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three3apples

Curtain style and color suggestions needed.

three3apples
9 years ago

This is my first floor laundry room. Walls are FB Cornforth White. I have two large windows. I was thinking Country Curyains black and white buffalo check panels and Austrian valances. Any thoughts on that or better options?

Comments (40)

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    One window, the other is on the adjacent wall.

  • SparklingWater
    9 years ago

    Hi three3apples! I have Cornforth White on my kitchen walls and have been looking for window curtains/fabric. CountryCurtains Black and White check certainly integrates well with fixtures, sink. Hope you don't mind I rearranged your photos.

    {{!gwi}}

    {{!gwi}}

    {{!gwi}}

  • SparklingWater
    9 years ago

    Pottery Barn has some curtains on sale now. I've been looking at these myself.

    {{!gwi}}

    {{!gwi}}

    {{!gwi}}

    HTH-SW

    Here is a link that might be useful: Pottery Barn Drapes

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for fixing my photos. I'm not sure why that happens.

    I like the PB drapes, but I fear they are too contemporary for my house.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    I like the buffalo check but would leave off the valance. It looks dated and clumsy. Hang the curtains with clips and rings on an iron rod and call it a day ;-)

    Another thought-- red buffalo check might look as good or better.

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I thought of red, but I'm not sure it works with the wall color. I also have a pretty dark pink Classical motif fabric I could use. I'll take a photo and post after I get our children in bed.

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    A pretty Ralph Lauren floral linen I have..,,

    {{!gwi}}

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Dark pink, cream, and taupe print

  • Holly- Kay
    9 years ago

    I love the Buffalo check in the black and think it would look great in your laundry room. I think KSWL makes a good point about the valance, it isn't well executed. Does CC make a different style valance in the buffalo check?

  • cozyplace
    9 years ago

    I like the buffalo check. I, too, don't care for the valance. Too stuffy for a laundry room.

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    There are these two:

    http://www.countrycurtains.com/product/083050166+buffalo+check+lined+pleated+scalloped+valance.do?sortby=ourPicks&refType=&from=Search

    http://www.countrycurtains.com/product/08155v8961+buffalo+check+tailored+valance.do?sortby=ourPicks&refType=&from=Search

    One of the windows in this laundry room faces the front of our house, which I mention in case anyone is concerned with how it would look from outside.

  • Holly- Kay
    9 years ago

    Of the two valances I like the scalloped, pleated valance the best. Your laundry room is going to be yowza. I love the elements you have chosen!

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks, Holly. Do you think I should do panels and the valance? This room gets an overwhelming amount of light so I do need something to block it. Just wondering if both elements will be too busy looking.

  • Gooster
    9 years ago

    This is a somewhat contentious point, but what do your other front facing windows look like from the street? Panels+valence? Some people are sticklers for matching -- others are content to just have a neutral color on the lining.

    Love your laundry room and sink! Makes me want to remodel mine!

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks for the compliment on the sink. I got it for $100 on Craigslist. It's fire clay.
    The windows from the front that are already dressed are all different. A combo of Austrian shades, panels, and Roman shades so far.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    If the pink fabric looks good against the paint color i would definitely use that. It is unexpected and more interesting than the buffalo check. The fabric is likely much less sturdy than the buffalo check, however, so it would need to be lined and interlined, and you would probably want to get a curtain "wand" to attach to the top ring in the leading edge of both panels to close them to avoid the constant wear and tear of pulling them back and forth. Alternatively, you could use shutters or blinds for light control and the panels would be decorative only.

    Unless curtains are of high end construction and in a very nice fabric that drapes appropriately, a valance will cheapen the look of panels, not enhance them. You can get away with plain hanging panels in a fair quality fabric but mass construction and fair quality fabric usually dont result in a great valance that is more complicated to make.

    This post was edited by kswl on Sat, Jul 26, 14 at 11:11

  • boystown
    9 years ago

    I love the black checked curtains. I have been looking at them for my dining room.

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    I like the black checked curtains, but I'm not feeling any of the valances they offer to go with them.

    Have you looked at overstock.com?

  • Oakley
    9 years ago

    I love buffalo check but not for a laundry room. A smaller check would be better. And make sure the curtains are lined if they get any amount of direct sun.

  • deegw
    9 years ago

    I did the buffalo check valance in my old kitchen. It was painted brick red and the kitchen had a bit of a french country vibe. I think the space was four windows across and I used three valances so they weren't quite as gathered.

    I liked them and kept them after we moved. I finally gave them to the Goodwill a while ago because I just didn't have any place for them and our storage space is limited.

    Are there any toiles that you like?

    P.S. I love your sink backsplash.

    This post was edited by deee on Sat, Jul 26, 14 at 19:14

  • Holly- Kay
    9 years ago

    Three, if I was doing it to my taste I would forgo the valances but WTBS, your home has a wonderful formality and I think it can handle a more formal look. I agree with KSWL that it may be difficult to find a quality valance to go with them. I do love the buffalo check for a laundry room. As much as I adore the other fabric that you have I think I would keep it for something different than a laundry room. KSWL has great taste though so she may be right on target.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    Here are lined curtain panels from Ballard's in a smaller black and off white check with a sort of attached valance trimmed in black grosgrain ribbon. They have pleats for rings to hang on a curtain rod as shown in the picture. I like these over the buffalo check. See link below

    Here is a link that might be useful: Black check panels with self valance

  • amykath
    9 years ago

    Love the Ballard curtains!! The little checks are great!

  • teeda
    9 years ago

    I vote for the Country Curtains black and white buffalo check, with no valance. Use the money saved on the valance for interesting hardware--maybe wrought iron? I've purchased ready made curtains from a variety of sources over the years (including Ballard and Pottery Barn), but have not found any that match the quality of Country Curtains. Thin, poorly made curtains really distract from everything in a room, in my opinion! While Country Curtain has started selling some curtains not manufactured by them (and you can tell by the inferior quality), their classics--such as the Buffalo Check--are still great. I used to live near their headquarters and have relatives who work there, so I'm really familiar with their products. Gorgeous vanity, by the way--what a lucky find!!

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thanks, everyone. I'm going to try the Country Curtains ones and see how it goes. I'll look for wrought iron hardware to match the cabinet hardware.

    Thanks for the compliment on the sink and surround. I was really happy with how it turned out and super excited to get the Franke sink for such a steal.

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Found this option and wonder if it's worth getting:

    Here is a link that might be useful: iron hardware

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    I have a custom length curtain rod from Paso Robles in my son's bedroom. You may want to read the thread linked to below for information about the rod supports with respect to the distance between the top of the window and the bottom of,your crown molding. Measure carefully, as return shipping is expensive!

    Here is a link that might be useful: A thread about curtain rods

  • Annie Deighnaugh
    9 years ago

    On the valances in or out, nosoccermom posted a lovely valance that would look great here...it's a combo of b&w toile with the check....It's at 7/28 at 8:27.

    Here is a link that might be useful: valances in or out

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I must be crazy. I'm now thinking of a deep pink buffalo check. Is that crazy?

  • caminnc
    9 years ago

    Why don't you do something like this?

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Caminnc, thanks for the photo of the nice Roman shade. I have several in my house and am not opposed to them, but I want to go a little more traditional in the shape of the window covering in this room, though I can't explain why.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    If you are considering pink buffalo check, why wouldn't you use the pink and taupe toile you already have? That is a lovely fabric.

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    I'm not sure. First, I need to unroll the fabric and hold it up against the walls to see if the taupe works with the walls. Second, I'm not certain I have enough of it now that I think about it. If I like it for that room (I will post photos tomorrow) I'll check into whether the quantity is right.

  • angies66
    9 years ago

    I can't believe that the FB cornforth white looks like that on your walls. It's so much lighter than I expected. When I hold the chip up from the book it looks so much darker.

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Yes, it's incredibly light on my walls. It is the same in our master bathroom.
    I'm not sure the beige in the print works with my wall color. I haven't unrolled to measure quantity yet. The wall color is cooler than it appears and the fabric is pinker.

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    On my monitor the combination looks nice, but of course if the colors are way off in the photo, it might not work at all. And, you will need quite a bit of the fabric.

    Someone upthread mentioned toile, and I believe country curtains has ready made toile panels in black and white. That type fabric would be in keeping with your style of home.

  • theclose
    9 years ago

    I love the black and white buffalo check but I LOVE hot pink in that room!! I think it is bold and fun. Perfect combo for a laundry room! From my phone, not loving the taupe in that toile though with the walls. Not bad but I would get a pink buffalo swatch to compare.

  • three3apples
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Just checked and the bright pink checks are with cream, not white so I'm not sure they would work.

    Would this be ugly, crazy or stupid:

    Here is a link that might be useful: coral???

  • kswl2
    9 years ago

    If you don't live by the sea or have any ties to the ocean it lacks context, and isn't cute enough to outweigh the incongruity. JMHO!

    I do like your desire add a color in the red/pink/orange/coral family. Thibaut has an oriental toile that has a strong color background with a black and white medallion design. It comes in red, I know (we have wallpaper in the pattern) and a vivid apple green, which would be fantastic In your laundry room.

  • palimpsest
    9 years ago

    Too contemporary for the house, I think.

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