In this week’s Retro Design Dilemma, reader Lori has asked for ideas about window treatments for the living room in her 1949 mid century modern house — which she just moved into, she begs pardon for all the boxes. Hey, we wall understand. Read on to see more of Lori’s living room — and to hear about her window treatment design dilemma.
Thank you, Pam, for inviting me to present my retro design dilemma. Some background on the house first, it’s a 1949 flat roof ranch house. It is on a cul de sac of about 8 houses, 6 of which were built at the same time by the same architect and his friends as an experimental project. They wanted to live near each other as they often entertained together. Most of the houses, like mine, have South facing windows to take advantage of passive solar heat, radiant floor heat and there is a community pocket park for the residents.
Our house came with a wall of windows on the South side. It gets blasted with light during the daytime. This is in our open living and dining area. There are 4 windows in the area, 3 of them being large picture windows. All the windows have short, pinch pleat drapes in a faux silk slub fabric. The drapes only come to the bottom of the sills. I think that this looks a little odd. I don’t mind the color, which is ivory, or the pinch pleats but I’m not keen on the length.
I love the clean lines of our house. The windows are really what makes this simple house special. I’d like to find a way to get privacy and protection from the sun’s glare while not hiding the awesome windows.
My husband and I are not into fussy patterns or designs. We tend to like clean lines, bold stripes or color blocking. We have used pleated shades in other houses, but I’m not sure if this would be sacrilege in this house or not. We absolutely love our views of our woodsy yard and the evening sunsets through our huge windows. I’d saw our style is modern with natural elements and colors.
Getting new pinch pleat drapes is going to be cost prohibitive, I think. The largest picture window is 5×8 ft, add the side windows to that and it’s 12 ft of glass. I’ve thought about adding fabric to the drapes to make them longer but wonder if that’s going to be too difficult.
Thank you for considering my questions! Sorry that our room isn’t tidy, we just moved in 2 weeks ago.
Lori
What a gorgeous house, Lori, and your neighborhood sounds terrific. For the record, be sure to check our entire category of stories about window treatments for midcentury homes. And, Pam did this story, too, outlining 11 key ideas for curtains, shades, blinds and more.
Pam here. I chose the items for the “natural colors” mood board:
- Do I think it is “sacrilege” to use pleated shades in a mid century modern living room? No, I don’t! Pleated shades can be purchased very cost effectively, they are easy to operate, and they get the job done. I found these simple pleated shades on SelectBlinds.com. I actually had been looking for pleated shades myself — for my office — and after poking around the internet doing comparison shopping for as long as I could stand it, landed on this site. Looked to me like they have pretty good prices — and be sure to watch for the coupon deals, which can help save even more. When I buy a pleated shade, I usually choose something neutral, so that I can live with it a long time. This color is Cottonwood. We thought Lori could paint the walls to match. If she ever wants to soften the blinds and the window, she can easily add some fabric panels in front. Finally, I really prefer it if you can mount the shades “inside.”
- For color and gravitas (“weight” to balance with those tile floors), I found a stoneware lamp in rich green from lottelamps.com.
- And for fun over the fireplace, how about a big starburst mirror from Horchow.com. I like the gold of the mirror — it picks up the gold in the fireplace screen, the gold tones of the vintage mid century credenza, and the gold in Lori’s beautiful oriental rugs.
Kate here:
For my take on Lori’s blinds, I chose the IKEA KVARTAL curtain rail system.. The KVARTAL curtain rods are relatively easy to put up and can be configured for panel curtains or as tracks for fabric panels. You can make your own panels out of fabric, paper or other like material or you can buy premade panels from IKEA like the MALIN TRAD curtain panels (this product now no longer available, but check Ikea for current designs) that I chose for the room. The pattern on this curtain panel is not overly “fussy” or loud — and reads almost like a texture from across the room — while up close they coordinate with many of the colors that already exist in the room. The grey ties in with the flooring, the green with her plants and plant table, the red goes well with her rug and the bluish grey could be used as a wall color — which would help visually cool down Lori’s room. To add more red to the room, the Jonathan Adler table lamp from Lamps Plus and the playful, simplistic Kandinsky print from AllPosters.com would also help spread the red accent color around the room.
Jill Frank says
I don’t have any advice about the actual style of window coverings – sorry, I am going to struggle with similar issues with our ‘new’ 1951 home… BUT, I can tell you – if you decide to add fabric, there are several ways to do this. Sewing fabric on is the most sturdy and hangs the best – and it is not hard! You just have to take your time! I have always sewn the vast majority of window treatments in our house as I couldn’t afford to buy what I really wanted. There are usually some great discount fabric stores in which you can find fabulous fabrics for not a lot of money. They usually also have all the lining options available. If you are relatively new to sewing, start with a valance or cafe curtain (for a different room) just to get the hang of things – and realize you can do it! There are also some great no-sew ideas floating around Pinterest for window treatments.
Lynne says
I LIKE the short drapes! Okay, they could maybe be a little bit longer, but not necessarily. Frankly, the extra length would add a whole lot of expense and just be a waste. You will get a whole lot more wall space if you leave them short. I would also scoot that walnut buffet right underneath that window!
I would most certainly invest in new pinch pleat drapes with a sheer behind. Get a nice coarse textured neutral and you’ll be happy for YEARS.
I just this past summer replaced the pinch pleats on my Anderson Window Walls. Pricey, yes, but I chose very carefully. A nice textured honey beige that I will be able to use any color with. (think Triscut crackers) I got a poly cotton blend, the poly for durability, but I wanted the cotton to make them hang well. ALL polyester can make drapes flare like a bad prom dress.
Tracie@MiddleClassModern says
I’ve sewn fabric to the end of vintage drapes because of length issues. It’s not hard. If you go that route find a fabric that contrasts instead of trying to match it, because you’ll never match and it will just look crazy.
However, I actually really, really like the current curtains.
brty says
We have floor length cotton linen panels from West Elm that look to be fairly inexpensive (they were bought by the former owners, and we liked ’em so they’re still there) in our south facing window wall of our midcentury modest split level. It’s also our living/dining room. The panels provide privacy but let in light as well when it’s really sunny, and when pushed back have a bit of the pinch-pleat look–they’re an off-white but not sheer. I’m not sure how to post a photo on comments, but if someone could tell me, I would be happy to share what they look like. i looked at the West Elm site and they have solids and some contemporary prints that could look nice in your living room.
pam kueber says
brty, can you email me the photo at retrorenovation@gmail.com
Leslie says
What a beautiful home, and I love that you’ve learned the history of your house and your neighborhood! I would start with off white wood looking blinds, they are clean lined and work well with mid century modern design. You will have privacy, ability to adjust the light then always add pinch pleats or drapes later. I remember many thick slated metal venetian blinds in homes in the 50’s – 60’s.
Sarah g says
As a certified wetcleaner at my family’s Drycleaning business I can at least tell you what to avoid when curtain shopping. Never ever ever get curtains with those rubbery feeling backings! They are uncleanable, the rubber stuff disolves, warps and gets sticky after being washed and will completely disolve in Drycleaning solvent. Some of those felt backings can be tricky too. Anything washable is going to be easier to maintain than dryclean only fabrics so avoid silk, wool, or acetate. Stick with cotton, rayon, linen, ramie, and polyester. Polyester will last forever, be easier to clean and the color won’t fade as easily as it does with natural fibers like cotton. And just one other thing… Satin and velvet are not types of fabric they are types of weave so there can be a silk satin or a polyester satin… Essentially you can find the same look and feel through a multitude of fibers it’s all about how it’s woven and treated. Ooo… Also try to avoid black and white or red and white fabric in case the dyes aren’t set correctly and may bleed during processing.
I could go on about curtains and fabrics all day! Just restored 5 sets of vintage pinch pleats that were nasty… If you are someone getting old curtains cleaned know the risks and talk directly to the person that will be cleaning them at the DC. If you can rip them without much force (try on a seam always) they are dry rotted and you should give up on them
pam kueber says
Wow! THANK YOU, Sarah g!!!! What a fantastic resource you are!!!!
Ana says
Could we get a Q&A or a guest post from Sarah G.?! That’s great info.
Sarah g says
Yeah guys, whatever you need from me I’d be happy to share!
Nita says
I would like to point out that in some places those rubbery-backed curtains can be kind of necessary. I live in Alaska where our summers come with 24 hours of daylight… If I didn’t have blackout curtains, which typically come with that rubbery-backing, I would’ve get much sleep for four months out of the year. They also provide insulation in the winter, holding in more heat than traditional curtains. Of course, in warmer climates where you don’t get much of a temperature change throughout the year, this isn’t really something that you need to factor in.
Just a little food for thought when it comes to curtains and efficiency.
Sarah g says
Yes I can understand that there are times when they are necessary. I would then suggest not paying an arm and a leg and do preventative cleaning, vacuum them regularly, make sure the roof doesn’t leak on them and the pets don’t pee on them…. Hey it happens!
Patty says
The length looks good to me. Live with it and maybe your eyes will come around.
You could add some solid color (white?) sheers or some nice shades to help with the sun – keeping what you have. Later, when you change the curtains, these would still be fine. You can see out sheers without others seeing in during the day.
At some point, some window panes are made to block the heat more. You could at least find out about costs and options.
I’d love to know how the neighborhood experiment worked out – did all the families remain friends?
Jay says
I think the sill length curtains probably look better then floor length as this is a very contemporary house, not formal. The house has nice lines and I like the setting – very private. I’m a big fan of wooden blinds – many color options and you can control the light coming into the room. The horizontal slats will accentuate the horizontal lines of house. Your TV is at right angles to the window wall so summer sun glare on it can be minimized by adjusting the slats. Plus when open all the way, you get to see your great outdoor views. Enjoy your new home!
carolyn lindsay says
I like the curtains at that height they are now. I made the mistake of listening to someone’s advice about putting my curtains higher on the wall then the windows. They look nice when they are closed , but look odd when the window is open and you see this square of colored wall between the top of the window and where the curtain rod is. In the summer I think sheer of different hues of one color would look very awesome, so would some beads with a beautiful fabric shade (very easy, just buy one of those plastic pull down shades and spray fabric adhesive on them then put the material on and cut to size You can also do these shades with photos too or a cool poster. Hope this helps.
Kate H says
Ask: what is wrong with this thing I don’t like? If it’s dangerous or rotted, change it immediately. But if you just don’t like it, wait. Live with it for a year, then decide what you need to do. Your attitude could change, or the reason for it’s weirdness may become evident later on.
Light changes as the seasons change. There may be a really good reason for these drapes that you don’t see yet. It’s like your yard: don’t yank anything up till you’ve lived there a year, because that scraggy bush may be a lilac, and you’d never know till May came around and it bloomed.
Heather says
I would agree. Since this is an aesthetic not a safety issue, live with it for a year so that you can experience all of the seasons (and sun angles). I’m not sure where you are at in the US, so there might be other shading opportunities (roller shades, exterior louvered shading device, etc) depending on how low/ high the sun gets on the southern horizon. You might also discover (as we did!) that investing in lined drapes was important to keep the room thermally comfortable – our drafty windows need that extra layer on cold nights or hot afternoons!
Jodi says
Agreed. Live with it. We moved into our little 50s ranch over a year ago and I still haven’t painted, though I now have a very good idea what paint colors I want where. I would have ended up with something a little different a year ago and I’d be stuck. The fact that the draperies come with the house AND they’re a neutral color – I just remember how many hours I spent looking and how much money I spent on our pinch pleat sheers and draperies, and I’m lucky enough to live in a city with a JCP outlet store. And that’s not counting the time that went into hanging the dual traverse rods. I have a formal look with draperies to the floor, but I can see the appeal of the shorter ones because you can utilize the space under the window. If you decide on a different window covering, can I have those? 🙂
nina462 says
where oh where do you live near a JCP outlet? I used to shop at them all the time, but then I thought they all closed. Please let me know where- I may have to plan a shopping vacation.
Jodi says
I think you’re right about them closing – it’s owned by a different company now. Plus since they’ve discontinued the catalog and no one really shops there much, I doubt there’s many returns to get good deals on (which I imagine all my pinch pleats were). I’m in Columbus Ohio.
Tracie@MiddleClassModern says
There’s a JCP outlet in Forest Park, GA near the Atlanta airport.
nina462 says
thanks to both of you – I’m in SW Michigan. Columbus might be a nice weekend trip –
thanks again! And yes, I miss catalogues too….online shopping is not the same.
ChrisH says
I have no advice as to fabric or exact type of drapes. I just want to say hang them higher, and let them fall lower.
In picture one, I’d hang them just as they are hung now, from just below the rectangular windows, but I’d let them fall to within 2″ or so of the floor. I think you’re right that the length looks odd.
In picture 2, assuming it’s a different wall, I’d hang them higher, maybe as high as the top shelf in the bookcase. Let them hang almost to the floor of the fireplace.