Curtains 101
Spruce Up Your Space With Curtains
Draperies do more than block out the sun. Window treatments can transform a room, adding personality and character. With endless patterns, dimensions, and hardware options available, it’s easy to let your style shine through.
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Try Reversible Panels
These custom-made drapery panels, with the green-and-ivory plaid visible from both inside and outside the house, help tie together the room’s color palette. The curtains pool at the floor with a few inches of extra fabric, offering a look that’s consistent with the room’s formal decor.
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Let Curtains Define a Space
These gingham curtains frame the desk area, setting it apart from the room. Slightly pleated at the heading, the curtains break at the floor by a few inches, creating a relaxed feel that softens the look. The added length also allows for imperfect measuring.
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Keep It Casual
Café curtains, hung at or near a window’s midpoint, are perfect for kitchens or anywhere you’d like to create an informal atmosphere. They’re also a great way to add a pop of color when full coverage isn’t needed. These are hung using rings with clips, so any piece of fabric can be used as a curtain.
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Customize Ready-Made Panels
Wide bands of fabric at the headings of these draperies turn ready-made into a bolder statement. Get this look for your home by purchasing inexpensive solid curtain panels and adding horizontal bands of fabric or ribbon in decreasing widths. Try strips in 1-, 2-, and 4- inch widths, evenly spaced. You’ll achieve a custom look without the custom price tag.
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Add Style With a Pelmet
These curtain panels are hung behind a pelmet (also known as a cornice), so the hardware doesn’t distract from the elegant fabric. The structured frame, used to enclose the top of a curtain, adds a touch of formality. With this installation, you don’t have to worry about what kind of curtain rod to buy; it’s hidden from view, so an inexpensive stock one will do. Custom-made pelmets offer a cohesive look when built to match crown molding.
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Soften Your Space
Linen draperies hung corner to corner at the top of the wall give the illusion of higher ceilings and bigger windows. Finished with a pocket through which the curtain rod slides, the draperies soften the room by flanking the window with unbroken expanses of fabric.
Note: What this fabric hides might surprise you: audio equipment that’s mounted to the wall. Linen is a good choice because sound can flow through without being muffled.
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Choose Curtains That Fit Your Needs
Café curtains are a great way to keep glare off your computer without cutting out all light. The metal grommets are a simple alternative to fussy rings, which would overwhelm this small nook.
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Update a Classic
For a look that’s clean and streamlined, hang panels with a matching valance. This curtain’s simple dot pattern updates the traditional-style treatment and, hung against white walls, gives a modern edge.
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Have Fun With Borders
Bright colors and whimsical borders can enhance a room’s playful style. Here the drapery’s scalloped, bright pink edge completes the color scheme and adds a touch of femininity.