Some decorating challenges

We wanted to put some pretty new curtains in the office since the blinds (that were there when we bought the house) didn't fit with our new windows. We thought it would be easy. We wanted cafe curtains - the kind that go only about halfway up. So we needed the curtains and the rod. Well first after looking at lace in all price ranges, we decided to splurge for ones that seemed well-made and actual lace (and not plastic) so we bought these macrame ones from Country Curtains. We bought one panels per window because it said in the description that they panel should be spread wide. Well two problems with that. First, no way - it looked empty and we knew right away we needed two panels per window.

Second, the two 36'' curtains was actually about 35'' and 37''. So we couldn't pair them without it looking weird. Fortunately Country Curtains has good customer service and also fortunately, we planned to visit family that happened to live near a brick and mortar store, so they were able to set aside a few for us and let me open and compare them. They said the handmade nature of the lace makes that a fairly common problem and noted that perhaps they should at least start selling them in pairs.

Problem two - the rod. We wanted something a little more interesting than the usual cafe curtain rods with a boring metal finial at the end. We found them, of all places, online at Walmart. The screws included with the installation kit, however, were unnecessarily long (left). The ones we already had at home were jarringly shiny (right). So it was off to the hardware store to find something in the middle.

I'm glad we found a metal screw that matched better (the one on the left). The right one, in zinc, really stood out when the bracket was on the wall.

Installation almost complete:

After what seemed like a lot of hassle just to hang curtains, we're really pleased with our results:

They provide exactly the kind of coverage we want in the office - it gives us privacy without blocking any light. And we can see them from the hallway so they are a nice sight when headed to the basement or bathroom.

A few more challenges we're facing now in the decorating department. As we continue to baby proof, we realized this corner is an accident waiting to happen - flimsy furniture, glass lamp and vase, access to curtains and wires.

Add to that the fact that we still don't quite had enough seating in the living room for when we have a bunch of guests, and D decided that a large chair and floor lamp might be the solution. If the chair is big enough, it will mostly block access to the corner completely.

Do you know what this means? I get to shop for furniture again! We're not sure exactly what kind of chair we want. We both love chaise lounges but I can't think of a way something like that would fit. We'd like a bolder color since our other seating in the living room is brown and gray. So given the room colors that leaves teal or rust red (or something that would compliment those). Maybe another wing chair? I think a higher back would look better there to help it show up from in the corner. Send me suggestions!

And finally, another challenge that maybe I can stop from becoming a bigger problem. The teal rug that moved from our main seating area to our entry way is showing signs of wear in the corner. This was the beginning of the end for our red rug, because it was so hard to avoid when vacuuming and the suction pulled at the loose ends and tore everything up. Is there something I can do now to prevent the undone section from getting worse? I'm a knitter so I'm not afraid to get creative with yarn.

Lots of calls for help and suggestions in this post, so leave a comment if you had ideas!