An update from Troy:
Hi Pam! Hope all is well.
Have been thinking of you… I’m in the midst of getting some stuff *finally* done around the house and I consulted RR for some master bedroom drapery ideas and found your post about JCPenney Supreme pinch pleats so I ordered a “patio door width” in ivory.
Ended up being the perfect width to cut into the two panels needed to fit the slider and side window. They’re now just pinned and awaiting finishing but I got them hung to see how they look… love them! I found a ceiling-mounted I-Beam track system at my local hardware store which seems to work well. All for under $350. Big sale at JCP. Score! 😉
[Note: All our research to date about window treatments are archived in the Decorate / Window Treatments subcategory.]
And I found a Drexel Declaration queen headboard on chairish.com – are you familiar with this website? It wasn’t *cheap* but the purchase process was easy and it arrived within a week. Now my Drexel Declaration bedside tables have some good company.
I saw your uploader this past weekend but didn’t get anything up – always love seeing what your readers post.
All’s well here. Numerous other little projects going on around the house. Never a dull moment!
What’s up in your world? Still think you need a TV show. Later – Troy
It’s SO GREAT to hear from you, Troy! Thanks for the update. Readers, you can read and see more about Troy’s work on his website, Troyland.
More stories about Troy and his Eichler — which we’ve been writing about since 2008!:
Troy rearranges his collections – in his new Eichler ranch house- Use a decorative, mid-century living room screen as a headboard
- Bargello needlepoint pillows: Troy gets crafty
- Polished concrete floors for Troy’s Eichler house – new radiant heating system, too
- Troy’s fabulous, like I mean fabulous, collection of vintage airline travel bags
- Retro house plants – ideas from Troy
P.S. I’m never gonna get a TV show. But that’s a story for another day.
Tiki style fabric from Tommy Bahama 
11 tropical leaf print barkcloth fabrics in 31 colorways 
The Hawaiian barkcloth pattern that is setting the stage for my entire Mahalo Lounge project 
The barkcloth pinch pleat draperies for my Mahalo Lounge home tiki bar are up! 
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Love! I have to say I got a queen size Drexel Declaration headboard and footboard in perfect condition at a thrift store for $40. They had no idea what the had! I’m hopping right on to the JC Penny website to look for drapes.
Pam, you say at the end you’ll never have a tv show but would you consider somehow being part of one? Here’s my arguments:
Without setting out to, you have become the expert, or at least, the go to person, regarding MCM & MCm homes, furnishings, etc. Some reasons:
Wilsonart – what was that story again?
Ginger, from June 9, 2016. I’ve been haunting a realtor’s site since all the foreclosures starting in 2008. These homes were gutted with no regard to value and the owners went to big box stores to replace with items that impressed but had no connection to the home, usually beyond the budget of the owner. They then abandoned the home, and were saddled with debt they wouldn’t recoup and a house to try to unload. Realtor descriptions of homes was/is “to update” except that big box stores are not sensitive to the era so the mistakes continue. Currently there is a Lake home @$450K+ built in 1940, 3.5 acres that you can “tear down and build your dream home) -?! ( http://c21rs.com/1474602 )
Yesterday I went on an historic homes tour and you could hear the ‘unfortunate’ disdain of the docents of the “pink bathrooms” updates. An architect who purports to be sensitive cleaned up an 1890’s kitchen “in the style of the era” but you can go in any Home Depot to identify what was used to replace the old 1950’s steel kitchen (!) I thanked an owner who kept the two pink & green baths (Cinderella tubs!) intact “because they were in pristine condition, so why remove them?”
Uploader – how many “finds” were on the curb? Luckily many escaped that misfortune and were found in thrift stores and estate sales. I’m at the tail end of the Baby Boomers (1957) and parents are moving into smaller/asssited living which means Boomer kids are disposing of their “old stuff”(barnyard term). For whatever reasons, they don’t “have time” to deal with their parents’ homes. A show that educates would go a long way to prevent “taking that old chest of drawers and paint it garish colors”. These are tomorrow’s, quite literally, antiques. Even the “junk” our parents bought (cardboard Christmas fireplaces) was made to last at least a little while, whereas today’s dollar store/Walmart stuff is pretty much a “one-time” thing to be replaced in a few months, not years. “Made in Japan/Taiwan/China” used to mean something – not so much in the last 10 years.
Uploader: the gal who took her vintage fabric to the seamstress to be made into pinch-pleated drapes and was looked at as a lunatic.
The home improvement shows have run out of ideas and it’s time for the next big thing. Youngsters want unique and quirky which they won’t find in today’s offerings and they’re either sick of all white and granite or can’t afford pricey stone, etc. and its constant upkeep – ain’t nobody got time for dat!
You’ve already got stage presence and tv experience (thank goodness for Astro to keep you calm), helpers (Kate, people who have contributed to your blog such as Troy and others), and for sure, an audience of us.
Whaddya say, kid? Let’s put on a show!
I agree! Or convince one of your Retro Buddies to do it and be a guest!!!
I think a show on HGTV is in order. Someone needs to educate those folks. (And the public.)
Where is the LIKE button. I’m so sick of HGTV’s same ole, same ole. (It’s like the same two shows. Always.) How I long for the old days when they had shows about good design.
Surely, someone at HGTV reads this blog. (Hey you! I want to see Pam on screen!)
I’ve been wanting new pinch pleats for my living room but my picture window is huge and I couldn’t find any ready-made drapes wide enough for it. I hadn’t considered sewing panels together. I wonder how easy that would be to do.
I also sewed panels together…. It was not difficult if you have decent sewing — and problem-solving — skills.
Robin,
When we ordered same drapes, different color for our last house we asked at the drapery counter about “alterations” and they had a lady that came to the store and picked them up, hemmed to your length and dropped off at the store for you to pick up. We ordered the nearest sizes from the sale catalog and they were a lot cheaper than made to measure. One of the sets of drapes was a Supreme Floral that we had altered for two windows for the in-law suite and I ordered another matching pair and used the fabric to make a shower curtain for the bathroom. The set also had a bedspread and shams.
rick
That’s great information, thanks. But I realized after going to the JCP website that the sizes were for one panel not two as I’d previously thought and lo and behold, the largest size will work with my window! I ordered panels for two windows. They should come this week and the price was amazing! $230 for two large windows – they’re even floor length (84″)!
Yay! Let us know how it turns out! And… I hope you got them during a big sale!
Go to the thrift stores!!!!! I volunteer at one, and we are constantly getting pinch pleat draperies and the rods. As a matter of fact, I myself just donated a pair of HUGE pleated drapes. (Each panel was 11′ feet long). I think we have at least 3 sets hanging last time I looked.
Also, if you have some sewing skills, or know someone who does, there are pinch pleat header tapes that you can buy and you can choose your own fabric.
Auctions and estate sales as well. I have mentioned many times here about my $5.00 auction drapes, and $1.00 rods. I’d post a picture if I could.
Yes, I bought my pinch pleats at an estate sale years ago. $20 for a motherlode of wonderful drapes — that I took straight off the traverse rods myself. One thing to consider though: Whether they are sun-rotted….It happens.
Very lovely room–so serene. Pinch pleats are just perfect for the space. I made some for my daughter with the tape at Ikea and some hooks that slipped in to make the pleats. Not – perfect, but looked fine. Search for Kronill on the Ikea site. Many years before I used the buckram and made pleats with the sewing machine. I think it was a home economics assignment to make draperies.
Just wanted to pass on this link. Theres a great house for auction in Washington – it has a pink bathroom AND the old doorchimes AND an enormous fireplace wall:
http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/64937-Hwy-97-Moro-OR-97039/2098497729_zpid/
Wow, that is kinda skaring me.
Who’da thunk there would be 2! pink bathrooms out in the middle of nowhere?
That “extensive work” would scare me off, though. Some flipper will probably have the cash. Pity.
I wish they’d define “extensive work” – new roof, empty the septic, call a cleaning service, you’re done? or, in their eyes, tear the whole thing down because it’s “dated”? Obviously (to us) it was designed to fit its space and blend in to the landscape. You may notice that most of the pics are of the outbuildings more than the interior.
I see a dining room, living room on 1 side of fireplace and sitting/library area on other side of same fireplace. basement family room and bathrooms. I want to see the kitchen and bedrooms. 🙂
Seems to be nice house.
rick
I love mid-century style pleated drapes, and, of course, wall to wall carpeting. When I redid my living/dining room, I needed two huge sets of drapes to cover an 8 foot slider and a 6+ foot picture window. I wanted ceiling mounts but was told they could no longer do that and the style was now to have a 6 inch gap from the ceiling. Unlike the old drapes, these were thermal lined which really helps in the winter. I was happy how they came out. A picture of the dining area is below:
http://imageshack.com/a/img923/4383/PRJKBK.jpg
They look great. I do not believe “they cannot do ceiling mounts.” Traverse rods can be hung from the ceiling, I am pretty darned sure.
Thanks, Pam! I should have mentioned I went with the triple pleats. The one good thing about not going all the way up to the ceiling, was I saved a little bit of money on material. Also, with the left over material, I had the drape maker redo the grill cloths on my speakers so they match! How crazy is that?
Sorry, had to get a picture of the matching speakers! How many guys do you know whose speakers match their drapes? LOL!
http://imageshack.com/a/img922/1862/wfXJ0l.jpg
Not many! 🙂
Hey Paul,
Just by chance, are those the Jens Risom Playboy dining chairs?
Hi Greg,
I’m sorry it took so long to get back to you as I just happened to see your reply. Yes, those are the very famous Jens Risom Playboy arm chairs! The dining room table is also Jens Risom and it came with 4 armless cane back chairs. The club chair in the foreground is also Jens Risom, made in 1959! My Mom left me some wonderful Risom furniture.
Almost exactly 4 years ago to the day (July 10th, 2012) I was able to get my hands on, get this, two Risom Playboy chairs and eight club chairs as shown in the foreground! The office where I work had them in an old conference room and they were going to be thrown out!!! They had no idea what this furniture was. The Playboy chairs were reupholstered with the dining room chairs and the club chairs were all reupholstered too and look gorgeous!
One cannot speak of mid-century design without mentioning Jens Risom. He is alive and well and living in Connecticut, I believe 96+ years old. I would love to see Pam do a feature article on him (and interview, too!) and his effect on mid-century design!
Thanks for noticing!
Paul
Traverse rods can be hung from the ceiling if they are made to be ceiling mounted.
It may have more to do with how the buckram header / pleating is fabricated in Paul’s case.
For the traverse rod to be ceiling mounted (or wall mounted very close to the ceiling), the hooks that hook the curtains on the carriers have to be at the very top of the header or even very slightly over the top in order to be able to hang the curtain with enough clearance that the top does not drag against the ceiling.
With sewn in hooks or with removable pinhooks you can put the hook however you want–although with sewn-in hooks this isn’t a standard location. But some drapes are made with a pocket or slot on the back and the pin is split so half of it goes onto one side of the sewn in pleat and half goes on the other, centering it.
These also slide in and out easily for washing or cleaning. Some cleaners will want to remove the hooks for cleaning. One of my clients got an estimate for cleaning three sets of wall to wall floor to ceiling drapes and there was a premium of several hundred dollars tacked on for the removal and reattachment of the hooks, which where not the slide in kind. I’ve learned how to wash sheers at least by a method leaving the hooks in place.
Would you care to share that sheer washing method??
Fold the hooks flat against the fabric and carefully roll the header of the curtain with the pleats all going in one direction.
Take clean thick rubber bands and wrap them around the rolled up header.
Over the rolled and bound header put a mesh bag meant for washing delicates and rubber band this in place.
Do this for each individual shear and wash one pair at a time on a delicate setting, and even though there is only one pair in the machine set the water setting for medium or large load.
After they have spun, take them out right away, and carefully uncoil them and when they are all straight take all the stuff off the top and hang them wet.
Technically you are not supposed to do this but this happened at my house approximately once a year, and some of the sheers were decades old and the buckram was only starting to get weird on some of them.
For some pairs, like those the garage, I would cheat and wrap two together in the same method and it generally worked out okay. Yes, we had pinch pleat sheers in the garage, the windows faced the front of the house.
Thanks very much! I appreciate it.
Are the standard Velvet Supreme curtains? Lined of thermal? I love how sheer these look, but the pics online look like they would block almost all of the light!
Hi Lucretia, I opted for the lined drapes. They let in plenty of light during the day.
Ah, yes. Pleated full-length drapes on traverse rods and venetian blinds–the staples of mid-century homes.
I am having a hard time finding curtain panels for my 1959 ranch. It has those Anderson awning windows that are short and wide. I have mini-blinds up but need panels to add a little more light control. I can’t pay for custom made after having the blinds made. Anyone have a source?
Pinch pleat CAFE curtains might fit … you’d have to find them though.
I love pinch pleats! I bought the JC Penney drapes in my 1st house. I have odd sized windows in my current home. I got a quote from a local seamstress. $800!!!! I collect old sewing books and have a few machines, but I really can’t sew. I looked at some tutorials on the Internet, and whipped out a vintage time life book called “the art of sewing- making home furnishings.” This book was invaluable. Very clear and concise with lots of drawings. Instead of using buckram in the top where you place your pleats, I just used stiff interfacing from WalMart cut to size (too impatient to order the correct supplies) I have made 4 sets of pinch pleat drapes now. They are totally washable as well. They really are super easy to make. if you don’t need blackout curtains, white bedsheets make great liners. Also, when looking at fabric, I found indoor/outdoor fabric to be both less expensive than drapery fabric, and the prints are much more fun. Also, a great place to look for fabric is at Old Time Pottery, if you are close to one. I found Jonathan Adler fabric there for $5.00 a yard and made a great set of floor to ceiling drapes for my back porch. If any of you have access to a sewing machine I strongly encourage you to try sewing them yourself! If I did it, literally anyone could do it.