20 July 2010

Before and After -- Kitchen Window



So, upgrading this old apartment requires a good bit of creativity. But I really wanted a fresh, vibrant life upgrade this summer, so I've put a good bit of time into figuring out little, inexpensive ways to brighten up my home.

A rental is a challenge when you can't paint the walls or cabinets, can't tear out an ugly floor covering or change the major configurations. My kitchen has always been weak on decor possibilities, but after playing with a few different window covering possibilities the end result really surprised me.

I had chosen this sweet little lemon and orange pattern. But it didn't pop quite enough for my decorating consulting team (the Man and our darling friend and former neighbor.) The Man, who is pretty artistic in his own right, suggested the same fabric I used for the kids' play table and when I climbed up into the window and held up the fabric for them to view from across the room I got  good reviews.

I wanted the curtain to be two sided so I used one yard of fabric ($8.99), beefed it up with a heavy interfacing that I already had on hand and folded it in half, sewed it up and sewed in a channel for the resistance rod I used to suspend the drape between the two cabinets. It took about an hour to sew it up. I was making up the pattern and steps as I went along, so I tried to move slowly and not make any mistakes. 


Here's the finished project. It looks really vibrant with the light coming in the window and makes the cabinets look more cheery than they normally do. And I don't hate the horrible light fixture so much now. Now it's time to update the main kitchen wall. A Before and After for another day.

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