Looks like my Old World Dining Room may have provided some DIY inspiration for this space. And that's why I started the blog. To share my ideas and motivate you to try my DIY techniques.
Above: Beautiful faux-painted gold ceiling. I love this! Really motivates me to get going on the faux alligator breakfast room ceiling.
By popular demand from HGTV Rate My Space members, here's a short "how-to" video on how I made my dupioni silk dining room curtains, as featured in HGTV Ideas Magazine's Summer 2008 issue. (Click the little widescreen box for full screen HD)
Sew you can do it!
If you can sew a basic lined curtain with a plain, flat heading, you can do this! There are NO PLEATS and the hardware is easy to install - just 4 drywall anchors and 4 screws per drapery holdback and you're done.
You could also customize ready-made silk curtain panels if you don't need a crazy long length (135") like I did. I love the casual elegance of these curtains. As you'll see in the "before" view, they took my already-nice dining room to a whole new level.
Sew fun...sew economical!
If you're new to home sewing, you don't need fancy equipment to make curtains - or any other fabric home furnishings, for that matter. I still use my built-like-a-tank used Elna Zig-Zag sewing machine (circa 1974) and basic techniques from the 1986 classic, Vogue Sewing for the Home (still available for $10 from AntiQbook.com). I sold my serger years ago on eBay because I prefer to sew blind hems by hand...the way Mom taught me.
Sew what are you waiting for?
Sewing for your own home is one of the most rewarding do-it-yourself projects you can tackle. I've saved thousands of dollars over 20 years, and 3 homes, making my own window treatments, bedding, pillows, slipcovers, decorative pillows, upholstered headboards.
Please post your questions and I'll try to answer them. Happy sewing!
Shopping info: Please note that exact gold silk and the holdbacks I used have been discontinued, but you can find many similar substitutes out there.
I love to get photos like this one from reader "Latchia," who faux painted her dining room tray ceiling using my instructions posted here. Judging from her email, she's a busy professional who found time to do this intricate ceiling, and she's asking for my curtain-making instructions too. Says her dining room is a work-in-progress. Bravo, Latchia!
According to my stats, "How to copy my fabulous faux ceiling" is my #1 most visited page, so I hope many of those visitors are fauxing. I have a couple of other faux painting ideas to share before I take off on vacation next month.
And I do plan to post the dining room curtain how-to for you home-sewers as soon as I can get it into legible form.
You can do this. I'm going to tell you how. You've got to just trust me on this...
My dining room has a beautiful double-step tray ceiling, but it didn't stand out. We don't use the space often, but with our open concept floor plan, we see it ALL the time. So the time and effort to transform it was well worth it.
I'll start by repeating that YOU can do this faux treatment. It's not rocket science. I taught myself to paint and this is my own creation.
My ceiling is 12 ft. up. I did this by myself in about 4 days (counting 2 or 3 trips to Home Depot). If you get dizzy or wobbly on ladders, this is not for you. Everyone else, read on.
3-4 roller covers, nap for your surface; 3/8" for most
2-3 disposable roller trays
Extension rod. Telescoping is the best
1 1/2" angled paint brush, best quality
1-2 Rubbermaid natural (as in sea) sponge roller covers, best price at Walmart
Ralph Lauren "Golden Candlesticks" metallic latex paint, at least a gallon
Behr Faux Glaze (clear, latex), gallon
Small tube of burnt umber acrylic (paint or craft store)
Touch-up paint for adjacent areas
Plastic dropcloths
Gallon zip-loc bags to store rollers & brushes
Scotch blue painters tape for delicate surfaces (NEVER use anything else)
Kilz Premium primer, if needed
2-3 covered containers for mixing glaze
Measuring cups, spoons
Free paint stir sticks
Foamcore poster board for practice, optional
Wall texture spray if you have texture, optional prep and paint
Clear the room as much as you can; I had to work around my heavy glass table
Mask off adjacent surfaces as needed
Cover everything under the ceiling with drop cloths
Clear trash bag works great over chandeliers
Put an old baseball cap on
You should wear gloves, but I can't stand them
Prime ceiling with Kilz if necessary (like if it's red or black)
Cut in gold with the brush, around perimeter & in corners (tray ceiling)
Roll on 2 coats of gold, min. 4 hours drying time per coat
Pop the brush and entire roller into the zip-loc bag to store
Gold will look splotchy and that's normal
now go practice
...on your ceiling, a wall, or poster board. I prefer foamcore board. You can duct tape the board to the ceiling to test. Your finish will depend on your ceiling's texture. Mine, right, is light orange peel with several applications of glaze to get the mottled effect. You can always paint gold over areas you aren't happy with and redo, but you won't have to. My finish is a burnished gold. You can experiment with different acrylic tints to get different effects, like bronze or copper.
Prepare practice surface as needed
Paint it gold, 2 coats
Dry between applications with blow dryer
Gold will look splotchy. Don't worry
Start with 3T clear glaze, 1T water, and tiny amount of acrylic (like 1/2 tsp.)
For 2nd glaze, mix some gold into your 1st glaze, thin with water
Write down your glaze recipes so you can duplicate later
Test on the poster board, adjusting til you get translucent shades you like
Observe in different lighting in your space
This is trial and error, you have to play with it
When you like your practice results, your ceiling should be dry and ready to glaze. faux it
Mix glaze in your darkest desired tone, enough for your space
Roll it on randomly with the natural sponge roller
Vary the pressure and coverage
Leave some spots gold
Work in sections, about 3 sq. ft.
Lightly blend sections into each other as you go
Think organic, you don't want a discernable pattern
Let dry thoroughly, 4 hrs. min.
Mix your 2nd glaze, you won't need a lot
Roll on with natural sponge roller
You'll start to see how it goes, layering glazes
Go back over areas you want to improve
Dab on gold paint where you made boo boos
Have fun!
my tips
WEAR A HAT!!! I forgot this and had gold highlights for awhile
Dilute 1-2 oz liquid fabric softener with water for the BEST brush cleaner
Don't waste time and water washing roller covers and trays, unless you believe that doing so will help save the planet
Store your wet brushes and rollers in the sealed bags...for weeks!
NEVER paint out of the can. Pour into tray and seal can immediately
Buy the best brushes you can afford, you'll reuse them many times
To prevent peeling, always remove painter's tape less than 45 mins. after you painted the area
Apply new tape before next coat if necessary
After I painted, DH and I installed the two tiers of crown molding (Sherwin Williams "Alabaster," gloss). We used the poly kind from Home Depot (or Lowe's) because it's so lightweight, easy to handle and doesn't need priming. You only need a simple miter box. The rest of the living space had crown and the dining room needed it as a finishing touch.
Dining room wall color is Sherwin Williams Harmonic Tan satin latex (SW 6136), which reads as varying shades of green in different light conditions. How-to on the niche faux painting is here near the end of the post.
I love to get photos like this one from reader "Latchia," who faux painted her dining room tray ceiling using my instructions posted 
According to my stats, "
