when we bought #farmhousedialfano more than 5 years ago, there was one room i did VERY little to: the dining room. we didn’t have time to get the room painted before moving in and despite it being a central pass-through room, i just never felt motivated to do much more than swap out the light and hang some art here + there. i even kept the curtain rod the previous owners left behind and found some old curtains i had lying around. in other words, this room was not a priority…until the end of last year that is.
it has been an exciting, and challenging, project working on the dining room. in the past several months, we’ve painted {benjamin moore white dove which is my go-to warm white and is in other rooms in the house}, installed a stikwood wood ceiling {more to come on that by the way}, put in an amazing rejuvenation light, got a new sideboard {which is technically a media cabinet but i don’t care}, and flipped the table around. it currently looks like the above and i’m loving the direction we’re going in.
thanks to all your input on instagram, i’m considering some additional ideas {mirror over the sideboard in particular} and there are several things i already have decided on doing such as getting a bigger rug, a tall plant in the corner, and reupholstering the chair cushions {not a fan of pleather but love the cane backs}. most recently, i have decided that i want new curtains!
amber interiors
lulu & georgia
when we got our new hunter douglas shades through a partnership with innuwindow last fall, i thought that maybe i should just let the beauties shine and skip curtains. but then we added the wood ceiling and to my surprise, it actually makes the cramped room feel taller and i think curtains would really tie everything together nicely. as the design has evolved, so has my desire for new elements. sometimes it does truly take one element to then shape the next decision, and the one after that. in fact, while designing for clients, i typically map out the larger components first {furniture, rug etc.} and like to see how they actually look together before showing decor elements because if something in the first round doesn’t quite work, i don’t want the details to then not work.
anyways, i’ve been searching + saving on pinterest and instagram and am feeling all sorts of inspired. the photos above by amber interiors and lulu & georgia are my favorites. those charcoal curtains set against the white windows + doors is so fresh + clean. and there’s something so whimsical about the floaty beige/blush colored ones.
bre purposed
amber interiors
while i’m drawn to darker curtains, i’m not sure the room could handle them. it’s just too small of a space, and with only 1 large window, it might just look too dark overall. or patterned curtains, i don’t think the room could handle either. now i do really like the idea of patterned ones. since i’m planning a simple rug, a pattern might actually be kinda nice but it would need to be the right one and nothing too crazy. maybe a really simple pattern or accent? curtains can be pricey {especially when going custom} and since i know i could switch things up down the road, i’m not sure i want to spend a fortune on this first round.
how about those ombré curtains below left? i actually didn’t notice they were ombré at first which means they’re subtle enough to still be simple and classic. i’m not sure i’d go that route but i do like them. a lot. and while i might opt for something a bit sheerer, i do like the traditional combo of a black rod with white curtains and small rod clips as seen below right.
image via pinterest
studio mcgee
lucy and company
nicole franzen
that studio mcgee image slays me every time i see it. those curtains are a pretty pattern but again, look fairly neutral and accent that shiplap ceiling and tall windows perfectly. and it looks like i AM really drawn to that beige/taupe/blush color as seen in the nicole franzen dining room above right.
soooo…what am i to do?! what i’m pretty sure of is a simple + thin black rod with small rod clips to provide some separation and for a lighter look overall. as for the curtains themselves, i think they need to be light + airy {maybe linen} but…since they’ll rarely {if ever?} be closed, i suppose the material could be thicker. the key is not blocking a lot of light and also not doing anything too sheer as it feels too whimsical for a dining room. i’m not sold on a color {or pattern} other than they can’t be a true white given that the walls are so warm. what do you think i should do?!
in the meantime, i’ve rounded up some ready-made curtains below and for some fun custom options, check out fabric from rebecca atwood + ellisha alexina!
emily
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