We finally hung some more permanent curtains up in Greta’s room, and I absolutely love how they turned out. Her room is far from “finished,” in fact, she recently revealed to me that she doesn’t really like pink anymore (teens), but her room feels much more cohesive now. This cohesive look actually got me thinking about window coverings in general and when and why I would choose to hang curtains vs. shades or blinds. So today, we’re diving in. Let’s take a look at some examples of when to use curtains and how to choose the right ones for your home.
First and foremost, curtains offer a lovely way to balance privacy and light. If your room faces the street or a neighbor’s window, drapes can provide the necessary privacy while still allowing soft light to permeate. Of course, curtains aren’t the only window covering that can shield you from neighboring eyes and sunlight, but that’s one of their many uses.
When I was designing Faye’s room and trying to decide on window coverings, it took some playing around before getting it right. Since her bed is pushed up against the windows, I knew that the best way to add privacy would be by installing shades, but the room could really benefit by introducing more pattern and color through the curtains. Once we hung these custom curtains originally made for Polly’s Modern Cottage bedroom, the room just felt complete.
Functionally, they stay open at all times and frame the windows just how I like, and we simply close the shades at night.
Now, Polly’s room is a different story. Her walls are covered in the prettiest scenic wallpaper, which I don’t want to cover up at all, and there’s not much room on either side of the windows for curtains anyway. Plus, I really like how the white shutters add some charm to the space.
In the case of our walk-in closet, we needed some extra textiles to soften the look and feel of the room — easily fixed with some curtains.
Curtains (similar) | Ottoman | Vanity (similar) | Vanity Mirror (similar) | Chair (similar) | Chandelier | Cabinet Knobs
Bold-patterned or brightly-colored curtains can really capture the eye’s attention. In Faye’s Modern Cottage room, I went with these complementary gold velvet curtains to draw the eyes up to the ceiling and the cloud chandelier.
Bed (similar) | Curtains | Curtain Rod | Lamps (similar) | Mirror (similar) | Chandelier (similar) | Wallpaper | Duvet Cover
Long curtains, especially when hung just below the ceiling and extending to the floor, can make your windows look larger and your ceilings higher. My #1 tip when hanging curtains is to go high and wide to “cheat” the appearance of a large window. If you look closely at our basement, you might see that the curtain is hugging the edge of the window, making it look larger than it actually is (and who doesn’t love a big window?)
Ottoman (similar) | Floor Lamp | Curtains | Tree | Leather Chair | Curtain Rod
Lastly, curtains, particularly thick ones, can help dampen sound, making rooms like home theaters, bedrooms, or even noisy city apartments more homey and comfortable.
For a guide on “How to Hang Curtains Correctly,” check out this post, and if you want some curtain recommendations, we’ve sorted some of our favorites priced from low to high below!
Our wood grain Shaker cabinet fronts were designed for busy, high-traffic homes like ours. Clad with durable textured thermofoils, this line is compatible with Sektion, Akurum, Godmorgon, and Besta cabinets from IKEA. It's the perfect, practical way to add the warmth of wood to all the rooms of your home.
We have teamed up with Loloi to create a line of rugs that are as affordable as they are beautiful. This collection houses a great mix of traditional and modern rugs, in cottage-y colorways, as well as vintage-inspired beauties that you’ll want to roll out in every room.
We partnered with Stuga on a line of hardwood floors — The Ingrid is really livable, and the color is very neutral. It doesn’t lean warm or cool, it’s that just right in-between. We have really loved putting it everywhere in our house. It’s the best jumping-off point for design, no matter your interior style. In addition to being beautiful, Ingrid is really durable — we have three kids, and we always have a home construction project going on. Ingrid stands up to it all.
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A reader recently asked me if I’m starting to fully embrace traditional style and whether we still consider our house to be a “modern Colonial” and why. It was a really great question and so timely — I had really just been thinking about my approach to this home and how my style has changed […]
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Get Around
Make yourself right at home
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Projects
Lifestyle
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All Posts
Shop
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“curtains are the unsung heroes of home decor! 😄 Yours add such a warm vibe. Any favorite curtain shopping spots? 🏠”