If you’ve been around this blog, or my Instagram…or my Pinterest, you’ll know I have a penchant for color. In fact, I think it’s safe to say I live for color. The other thing you might know is that we finished our attic renovation in June, but as recently as November the only finishing touch missing was window treatments. There was a reason for that. And that reason was the simple fact that I couldn’t make up my mind, nor could I find a colorful fabric that didn’t look tacky.
Billy (my better half) didn’t like that I had put this one essential detail off for so long because this space is our bedroom. And with three windows, and a skylight to boot, waking up with the sun was getting, well, it was getting OLD. So, I had two items to check off on my window treatment list: 1. Colorful, yet tasteful, quality window treatments and 2. Light-blocking window treatments. Yet, still, there was another issue that was making this process even more challenging.
One window in the space is original to our home (a circa 1910 home, at that). That window is quite large, and boasts quite thick molding, making it impossible to do an outside mount. The other window is new and we intentionally made the molding almost flush to the wall because we needed to squeeze in a sofa that had the exact dimensions of the new dormer. That flush molding, however, made an INSIDE mount impossible on that window. And, so, we have two windows in the same space that could not have window treatments mounted in the same way. That was bugging me, until the professionals at Calico Corners came along and helped me work through that.
The entire process, from choosing a fabric to the final installation of our Flat Roman Shades was an incredibly pleasant process. I started out at the store, which only took single appointments at a time to maintain great COVID safety precautions. That not only made me feel safe, but also meant I had the entire store to myself. When I arrived, a (masked and socially distanced) professional interior designer helped me work through fabrics based on the color of our existing sofa and rug. I was SO glad to have her help. Despite feeling confident in making most design decisions on my own, it was incredibly helpful to have someone who could narrow down my fabric options based on what we were using the fabric for (Flat Roman Shades), color scheme, and style. Calico Corners has a VAST selection of fabrics, making over 50,000 window treatments every year, so having that professional to guide you through the options was key.
I was able to take the fabrics home and we had so much fun as a family going through the options and voting on each of them. We ended up going with the Lassour fabric in the Cerulean colorline, because of the amazing texture and the fact that it picked up the unique blue of our sofa so perfectly. It wasn’t an easy choice, though, as each of the fabrics we brought home were uniquely beautiful.
The next step in the process was a professional measure. It was during this process that Calico Corners helped me come up with a scheme that would allow the windows to appear closer to the same height. Jack (the professional installer) suggested we hang the Flat Roman Shades about six inches higher than the window to give the appearance of a larger, higher window. It was a brilliant idea, and the fact that this window was getting an outside mount allowed us to put the plan into action.
The shades were then crafted to our specific specifications, including that coveted blackout shade, by the team at Calico Corners and then Jack returned to install them. They fit both windows like a glove, and Jack was there to answer all of my questions. I can hardly hang a picture straight (even with the help of a level), so having that professional installation was truly comforting.
We are so incredibly happy with our shades and I am SO glad I waited until I found the perfect store, team, and fabric to go ahead and complete our attic bedroom space. If you’re interested in making an appointment with the Calico Corners team of professionals, click here. If you already know you’d like to work with Calico and would like to make a measurement appointment, click here. And if you’d like to peruse the Calico Corners stunning catalogue of window treatment options, click here.
Wishing you a very happy fabric shopping experience – if you use Calico Corners, I just know that’s exactly what it will be!
