Often I ask for practical items for Christmas. While I don’t quite ask for new socks and toothbrushes, I do ask for items I need for around the house. Some might say they are rather boring. I agree.
However, in 2010 I decided to have some fun changing the look of my office space. I’m spending more and more time in the space and I wanted it to be fun as well as functional, because it too was descending into the rather boring category.
Combine this with the fact I love steampunk. More specifically, I find Victoriana fun, and I like the idea of combining Victoriana with modern technologies. I’m also a naturalist at heart and by profession – that’s someone who likes watching birds, finding plants, and generally exploring, a la the Victorian era.
So for Christmas, steampunk and decorating met in my little office space, and I have found myself with a funky pre-Victorian map of the world adorning my office wall and an abundant quantity of material for curtains.
Now, whether you’re into fanciful decorating or functionality, curtains are a great way to bring a room together. They can be a showpiece in and of themselves, and my curtains will certainly be that. They can be the subtle background to a showy piece of furniture, as well, blending into the walls if you wish. I’m using my curtains to soften the room and add an exciting texture to it, replacing broken and bent metal blinds in the process.
The type of curtain fabric that you are looking for depends on the function of the space. Want a sturdy backdrop for a traditional living room? Look for thick, draping fabric. Want to let the light into a room but provide a little bit of privacy? Look for fabric that is sheer. Blackout-lined curtains are excellent for children’s bedrooms since they keep the morning and evening light away.
Choose a curtain fabric that echoes colors already found in the room. The most common curtain colors tend to echo the colors in the carpet or the furniture. You don’t need to be restricted by matching fabric with fabric, though. You can also use your curtains to echo the colors of metal or wood furniture. My curtain fabric is a deep orange, which is similar to the wood in my office chair.
Your curtain fabric can also complete or complement an existing theme in the room. The theme of my office is nature, particularly birds. The curtain fabric I have has no birds on it, but it does have yellow and green swirls that look an awful lot like the peacock feathers that will sit beside the window. Doing a room up in cowboy style? You don’t need to have little cowgirls all over your curtains, but a rough fabric like burlap will add to your theme.
Making your own curtains? We’ll get to that tomorrow. For now, it’s curtains to you!
Image courtesy of analab01 at Stock Exchange.