Curtains have a wide range of usage. They can be functional, or they can serve as part of the decor for the room. For this part of the guide, we will discuss how to make curtains look good

In order for curtains to be remembered as decorative, they need to have good coordination in how they look. At a minimum, the following should be considered as a set, and not items selected in isolation of one another. These include: proportion, color, texture, and layering. If just one or two of these attributes are selected, the curtains become a part of the room’s design.

Curtains are all about design and proportion. If these are not observed, the curtains will look cheap. Visibility, or how they are seen, can be a function of fullness, length and where the rod is mounted.

Floated, kissed, and puddled are the three design options to select from:

• If a room has heavy foot traffic, a floating length where the hem is a half inch above the floor looks better as the curtain will not get damaged easily.
• If it is a more quiet room, a kissing length is the most versatile as the hem of the curtain just touches the floor.
• If you are going for a romantic and formal style, a puddled length where the hem is above the floor looks great, but be warned that it will collect dust and pet hair.

Fullness is how much wider your curtain panels are compared to your window. If your curtain panels are the same width as your window, they'll hang to the sides flat and limp. To achieve visible folds, you'll need curtain fabric that is 1.5 to 2 times the window width. If you want deeper folds or pleats, make sure your curtain fabric is 2.5 to 3 times the window width. This is especially important with lightweight curtain fabrics like sheer, as they look sparse with little gathering.

Rod height makes a big difference to the overall height perception of a room. For example, mounting the curtain rod close to the ceiling rather than just above the window. This creates vertical lines that draw the eye and make the room feel taller, a good technique to use with rooms that have standard eight-foot ceilings.

Header style influences curtain silhouette.

• Pinch pleats have a traditional style as they create structured, even folds.
• Grommets create a modern style with wide, rolling folds.
• Rod pockets gather tightly at the top in a vintage look that creates a more informal and casual header.
• Tab tops also have a casual feel.

If you want a more stylized, cohesive look, pick a header that gives your room the mood you want instead of going with the cheapest option.

Curtains can also either be the loudest focal point in the room or the most subtle element, and both extremes can work depending on your overall room design.

Deep emerald velvet or black-and-white patterned curtains can tie together the neutral pieces in your space. If your space is quite neutral (for example, a beige couch, white walls and minimal art) a bold curtain color can help carry the room.

Or, if you wish to focus the attention onto a piece of furniture or artwork, choose "quiet" curtains. Typically, these curtains harmonize best with the wall color and, to create a seamless tone-on-tone effect, can be a shade lighter. This will help the space feel more tranquil and will also help the windows feel larger.

The type of print can also impact the feel of the entire room.

• Geometric prints are more contemporary and can go great with bold colors.
• If you want a floral design, larger prints are more modern and abstract patterns can help your space feel artistic.
• If your room has low ceilings, vertical stripes can help the room feel taller.

A curtain color will feel most intentional if it harmonizes with the other colors in the room, especially a secondary color. For example, a pattern or solid curtain can help tie together the colors in your rug, art or other decor. If the curtain color does not harmonize with the other elements in the room, it may create a feeling of disconnection, and not in a good way.

Embellishing Window Treatement Fabrication

Selecting the right fabric and decorating trims on the windows embrace creativity. Two panels in the same color can look completely different depending on the fabric details in the finish and the material. The ordinary drape can be transformed into an instant masterpiece. Every fabric has an inbuilt character.

Some fabrics have built-in visual texture:

• Velvet catches light and shifts slightly in color as you move around the room.
• Linen has a natural slub with a relaxed drape and has a wrinkling that adds to the character and relaxed look.
• Silk has a sheen with a certain fluid drape but with it, flaws in the fabric are more evident.
• Embroidered fabrics lend texture negates the need to add color and allows for more intricacies to be designed to the fabric.

Trimming such panels can add character to plain fabric without a lot of design work.

• Edge cut fringe can lend a more bohemian look and add movement to the drape when pulled closed.
• Classic tufted and braided corner tassels are traditional and can add character to corners and tie-backs.
• Pom-pom trim is more informal and is ideal for a child room.
• Vintage beaded trim is ideal for color to be balanced and catches the light.

These add character and can transform panels.

Also a popular drape trimming technique is banding where a strip of fabric is added to the lower edge of the fabric. Greek ribbon, simple satin, or a flat band of color. It frames the windows with more intent and makes budget friendly cotton drapes look more custom made tailored.

Trimming some curtains can be done at home by using some fabric glue, iron-on tape, or a simple hand stitch. Adding a 4-inch grosgrain ribbon can take around 4 hours to complete on the edge of a curtain and will cost you around $20 or less.

Layered Curtain Look

The fastest way to achieve a more polished and sophisticated look with your curtains is by layering them. To achieve more depth, try using 2 or more curtain layers that differ by weight, opacity, or color.

The most popular look is using a fully sheer curtain and a heavier outer draped curtain on the same rod. When the draped curtain is pulled back, the sheer curtain sits by itself and adds extra diffusion to the light coming in. Because of the outer curtain, the layered look is there along with some light control. When the draped curtain is closed, you get depth and visual interest without a sheer curtain behind it, illuminating the room.

It also adds a lot of visual interest to a focused color palette by mixing different textures. A linen sheer behind some heavy velvet drapes, or a crisp cotton that sits behind some woven panels of irregular, nubby texture. This is great overall weight difference, leaving more dimension to the layering effect of the fabric.

In light-beam contrast, a soft ivory sheer behind a cream drape adds a really nice subtle depth. For an added contrast try a blush sheer with a heavy charcoal drape, or for a more rustic look a white sheer behind some burnt umber rust drapes. When illuminated, the room difference of outer and inner layers creates some depth to the color of the sheers along with a nice interplay in the color vision.

If you want to have three layers facing the same direction, you want to be careful where this is going to go, and especially keep in mind the window height. A softly textured and neutral sheer, a midweight linen, and a heavier velvet on the exterior all in the same color family can be a nice design effect and help tie the window area into the rest of the room.

If you want to keep the design simple and on a budget, just a slightly sheer, softly textured neutral in the color family of the acquired design, hung at just the right height can be all that is required. However, you can opt with a heavier velvet with a tassel trim, and layered on top of an embroidered sheer.

Make a selection and a few that fit together with a complimentary design style around it. Pick a color, design style, fabric, or length that you like and go from there to really enhance the design and personal nature of the setup.