Quarantine Refresh Tip #3: Light Colored Curtains

Photo by Elliott Fuerniss — *Photo by* *Elliott Fuerniss*

I don’t know about ya’ll, but the walls in my house are starting to close in with this quarantine. Staring out of the windows, looking at nature, is about the only thing keeping me sane. We recently removed the blinds in our living room to open up the views (and also because the kiddos messed them up). Now with curtains alone, it gives us the functional aspect of providing privacy in the evenings and the decorative elements of texture and softness. For our curtains, I selected the Pottery Barn Emery/Cotton extra wide white blackout curtains and paired these with a brass, french return curtain rod from Target (not online anymore). Now I just have to watch the little snack handling hands on the white fabric…

A couple of things to note about drapery. They are an investment for your home. Luckily, most major manufacturers offer “off-the-rack” solutions which are more affordable, but you are limited to the width and height they offer. Standard heights for panels are typically 84”, 96”, 108” while typical panel widths are 48”/ 50”. For my living room, the extra wide curtains I found were 100” wide since I had a 72” double window to span.

Custom drapes comes with a hefty price tag, but you are investing in a custom look to complete the room. With custom drapery, you can select your own material, size and extra detailing. Most store bought panels are flat panels with no additional detailing at the top, but if you go the custom route, you can select between a Euro Pleat, Double Euro Pleat, Champagne Flute Pleat, Traditional Pinch Pleat, or Roman Shade. You can also add lining to the panels.

Whether you decide on an “off-the-rack” solution or a custom drapery, you should always consider professional installation. If you are going to invest the money on nice drapery, it’s best not to damage your walls trying to hang them yourself - leave that to the professionals. The end result will not look like a polished design if the rod is not level or hanging off the wall.

Here are some tips for decorating with curtains:

Hang your curtain rod as close to the ceiling trim as possible. Your eye will follow the vertical plane upward to create the illusion of a taller space.
Curtain panels should skim the floor with approximately 1/4” between the floor and the bottom of the panel.
Curtains should be functional. If you have a large, long window and the curtains do not cover it completely, the end result will look incomplete. You can determine the correct fullness using an online fabric calculator and purchase an extra wide curtain if necessary. If you go custom, the fabricator will calculate this for you.
Scale the rod to match the size of the room and the surrounding decor. If you have over-sized, heavy furniture, use a wider rod. If you have more petite and delicate furniture, select a thinner rod.
Press your curtains. Take them to the dry cleaner and have them pressed before installing them. Just do it once and get it over with. It makes such a big difference to have wrinkle free drapes.
Use curtain ring clips to add a little more style. I used these Target gold ring clips for my living room curtains. Also, be sure to get enough. One standard size panel (48”/50”) tends to use 10 rings.
When designing a nursery, be sure to use a blackout curtains. Babies take a lot of naps and blackout curtains or shades will block the light to create a dark and cozy retreat.