See that photo above? A little grand, don't you think? And perhaps not the way we decorate today. But what amazes me is the skill and artistry that went into that bed's draperies. The tassels and trim...terrific. Check out the printed lining of the bed curtain, the swags around the bottom of the bed, even the red table to the left that is upholstered in a red damask with a small tassel trim. Oh, and what about the bolsters on either end of the bed? All of the above took an amazing amount of skill and talent. Never mind the fact that you probably won't be decorating your bedroom with those swags and fringe trim. I understand that, and my home certainly doesn't have any of it either. But let's give credit where credit is due, and in this case it goes to Renzo Mongiardino. Only a deeply talented decorator could execute curtains like that, and I think most of us agree that Mongiardino was one of the best. In lesser hands, this room could have been ended up looking like Belle Watling's salon.

Or perhaps that should be saloon.What I find a little sad is that because the room above really isn't our aesthetic anymore, many designers never learn how to make Curtains- that's curtains with a capital "C". I'm not a designer, but I'm guilty of it as well. It's plain panels in my home. But just think of those wonderful creations by John Fowler. Now Fowler got curtains, but how many designers know how to design and fabricate curtains like his? I'm willing to bet not many.This post certainly isn't an indictment of today's style of decorating nor today's designers. All I'm saying is that it's kind of a shame that curtain-making like what you see above is becoming a lost art. Perhaps we shouldn't be so quick to say no to the swag!Blue taffeta and passementerie in the home of Princess ChavchavadzeAt Waddesdon Manor, David Mlinaric used a Louis XVI engraving as inspiration for the silk taffeta draperies.John Fowler was the genius behind these curtains in the drawing room at Cornbury Park.

Look at the workmanship in the detail shot.Keith Irvine...he knows curtains.(Mongiardino photo from The Best in European Decoration; image #2 from Les Reussites De La Decoration Francaise 1950 1960: L'Interpretation Moderne Des Styles Traditionnels; #3 from Mlinaric on Decorating; curtains 2go reviewsFowler photos from John Fowler: Prince of Decorators; dunelm gold flower curtainsIrvine photo from Keith Irvine: A Life in Decoration)blue curtain falls 320kbpsPatterned Curtains Living RoomNavy Curtains BedroomColorful CurtainsNavy Bedroom DecorDrapery Ideas For Living RoomCurtains FloralNavy RoomPrinted CurtainsRyann'S BedroomForwardWe love the idea of using a dark colour on the walls, with bright contrasting upholstery and a bold printed curtain design. kylie ria curtains

Find your perfect fabrics for this concept at:http://www.ukcurtainsandinteriors.co.uk/I made a curtain for my kids’ closet this weekend. Not a big deal, but I hate making curtains, no, haaaaaate making them, so it’s a big deal for me. dritz home curtain grommets instructionsIt’s just so much hemming and I kind of suck at hemming, but the curtain isn’t as bad as it looks–though it is a little straighter on one side.  net curtains leamington spaThere are more curtains that need to be made and I’m trying to psych myself up for it. ready made curtains arnottsI finally after three years of living here have picked out fabric, but haven’t ordered it yet. I want to try this roller shade hack, which looks easy enough, and roman blinds, which look hard.

Has anyone had any luck with them? I also cranked out some fitted sheets for the kids’ beds. I simplified the process a bunch from last time I made sheets. The edges are serged not hemmed and the elastic is only around the corners.  I was able to get two fitted sheets (for my kids’ weird size beds) out of one full size flat sheet. That means the pattern is sideways, but they couldn’t care less. The flannel sheet has deer and bunnies and someone about to get pelted by a snowball right in the butt. Oh and I have some of that ikea bunting fabric left, do you think it would be ridiculous to make my son pants out of it? Would dying it gray help? or should I just make pillows and call it a day? Posted in my home, sewing.This is why I love Before & After projects: The ingenious hacks, makeovers and modifications you all come up with will never cease to amaze me. Tanya of Dans le Townhouse is never short on great ideas, but this is one of my favorites, as it puts works of art to use in a wonderfully functional way.

In order to break up the grid visually and add some interest, Tanya created hanging canvases to cover certain cubbies. I love her combination of sharp, graphic zigzags and softer, abstract pastels; I also love that they can easily be switched, swapped out or removed as needed. Have a Before & After you’d like to share? Shoot me an email with your images right here! (Low res, under 500k per image, please.) Read the full post after the jump! Time: Creating the painted canvas “doors” can take as little as a few minutes, but I spent an evening painting them. I will probably spend a few more evenings tweaking and re-doing until I am completely satisfied. Wrapping a few stretchers in fun fabrics would make this project even simpler. But the install was straightforward and quick: it took only 20 minutes (and measuring took most of this time). Cost: I paid about $5.00 for hardware (with lots to spare), and I purchased a pack of seven 12 x 12 canvases for less than $20.00 (with a coupon to an arts & crafts big box store) for a grand total of $25.00 — less than the price of just ONE Ikea Expedit door.

Basic Steps: First, I de-cluttered my Expedit bookcase and rearranged everything. I then taped up pieces of paper to get a rough idea of where the paintings should go. I lived with the arrangement for a week or so before committing to hooks, which was a good idea because I did change my mind on the placement. I created my paintings early in the process and let them dry while I pondered the arrangement. To hang the paintings, my handy hubby & I measured where the half-inch cup hooks should go (approx. 10 inches apart) and, using pliers, installed pairs of hooks under five of the shelves. We then measured each canvas, because they aren’t exactly uniform, and screwed in sets of complementary 4-mm screw eyes. Then we just hung each painting on a set of hooks and called it a day! I recommend you measure hook-and-eye placement for each canvas individually. This project is really easy, and the canvases can be easily switched out or painted over for someone who has a hard time committing.