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The Dream is Free, The Hustle Sold Separately

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Skyline Curtains

January 25, 2011 by Bethany Sy

We were commissioned by a new ‘client’ (my older brother and his wife) to give their curtains a sleek skyline look. But first, you should go take a tour of their classy high-end Chicago loft. Here’s a photo of their impressive great room. Amazing, right?

And would you believe that this is the view from their wall-o-windows in the living room? JEALOUS.

As a rule of thumb, we try not to experiment on our clients. And though we’re rookies at painting on fabric, we felt confident we could pull it off! (and we knew if we failed… they’d still have to love us!)

We started by hanging the curtains end-to-end in the garage. Using an overhead projector, we blasted the image below (actual Chicago skyline) onto the curtains… and traced it with a fabric pencil!

Then, after doing some research, and learning that fabric paint is NOT the way to go, we purchased your typical latex flat wall paint… and started slapping it on with a brush!

We wanted to keep it abstract and ‘artsy,’ so we allowed the brush strokes to show, making for a choppy modern look.

The trickiest part of this project was worrying about whether everything would line up or not. And hoping that each curtain would flow cohesively from one to another, without one curtain feeling ‘heavier’ than the another. Does that makes sense? No? That’s ok.

Due to space limitations (and because unlike their swanky loft, our ceilings are less than 12 feet tall) we spread them all over our house to dry, and spent a day tiptoeing around the edges. Imagine if we had spilled a plate of spaghetti on them! It definitely crossed our minds.

I’m not very good at tutorials, because I start talking about things that don’t apply (like spaghetti). And to be honest, I just like to get to the finished product. Patience has never been a forte of mine… speaking of Forte, did anyone see the tragic Bear’s game on Sunday? Goodbye Super Bowl.

OK OK! Here you go! A final photo of the curtains hung in the sexy Chicago loft!

And here’s what they look like when they’re open.

And for the record, I was skeptical and intimidated by this project… but the latex paint went on perfectly, wasn’t too ‘stiff,’ and ended up looking pretty decent if I do say so myself!

Do you have any horror/success stories from painting on fabric? What kind of paint did you use? And did it work out well for you?

About Bethany Sy

Nick and Bethany Sy are the creative free-spirits behind DIY/Lifestyle blog, Reality Daydream. They recently purchased a historic mansion and have been documenting the ups and downs of renovation and making this home their own... all while sharing tips and tutorials along the way! When they found themselves in the trenches of infertility, they started a journey that would prove to be their most important DIY project ever, and have 3 beautiful girls to show for it. <3

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Comments

  1. 7

    VikkiB says

    February 10, 2016 at 4:00 pm

    The curtains look awesome! Vikki in VA.

    Reply
  2. 8

    Kat from California says

    May 27, 2011 at 12:48 am

    What a great idea, to have the view even when the curtains are closed. I hope they loved it.

    Reply
  3. 9

    Tammy says

    January 26, 2011 at 8:39 pm

    i’m having a link party today, i would love it your linked a project or two! thanks.

    type A

    Reply
  4. 10

    angieclaus says

    January 25, 2011 at 5:35 pm

    totally hot. love it!

    Reply
  5. 11

    renee' says

    January 25, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    Great job – love the abstract look of the curtains. You see skylight open and closed!

    Reply
  6. 12

    Tammy says

    January 25, 2011 at 2:50 pm

    that is awesome, great job. i’ve hear acrylic works great too and you can even was and iron it after a few weeks.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 20 Simple DIY Projects for UNDER $20! (Great Homemade Gift Ideas!) says:
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We are Nick and Bethany! Welcome to our blog, Reality Daydream where we share our DIY adventures!

realitydaydream

These are a couple of our most epic furniture befo These are a couple of our most epic furniture before/afters! So proud of how these turned out! 🙌
This renovation has felt sooo slow, but when I loo This renovation has felt sooo slow, but when I look back at pictures, we’ve come so far!

There’s still so much to do though! And I’m glad about that, because I love a project. 😜
English please. 🤦‍♀️🔌 English please. 🤦‍♀️🔌
AD: Would you look at this piece of functional art AD: Would you look at this piece of functional art?! We partnered with @MasoniteDoors to elevate this master bedroom/bathroom situation, and it did not disappoint!! I love the warmth it brings to the space! These DIY Barn Door Kits come with all the hardware you need to install one in your home, and it's a quick and easy 90-minute installation! Check out the link in our profile for all the different colors and styles. Which one is your favorite?!
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View of our entryway of our historic mansion that we're slowly renovating and making our own.
Click here for lots of art projects using only wood stain on furniture!!
Please feel free to share or pin my posts! You're welcome to use ONE of my images (no collages or pinnables) with a link back to the corresponding post. Please do not edit or crop that single image in any way. Improper use of my photos, ideas or words is a violation of copyright. Thank you!

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Attention: Almost any do-it-yourself project involves risk of some sort. Your tools, materials, and skills will vary, as will the conditions at your project site. Reality Daydream has made every effort to be complete and accurate in the instructions of the plans on this website. Reality Daydream will not assume any responsibility or liability for damages or losses sustained or incurred in the course of your project or in the use of the item you create. Always follow the manufacturer’s operating instructions in the use of tools, check and follow your local building codes, and observe all commonly accepted safety precautions.

 

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