Curtains are so important. They’re like the “bangs” of our home. And just adding bangs to your hair, it can be easy to make a mistake.
Today, I’m sharing lots of tips and tricks to get your curtains in your home looking fabulous!
Curtain Mistake #1- Choosing Synthetic Fabrics
Since your eye naturally goes to the windows when you’re reading a room, it is so important to pick curtains that set the right tone in a space. Synthetic fabrics just give a cheaper look and don’t convey that level of sophistication and elegance that you want!
The quick and easy solution is to just take them down and let the natural light come in! If you’ve taken them down but want to put new curtains up, I love cotton, velvet, and even linen. I will say that linen can be tricky. Consider using linen with a heavier weight or go super light and airy. You’ll get totally different looks depending on which route you choose!
Curtain Mistake #2- Curtains Are Too Short
A lot of times I’ll see people buying curtains that stop at the window sill. That cafe curtain look is one of the biggest mistakes I see! It really downgrades the entire space and doesn’t look very sophisticated. If you have these curtains, you can definitely just take them down, but maybe consider switching them out for a roman shade.
Another mistake I see is that people buy curtains that are long but they barely touch the floor. You don’t want a gap between the curtain and the floor!
Curtain Mistake #3- Hang the Curtain Rod Too Low
This is a question I get constantly! Where am I supposed to hang my curtain rod?! This is a really good question and it honestly just depends on the window and the space. I recommend hanging the rod as close to the ceiling as you can. However, if you have trim work, hang the rod right below the trim work so that way you get as much height out of the room as you can!
Curtain Mistake #4- Pairing Blinds and Curtains
This is a personal pet peeve. It just feels like you’re imprisoning yourself when you have blinds and curtains! I think it is so important to let as much natural light in as possible! It’s a moneymaker that makes your space feel more high-end! I say just pick one or the other.
Curtain Mistake #5- Gathering in the Center
Don’t hate me, but I just don’t like this look! You know the one where you gather the curtains in the center of the window and then tie them? I think it just blocks that beautiful light!
Curtain Mistake #6- Choosing the Wrong Rod
A rod can do a lot for your curtains! For example, if you have a light paint color on your walls maybe you choose a dark rod so that it stands out. In other rooms, maybe you want the rod to blend in so you pick a rod that’s the same color. It just depends on what you’re going for!
In terms of material, I recommend picking something that’s as close to the “real” material as possible. That will help you achieve a higher-end look! I recommend checking out West Elm, Pottery Barn, Crate & Barrel, and CB2 for curtain rods.
Curtain Mistake #7- Not Using Enough Fabric
Not having enough fabric on a window just looks cheap and underwhelming. I would think about doubling your panels and having two panels per side per window. I know that increases the budget, but that extra volume will make a difference!
Curtain Mistake #8- Choosing a Curtain That’s Too Trendy
Although I do sometimes like to have two sets of curtains for a room that I can switch out seasonally (something lighter for warmer months and maybe a luxurious velvet for colder months), I would never recommend buying curtains in trendy colors or patterns. Personally, I like choosing neutrals for my curtains and I’ll just switch out pillows to take advantage of any fun colors or patterns I might want to incorporate into my space. That’s a much lower investment but still allows you to play around with colors and patterns if that’s what you like!
Curtain Mistake #9- Buying Fussy Curtain Tops
I typically don’t like a lot of movement around the tops of my curtains. One tip is to use curtain ring clips to stretch your fabric and get more height out of them. I think the black ring clips look more high-end and even custom. I have stopped buying the curtain panels that have the rings already built into them because they just don’t look as high-end.
A few other styles I would recommend are the hook belt, bath tab, and pull pocket. I think these styles just look more sophisticated and custom!
Which tip was your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
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