Choosing the right curtains can feel so hard. Here are 5 tips to help you learn how to choose the right curtains and make the process simple and quick.
#1 – Buy the Right Length
Learning how to choose the right curtains is simple. This first tip might be the most important one. Buying curtains that are too short can quickly dwarf your space and make your window seem smaller. I always recommend buying 96″ curtains, as they make your ceilings look taller, your window look bigger and it just makes your room look overall more expensive. Sounds like a “win” in my book!
This post may contain affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
VIDEO – How to Choose the Right Curtains
#2 – Buy the Right Width
Width is important as well, as you want to make sure you have enough width to close the curtains and have it feel private. The traditional rule for width is that you want to have curtains that are double the width of the window. This might mean purchasing several panels for each side. You always want to make sure that the curtains look thick enough on the sides of the window when they are open.
#3 – Buy the Right Material
I have a thing about materials. I always prefer natural materials, such as cotton and linen. These materials elevate the space majorly, as they just look a little more expensive. If you look at a higher end catalog, such as Arhaus or Anthropologie, you won’t see microfiber, but you will see linen and cotton. Make sure to always pick a natural material as they just have a more high-end look. You won’t regret it 😉
#4 – Hang them high and wide
The way curtains are hung can make or break a space. You’ll want to take your 96″ curtains and hang them one of two ways… 1. As high as you need to in order for them to just touch the ground or slightly pool or 2. Hang your rod 5-6 inches above your window and hem your curtains if needed. I prefer the first method, as I’m not one to actually execute the hemming part. 😉
Before
After – Curtains hung high and wide
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with the first way, I just prefer the curtains to be high and wide, to make the ceilings look taller and elevate the space.
#5 – Buy the Right Color
Last, but not least, color. Picking a color is probably the least important part, because when you follow the other 4 tips, your curtains are going to look so good. There might be a few exceptions to this, but most likely any color you pick will look good, assuming you follow the other 4 tips.
With that said, however, I tend to stick with neutral curtain choices. Mostly because I love neutrals, but also because it doesn’t lock me into any design choices. When my curtains are neutral, I can change up the rest of my room just about as much as I want to, without having to change my curtains. I like having the freedom to do that, which is another reason I like to stay neutral with curtains. That could mean white, natural (beige), even charcoal gray. You could probably consider dark green or navy a neutral as well. Patterned curtains can be fun, I just sometimes hesitate as I usually don’t want the windows to be my focal point.
BONUS tip #6 – Layer Woven Blinds
You didn’t know you were getting a bonus tip, did you? 😉
I love the look of woven blinds layered with my curtains. It just takes everything to the next level. It feels so much more stylish than just plain white blinds. In our old house, I did this on several windows and it just adds so much coziness. Here are some Woven Blinds that would look great with curtains.
When we bought our new house, I found a stack of custom fit woven blinds for practically every room stacked in our basement and you can imagine I was very excited. I’m still working on putting them all up, as it’s kind of a 2 person job to hold them up, measure, drill holes, attach them, etc. But I’m excited to get them all in place and just add some coziness.
Here are some options…
I’ve collected a few options for you, following the 5 tips above. Here are several different choices, in a few different price ranges, that will help you learn how to choose the right curtains. Amazon being the lowest price range (but still a really cute curtain – I have them in our playroom) and West Elm being the highest. Check them out for yourself!
I hope these 5 tips help you to feel more confident when learning how to choose the right curtains. It’s a simple process and you really can’t go wrong when you follow these tips. Give a try and let me know how it goes in the comments below!
Pin it for Later
Thanks so much for reading!
Leave a Reply