I found and installed curtains I like.  We moved into the house in March 2007, so I guess it’s about time.

I got lucky at the thrift store- I found curtains that worked for three rooms (and possibly a fourth- still working on that!), and, after not only paying way more than seemed reasonable for drapery hardware, but throwing away FAR more trash than you’d think possible from the packaging for a couple of curtain rods, we are in business.  It’s a pity I couldn’t find the hardware at the thrift store, too, but you need all the pieces, they have to be the right size for your window, and must be the right type go with your curtains, so my odds were slim!

The burgundy is flecked with gold and picks up the colors in the chair seats.  It also covers the entire wall from side to side and floor to ceiling.

In case you are thinking that the dining room drapes look a little uneven, it’s because they are.  The window is not centered on the wall, so there are two panels on one side and one panel on the other.  The family that lived here before us built the house for themselves, and one of their (four!!!) daughters informed us that “Mom always said the dining room would have been bigger, except that dad forgot to leave room for the kitchen stove.”  In other words, they adjusted the position of the wall between the kitchen and the dining room, but didn’t move the window accordingly.  These little quirks are why I love this house.

The embroidery is the exact same color as the wall paint!

We had to add some solid panels to make these wider- they were just a SMIDGE small on their own.  The colors look better IRL.