Interior Design Secrets: Curtain Do’s + Don’ts — Brick & Beam Studio

Too Short Curtain Panels

Curtains look and function best when they are floor length. Although some pants look great cropped at the ankle, the same does not hold true for your window treatments. If you’re using ready-made curtain panels and they don't have the exact length that you need, purchase longer panels and have them hemmed to the correct height. You don't need a workroom to hem them, your local tailor can do the job. There are three floor-length options:

• Floating - a finger width of space from the floor to the bottom of the panel

• Breaking - a very slight fold or bend just above the hem

• Puddling – the fabric pools on the floor

Floating is the easiest to maintain, breaking and puddling require some fluffing and arranging each time the curtain is moved. The only time you should go with short curtains is if there is something below the window that won’t allow floor-length, for instance, a heat source. Usually, when we have that situation with a client’s home, we recommend using a roman shade, which still brings color and pattern to the room but can fit within the frame of the window.

Too Narrow Curtain Panels

A curtain without enough fullness feels unfinished as if you were on a budget and could only afford half of the fabric you needed. When the curtains are closed, you want to make sure they still have some waves in them to give them an appearance of fullness. Measure the width of your window and multiply that by 2 or 2.5 to calculate the perfect width for panels with the appropriate fullness.

Too Narrow Curtain Rod

The curtain rod should completely cover the window frame and then extend past the window trim on both sides. Going wider than the window with the curtain rod makes the window appear wider. When the curtains are open, the panels can stack in front of the wall, rather than in front of the window, which allows more natural light into your room.

Curtain Rod Hung at the Wrong Height

Hanging the curtain rod just above the window visually shortens the height of the window and the room itself. The best practice is to hang the curtain rod in the middle of the distance from the top of the window casing to the ceiling.  

Custom or Ready-Made Panels?

For most of our interior design projects, we specify custom window treatments. There are two main reasons we usually go the custom route with our clients, the first is the size of the window and the second is that our clients have hired us to create a custom home for them. With custom window treatments not only can we customize the sizes but we have an unlimited choice of fabrics and decorative trims as well as lots of options for pleat styles, this allows us to create something truly unique.

Custom Window Treatments?

Custom window treatments may not be the right fit for every project. Sometimes you need a value-driven solution or a solution with a quick turn around time for your window treatments. Although you have fewer fabric options with ready-made panels, there are still a lot of beautiful choices available and some have additional detailing like tassels or edge banding which give them a more custom feel. Here is a round-up of some of our favorite off the shelf curtain panels. If you can’t find a panel that is the exact height that you need, purchase panels that are longer and have them hemmed locally. Keep in mind, most of these listings are for single panels, not pairs, so make sure you are ordering enough panels for your project.

Look for waterproof and weather-resistant materials.
Polyethylene-based fabrics are the best materials for long-lasting outdoor curtains. It’s even better if the fabric is infused or treated with solutions that prevent mold, mildew, and rot.

UV ratings.
Look for curtains rated and designed to block UVA and UVB rays.

Built-in grommets or loop panels.
These make it easy to hang your curtains.

Take measurements of your space.
Most outdoor curtains are available in a variety of lengths, but you can also hem and alter them if needed. Choosing a length depends on how much of the curtain you’d like to pool on the ground (between 2 and 8 inches is the general rule of thumb). Pooling curtains will be a little more resistant to wind.

Most outdoor curtains come with built-in grommets or tabs, which make it easy to use a traditional curtain rod to hang your curtains. First, measure the area where you want to hang your curtains. Curtain rods can be mounted onto wood with hardware, or you can opt for rods that work with tension if you’re using lightweight curtains. Slide the curtain onto the rod and fix the rod onto the mounting brackets.