Behind the Curtain
When I first moved to my Boston condo, I had no intention of covering the floor to ceiling windows. Until I lived there for a year and have changed my tune for a couple of reasons.
My building is more than 100 years old and my unit is in a corner, so wind passes through and the breeze goes right through my windows. Hanging drapery would help to slow down the freeze.
I get a ton of light because of the size of the window and how my unit is situated so hanging drapes would not detract from the sunlight. During the summer season, the heat is intense and having curtains would lessen the intensity of the warm weather.
Ultimately, I do like the look of drapery and feel it will soften the room(s) appearance.
Because my windows are so large it may be a challenge to find the right length of 96” or longer for a more “puddled” look.
Here are some of my tips on choosing the right curtains for your home and tips on hanging them.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly With Grommet Curtains
Personally, I’m not a huge fan of grommet curtains for a few reasons. Although they are very easy to open and close and come in a huge assortment of styles, colors, fabrics and can accommodate oversized or unusual shaped windows, here are some reasons they are not optimal.
Although they may create a more unified pleated appearance when curtains are drawn, the size of the pleats give it a very casual or industrial vibe which is fine if that’s the look you’re going for.
I found these from Etsy that even out the space between each grommet and give the curtain a more sophisticated look.
This way a grommet style curtain can lay more flat like a traditional curtain panel.
Remember much of the curtain rod is exposed with this kind of curtain, so if it’s a concern to you take time to choose wooden or metal rods you love with decorative finials on each end. A more exposed rod also adds a more industrial vibe which can look great in loft style units.
When hanging any type of curtain, here are a few things to consider:
Hang your rods outside of the window frame.
If possible hang them higher than the window frame as well. Why? It provides a bigger looking window and raises the ceilings by forcing your eye to go up. How much wider should you go? It depends on how much room you have on either side of the window and where the windows are in relation to one another. In my case, the windows end right under the egg and dart moldings I put in, so adding to the ceiling height is not an option. I probably have about 6” on either side of the window that I could mount my rod on. I’m not sure if I need to add a middle bracket to hold up the curtains. It will depend on the weight of them, given how wide the window is at 48” across.
Invest in more yardage or panels than you think you need.
A fuller look is more attractive and if you ever want to close the curtains. You’ll want there to remain pleats to avoid looking like a shower curtain, as opposed to a full window covering. I like to double my width of fabric for curtains. So my 48” windows will have at least 96” across (most likely four panels per window, depending on the width of the panel). This way you’re sure to block out sunlight if you’re using curtains for appearance as well as practicality.
If you’d like your curtains to appear more taught, or to steam iron, this item from Amazon can do the trick.
Simply put the cord in the bottom of the curtain to weigh it down. If you’d like to puddle your drapery, you can better place the bottom of the curtains to lay the way you’d like them to as well.
Where can you find great ready made curtains at decent prices? Fortunately, there are many options including,
Pottery Barn & West Elm
JCPenny
Wayfair
Overstock
Amazon
Target
Bed Bath & Beyond
I’d love to see what you’re working on and any tips, tricks or hacks to hanging curtains in your home. Tag me on Instagram @nancymichaelsinterios or share them to our Facebook page!