Friday Favorites: Curtain Call

One of my favorite places in our house is the big, oversized chair right in front of our picture window.  Whether it's sitting by the cozy fireplace, sipping hot chocolate and watching a movie, or curling up with one of my favorite magazines, or just simply sitting quietly and watching the birds and squirrels in our backyard and the forest of trees beyond, there is just something about that spot that puts my mind at ease.

 When we built our house about 4 years ago, we chose the biggest possible window the wall would allow.  After all, one of the reasons we decided on this particular location was for the beautiful scenery.  Not only does it back up to miles and miles of forest on one side, but it also adjoins a ranch, which means we often see cows and donkeys and even the occasional deer!

(view from our back porch)

(view of our backyard last winter during a snow storm)



So naturally, wanting to be able to enjoy the view, we originally chose to keep the window bare.  While we loved the idea, it had one main problem.......we began to notice that at certain times of the year, the sunlight flooded the room for a few hours each day.  And we all know what happens when a room is flooded with UV rays.....things begin to fade!

(If you look out the window, you can see that we're in the middle of a landscaping project!  With a landscaper for a husband, we have huge plans for our yard.....a little at a time!)

So about a year ago, we began our search for the perfect window treatment.  We wanted something that would not only coordinate with our decor, but also serve as an appropriate "frame" for the beautiful backdrop it would showcase.  It was also important that we be able to easily close it to block out the light when needed, but open it to let in the beautiful view the rest of the time.

Well, many hours, books, show homes, and fabric stores later, we had several possible fabrics and trims and a few ideas for the design.  We spent countless hours choosing exactly how we wanted it to look.  We even purchased one of our trims during a trip to Texas! 

(This is just a small portion of the samples we gathered!)

(some of our many sketches & measurements)

Next on the list was the hardware, which again took many hours of searching and deciding.  But we finally selected this very substantial & beautiful hardware by Paris Texas Hardware. 

I especially love the "GLOW" finish, which has an aged look.

  Finally, we had all the materials we needed.  The only problem?  Who was going to make them?  I do many things, but sewing is one thing I have yet to learn (although it is on my list of things to do!). 

However, I have a very talented (and sweet!) mother-in-law, who stepped up to the plate!  And after spending many, many hours putting them together, last week they were finally complete! 





We selected a deep red and tan jacquard for the main portion, and a couple strips of leopard print with a dark chocolate brown "krinkled" velvet inbetween.

And when I came across this fabulous tassel trim, which incorporates all the colors in our color scheme, I just knew I had to use it somehow!

I love the way it looks against the leopard print fabric!


We chose a different (and less pricey!) tassel trim to add a little extra flair to the edge of the panels. 
I especially like how it looks when the curtains are open!



So now that you've seen what they look like closed, here's a picture of what they look like open.



We wanted to give ourselves a couple of options for tying them back, so we chose this coordinating hardware for one option.......

.....and this tassle tieback for another!

I love the way the panels "puddle" on the floor!

And I must say, all of the time and money was worth it!

I'm now even more in love with this favorite spot!

I'm linking with Susan from Between Naps on the Porch for Met. Monday & The Charm of the Home for Home Sweet Home!