Curtains and a Lantern dress a dining room

 A cozy dining room in a Cape Cod style home outside of Boston gets a nice update thanks to some Pottery Barn sheer linen striped panels and a new lantern. The sheers are waiting to be hung, but before I do, I wanted to make sure you can all see how much of a difference it makes to hang your curtains as high as possible~and to update your curtain style and add some panache with a great light fixture.

The client's room before photo showing off the outdated swag and jabots and the standard 5 arm brass chandelier hung over the dining room table.  She and I discussed ready made drapery options, but what I really wanted to update as much as the window treatments was her light fixture.  A lantern brings both a traditional New England vibe mixed with a bit of contemporary elegance, perfect for this young couple.

That is what spurred me to write a recent blog post on using a lantern in favor over a chandelier~and so after reviewing it, she selected this bronze lantern from Overstock.com. You can read more about lanterns here.

 Before

Now the room is ready for curtains~I love the 8 over 12 windows in this Cape.  I picked out the colors for this room a few years back~

 After

Everyone loves a good before and after, and I understand why.  It shows dramatically how small changes can make huge differences.  The long sheer panels make the ceilings feel taller and the mood more elegant without being stuffy.  The Lowes curtain hardware was selected to relate to the lantern.

A curtain closeup~ hard to detect, but these are striped in cream and taupe, and almost 100% linen.

 I did a little styling to add some glamour to the shots~
all that was missing was a chilled Sauvignon blanc!

 My canine companion, Lucy,
a resident of the house, made sure I got it just right!

 Actually, I had some dog treats in my pocket and she was
sitting patiently waiting for her reward!!

 From this~

 To this~

Making a few changes like this to your rooms will reap big rewards~

you'll enjoy those rooms so much more!