Street Smart: Inspired Bohemian-Style Curtains

There's a bohemian vintage style to these drapes at my yoga studio, Kula Williamsburg. The gauzy layer balances the drama of the dark velvet.

The velvet and gauzy drapes are clipped to a track and slide open and shut. The curtains even look pretty drawn open, when the gauzy overlay reminds me of a pleated vintage dress.

The Kula Williamsburg studio manager chose drapes in a length that puddle to the floor, which adds to the unfussy bohemian style of the space.

Here's a peek at my bedroom drapes.

The windows in our loft are super large, so I could not find ready-made curtains in the right length. I scouted a blue-gray velvet from the garment district in Manhattan.

Then I had a pocket sewn in the top (to fit over my curtain pole) and hems sewn along the edges.

I commissioned designer Nadia Yaron of Nightwood to make the gauzy overlay. She found the perfect fabric with that vintage, gauzy look.

We left the bare seams of the gauzy fabric so it frays a little — and adds to the bohemian style. Nadia is a master at working with gauzy textiles (you may remember this bedroom she designed for a Design*Sponge editor).

Here are some sources for where to find a similar look in ready-made curtains:

West Elm carries quality velvet curtain panels. And their sheer linen panel would create a similar look to the gauzy overlay.

Urban Outfitters carries gauzy curtain panels in a mix of colors.

You can get velvet for a great price at World Market.

And here's a web shop devoted to velvet drapes.