Decorating With Fabric: Small Change Equals BIG Style!
About 6 years ago, my husband and I purchased our first home.
We were ecstatic about moving to the Atlanta area, having 4 bedrooms plus a large bonus room and a backyard large enough for a pool or private oasis.
We immediately got to work putting our personal spin on the house.
From the very beginning, I was not thrilled about the entry way.
From the front door, the foyer was flanked by the formal living and dining rooms on either side, as it is in many homes.
Although the ceilings were approximately 20' high, the foyer itself was only about 8 ft L x 8 ft W.
It also spilled right into the family room.
As hard as I tried to accept this as a part of the plan that I could "live with," it irritated me to no end.
So in my typical fashion, I decided that there must be "something" I could do to correct it both quickly and economically.
After months of pondering my dilemma, it finally hit me like a ton of bricks! I asked myself, "How can I soften this up?" It suddenly dawned on me that all the choppiness from all of the openings surrounding the foyer; the entrances to both the formal living and dining rooms, the entrance into the family room, side hallway and the stairway - needed something to soften up the hard angles and corners.
The light bulb went off instantly! What an Aha Moment! "Fabric!" I seemed to yell out loud in my head.
I was ecstatic to have finally figured it out, yet a little apprehensive about the idea of draping the main entry way.
I had never seen this done before.
Nevertheless, that didn't stop me from connecting with my inner childhood imagination and drawing a Kindergarten sketch of my idea.
I called my mom (a talented seamstress) for some advice on the purchase of the fabric, the measurements, etc.
My husband begrudgingly helped me measure from floor to ceiling and wall to wall.
It didn't help that he was not really sold on the idea.
At any rate, I drove to the fabric store a few days later and chose a luminous silky fabric with alternating tone on tone stripes.
The fabric is a rich gold color, about the same shade as my walls.
I chose the most expensive looking fabric on the "bargain" side of the store and was able to purchase about 16 yards for just under $100.
I packed the fabric along with my sketch and shipped it to my mom.
My husband and I came up with the idea of purchasing a wooden pole and the end caps to fasten to walls from our local hardware store (picture a shower pole and the two little attachments that hold the pole in place).
My mother made 2 simple panels and a shorter center panel for the actual walk way area.
I measured long enough so they would puddle on the floor on either side.
She arrived in Atlanta a few weeks later just before Thanksgiving.
It was going to be our very first Thanksgiving dinner in our new home so I was more than excited to see how my new entry way creation would turn out.
Within an hour of her arrival, the drapes and two decorative tie backs were in place.
Our entry way went from drab to FAB in minutes.
It was GORGEOUS! It completely changed the look of our main living area and provided an instantly regal ambiance.
It still is amazingly beautiful and always smile inside when I catch the pizza or Chinese delivery person trying to get a closer glimpse inside.
Everyone who enters our home for the first time says they feel as if they've just entered another world.
My husband and my mother, who both went along with my idea thinking that it was probably going to be a bust, love the final result it even more than I did.
I hope this story inspires you to take a leap of faith when faced with decorating dilemmas.
Sometimes taking your time and allowing your home to speak to you will provide all of the answers.
It took a few months, but the resolution to a problem area sort of fell in my lap.
Draping our entry way with fabric provided a soft barrier between the formal area of our home and the main living space giving our home a feeling of royalty and glamor.
All for less than $100.
It doesn't get any better than that.
We were ecstatic about moving to the Atlanta area, having 4 bedrooms plus a large bonus room and a backyard large enough for a pool or private oasis.
We immediately got to work putting our personal spin on the house.
From the very beginning, I was not thrilled about the entry way.
From the front door, the foyer was flanked by the formal living and dining rooms on either side, as it is in many homes.
Although the ceilings were approximately 20' high, the foyer itself was only about 8 ft L x 8 ft W.
It also spilled right into the family room.
As hard as I tried to accept this as a part of the plan that I could "live with," it irritated me to no end.
So in my typical fashion, I decided that there must be "something" I could do to correct it both quickly and economically.
After months of pondering my dilemma, it finally hit me like a ton of bricks! I asked myself, "How can I soften this up?" It suddenly dawned on me that all the choppiness from all of the openings surrounding the foyer; the entrances to both the formal living and dining rooms, the entrance into the family room, side hallway and the stairway - needed something to soften up the hard angles and corners.
The light bulb went off instantly! What an Aha Moment! "Fabric!" I seemed to yell out loud in my head.
I was ecstatic to have finally figured it out, yet a little apprehensive about the idea of draping the main entry way.
I had never seen this done before.
Nevertheless, that didn't stop me from connecting with my inner childhood imagination and drawing a Kindergarten sketch of my idea.
I called my mom (a talented seamstress) for some advice on the purchase of the fabric, the measurements, etc.
My husband begrudgingly helped me measure from floor to ceiling and wall to wall.
It didn't help that he was not really sold on the idea.
At any rate, I drove to the fabric store a few days later and chose a luminous silky fabric with alternating tone on tone stripes.
The fabric is a rich gold color, about the same shade as my walls.
I chose the most expensive looking fabric on the "bargain" side of the store and was able to purchase about 16 yards for just under $100.
I packed the fabric along with my sketch and shipped it to my mom.
My husband and I came up with the idea of purchasing a wooden pole and the end caps to fasten to walls from our local hardware store (picture a shower pole and the two little attachments that hold the pole in place).
My mother made 2 simple panels and a shorter center panel for the actual walk way area.
I measured long enough so they would puddle on the floor on either side.
She arrived in Atlanta a few weeks later just before Thanksgiving.
It was going to be our very first Thanksgiving dinner in our new home so I was more than excited to see how my new entry way creation would turn out.
Within an hour of her arrival, the drapes and two decorative tie backs were in place.
Our entry way went from drab to FAB in minutes.
It was GORGEOUS! It completely changed the look of our main living area and provided an instantly regal ambiance.
It still is amazingly beautiful and always smile inside when I catch the pizza or Chinese delivery person trying to get a closer glimpse inside.
Everyone who enters our home for the first time says they feel as if they've just entered another world.
My husband and my mother, who both went along with my idea thinking that it was probably going to be a bust, love the final result it even more than I did.
I hope this story inspires you to take a leap of faith when faced with decorating dilemmas.
Sometimes taking your time and allowing your home to speak to you will provide all of the answers.
It took a few months, but the resolution to a problem area sort of fell in my lap.
Draping our entry way with fabric provided a soft barrier between the formal area of our home and the main living space giving our home a feeling of royalty and glamor.
All for less than $100.
It doesn't get any better than that.
