What curtains?

[wherewillwegoto]

I’ll try and post a photo, but basically I’m unhappy with my bedroom. My bedding is white and blue stripes, my flooring natural wood (effect), with blue and white rugs, artwork mainly tones of blue beach scenes. I want something to pull it together but don’t know what. I like it light and airy, don’t want it too cluttered. I feel the curtains look cheap and just wrong. I can’t decide what pattern they need, but need something more .. patterned!

What would you suggest?

Photo attached - hopefully!

I think they're a lovely colour they're just too short. I have similar colours in my room but my curtains go from ceiling to floor. I'll attach the only image I have on my phone and take a new one to show the curtains properly in the morning.

Raise your curtain pole up as high as it will go and get full length curtains. Makes the space feel bigger x

These aren't my bedroom, just my living room when we were decorating, but can you see how the full length don't look cluttered it just sort of blends with the wall? If that makes any sense 🤦🏻‍♀️

Thank you. Yes I was thinking full length would be better. I'll see what I can find in a colour I like.

Because I'm in a tight budget nothing really matches. At some point I'm going to decorate, but the wallpaper needs to come down and I know from decorating the other rooms that the plaster underneath is terrible, so would like to pay a decorator to do it. I'm also looking for now art for the walls, but as cheap as possible.

Most of my frames and art work is from charity shops! Sometimes you can get some beautiful bargains. Good luck OP it's a lovely room as is x

I agree with @dontcomeatme that raising your curtain pole will improve the overall look and the feeling of spaciousness.

I'd also use a longer pole which will create the illusion of a wider window. It appears you have plenty of space either side to do that.

You need to find a fabric/ready made curtains in a pattern that you love - I always know it when I see it (but that might be because I have a background in design 😉). If you want to stick with the blue theme, it can include blue(s), but also introduce other colour(s) which can then be incorporated into your overall scheme. The fabric can be used as a starting point from which everything else leads.

When recently putting together the second bedroom in our new-to-us home, we already had a very distinctive rug that I wanted to use. Although it's heavily patterned, I didn't want plain curtains, yet thought I'd struggle to find something that married well with it. We've always used eBay a lot and I assumed I'd find a fabric there, but in the end I located a vintage fabric (see attached pic) that was perfect on Instagram of all places! The spare bed linen is olive, so I added a few olive accessories plus lots of art/mirrors/books to mix things up a little. I'm also a fan of unexpected red theory, so painted one large picture frame bright red.

Don't discount the likes of eBay for bargain preloved (or new) curtains and art. Also, I've found car boot sales/fleamarkets to be a great source for art over the years.

I'd go plain white or off white linen, I think they'd go with the look of your room.

Short curtains never look good. I’d go for white or off-white and full length, the blue looks cheap.

Raise the curtain pole and longer curtains as others are saying, but maybe a roman blind to close / curtains for show? I have been buying some on Vinted and Gumtree recently as I am moving - seriously cheap brand new curtains and blinds!

I would also look at things like your pictures are all different height and sizes - that could bring some more order to the room feel?

I varied the heights of the pictures because they’re all different sizes. Not sure how I’d have them level.

I do have a blackout roller blind now, I think the photo is a few months old.

Definitely long curtains.

Perhaps think about grouping your pictures together (if you Google it there are lots of templates for how to do this) - charity shops are a really great source of framed artwork if you want more pictures.

I would also keep am eye out for a larger rug to make the room look more luxurious.

You jabe great bones for a beautiful bedroom OP.
Agree with others on long curtains and grouping pics, one example attached.

You could be bold with the curtain or let it blend into the walls and use colour elsewhere.

4 pillows will also help, 2 on each side plus matching lampshades on the bedside tables.

Group the pictures. They’re all at different levels so grouping them might help I think.

Buy one or two framed posters if you’re on a budget. Stretched canvases from Dunelm might appeal too? I know someone who has pretty tea towels framed & someone else who buys fabulous heavily patterned wallpaper and frames picture size lengths of it.

Nice big pictures will make the walls more interesting and highlight the cool blues. Your room is very pretty so previous suggestions about curtains and more art work will help I think.

I know it’s not what you’re asking, but i agree that the rug is too small. I also think the bedside tables are too small. You need to go bigger (or longer for curtains) in general

I agree an off white linen or neutral as the blue//turquoise are clashing & read as cold. Neutral long curtains will feel more coastal aesthetic & natural textures.

Is your radiator beneath the window, if so long curtains will block the heat. I actually felt that adding a lamp shade in the blue tone would help to tie everything together and bring the colour more into that corner of the room. Also probably cheaper than new curtains.

Your pictures aren’t right - need to be bigger and better placed
Curtains - as others have said, longer
Rug - too small
Bedside cabinets dont look right

Aside from those it is a lovely bright airy room which I don’t think will take much to pull it together

I would have a Roman blind and keep the curtain pole, from which I'd hang full length lace or muslin curtains meeting in the middle at the top but drawn back to each side at windowsill height.

I'd paint the bed frame and bedside cupboards in an off-white eggshell (but leave the tops unpainted - just sand them down and seal with some matt acrylic varnish or wax.) You could also replace the knobs with old brass.

Paint the walls dark blue (Hick's Blue by Little Greene would be my choice).

Have matching bedside lamps with proper shades and scoop the clutter into the top drawers.

The rug could be larger.

Remove the pictures and put one large one above the bed.

Dress the bed with 4 pillows instead of just 2 in the middle. Have a snuggly throw on the bottom of the bed.

Thanks for all the suggestions. I have so many pictures to cover the awful walls. It needs decorating, but I can't do it myself due to chronic illness and can't afford to pay someone.

My budget is very low, I'm trying to find a larger rug at an affordable price though.

I agree about the bed and bedside cabinets. They came from a charity shop and the bedside cabinets don't match. I can't do much about that at the moment, although I'll keep an eye open for some matching second hand ones. I did think about painting the bed white. What paint would be best for pine? I think it's oiled rather than varnished.

I've replaced the curtains with long dark teal ones. That's my favourite colour. I also got a large throw for the bed. I'll think on about the pillows too, it's only because I also in the middle of the bed and don't like my head in the gap between the pillows! I have the other two pillows in the airing cupboard.

I've looked for other cushions but haven't found any I like.

Thanks again.

The problem with the curtains (other than the length) is that the rest of the room has blue grey tones and the curtains are a blue green so they don't "talk" to each other. I'd look for a neutral with a bit of blue grey in it - these are on ebay www.ebay.co.uk/itm/286712284054?_skw=blue+striped+curtains&itmmeta=01K6WZ6G93JP9BSCSFZXTMBXF5&hash=item42c1624396%3Ag%3As6IAAeSwabtoeOMD&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA0FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1fKFg1gFkmVHQ6PEbAZPPyvIcmC7I3aMw%2F%2BQnvzCYOG%2F8bw2QpCooUF1L%2FvXnEvNV6YRCHp7u8b2Q%2FAnS8VkgBlELaBM9klYLZQ3q24pfP257zRwFnwuuCktlmDiSi6xCyh0hxnv9uiCil9V%2FS%2FJIkI9HP6a%2FzMwYnpgsap%2BCSyiTaca2%2FckoOZ%2BuxW%2FQPjqeUWtbsCToFPA8sbPIcC2lYK%2FbZj7NMxR54eYdER2a4GiaFVtfhJt3gvrC2jq4ceRWg%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-qEmp-3Zg&LH_ItemCondition=3000
Then a pair of beside lamps with either blue grey or cream shades. I'd go for a fairly neutral rug - IKEA do a cream one with a thin red stripe which might work. I've just bought 2 for may bedroom and put them down side by side under the bed to give the effect of a much bigger one.

For pictures you could pick up a load of frames in charity shops and paint them all the same colour and then just add some cheap prints.