I don't know what it is about choosing fabric but it absolutely terrifies me. You guys with me on this? The thought of making the wrong choice sends me straight into panic-attack mode. I'm sure it has to do with my decorators remorse where, as soon as I make that final choice and purchase/make whatever item, I see something that I think would have worked better. It's like the iphone curse - as soon as you buy that new model - a newer & better version comes out.
I went on the hunt to find fabric for some roman shades for the windows in our kitchen and breakfast noo. I wanted something bold and graphic - with no actual color scheme in mind although one seemed to emerge.
These bluish-gray and white fabrics, some with pops of color, are all absolutely beautiful and my favorites were the more neutral options (go figure!) but I was nervous that the bold graphics would clash with the
painted wallpaper accent wall on the opposite side of the kitchen and with upholstery and pillows of the built-in nook bench which we haven't even started on.
I moved on from my "bold and graphic" search onto solids and fell in love with these
simple grosgrain roman shades from Pottery Barn.
I LOVED them and was sold UNTIL...I happened upon a
Martha Stewart post using sheer linen roman shades to create a bit of privacy but still allowing the natural light to filter in.
I LOVED this idea even more and its one that I've often used in our garden level condo and in our current bedroom and living room with the budget-friendly sheer
IKEA Vivan curtains. While the vivans are great paired with other curtains, I find them to be a bit too boring alone. I wanted a bit of color in our taupe kitchen.
These options were equally beautiful but I was encouraged to see the fabric in person - to get a feel for it and to test its sheerness. I stopped in at my local Joann Fabrics only to find their selection of tissue linens in beige, white and natural options. Not only was their in-store stock limited but they also couldn't get any colorful options in the store. Thems the breaks for living in a rural area.
I returned home frustrated and deflated. I had no options but to order online but that's where my paralizing fear struck. I could not decide on colors. Did I want yellow? or a yellowish-orange or perhaps a blue or turquoise? Purchasing a few yards of fabric without testing the colors at home seemed like a horrible idea - one that was sure to end in decorators remorse.
AND THEN, I remembered a stash of fabric upstairs which could possibly be used to make the roman shades. I brought down a few options from upstairs - two neutral striped semi-sheer, a solid navy linen curtains, a solid cream curtain and a solid turquoise cotton then hung each in the window.
So what do you think? Anything popping out at you as the winner? I'm at a loss, plus the wall color is showing quite a bit darker in these photos. I'd love to use something I already have to save both time and money. I like the wider striped version, but that's just more neutral. The navy is the perfect sheer linen that I've been looking for but it seems a bit too dark. The turquoise, which was used to just test the color, is nice but it seems a bit too bold. I don't know what it is about the small striped fabric. I feel like I should like it but I'm not really feeling it.
Ugh...so I'm back to where I started. I'm leaning towards the simple roman shades with the grosgrain ribbon and using white linen so we'd still get the light filtering through. But then again I could find something else that piques my interest.
Got any sage advice? Or just want to make the decision for me?
