Great places to find panels (neutral or otherwise) include Wal-Mart, Big Lots, Ollies, Gabriel Brothers. I also shop the Salvation Army Thrift Store – I found $60.00 6 panels for $9.99 each! I also shop tag/garage sales. Always keeping my eyes open for deals. Generally Target is too expensive when I’m staging a house, but I look seasonally for mark downs. Ya just never know! Wal-Mart now carries the Better Homes & Garden Collection of drapes and they have some nice ones – $14.99ish each. Still a great deal.

Also, you can make your own – painters cloth looks makes a very high-end Pottery Barn/Ballard Designs look. Most of the time they are longer than 84″ but for a simple no sew you can pull the extra over the rod to make a decorative valance. You can hot glue some fringe on that to kick it up a notch. I just saw this done here at the Handmade Housewife: http://thehandmadehousewife.blogspot.com/2009/04/drop-cloth-drapes.html

Houses in magazines tend to be the exception and not the rule. Sadly, many new construction homes don’t even trim windows out anymore! There is little architectural interest in some of the “big box” construction. I think it’s best to gather up all the great ideas you can and then see which ones you can apply to the rooms in your house to create the home you want.

Thanks for sharing!