Velvet Curtains

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As the political climate changes, and economic trends swing to and fro, so also do our notions of home decorating. You might think the idea of installing red velvet curtains in your breakfast room was odd just a few short years ago. Yet today, the notion of a "stay-cation" in your bungalow-turned-Biltmore home seems quite logical.

The late 1990's were permeated by post-modern, east-asian trends that made overuse of beige and earthtones too fashionable. Sometimes an oversized Icelandic shield would appear as the only piece of texture in an otherwise too-clean and smooth room. For about 15 years, model homes seemed shackled to a limited sandy spectrum where all the colors were blended with ochre, olive, amber and rust. Once in a while, designers need to come up out of the mud, and use some real color!

Perhaps with the advent of more hours at home, due to job cutbacks or telecommuting, the appeal of a splash of strong decorating identity is growing. Home improvement stores are seeing new trends in do-it-yourself projects, where bold colors and ethnic-inspired patterns are making a comeback. Perhaps the American homeowner is not looking to "flip this house" quickly (or not flip at all), given the current constraints of the real estate market. One talk-radio host brags that the paid-off mortgage is the new status symbol. If we are staying in our homes for a few more years, maybe the house does not need to be blandy-sandy for the benefit of the next buyer's walk-through. Any or all of these theories could explain why patterns, dramatic colors and craft-inspired designs are recently showing some refreshed popularity.

In this vein, it would be perfectly OK to want some bright florals, primary colors, spicy accent pieces, a historical theme, or a room decorated around your favorite hobby or collection. Several friends are into collecting ceramic lighthouses and prints of clipper ships, so they sprinkled their collection throughout small shelves in the living room. They extended the nautical theme by using very intense royal blue as an accent color, with white, pastel pink and occasional bright yellows to perk up the room. The result is a unique statement of their own territory, filled with conversation pieces for leisurely after-dinner chatting; and NO brown or beige in view at all.

Another homeowner down the block wanted an "out with the bland" campaign for her kitchen, living room and breakfast nook. Nancy was inspired by pictures of Eastern European and art nouveau designs. She noticed that even in small spaces, many European homes of 100 years ago used patterns that were bold enough for stained glass, tapestry-inspired textiles, dark wrought-iron, and hardy fabrics that lasted for several generations.

This project yielded a suburban breakfast nook with scarlet silk curtains. Part of the pattern on the curtains is slightly translucent, which causes the morning sunlight to cast a dappled orange glow on the surrounding walls. Some suggestions for the beginning dabbler in bold or dramatic decorating:

a. White or off-white walls are still the best setting for colorful artwork. Dark-colored frames and wood trim painted black can create great contrast.
b. Dark-colored curtains can be seasonal; mount them simply so that a lighter color can be replaced during
spring and summer
c. One or two walls with a darker paint or wallpaper can be less overwhelming than covering the whole room.
d. Velour-textured fabrics of high quality are abrasion-rated. If there is no abrasion rating on the label, be prepared for some disintegration of the fabric when it is laundered.
e. To get really unique plush fabrics, look for top name brands from designers like "Old World Weavers," "Scalamandre," "Schumacher," or "Pindler & Pindler." You can locate affordable discontinued samples for cushion covers and smaller projects, if the yardage becomes too pricey.
f. Texture can be adventurous too. Tone-on-tone wallpapers and fabrics may not be multi-colored, but the patterns can still create a focal point (e.g. Matelasse patterns from Portugal).
g. The classic Norwegian art called Rosemaling yields some fantastic abstract and floral designs, good for brainstorming your next decorative painting project.
h. It's OK to mix patterns. The key is to develop a color pallette or "family" of tones, and stay within that range while utilizing several stripes, dots, florals, geometrics, or abstract themes.

When does "cozy" cross over into too fussy or busy? Maybe keep one wall in a room less cluttered, and don't worry about the rest. Some of the most relaxing rooms have a Persian-inspired rug, furniture with stripes, pillows with florals, several art collections, and a contrasting floral for the wallpaper. If we're staying home for a while anyway, why not aspire to some of the luxurious touches in the Biltmore Castle? And if the visual theme of your kitchen and family room contains motifs of ripe fruit, flowers, feathers, pineapples, and peacocks, then your velvet curtains should echo this theme. The best finishing touch would be obvious in this scenario: curtains made of a deep-scarlet plush velour, heavily textured, imported from Italy, with wine-colored vines on a bright cherry background, cotton/wool blend, and completely velvet to the touch.