New Drapes for the Bedroom, What Do You Think?

A few weeks ago I shared this Chuck Pinson Giclee painting that I added above my bed. Not sure how it comes across in the photos but in person it completely transforms the feel of this room. It adds so much beauty and warmth to this space and I love seeing it every time I walk into the room.

Bedding for Birders, Chickadee Bedding

 

As I mentioned in that previous post, if a painting can do that to a room, maybe it was time I got serious about adding drapes to the windows in this room, something I’ve been wanting to do for years but somehow just never get around to doing.

New Painting for the Master Bedroom

 

The drapes would also need to work with my spring/summer bedding because I don’t want to change them out for the seasons. Ummm, that could be kinda tricky, finding drapes that will work with all my seasonal bedding since they are quite different from each other. (Note: There’s a large duvet that’s normally across the foot of the bed but I forgot to include it in the photo below. The duvet is in the same Jacobean fabric seen on the standard size shams in the photo below.)

Spring Summer Bedding, Summerton Rose Tree

 

A week or so ago I came across these drapes at West Elm online. The size I needed happened to be on sale, 40% off! Since I have three West Elm stores within a 25-minute drive of me, I decided to buy them knowing I could easily return them if they didn’t work out. (Drapes are available in 7 different colors here: Worn Velvet Drapes.)

Green velvet curtains, worn velvet style

 

They arrived a few days ago and I was happy to discover they look darker in person than they did in the ad. It appears they will be perfect with my spring/summer bedding. The style of the fabric is called “Worn Velvet.” I love the texture and the antique, old-world feel I get from them–like velvet drapes that have been hanging in an old English cottage for years.

Worn Green Velvet Drapes for Bedroom

 

I like how they look with all the fabrics in my summer bedding–as seen above and below.

Worn Velvet Drapes, Bedroom

 

Whenever I try to photograph this red tartan bedding, the green in the fabric comes across almost as a dark blue, but it’s really black-green in color. The large Ralph Lauren Euro shams in the back are a mix of dark green, black with the occasional red and gold stripe. The drapes may not be quite as perfect with my winter bedding but I think once they are hanging up on the windows, they will look fine. I should know very soon since the drapery rods I ordered are due to arrive tomorrow. What do you think, will the new “worn velvet” drapes work with this bedding?

Dark Green Velvet Drapes for Fall Winter and even Spring and Summer

 

These drapes are super heavy. I purchased them with the “blackout” lining and Wow, do they feel substantial–a lot like custom drapery. They would be quite weighty even without the blackout lining! They have a really unique hanging system that looks super easy to use. They shouldn’t require any drapery hooks–love that! This photo below is from the West Elm website and you can see how much lighter/brighter they look in the ad than they do in person.

Worn velvet curtains tarragon green color

 

If they work in this room with my fall/winter bedding, I’ll be sharing a photo soon of them hanging in place. Keeping my fingers crossed that they do work. As you can see in this photo, I have the wreaths up on my exterior windows. I got those up before I headed out of town for Thanksgiving. I still need to decorate the front porch–hope to work on that this weekend. How is your decorating coming? Are you all finished?

New Painting for the Master Bedroom

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Comments

  1. Oh you are such a tease! I was expecting to see them on the windows! Haha. The color is pretty and I agree that it works perfectly with the Spring / Summer bedding. Harder to tell with the tartan, but I think it will work.

    I think you will LOVE having the drapes. They will add so much warmth and dimension to the room, just like the painting. You’ll probably be wondering why you waited so long. Can’t wait to see them in-situ.

    • I wish I could share a picture with them in place, the rods are taking forever to get here. They should be here tomorrow and hopefully I can get them hung in the next couple of days. Thanks Pam! I hope they work with both sets of bedding or it will be back to the drawing board!

  2. Heck yeah, they’ll go just fine! (At least on my monitor)

  3. Lovely Susan! It’s such fun to add new things, and these look like they’ll be great. That curtain style might be just right for my never-ending-home-office-update that’s now in full swing over here. I’m definitely going to check them out! Thanks and Happy Saturday!

  4. Tracey OKeeffe says

    Love them!

  5. A great addition to your room. Color and style look like a complement to both sets of bedding. It was serendipity that you found them just when you were thinking of the project.

    • I know, I really lucked out in that regard. What was so weird is the only ones that were on sale were the exact length I needed and the “blackout lining” style. None of the other lengths were on sale and if I had chosen to not go with the blackout lining, they wouldn’t have been on sale. Such a strange sale! Maybe they had an overstock of that particular length and style.

  6. They are perfect with your summer bedding and pick up the green in your winter flannel sheets so I think they are a winner!

    • Thanks, Margot! I just draped a panel over my shutters and stood across the room and I think they’re going to work with the winter bedding, too. 🙂

  7. I think they go wonderfully with all your fabrics. But what I really want to know is where you order drapery rods that will handle such heavy window treatments. I’ve found nothing available in a three county radius and have had no luck ordering online.

    • Thanks, Sandy!

      My favorite rods that I’ve purchased in the past (but unfortunately are no longer available) were from Lowes and visible in this post:
      https://betweennapsontheporch.net/dining-room-addition-french-pleat-check-draperies/

      The drapes I hung on those were also quite heavy and they did great.
      Maybe the reason I’ve never had any issue with hanging heavy drapes is I always buy the rods extra long/wide so when they are shoved together, you don’t get that ugly seam in the middle of the window.

      In other words, I could easily make do with a 36-72 inch long rod for my 32-inch wide dining room and bedroom windows, but then I would have an ugly seam/line showing where the two ends of the rods meet in the center of the window.

      So I always go with a 72 -144 inch rod so when the two ends are shoved together, it looks like one solid rod when looking at the window. Where the rods come together and meet is way over to the right or left hidden behind the drapery. I talk about using the longer rods in that post I’ve linked above.

      Using the larger rod probably adds additional stability for heavier draperies. But even without doing that, the rods that I’ve been buying have all felt super sturdy.

      These are the rods I just ordered for the bedroom since my favorite ones from Lowes aren’t available anymore: https://amzn.to/3IialBL

      I also ordered them in the 72-144 length so I’ll push them almost all the way together before mounting them to the wall. They are 1-inch in diameter, the same as the ones in my dining room, so hopefully, they handle these heavy drapes without any issues.

      • Susan, that is brilliant! What a simple solution to the uneven rod conundrum, AND a great way to make the whole thing sturdier overall. Aside from the visual difference, sometimes the fabric catches on that uneven divide and makes closing the curtains a hassle. This is such a logical and simple solution. I’m glad I happened to catch this advice.

    • Sandy, the rods just arrived and they are designed in a different way from the ones I purchased in Lowes several years ago. They have a middle rod so the two end rods can’t be pushed all the way together. So I’m ordering one size down for my 32″ windows…I’m ordered the 36-72 inch size to see if those will work the way I want.

  8. You will never be sorry that you have added drapery. I think all windows need drapery of sorts. ENJOY!

    • Thanks, M! I know you’re right! I do love the look of beautiful drapes! Plantation shutters are my favorite window treatment but I love to soften them with curtains or drapes.

  9. I think the drapes will be very pretty. I don’t think I’ve told you, but I really like the painting. I can see where it would add so much warmth to your room. I’m almost finished decorating. I will cut greenery next week before we host a family gathering.

    • Thanks, Nan! I really love it, too. It’s made me want to buy more art for my other rooms.
      That sounds lovely–love when we can decorate from what we have growing in our own yards!

  10. Hi: What a warm and cozy look for your bedroom! BUT – and I would just like to add, in all sincerity, this suggestion: In the winter months, as the cold OUTSIDE meets the warmth of our rooms INSIDE, it creates a “sweating” effect on the glass. AND, if this particular window has a lot of natural sunlight streaming through it in the daytime, it can fade very easily and bleach out the fabric of our window treatments. So – just a suggestion here: Either line those velvet draperies with a white -or- cream lightweight cotton fabric to protect the draperies from fading – or use a tension rod just inside the window and accompany a pretty sheer or, perhaps, a patterned lace, in off-white, for an extra touch of elegance to this lovely room. This would be an extra bit of interest to the eye and also provide some privacy for this room after daylight hours arrive, from perhaps any outside views. And the red color is so very striking and inviting, indeed! Happy Holidays to you and yours!

    • Thanks for those tips, Terry! The front of my home faces north so thankfully it doesn’t get that hot summer sun, just regular light coming in. The drapes are also lined with a white, light-blocking material (I paid extra for that style) so hopefully, that will help, as well. I always worry about the inside edges of drapes fading–the part that’s facing in toward the window, but not a lot I can do about that part. Thanks again for those tips and ideas–very helpful!

  11. The drapes are extremely beautiful–very elegant and traditional. And the color goes well with your spring bedding. But do you think the velvet material will look too heavy in the spring/summer? I’m not a designer, so I can’t give an opinion on that–just something to consider. A linen in that dark moss green or in a lighter cream color seems as if it would be perfect for that season.

    Regarding your winter bedding, the color of the drapes looks amazing with the greens in your new flannel sheets set. The tartan is a bit more of a challenge. The “green” color in that tartan is a tough one to coordinate with. I’ve seen it in person at a WS store, and it’s more of a dark bluish-black or greenish-black. What if you replaced your small pillow in the front with something in the pattern of the sheets? You could probably get just the pillowcase separately and sew a pretty pillow with it.

    Anyway, you have a great sense of design, and I love to see all the transformations you do in your home. I know your bedroom will turn out to be awesome.

    • Just FYI: This comment was posted by Maureen E. Just noticed you have at least two followers named “Maureen,” so I’ll start including the first initial of my last name.

  12. Susan, the drapes will look amazing! You will be happy once you install the rods and hang! Enjoy the new look!

  13. I like the drapes but if you ever get tired of them, they would make a lovely dress to wear for a dinner date with Rhett Butler. Just teasing..”..they are very nice

  14. I love the color match with your spring/summer bedding. For the winter season bedding…be prepared for the greens to really pop in your bedding! It matches the sheets perfectly but it will really enhance the greens in the tartans. The texture the curtains add is an extra bonus. Can’t wait to see them hung!

    • Thanks, Gail! Will be interesting to see what happens. I love green so I would be okay if it pulls more greens from the bedding. I love the texture, too. Funny, I took one down to the living room and they look great in that room, as well…maybe even better than the drapes I have there now.

  15. Maybe it’s my computer, but the beautiful green velvet drapes look like a perfect match to the long green coat that the lady in the painting is wearing!
    A very nice choice – they tie everything together!

  16. Eileen Keatts says

    Susan, your room is beautiful. I have the same summer bedding as you do and have been using it off and on for several years. I love the colors and the way it looks with your new drapes. Great find!

    • Thanks, Eileen! I still love these colors, too. I was surprised to see drapes/curtains still available online right now in the moire plaid fabric. It must be pretty popular since it’s been around for like 20+ years!

  17. I think they look fantastic with your summer bedding. Can’t wait to see them!

  18. Anne Lovell says

    I really like the drapes and think they’ll go with both bed settings. How fun, can’t wait to see them hanging!

  19. I think the drapes are beautiful, but I think they will look really dark and heavy especially in the summer. Although they match in color with your summer bedding, I don’t think they go with the light and airy effect your summer bedding presents.

    • Hopefully they won’t feel too heavy in the summer. I do like the contrast they add to the other colors and the paint color. If they are too heavy in the summer, I could remove them and just have shutters (like I have now) to lighten things up.

  20. Those are gorgeous, Susan!

  21. Those are so gorgeous — I ordered them in the alabaster, which is perfect for my living and dining rooms. Thank you so much for drawing my attention to them. And they will be here before Christmas!

  22. Linda Dianne Crummitt says

    I think the new draperies will be just what this room needed to finish off the decor. The fabric will look good with both your summer and winter bedding.
    Have you seen the curtain hack< using a roll of toilet paper to fill out the
    pleats so they are not flopping? It is placed behind each pleat. Here's a you tube link. I am going to try.
    https://youtu.be/QfzpkjtS-50

    Linda C in Seattle

  23. Cyndi Raines says

    Great choice and I think they will lok great for both. IF too heavy looking for summer, as you said and I agree, it will be simple to remove and just show off your beautiful plantation shutters for a lighter look and easily add drapes again for the “cozy feel” for winter. Can’t wait to see them up. Ironically for winter I added a valance of sorts by using a pretty tartan table cloth that had a gold metalic thread woven threw it and folded it back and forth to make accordian pleats and then wraped it around the ends of the curtain rods making pleats that hang down on both sides and bloused it in the middle of the rod. It turned out great and I am pleased for a fresh holiday look that cost nothing. Hehe. I have a small fiber optic tree on my dresser and since I love to read in bed, I am enjoying my holiday look for my bedroom. Its fun making moderate changes for the holidays!

    • Wow! That is so amazing that you were able to create that! I wish I had that talent! I love the vintage fiber optic trees. A favorite Aunt of mine used to have one that she placed in her big picture window every Christmas and I was mesmerized by it. 🙂

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