It’s been a little while since I’ve posted about my apartment decorating, but I’ve been busy. Last time I wrote about my DIY headboard redo and this time I’m making DIY curtains. I have to be honest, I think curtains can make a big impact in how a room looks but I just don’t find them very exciting. When we moved in, we bought the cheapest blackout curtains in a non-offensive color that we could find. Now that I’m actually taking the time to redecorate, our tan curtains that are stapled to the wall don’t really fit in. Plus, for being blackout curtains, they let a lot of light in (although the sun is pretty bright here).

Since I’ve been working with a gray-and-white theme for everything else, I decided gray DIY curtains would be perfect. I had a hard time finding any that I liked though. Most were either too brown or too purple and if I found a gray I liked, the curtains were too thin. I ended up just buying some gray suiting fabric from JoAnn and covered our existing curtains.

The process was pretty simple- I set the gray fabric on the floor and put the curtains face down on top. Then I just folded the fabric over the edges of the curtains and sewed around them (leaving an opening for the curtain rod). I even purchased a curtain rod so now we can open our curtains anytime we want to let light in! These DIY curtains are a major upgrade if you ask me. And the extra fabric layer really keeps the light out in the morning.

Before I started decorating, we had a mishmash of colors going on in the room. Our headboard was that weird dark greenish brown color and the curtains were tan and we couldn’t even open them! Our bedspread was gray with stripes and it wasn’t quite as oversized and cozy as I wanted it to be.

With our new headboard and curtains, I also decided we needed a new comforter. I ended up splurging for this Organic Cotton Pintuck Duvet Cover from West Elm and filling it with a  comforter (I passed on the display pillows because those always end up living on the floor). I love how bright and airy our bedroom looks now! The grays add a softer feel and I love the texture of the duvet.

I’m so happy with how everything turned out. The headboard was super easy to recover and I love how it looks now. The charcoal fabric really pops against the white walls and duvet.

Our room looks so much bigger now too. It’s amazing how a couple of little improvements like organizing a dresser, changing the color of a headboard or curtains, and updating a comforter can make such a big difference in the overall feel of a room.

Plus, look how cozy that duvet looks! I was a little worried about having a white bedspread but it makes the room so bright. I just can’t eat in bed anymore.

These neutrals make it so easy to play around with colorful accents, like my bright cashmere throws. I am so happy with how everything has turned out so far. It’s amazing how big of a difference all these small changes have made and it didn’t really cost all that much. Now I have to decide what I want to do next!

What are your simple decorating ideas?

-Molly

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