Curtains are my absolute favorite type of window treatment. There are so many reasons why I love them. First of all, they complete a room and just up the prettiness factor. Second of all, they can make your ceiling look so much taller. And third of all, they can be a very cost effective window treatment. Despite all this, I see so many people either using cheap-looking shades or hanging their curtains all wrong. In this post, I’ll go through all the details you need to know about curtains including some of my favorite picks.
Mistake 1: Hanging the Rod Too Low
Let’s begin with the most common mistakes I see and how to avoid them. Let’s start with the “hanging the curtain rod too low” mistake which I see very often. Many times, people will buy the 84” curtains since that is the most common length of ready made curtains. This calls for you to hang your curtain rod right above the window. This is a huge loss of potential for your space. Hanging the curtain rod close to the ceiling or even a few inches above your window makes your ceilings look so much higher. In a well-designed room, you just won’t see a curtain hung right above the window. So people, the first step in making your curtains look amazing is buying the 96” length of curtains such as this one. You can always get them hemmed for a couple of bucks if it’s too long for your room.
Mistake 2: Curtains too Narrow
Many times, I see curtains that just look flimsy compared to the curtain they are attempting to cover. You want your curtains to look full and beautiful. For optimal fullness, you want to go a minimum of 1.5-2 times the length of your window. You can even go up to 2.5 times the window width for maximum fullness. Yes, it sounds like a lot but from personal experience, I’m telling you, you don’t want feeble looking curtains. They aren’t going to do much for the room. If your window is very wide, you can either buy extra wide curtains like these or purchase a few panels and have them sewn together.
Mistake 3: Curtains Are too Short
This mistake is super common. Curtains that hit the bottom of the window sill or hang a few inches above the floor just look awkward. It cuts off in all the wrong places. Don’t do this.
Mistake 4: Curtain Rods
I’ve seen so many curtain rods that either are too flimsy and sag from the weight of the curtain or are just plain ugly. In general, you want your curtain to be the star of the show, not the rod. Get something simple and classy for the nicest look. Here is a link to the curtain rod I use most often. Also, if your curtain is a heavier fabric or a very wide window, make sure you get one that can hold the weight without sagging in the middle.
Additionally, you want your rod to be wider than your window if possible. You don’t want your curtains blocking sunlight when they’re wide open. You should extend the curtain rod 4” on each side so as not to block the light and to create the illusion of a larger window.
Mistake 5: Buying the Wrong Type of Curtain
There are a few levels of how much light a curtain lets in:
Blackout-blocks all the light
Room Darkening-lets in some light
Light Filtering-lets in a lot of light but still provides privacy
Sheer-lets in almost all the light and provides very little privacy
Make sure you are buying the right level for the space. Generally speaking, you want room darkening or blackout in your bedroom and light filtering or sheer for everywhere else. Don’t sacrifice functionality for style.
What to do Next:
Now that you know exactly what to do with your curtains, go and buy some curtains for your space! They are one of my favorite way to take your space from blah to amazing. For more design mistakes and how to avoid them, click here.
I recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission.
