• Home
  • about emily
  • before + after
  • HGTV + DIY Network
  • good press
  • contact
  • Let’s Organize These Posts:

    • Art Attack
    • Backyard
    • Barn
    • Basement
    • Bathroom
    • Beach
    • Bedrooms
    • Being Thrifty
    • Business-y
    • Buying and Renting and Selling
    • Casual Celebrations
    • Closets
    • Curb Appeal
    • Dainty Details
    • Deck
    • Decor
    • Dining Room
    • DIY
    • Dog-Related
    • Entryway
    • Flooring
    • For the Kids
    • Garage
    • Gardening
    • Helping The Economy
    • HGTV + DIY Network Projects
    • Holiday-Related Projects
    • Home Safety
    • Kitchen
    • Lighting
    • Living Room
    • Merry Travels
    • Office Space
    • Organized
    • Other Pads
    • Outdoor Living
    • Scooter Fun
    • Stairwell
    • Sunroom
    • Supporting Sponsors
    • The Art Room
    • Tools
    • Uncategorizable
    • Wedding
    • Windows
    • Work-pads
  • Search

  • Hi, I’m Emily

    Emily Fazio

    I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle.

    You can find me writing for HGTV and DIY Network, follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

    Thanks for visiting!

  • BROWSE POSTS BY CATEGORY:

    • Art Attack (7)
    • Backyard (92)
    • Barn (8)
    • Basement (27)
    • Bathroom (43)
    • Beach (13)
    • Bedrooms (73)
    • Being Thrifty (53)
    • Business-y (12)
    • Buying and Renting and Selling (23)
    • Casual Celebrations (36)
    • Closets (17)
    • Curb Appeal (44)
    • Dainty Details (8)
    • Deck (23)
    • Decor (286)
    • Dining Room (37)
    • DIY (577)
    • Dog-Related (24)
    • Entryway (59)
    • Flooring (58)
    • For the Kids (32)
    • Garage (17)
    • Gardening (70)
    • Helping The Economy (30)
    • HGTV + DIY Network Projects (283)
    • Holiday-Related Projects (80)
    • Home Safety (12)
    • Kitchen (83)
    • Lighting (31)
    • Living Room (77)
    • Merry Travels (21)
    • Office Space (21)
    • Organized (41)
    • Other Pads (14)
    • Outdoor Living (12)
    • Scooter Fun (8)
    • Stairwell (20)
    • Sunroom (22)
    • Supporting Sponsors (43)
    • The Art Room (3)
    • Tools (43)
    • Uncategorizable (1)
    • Wedding (28)
    • Windows (14)
    • Work-pads (10)
  • Search

  • Pages

    • blog
    • Merrypad Features
    • Privacy Policy
    • about emily
    • before + after
      • before + after, our current home
      • before + after, our first house
    • contact me
    • choose a badge and share the merrypad.com love
  • Home
  • about emily
  • before + after
  • HGTV + DIY Network
  • good press
  • contact

A Lighter Way (For $10)

May 1, 2012

With almost as much eagerness as when I had stripped the felt covers off the living room pillows, I updated the sunroom door curtain over the weekend. The heavy felt roman shade did a fine job insulating the main house from the totally-uninsulated-basically-outside sunroom, and looked great all winter long. Its construction and installation was my first project for DIY Network, and I actually felt a little sad about taking it down, but it retained it’s shape and form so well that it’s likely to go up again come fall.

Roman shading to the max. A great addition to my living room (and relief to my winter heating bill).

This is actually the third post pertaining to wrappin’ up the sunroom door, and viewing the series makes for a nice way to see how the room has evolved over the last 14 months. The photo above was from last November, and right here you can see my first iteration, from February 2011.

But for now, onward with something lighter. I really only insist on keeping a curtain of some sort over the door because at night with the lights on indoors, anyone could see inside from the street and we like our privacy (slash, I don’t need my neighbors to see what really lame TV I tune into, it’d be embarrassing). Because so many of the fabrics in the room are opaque and have substance, I was avoiding something that was sheer but hoping to find something substantial, but still light and breezy. Something more summery. Something Khaki?

To keep my new found love for twills flowing, I returned to JoAnn’s for more fabric while the heavy-weight cottons that I had also used for the new pillows were still 50% off. Sometimes I’m not so lucky with the amount of fabric on the bolt, but this time the fabric was plentiful and I bought 3.5 yards of this off-white 54″W material for just $14. I can’t confirm the manufacturer’s name, and don’t actually believe that the sale is still on, but if you’re going to go source your own, pay particular mention to the width of the fabric on the bolt; this brand had numerous widths all priced exactly the same, so I went with the widest option available.

Ivory cotton for the living room curtain.

Out with the felt, in with the ivory with the help of a few quick bronze curtain clips. (FYI, the clips, I already owned, but if you’re looking to buy your own I really like and recommend the 14-packs sold at Walmart for $3, same as shown in this post. Can’t beat that price).

Because it’s the same curtain rod up there too, it was just a matter of sliding the new clips onto the rod, and voila, it’s a room update that’s as easy as can be. And wow, our living room is bright again.

Simple curtain clips, bronze from Walmart.

Always a-howlin'.

One thing you can’t see in the above picture, blocked by the howling beast, is an extra yard of fabric. I’m a bad judge of ceiling height and my 3.5 yard purchase was much more than I actually needed in order to achieve the look of a full-length curtain (I should keep these measurements with me, but in the store on the cutting table 2.5 yards seemed deceivingly short). With a quick snip-snip,  I took a full yard off the bottom to neaten up the way it hung, ironed out some creases, and rehung it. If you want to do a little recalc at this point, the fabric that I actually used only would have totalled 10-buckeroos if not for the overage. Good deal. And you know that the scrap will find its way into a future project.

Instant improvement. I cleared both the dog and that wicker chair this time so you can see how it just barely grazes the floor. And you can’t tell so much in the photos, but I even lightly hemmed the base with a quick sew using the dark gold thread I used on the pillows too. Minimally noticeable, very subtle infusion of color.

Shortened curtain, happy sunroom door.

Pulled open, it successfully covers the downward hanging wire from the pendant light I made a few months ago; the light, we still love and use most nights, but the exposed white cord still irks me unnecessarily. It’s nice that now I have the option of keeping it disguised during the day, but it’s no masterful decoy, you and I still know it’s there (taunting me).

Blocking the downward hanging pendant cord, still classing up the joint.

Ooh, and that 2×3 carpet? It’s the newbie I bought a few months ago from West Elm. It’s found a happy home leading into the sunroom, doing it’s thing, acting all woven and pretty.

West Elm rug.

Everything’s right at home, and it feels good to have some warm weather again.

P.S. Thanks to everyone who entered Pete and Marty’s giveaway for the rechargeable lawn mower; they shockingly haven’t heard from the winner yet. Check your email (and spam folders) people!

Share

Decor  / DIY  / Living Room  / Windows

Emily
I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle. You can find me writing for HGTV and DIY Network, follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

4 Comments


Pete : dadand.com
May 1, 2012 at 9:05 am
Reply

It’s rare that you can take a photo of that dog without him howling. He has a 6th dog-camera sense.



    Emily
    May 1, 2012 at 10:33 am

    Right. No prompting or rewarding required.

Kate
May 2, 2012 at 8:24 am
Reply

Love your winter/summer curtain in front of the door, reminds me of the miniseries John Adam, his humble house also had a heavy curtain in front of the door to keep the 18th century winter at bay.

Hilarious about not wanting the neighbors to see what TV show you’re watching. I do the same by readjusting my patio door curtain so the TV is blocked from outside view but people can still see me sulking at the dining room table staring into the computer.



    Emily
    May 2, 2012 at 1:53 pm

    I figure looking like a recluse is better than confessing to the woman next door that I watch (and enjoy) Toddlers and Tiaras. This online world already knows that though .

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • HI, I’m Emily

    Emily Fazio

    I'm a home improvement enthusiast, living a very merry DIY lifestyle. Follow me on facebook and instagram, or drop me a note if you'd like. I love notes.

    Thanks for visiting!

  • Instagram

    Can’t believe I ever bought dumpling wrappers. 🥟 Pulse a few cups of flour in the food processor drizzling in cold water until it forms dough. Roll smooth. Use a conveniently large cookie cutter, or just trim out squares. The end ❤️ #hny #dumplings
    Didn’t think I’d be making more masks, but her Didn’t think I’d be making more masks, but here we are (now feat. recycled t-shirt layer for added softness and bonus-layer protection). #diy #amateurseamstress #diymask
    Get out there ☀️ Get out there ☀️
    The gang finally showed up. 👻 The gang finally showed up. 👻
    A record 233 cloves + 10 shallots 🧛🏻‍♀️ 
#merrypadathome #garden2021 #garlic #gardennotes #whatisnormal
    ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Immeasurably tall, lanky tomatillos. #garden2020 # Immeasurably tall, lanky tomatillos. #garden2020 #tomatillos #nofilter
    32 oz., reserved for the brave 🌶🌶 😍#homeg 32 oz., reserved for the brave 🌶🌶 😍#homegrown #tomatillos #harvest2020
    Nothing says “let’s stay home all fall, too” Nothing says “let’s stay home all fall, too” like a badass custom fireplace on our patio. 🔥 #chiminea #merrypadathome
    Load More... follow emily: @merrypad



  • Like Us On Facebook

    Facebook Pagelike Widget



  • Popular Posts

    • DIY sideboard rehab. Our Refinished Midcentury Buffet 37.7k views
    • How to fix an IKEA drawer. Cheap IKEA Drawers (And The Quick Fix) 37.5k views
    • How to design and make a barn quilt. How to Make Your Own Barn Quilt 32.4k views
    • DIY driveway removal. The Driveway Rocks 23.9k views
    • How to hang art on brick surfaces using specialty clips. The Easy Way to Hang Art on Brick or Stone 23.1k views
    • Goodbye, gold fireplace covering. Less Is More: How to Remove a Fireplace Surround 21k views
    • Our DIY flagstone patio. Building a Patio in One Day 16.5k views
    • Bedroom paint, freshened up with Snowbound paint. Painting Everything White: We Chose Snowbound, By Sherwin Williams 15.7k views
    • Tips for dying pasta different colors, and a Halloween Recipe for the kids. Tips for Dying Pasta Different Colors (+ A Special Halloween Recipe) 15k views
    • Finished stained kitchen cabinets. Javalicious, A Gel Staining Reveal (Update #3) 13.6k views



  • BROWSE POSTS BY CATEGORY:

    • Art Attack (7)
    • Backyard (92)
    • Barn (8)
    • Basement (27)
    • Bathroom (43)
    • Beach (13)
    • Bedrooms (73)
    • Being Thrifty (53)
    • Business-y (12)
    • Buying and Renting and Selling (23)
    • Casual Celebrations (36)
    • Closets (17)
    • Curb Appeal (44)
    • Dainty Details (8)
    • Deck (23)
    • Decor (286)
    • Dining Room (37)
    • DIY (577)
    • Dog-Related (24)
    • Entryway (59)
    • Flooring (58)
    • For the Kids (32)
    • Garage (17)
    • Gardening (70)
    • Helping The Economy (30)
    • HGTV + DIY Network Projects (283)
    • Holiday-Related Projects (80)
    • Home Safety (12)
    • Kitchen (83)
    • Lighting (31)
    • Living Room (77)
    • Merry Travels (21)
    • Office Space (21)
    • Organized (41)
    • Other Pads (14)
    • Outdoor Living (12)
    • Scooter Fun (8)
    • Stairwell (20)
    • Sunroom (22)
    • Supporting Sponsors (43)
    • The Art Room (3)
    • Tools (43)
    • Uncategorizable (1)
    • Wedding (28)
    • Windows (14)
    • Work-pads (10)





  • a little bit of everything, friends, DIY, and inspiration

    • Dadand.com < My husband and his BFF
    • DIY Network
    • HGTV
  • Get Posts Via Email

  • Some Legal

    Merrypad incorporates the occasional affiliate link to Amazon.com and Minted; we link to many other websites and products, but if it is in context of a paid sponsorship, it is always noted as such. Please review the privacy policy and contact me if you have any additional questions.

    Theme customized by Pete Fazio Creative, the guy from dadand.com.


© Copyright Merrypad