We added woven shades to the picture window in the living room. They are the same bamboo shades we have throughout the house and after linking to them in a post about our bedroom they were out of stock on Overstock for months. They finally became available again so I snatched up two in order to fill the gap between the curtain rod hung at ceiling height and the top of the window. The trick of installing woven blinds high above a window to make the window look larger is nothing new – to the design world or me – but I’m still amazed every time I witness the difference. Instantly, the picture window looked taller and another texture was introduced to the room.
In a perfect world {is there such a thing?}, I would have one continuous shade spanning the width of the window. But those things are expensive and the budget-friendly Overstock version we have throughout our house isn’t even available in that width. So to keep things cost-efficient and consistent, I ordered two shades and HH hung them side by side. For us, they are purely aesthetic. We don’t raise or lower them but we could if we wanted.
A post about two window shades is short and a little boring so let’s discuss pillows, too. Because pillow talk is never boring. It’s taken me a while to find the right pillows for our sofa. I’ve come to the conclusion that a mix of pillows in lighter, earthier colors and varied textures works best against the saddle leather.
All of the pillows hail from HomeGoods except for the kilim which was an etsy find. None of the pillows cost more than $20. I kept the two outermost pillows the same and sandwiched three non-matching pillows in between. The arrangement feels balanced but not rigid.
There’s a variation of texture amongst the pillows – smooth, embroidered, woven, etc. My favorite is this one with a random pattern of raised squiggly lines. Yes, “squiggly lines” is a technical pillow talk term.
All of the pillows have down-filled inserts which is my preference. They hold their shape better and longer and look plusher than polyfill inserts.
These two new layers – woven shades + pillows – give the room a cozier, homier look and feel. This is probably my favorite part of decorating – layering. Rugs, lighting, window treatments, pillows, blankets, greenery, furniture, accessories…they all contribute to that cozy lived-in vibe that well-layered, inviting rooms put off.
images: Dana Miller for House*Tweaking
budget decor, DIY, interior design