Welcome back to Make It Nice, Defector's best interior design advice column. Today we have a search for cool and cooling window treatments, a rehabbed Man Apartment, and a lecture about rugs.
Noe asks:
My question is not so specific to one particular room but I am looking for a place to get nice curtains. I'm happy with IKEA curtain rods, but I don't know where to get high quality and interesting curtains. Do you have recommendations?
Our house is old and has weirdly shaped windows, so most rooms need curtains of various sizes. Curtains must also be thermal/insulating because we don't have AC and the exterior walls have only a tiny bit of insulation. Blackout is a nice feature to have as well.
I've attached some pictures of curtains we have and like if that helps.
I love this question, because I feel like I’m always backburner shopping for curtains that excite me. You’re looking for curtains that are cool, thermal, and blackout. I think it's tough to check all three of those boxes. I want to pitch something slightly different: I think you should consider getting blackout/thermal shades in a neutral color. You can get these made to fit your various window sizes. I ordered custom shades for my last apartment, and it was money well spent. (This site runs buy-one-get-one-free sales all the time.) You can still layer curtains on top, but they become more decorative. Getting the shades opens up your options for curtains without having to worry about them being pretty, blackout, and thermal.
When I saw your existing curtains, I instantly thought of Anthropologie. Much like everything they sell, the curtains are pretty pricey. The great thing about this store is that they clear out their inventory regularly. If you like something today, chances are it’ll be on sale right after Christmas. I kind of love these ’70s-ass curtain panels!
Urban Outfitters is another good resource. I have these curtains currently in my bedroom. They are a ripoff of traditional Korean Pojagi curtains, which I’m obsessed with. Love these dramatic and romantic panels, too.
If you’re feeling patient and want to do some digging, look at Etsy. It’s a bit more labor-intensive, and you’ll have to sort through quite a bit of weird print-on-demand crap, but there’s a lot of great stuff there. I like to use Etsy as a “second screen” while I’m watching one of my many Bravo shows, so I’ve put quite a bit of time into browsing and saving things that speak to me. Etsy’s recommendation engine is actually pretty good. Once you find something you like, the recommendations can help you zero in on something perfect for you.
Here are some cool finds from Etsy. Clockwise from top left: Tulips / Home-Ec print / Vintage lace / Cheetahs.
Nicole asks:
Okay, so I live in New Orleans and it is sunny a LOT. My office is in the front of my house and has two big west-facing windows. Great for light, but it heats the room up, especially in the afternoon. I have roller shades I love (although don't ever buy from the Shade Store, they suck), but I'm wondering what I could put up or in the windows that 1) would look good; 2) still allow light and 3) keep the room cool.
Bonus points if the solution is dog-resistant as I share my house with one good dog and one agent of chaos (pictured below).
I do not see an agent of chaos in these photos, I only see a diligent head of the neighborhood watch. My answer for you is purely practical and not glamorous. Have you considered reflective window films? I can’t speak to their efficacy in New Orleans, but my mom installed them in her house in New York, and they really help keep the space cooler during the summer months. From the outside, your window will look like a mirror, but it will be clear from inside the house. Combined with your shades—which I really like!—your room will feel cooler with no impact to neighborhood watch.
Be warned: These are a PAIN to put up. Read the directions, watch a YouTube video, or, better yet, hire someone else to do it.
Bobby asks:
My girlfriend moved in with me in February and has done a nice job transforming my stupid Man Apartment (sparse decorations, no sense of how to use the space available aside from “put everything against the walls so there is as much space as possible”) into a nice livable space that doesn’t look like it’s meant to be used as an AirBNB. Unfortunately, we have these terrible floors, an anemic millennial-gray-in-spirit faux wood that shows every speck of dust and imperfection and doesn’t go well with… any color at all. We rent our apartment, so I don’t think we can stain the floors without losing our security deposit even though we would be doing the landlord conglomerate a favor by doing so. Do you have any advice on how to minimize the damage these floors do?
Congratulations to your girlfriend on her hard work and to you on your apartment’s new look! Maybe it’s just the photo, but I think the floors look fine? Like, they don’t attract my attention at all. But I understand that the vibe may be different in person. I think there are a few paths forward here.
The first thing I would do is cover more of the floor, especially in the living room. My general rule for rugs is that I want at least the front feet of all the “perimeter furniture” to be on the rug. You could replace the rug in your living room with a larger one, or you can layer it with another rug. I’m a big, big fan of rug layering—there are a ton of different ways you can do it (this is a great primer). I think you could layer a textured jute rug like this one under the rug you’ve got. The living area will feel much bigger.
The second thing I’d consider is drawing attention up and away from the floors. You’ve got really tall ceilings! I’d love to see some Big Art. The spot where you’ve got the Springsteen poster is begging for an oversized piece. This could be a large-scale print, or even a rug. If you’re feeling extra adventurous, you could paint the walls. But with ceilings that high, it may not be worth the headache. My boyfriend and I just painted our 5x8 laundry room with similar ceiling height, and it took all fucking day. It’s not worth it in a rental!
Before I go, I need to get something off my chest. In the months since I started writing this column, many of you have emailed to ask why I love rugs so much and, more specifically, why I’d ever put a rug under a dining table. “Won’t it get dirty?” you asked. “It’ll be covered in spills!”
We don’t live in the fake world from infomercials, where someone knocks over a glass of red wine in slow motion on a bright white carpet and then their life is over. Free yourself from your fear of spills!
Rugs make most spaces feel better. In a dining room, a rug anchors the table, absorbs sound, and keeps chairs from scratching up your floors. I’ve been a rug freak for a long time, long enough to know that water and dish soap can handle most stains. I’ve only ever had to throw out one rug, thanks to a Greenies treat that wreaked havoc on my dog’s digestive system. It was upsetting for everyone involved.
My point is, there are so many different kinds of rugs. You don’t have to put a high-pile shag rug under a dining table. You can get a washable rug, or even an outdoor rug that doesn’t absorb stains. Rug technology has really evolved! Don’t be afraid.
Want my help with your space? Send your questions and photos to makeitnice@defector.com. Floor plans are not required but always appreciated!
