One Room Challenge The Scenery House

One Room Challenge Week 2: All About Curtains

April 11, 2018

Green Guest Bedroom with Vase and Tassel Quilt

It’s week 2 of the One Room Challenge! Take a look back at Week 1 to for a refresh on my plans to makeover our guest bedroom.

If you’ve hopped over to this post from the ORC website – welcome! I’m Emily, this is my blog, and I’m working on undecorating the 1929 tudor-ish home I share with my husband, Andy, and our corgi, Penelope. This is where I should describe my style so I guess I’d say it’s something along the lines of traditional-modern which doesn’t sound like a real thing. I am glad you’re here.

If you watch my stories, you know I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about curtains and shades for the guest room. I’ve done light filtering shades in most of the windows in our house, but this will be the first room to get curtains. And guess what? I’m overthinking it. Come with me on my overthinking-the-curtains-all-week journey.

Curtain Challenges

  • How high should you hang curtains if you’ve got an angled ceiling?
  • How do you hang long curtains when you have baseboard heaters and not burn your house down?
  • What if you want 2 different light filtering options?

How high to hang curtains with an angled ceiling

How to hang curtains with an angled ceiling

One of the greatest crimes against curtains is bad hanging. Hang too low or too narrow and you’ve made a mistake. The internet pretty much agrees (and you can’t swing a cat without hitting a curtain hanging diagram on Pinterest) that you need to hang those babies HIGH AND WIDE. I like to go by what the queen says (Emily Henderson, of course) and hang the rod 2/3 of the distance between the top of the window casing and the ceiling and extending 10-12″ on either side.

I’m dealing with walls with two different ceiling heights due to an angled ceiling line from the angle of our roof. On the long wall with the wider window, the angle starts just 9″ above the top of the window casing. Using the 2/3 rule, I’d need to hang that curtain rod about 6″ above the window. If I went by the ceiling height of the other wall, I’d be hanging the curtain rod 16″ above the window casing.

The curtain should match across the room so even though the ceiling is higher above the second set of windows, they’ll still need to be hung at the same height. To make the angled ceiling look as tall as possible, I’m going to hang the curtain rod as close to the beginning of the angle as possible, at close to 9″ above the window casing. The same will go for the other set of curtains.

How to hang long curtains with baseboard heaters

I was pretty worried about hanging long curtains in front of baseboard heaters. I definitely did not want shorter curtains that would fall above the heaters because that’s just not my look. I searched the internet and found these general guidelines:

How to Safely Hang Long Curtains with Baseboard Heaters

When hanging curtains in front of baseboard heaters, the curtains should fall 1″ from the floor and hang 2-3″ from the edge of the heater.

For me, that means that my curtain length shortens by 1 inch and curtain rod brackets become an issue. I know that my baseboard heaters stick out about 2 3/8″ from the wall. Add 2 inches to that, and I need brackets that are at least 4 3/8″ long from where they mount to the wall to the middle of the part that holds the actual rod, where the curtains hang. I ordered brass curtain rods from Crate and Barrel without knowing the brackets were only 3 1/8″ long end-to-end, so they will be going back. I’m eyeing up a similar set from CB2 that are listed as 4.5″ deep but I think that might be cutting it close. I may have to go with a double rod set, which would have brackets with a depth of 6.5″.

Two options for filtering and blocking light

This room has a general need for some light filtering and privacy, so we decided to go with the simple (and perfect) IKEA roller blinds we have in the rest of the house. The challenge comes in the form of an outdoor light that shines into the guest room at night. We want our guests to be comfortable, and I know wouldn’t be able to sleep with a light shining on me, so we decided blackout or room darkening shades would be the best pick to make our guests sleep well.

If you remember from last week’s post, the previous owners used blackout roller blinds in this space and we’ve kept them up (despite their scallop shape) since we bought the house.

Removing old window blinds

Goodbye scallop edge roller shades! Andy popped the old roller blinds out of each window and then unscrewed and removed the new hardware.

To install the new IKEA SKOGSKLOVER roller blinds, Andy marked the placement of the two hanging brackets along the top of the window and used the holes to mark the new drill locations with a pencil. He then drilled into the frame around the window and secured the hanging brackets with the included screws. The main shade piece then rocks/snaps onto the brackets.

Just a note to everyone on why you don’t see me in these pictures doing this work – I pride myself on being a seasoned home DIY-er but I have been struggling with a shoulder injury since October and have had to take it easy. Andy has been sweet and kind in taking over doing a lot of the labor on our projects that I otherwise would help with – so that’s why you see him and not me!

one room challenge ikea skogslover roller blinds

one room challenge ikea skogslover roller blinds

one room challenge ikea skogslover roller blinds

What I love about the SKOGSKLOVER roller blinds is that they fit our windows perfectly, they filter light beautifully, they have built-in stopping points so you can match their length along multiple windows, and they roll up smoothly with one little tug – like some kind of machine magic.

Blackout curtain options

I have been going back and forth on different blackout drapes for this room. I’ve been bugging everyone on Instagram about it and I’m here to bug you about it in this blog post. My first instinct was to brighten the room with white or off-white curtains. And then I remembered how much I’m into tonal looks and thought maybe a matching green or lighter shade of green could work.

I am a visual person and too impatient to wait for all the curtains to arrive to see everything all together. I took some photos of the room, patched two of them together in Photoshop, and threw in some items from the mood board from my One Room Challenge Week 1 post.

Option 1: White Pom Pom Blackout Curtains

orc-guest-bedroom-mockup-dark-curtains

[Option 1: curtains | lamps | nightstands]

I put these pom pom blackout curtains in my week 1 mood board. I was worried that pom pom curtains are for kids and teens – these specific curtains are, in fact, from PBteen. I like how the white curtains add brightness against the dark walls, but I am worried that there will be too much white and too much high contrast when white bedding is added. What do you think?

Great tip for those looking for blackout curtains – check teen and kid stores! I am not a parent myself, but I have learned that parents love having blackout curtains to get their kids to nap when they need them to.

Option 2: Light Green Velvet Light Blocking Curtains

orc-guest-bedroom-mockup-dark-curtains

[Option 2: curtains | lamps | nightstands]

These SANELA curtains in gray-green are the first of the two green velvet curtain options, both from IKEA. They are not lined, but I think the dark velvet will do a good enough job blocking out the light. At 98″, they are longer than I need them to be, but I’d want to take out the grommets and sew in tabs instead anyway, so hemming away the extra length won’t be a problem.

I’m really liking these as an in-between option. The lighter green looks great with the pink accents I want to include and ties together the dark walls and light bedding really well.

Option 3: Dark Green Velvet Light Blocking Curtains

orc-guest-bedroom-mockup-dark-curtains

[Option 3: curtains | lamps | nightstands]

The drama! These SENELA curtains in dark green from IKEA almost perfectly match the walls. The sheen from the velvet would add just enough interest but let the dark green walls really be the star of the show. I think these curtains are the coziest option but I wonder if they make the whole room feel too intense.

Leave a comment and tell me which curtains you’d pick! PLEASE.

 

One Room Challenge Guest Participant

Remember to follow along and see what the Featured Designers and Guest Participants are up to for week2!

Hey heads up: This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links.

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48 Comments

  • Reply jewel marlowe April 12, 2018 at 12:20 am

    I think this room will be one of my favorites

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 12, 2018 at 10:52 am

      Thank so much! I’m loving your 80s/art deco inspired plans. Can’t wait to see your finished room!

  • Reply Brittney Cavalli April 12, 2018 at 8:37 am

    Lighter green! This room is going to be so gorgeous!

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 12, 2018 at 10:53 am

      Thank you, Brittney! I keep thinking about those gray-green curtains too!

  • Reply Ryan April 12, 2018 at 8:54 am

    I’m loving option 2!

  • Reply Kat April 12, 2018 at 9:42 am

    I vote 3, then 2, then 1. The dark green are my favorite, but if they’re too intense, the medium green could be really cool! I love the white with poms, but they might be too high-contrast.

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 12, 2018 at 10:55 am

      I am worried about the high contrast bit too! hmmmmm. I think I’ll have all the options in hand after this weekend and will finally make a decision. Sometimes you just gotta see it in the room.

  • Reply Jessica April 12, 2018 at 11:49 am

    I like option 1 and 3… the dark green curtains are too sexy to neglect.

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 14, 2018 at 11:24 am

      I knooooow. Dark green velvet is too gooood.

  • Reply Laura April 12, 2018 at 1:35 pm

    I love the dark green (option 3) the best! I think it’s a gorgeous way to layer texture and play with your space like a landscape composition (back-,middle-, and foreground :: wall, curtains, and bed). Plus I love how they frame your lamps and bed by creating drama without overpowering them. They let your woodwork sing too. My eye goes right to the bed which, as a guest, makes the room look so cozy and inviting.

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 14, 2018 at 11:25 am

      oo I love how you’re thinking of the space like a landscape! Really liking the idea of the dark curtains letting the bed be the focal point since a bed is the best part of a bedroom (and life, I think. I love sleep.)

  • Reply Christina April 12, 2018 at 2:24 pm

    I love option three! So incredibly chic and rich I think bedrooms should be designed for sleeping in and those dark curtains really create a cozy, moody feel!

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 14, 2018 at 11:27 am

      Those dark velvet curtain would totally make this the coziest space. I love their rich texture and how they’d really class the place up.

  • Reply Create/Enjoy April 12, 2018 at 2:50 pm

    I love the contrast of the white ones!

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 14, 2018 at 11:28 am

      The contrast could be so good. I’m excited to get a look at the pom pom curtains in person to see how the fabric is!

  • Reply Lindsey at HilltownHouse April 12, 2018 at 3:06 pm

    I the soft green option – but I’m also super intrigued by how the dark green could look in real life!

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 14, 2018 at 11:30 am

      Same! I’ll have all 3 options soon to look at and I’m hoping that makes my decision easier and not harder!

  • Reply Jo April 12, 2018 at 3:48 pm

    Option 3! Gorgeous and intense (but in a good way) :)

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 14, 2018 at 11:30 am

      Yes! So intense and yet subtle too. Love me some tonal decor.

  • Reply Liz April 12, 2018 at 8:56 pm

    Option 1! I love the pom poms!

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 14, 2018 at 11:31 am

      <3 I never would have guessed you'd be into pom poms! I guess I wouldn't think I would be either and here we are.

  • Reply Mia April 12, 2018 at 9:06 pm

    When possible ($$) have the airy white for warm weather and then the rich and cozy dark green. Each choice is welcoming in its own way.

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 14, 2018 at 11:32 am

      I would love that – I am worried that the velvets will feel too heavy going into warmer weather and that they won’t look seasonally appropriate. I wish I had the $$ and the energy to switch out curtains with the seasons!

  • Reply Laura April 13, 2018 at 1:57 am

    Love the dark green! But i think you’ll really know once you see it in the space. I think that your windows being the perfect size for the shades and your walls being the same shade as the curtains is a sign HA!

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 14, 2018 at 11:33 am

      Haha I agree! Me + IKEA were meant to be.

  • Reply Erika April 13, 2018 at 3:00 pm

    I am torn between #2 & # 3. I really like how the light green frames the windows, BUT the dark green that matches the walls is like magic… crud! Can’t wait to see what you choose! And I don’t know how I missed it, but I live in the Burgh also!

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 14, 2018 at 11:35 am

      !! Love finding other Burgh people on the internet! I don’t leave my house much so I never meet people irl :D

      I am so torn between all 3 – hoping my decision is easier to make when I see all the options in person!

  • Reply Meghan April 13, 2018 at 8:51 pm

    Emily,

    I am so in love with the green!!! Cozy, sophisticated and moooody. What a great combination! Can’t wait to see more.

    Meghan

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 14, 2018 at 11:35 am

      Thank you, Meghan! I love the green so much – I’ve never been a huge fan of green but this deep deep shade is my favorite.

  • Reply Deb April 13, 2018 at 11:44 pm

    Oooh love #3. They are lovely. Have fun this weekend with the tryouts.

  • Reply Jessica April 14, 2018 at 4:53 pm

    I like the light green, but think the dark green would be amazing too.

  • Reply Jen April 15, 2018 at 8:04 am

    Totally unrelated to your curtain dilemma but curious what software you are using to create your virtual designs. My biz partner and I own an inter sewing biz (www.larkandsoul.com) and we use PowerPoint and Chief Architect. The later is super time consuming… would love to know what you are using ?? Thx

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 15, 2018 at 4:11 pm

      I use SketchUp for my layouts/virtual designs and photoshop for my mood boards and mockups. SketchUp can be a bit time consuming to learn but once you get the hang of it it, it’s pretty quick to put a room together. One of my favorite things is the 3D warehouse where people and companies share models of products – so after I made my room, I just downloaded models of the curtains, bed, lamps, night stands, every item in the room and popped them in. Hope that helps!

  • Reply Niki April 16, 2018 at 10:07 am

    I love Option 1, but Option 3 has such a unique look that I’d have to vote for that.

  • Reply Nicole April 16, 2018 at 3:34 pm

    Have you seen the IKEA Sanela greens (both of them) in person? If not, just as an FYI, the lighter green really is a sage-y green with a definite gray tint, and and dark green is so dark that it looks almost black. The velvet is also lacking in the “sheen” department (it’s almost more of a velveteen sheen/texture), but I think it’s a bit better with the lighter green. Just FYIs for anyone looking! (None of this stopped me from using these curtains in the dark green in my living room – er, rather, I will be, once I get them up – and I plan on using the navy in my bedroom). I think my vote order would have to be Option 2, Option 1, Option 3 (only because I don’t think this particular dark green is quite right IRL… but if you’ve put it all together in person and it *is* the right match, then Option 3, Option 2, Option 1). I ADORE the paint you’ve chosen for the room!

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 16, 2018 at 5:36 pm

      Girl, I love how much you know about these curtains <3. I now have all the curtains in my possession (still no curtain rods) but I haven't taken them out of their bags to look at them in the room in the daylight. I saw the ikea ones in the store and they looked good there but I gotta see them in the space. I like that they're not super shiny glam because I'm not fancy enough for that biz. The lighter green has an almost weathered look that looked cozy to me so I'm excited.

      Thanks so much for the paint love. I'm super into it too. If you asked me right now what I think (with everything still in the package, so this is really just based on my mood) I'd say Option 2, option 1, option 3, just like you!

  • Reply Nicole April 16, 2018 at 3:56 pm

    OK, also, sorry for the additional comment, but… I LOVE your house. After I commented about the curtains here, I saw a photo from another post that I was admiring last week over on Apartment Therapy (I think), and as I clicked around some more, I saw your blush bathroom, which I had also previously admired! So I’m over here, having my own sort of a “small world” moment and basically fan-girling. I’m officially following your blog now… not sure why I didn’t do so before. That is all.

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 16, 2018 at 5:38 pm

      Never apologize for an additional comment! Thank you so much!! I am impressed/surprised every day by how small a world the internet is. <3 thank you so much for the love and the follow.

  • Reply Betsy April 18, 2018 at 9:28 pm

    Ooh, I like the light green velvet! I have curtain conundrums in our apartment, too… our 70lbs dog likes to lie against the walls, and he’ll pull the curtains from the wall if he moves too much while leaning on them! It means we weren’t able to have floor-length curtains at all and it looked like our curtains were preparing for a flood! I think he won’t really have access to the walls on the window side of the living room in our townhouse, though, so I think I might finally get my floor-length curtains there. But the nursery will be another issue, as I’m sure my baby will start pulling up on anything he can reach as soon as he’s big enough to stand and cruise!

    • Reply thesweetbeast April 19, 2018 at 1:27 pm

      Oh my gosh what a big dog! I hope you finally get your floor-length curtains! Now that I’m using them in this room, I’m tempted to put them up everywhere in the house.

  • Reply Tiffany DeLangie May 28, 2018 at 12:32 pm

    Sorry if someone already asked, but where is the quilt from in your mockup? also, I saw your ORC room on CLJ and fell in love! I painted our master dark green and while it’s beautiful it’s hard to design around (for a non-professional anyway!). You provided me with much-needed inspiration! I may or may not be purchasing everything in your room. ha! I just wish the beautiful ikea dresser was bigger to fit my space!

    • Reply thesweetbeast May 28, 2018 at 6:48 pm

      Thank you and I’m so glad I could provide inspiration! The dark green can be tough for sure – it’s hard not to go full moody with everything and that can feel very heavy very fast.

      The quilt is from Anthropologie from a few years ago so it is unfortunately no longer on their site. Sorry about that!

  • Reply Heather February 3, 2020 at 1:22 am

    Gorgeous paint color, what is it? May I ask what which way your windows face?

    • Reply thesweetbeast February 3, 2020 at 8:47 pm

      Thank you! It’s Black Evergreen from Behr. The windows in this room face North/North East.

  • Reply Karen January 27, 2022 at 5:03 pm

    Belated baseboard question: if you solve the proximity issue by draping further from the window, doesn’t all your heat go out the window at night through the closed drapes instead of into the room?

    • Reply thesweetbeast January 30, 2022 at 1:45 pm

      Hello! We don’t often close these curtains or other similarly placed curtains in our house so I can’t say for sure from experience, but yes, the closed curtains would block some of the radiator heat. I think in cold weather, the curtains would do a mix of blocking some cold air from the windows and also blocking a bit of heat – maybe it nets out? If heat loss is a concern, I would recommend a roman shade so you can still get the softness and texture of a fabric window treatment but without going near the baseboard heaters. Hope that helps!

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