After I blogged about window treatments last week, I started thinking about putting curtains on our screen porch to give it more of a "room" feeling and less of "porch" feeling. We also needed a break from the morning sun (it faces southeast) when we have breakfast out there on unhurried weekend mornings (rare!), and a little privacy from our next door neighbors whose driveway is right next to our porch.
I didn't want to make a big investment since it's our porch and they could get really messed up in the elements (or when I forget to bring them in before it snows). For about $100, I scored 8 curtains and 4 large rods at Ikea. Here's the result (with the evening sun streaming in)!
The best part (other than the price), was that I hung them in about an hour by MYSELF thanks to Jim's handy new cordless drill (a Christmas gift from my parents)! I think it adds a lot of charm to the room and makes visitors feel like laying on the sofa and reading a book (or a decorating magazine!). The curtains look like linen and have really interesting vertical stitching on each panel. They look expensive but they are machine washable which is critical for an outdoor application. I am still deciding whether or not to use the tiebacks which came with the curtains (added bonus!).
I am still working on some other touches for the porch, but I feel like it really is ready for summer now!