Choosing window dressing and curtains for your home can be a challenge. Let’s be honest; too often window dressing can be something of an afterthought. After spending all of your time ensuring the centerpieces of your living room are adequately chic and provide that perfect vintage or contemporary aesthetic, it can be easy just to throw something together curtain-side and hope that it just kind of works. To get tips for choosing curtains and window dressings take a look at our modern curtains article.
Tips for Choosing Curtains and Window Dressing for your Home
The truth is that when done properly, window dressing can really make the room, and is the understated, unappreciated pièce de résistance to any ambitious interior design.
So just how can it be pulled off effectively? Here are a few quick tips.
Make Finding Curtains for your Windows a Priority
Starting with the windows in a room might sound like an unusual strategy, but it provides a number of advantages. Firstly, you can match your window decor to the design of the room, without the distracting clutter of furniture and appliances that have already been installed.
This means that you can think about an overall color scheme, and search for matching shades between your curtains and your sofas, which helps you make some firmer decisions about how you want the room’s overall aesthetic to appear.
Consider Blinds for Smaller Windows
Blinds work better for smaller windows, or multiple windows in succession, but it’s best to leave the ornaments since blinds are quite difficult to maneuver around them.
Determine What Type of Curtain Rods are Needed
Before you jump to installing your curtain rods, you should be certain about your selection of shelf ornaments, if you’re using them. Striking ornaments are best placed in a larger window, where you can frame them with a curtain design of your choosing.
Consider the Window Frame when Choosing Window Dressing
The window frame is more important to a room’s visual assets than you might think. If your window frame is of the typical white-washed variety, it might be worth investing some time in giving it a new paint job for it to feel more of a contribution to the interior. For example, a rustic brown when contrasted with an eggshell white wallpaper is a great choice.
Once you’ve decided on the frame, it’s a good idea to look for a curtain pole of a matching shade and material. That way, the curtains can feel inherent in the window design, rather than an unfortunate mish-mash of ‘whatever looks okay’. It can be done on a tight budget and still look like it came with a towering price tag; all it takes is a well-balanced palette.
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Olivia Nelson says
I agree that you need to determine what type of curtain rods you need before you get curtains for your home. I would imagine that finding the right type of rod would help you decide the design of the curtain as well. My husband and I are redesigning our home so we’ll have to consider curtain rods as part of this as well.
Rachel Lannister says
My aunt is redecorating, and one of the most important items she needs to choose is curtains. You wrote that curtains can often work as what determines the color scheme of the rest of the room. Especially since that’s where a lot of light comes in, it makes sense that you would want the room to compliment the well lit curtains. Thanks for the read.
Scott says
I’m glad that you suggested getting a curtain pole that matches your drapes. I have been looking for different ways to decorate my windows, but I hadn’t thought about the pole yet. It makes sense to find one that matches, so the whole set looks complete.
Ernest London says
I like that you mentioned that curtains should be the first thing you choose in a room. That way, you can match the decor to the curtains and you don’t have to worry about other factors. My wife and I are redecorating, and we are having trouble deciding which direction we want to go. I will keep this in mind as we get started!
Jane Ambrose says
My husband and I are planning on making some renovations to our house, but we aren’t really sure what to do for the drapes on our windows. I hadn’t considered looking at the window frame to see what color might look good with it, but I really like the idea of painting over a whitewashed frame to add variety. It seems like adding in drapes to a room is a really great way to add character and aesthetic appeal to a room. I’ll be sure to remember these tips when picking them out.
Amanda says
Interesting article. Window Curtains are important things to be considered for good interior design of our home. These things are very important for choosing the right curtain. Thanks for sharing this.
Dimenzion3 says
Great article. Thanks for sharing such a nice article.
Dimenzion3 says
The curtains selection tips are very nice. Thanks for sharing this tips.