When done right, curtains can give your home an expensive, designer look. But with so many different styles, colors and patterns to chose from, it can be overwhelming.
Design blogger Kirsten Krason offers four simple tips that will have you seeing your windows in a whole new light!
Budget Accordingly: A lot of people forget about curtains or put them off until their budget has already run out. Your curtains are a major focal point in your room and you should use a fabric that you love! If you settle for average window treatments it will drag the whole room down. You need to realize that buying window treatments is pricey. It’s not a piece of furniture but it makes just as much of an impact and you should budget accordingly.
Hang Them High Enough. Make sure your panels are hung high and that they touch the floor. I would say hang them at least 5-8″ higher than the window. The higher they hang the taller your room looks. The more formal your room the more you want your curtains to drape on the floor. If you don’t want your curtains to touch the floor make it look purposeful and not like you just ran out of fabric or didn’t measure right.
Don’t rule out custom curtains: Most people assume they have to get their curtains pre-made because they assume custom curtains cost a fortune. If you can get a good deal on fabric custom curtains aren’t necessarily expensive. I have all my curtains in my house custom made because I like having control over the measurements and there are more fabric options. Picking out your own fabric means your curtains will be unique to you! I use Erin to make all my custom curtains and her contact is (plushbyerin@yahoo.com)
Consider Pattern. Don’t be afraid of using a pattern. If you have a room with little pattern you can play up the pattern and color in your curtains. My office has little pattern in it so it gave me the chance to use a lot of pattern in my window treatments. If you have a busy bedspread you probably want to tone down the pattern of your curtains. But if you are limiting your pattern throughout the room you can go all out with your curtains! Be cautious of your wall color. Don’t pick curtains that are going to blend in with your walls or clash with your walls. At the same time if you already have a lot of color in the room it’s a good opportunity to bring in a neutral. If you already have a lot of pattern in the room maybe you can do a more geometric patterned curtain like a stripe for example. If you have a color that is already pretty dominant in the room in furniture or a rug maybe pick a different color for your curtains.
Lastly I want to share tips for saving a little money when it comes to curtains.
-Cut your yard of fabric in half. A typical curtain is about the width of fabric. So when you make custom curtains if you buy expensive fabric you can always cut the yard in half.
-Sew a solid fabric to the bottom – If you are using an expensive fabric and you don’t want to fork over a ton of money consider sewing a solid panel of fabric to the bottom. This actually creates a very nice look and saves you money. Especially if your curtains are going to be behind a sofa where no one would see the bottom anyway.
-Use Sheets. Blogger Pam Fitz took a set of king sheets and made these amazing curtains for her nursery. You can often find amazing patterned sheets that would make cheap curtains.
You can read more about Pam’s curtains at http://bibbidi-bobbidi-beautiful.blogspot.com/2011/01/more-nursery-progress.html.
Kirsten Krason is a designer and blogger. She loves mixing her two passions of blogging and Interior Design to bring advice and inspiration to her thousands of readers. If you are in need of full service design services or even just a consultation she is happy to help. Visit 6thstreetdesignschool.blogspot.com for more information.
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