With 4,900 sq ft and walls of windows, you can enjoy both privacy and nature in abundance.
704 Park Avenue - this week’s showstopper is the Peterson-Bain-Howell house in the historic district of Goldsboro. Reminiscent of north-eastern coastal architecture, the house has beautifully updated original bathrooms, an elegant and understated wraparound staircase, and possibly the cutest walk-in pantry you’ve ever seen!
Item Study: Café Curtains
A friend in Sweden recently shared pictures online of café curtains she had made for her living room and dining room, and they reminded me of my deep-dive into them in my own home. I thought to myself, what better place to share some insight on them?
The number one piece of advice I’d give is to consider the formality of your space. In my house, we have café curtains in the primary bathroom and in the dining room (which is actually now the living room). The curtains are not hung the same way in both rooms. In the dining room, they are hung on clips, with those clips hanging on the rod, which is both functional and ornamental, extending beyond the width of the window frame as an outside mount. The curtain itself is flat and straight, another option would have been strong pleats. I made this choice because this space is one where we entertain, and the architecture of the room, raised tray ceilings, wall paneling etc. dictate, or suggest, that a more formal decorating approach is needed there compared to that of the bathroom.
In the primary bathroom, the curtains are mounted directly onto the pole, the pole is inserted inside of the window frame (this is called an inside mount), as opposed to outside of it, and the curtain is ruched and gathered, so that it’s not pleated; extremely formal with rigid lines, but instead has subtle waves throughout. This is because the bathroom is a very relaxed, private space that only myself and my husband use. We are more relaxed and don’t need hard lines or rigid fabric. Things can be a bit looser, a bit more casual, a bit more relaxed.
So when it comes to deciding what type of café curtain to use in your space, here’s what you need to know:
As always, I recommend looking and collecting examples on Pinterest, and then deciding based on which spaces have a similar feel or a similar use-type to the space that you are in.
Make sure to observe:
1) How the curtain is mounted. Whether that is on a tension rod inside of the window frame, an ornamental curtain rod that is visible outside of the window frame or even on a string, which is actually what I saw in my friend’s case (this makes sense for her kind of elevated cottage style in her home).
2) How the curtain panel hangs: flat, has slight waves in it, or is pleated. This helps with how formal the space will feel.
3) How the curtain is hung: whether it is directly mounted onto the curtain rod, on a string, or is hung on by clips.
Bonus: Another very important thing to think about is the material of the curtains and whether or not you want them to be lined. In our dining room/living room they are lined because that room faces the street, and while we want the privacy in our bathroom and need it for showering, because it’s at the back of the house where nobody can see in, unlined curtains gives us enough privacy for that location. In both rooms, we have linen curtains, made by a vendor on Etsy, who I swear by. She is extremely easy to work with, communicates well, and offers a wide range of sizes, so if you’re interested in looking at her products, click here.
One Good Thing
A good frame goes a long way. The art you are framing could be mediocre at best, and if it’s well matted and framed, it will look great. I once saw someone frame and mat their kids art, which I thought was a great idea. Frame it all: kid’s art, crappy postcard, Picasso, Rembrandt, a receipt, a photo, a magazine cut out, just mat it well and you’re good to go.
Pictured: Jennifer Garner’s home, designed by Steve Gianetti. Here, the white matting around the smaller bedside image helps it nicely juxtaposes the larger darker artwork on the wall.
Signing off for this week! If you’re looking for more, check out the blog, the podcast, or find us on Instagram and Pinterest.