on December 12, 2025
In a work-from-home setting, a remote employee spends more than eight hours a day sitting in front of a screen for work. Productivity becomes a challenge concerning the space you have set up for work. Consider the curtains you have in your home office. Are they aesthetically pleasing? Do they cause eye strain? Do they create harsh lighting for meetings? Do they cause hot and cold temp swings due to sunlight coming in? If they are like most home offices, they are sewn in to the home design like a living room or bedroom space, instead of a functional office space. Get curtains that will help correct the problems that are currently present, and you didn't even realize they were an issue.
Light control for your windows
Happily, any remote worker you will ask will tell you they have Screen glare problems. Unfortunately it is usually a window problem. Problems arise when the room in which you work has windows that allow direct sunshine to hit your screen. Reflection problems arise that cause the worker to squint, reposition their screen, and even have to adjust levels and screen brightness.
The solution to window problems is to find out how much light is needed for your office space.
Light filtering curtains work well for most home offices, and may even offer the solution you need. They soften harsh sunlight while softening the room and brightening it. It won't feel like you are working in a cave. Look for fabrics that block 25-50% of light, enough to eliminate glare without requiring desk lamps during the day. The benefit of dual-layer systems is that they offer greater flexibility. A lighter, inner layer deals with normal conditions, while a thicker outer curtain is available to be drawn under more intense conditions. These systems, while more costly, are able to accommodate a greater variety of lighting throughout the day, but at the expense of needing two rods.
This is where window orientation comes into play. If your window is facing the east, unfortunately, you are the most exposed because you will be blasted by the morning sun at the same time you are trying to start work, which is bad if you're an early starter. If your window is facing the west, you will encounter the sneaky low, intense sun in the mid-afternoon. South-facing windows are in trouble, getting strong light all day that badly needs filtering. North-facing is the most convenient, as the light is always more indirect and even, resulting in the best working conditions.
This all leads us to the final point, where that all important desk is located.
A good desk placement has your workstation facing perpendicular to the sun, ensuring that natural light is always available, but not pointed straight into your display. If you need curtains to manage direct light from a display facing sunlight, light filtering curtains usually work best. Blackout curtains can be too dark for daytime work, though they may be necessary in areas with intense direct sun like Arizona or Florida.
In the rare case you need your desk facing the window, the curtains will concurrently work as your video call background. More on that in the next section.
What is ideal for video conferencing?
Is there anything worse than having a window behind you during a video call? The camera compensates for the light and leaves your face as nothing but a shadow. This has probably happened to you during a call with your co-workers and they definitely didn't appreciate it.
While closing the curtains resolves the lighting issue and offers a visually appealing backdrop, your curtains now become a part of every meeting. Make sure they look good.
Camera-friendly color palettes
Choose a soft neutral color for the most professional look. Gray, taupe, light blue, or warm white all look good but won't become a distraction. White is a poor choice as it glares under camera light and very dark colors can weigh down the look of the video and darken the mood.
While absence of color is usually considered boring, look toward solid color to avoid distraction. Patterns can pull attention from your face and create a chaotic look under video compression. If you need to add a tone of texture, subtle weaves, and similar color tone patterns are your best bet.
The problem with wrinkles
Creases and wrinkles can look unprofessional on video calls. Also, video compression can make wrinkles look even worse. Some fabrics can be stubborn while others look smooth. As for curtains, heavier polyester blends and cotton weaves tend to be wrinkle resistant but pure linen will wrinkle constantly.
If your curtains are visible during video calls, try to keep them reasonably wrinkle free. It's a fine detail, but it makes a big difference for how professional your background looks.
Selecting window treatment designs and fabrics
In a home office, the design can certainly accommodate the function and style of the space. Here are a few styles that do this well.
Office-friendly cellular honeycomb shades offer a clean and professional look while filtering light and also insulating the window. Remote workers appreciate the heat and cold regulating benefits of the honeycomb structure, along with the fact that their office window can be temperature controlled with air flow. Adjusting and controlling the light with top down bottom up cellular shades lets the user customize the office light and view.
For a simple and modern dual-layer curtain, a sheer curtain can be paired with grommet curtains. The curtain slides are also grommet style, and this provides the curtain a polished look while being functional.
In professional homes with home offices, roman shades are a more tailored window treatment. They provide a clean and polished look, and fold neatly in a horizontal position when opened. The office may appreciate light filtering roman shades for all the same benefits with added functionality of being fully opaque.
Cafe curtains, heavy swags, and curtains with fringe and/or tassels don't help to create the right vibe. These styles can make a workspace feel more casual than wanted.
When it comes to the weight and material for the workplace curtains, fibers like cotton or cotton-polyester blends provide a more professional look and can be cared for easily. For a nice natural texture, a linen-look or pure linen is fine, but keep in mind pure linen wrinkles easily.
Should the curtains help a workspace feel more comfortable/cozy, insulated thermal curtains will help keep the temperature in the room comfortable for long work periods. Heavier curtains will help dampen sound as well if the workspace is near a busy street, but don't expect a miracle. Curtains will help with marginal noise reduction and will dampen enough sound to help work near a busy street, but will not help to block a significant amount of road/neighbor noise.
Curtains in neutral colors will help any decor look professional. Gray is a neutral color that comes in a variety of shades and tones that accompany any decor well. Taupe and greige are warm colors with neutral tones that are professional and not too distracting. Off-whites are a bright color that help keep a room closed feeling clean and bright. Picking a light soft blue is a good color choice to promote calm and focus.
Try to avoid coloring using brightly saturated primary colors such as red, yellow, or orange. These colors are stimulating and energizing which sounds nice and all, but are likely to be visually tiring and straining in a workspace. These colors are also likely to be unfavorable in a video call situation.
Common mistakes
Neglecting glare that might cause issues later on in the future. Lots of people are unable to connect the dots between the sun and their computer screen causing headaches or eye strain. Take the time to pay attention and observe the sun as it moves during the day. Note if you find yourself hunching over or tilting your screen to avoid reflecting of the sun in screen, that is a clear indicator that curtains are likely going to be needed.
Not having your curtains closed can cause backlight problems during video calls. Room darkening curtains work well to solve this issue.
Picking curtains that only match is also a big mistake. Yes, it's very tempting to use a decorative sheer panel that's likely going to be letting in a lot of light, but for the purpose of glare control, this is a very bad option to go for. The best way to find a curtain that matches is to prioritize function over appearance, and make a sufficient cut to make it attractive enough.
Ignoring how light moves throughout the day. The sun shifts positions between 9 AM and 4 PM. Any solution you choose should be able to deal with your absolute most challenging light situation, not just the average.
Cost and other concluding points
Quality home office curtains typically range from $100-250 per window for well-constructed options that will last. Budget alternatives exist at big-box retailers, but investing in better materials pays off in a space you use daily.
Put your budget toward light filtering capability and quality construction. Thermal properties are worth paying for if your room has temperature issues. Avoid paying premium prices for decorative details you don't need in an office setting.
Before shopping, assess your window direction, note when glare is worst, check where your desk sits relative to the window, and think about whether your curtains will appear in video calls. These answers will narrow your options quickly and help you avoid expensive mistakes. The right curtains make your workday more comfortable, and you'll notice the difference within the first week.