If there’s one thing that we can count on like clockwork, it’s a flurry of curtain & blind-related questions in our inbox each and every day: where should I put curtains? where can I find good curtains? how do I hang curtains? So we’re here to answer a slew of them in one fell swoop. Hold onto your hats people, this could get crazy.
Q: What is your general philosophy on window treatments?
A: We believe that curtains and blinds can make for the biggest change in a room next to paint. They’re hugely important for a major makeover, and can add height, drama, breezy ambiance, softness, and even a punch of color to any space- and we definitely encourage everyone to give them a spin! We’re generally not big fans of valances, but we love the floor length curtain and blind combination and we always hang them “high and wide” as we say so often.
This means that we like hanging outside mounted bamboo blinds or roman shades a few inches below the ceiling to “cheat” a window up, and create the effect that it’s much taller and grander than it really is. Then hanging a curtain rod at the same level as the blinds, but extending the rod about 18″ wider than the window on both sides creates the look of a much wider window and allows the curtain panels to hang in front of the wall instead of encroaching on the window and blocking lots of much-needed light. When in doubt, go high and wide- it’ll make your ceilings feel taller, your room feel brighter, and your windows look HUGE!
Q: Where Do You Shop For Affordable Curtains?
A: Ikea, Target, Walmart, West Elm, JC Penney, and Bed Bath & Beyond are all great places to turn to when you’re hunting for curtains. Here are our ultimate favorites hanging on our living room window above (Ikea Vivan panels that are oh so cheap and classic- plus they come in two different lengths and have no-sew iron-on hem tape for easy installation that looks crisp and custom).
Q: How Do You Find Blinds Long Enough For Large Windows?
A: Here’s the secret: you can actually use two bamboo blinds hung next to each other to create the look of one for about a tenth of the price of a long custom blind! In fact, in our very own living room (pictured above) those are actually just two super cheap bamboo blinds snagged at Walmart and hung right next to each other (thanks to the textured bamboo material, no one’s the wiser). Beyond checking your local Walmart for a bunch of cheap bamboo blinds in many sizes, you can also try Target, Bed Bath & Beyond and even JC Penney for similar options.
Q: Where Can I Find Affordable Curtains For My Super Tall Ceilings (11 feet)?
A: For your curtain sitch in the room with the 11′ ceilings (what an awesome problem to have!) we’d suggest just hanging the longer Vivan curtains from Ikea (118′ long) since they’ll add a great amount of height and softness without needing to go all the way to the top of your 11′ walls (and they’re deliciously cheap to boot).
Q: How Should I Treat Curtains For 3 Windows Along One Wall With Space In Between?
A: Definitely go with one long rod. It will look seamless and less visually broken up… and it might even create the look of one big window instead of three smaller ones next to each other. We know that JC Penney sells curtain rods and extender pieces that can stretch those rods far beyond 12′ which should solve your problem on the double. For a visual, check out Blayne’s living room makeover that we helped her with a few month’s back. You can see how adding curtain panels where there are slivers of wall creates a breezy effect and makes smaller side-by-side windows look like one big wall of glass (and you can see how she cheated them about a foot and a half higher than the window and it looks great):
Q: What Window Treatments Should I Hang In My Bay Window?
A: Just do what we suggested for one our lovely readers (great job Nichole!). She removed her old swagged valance…
…and used a bay window curtain rod (available at Smith & Noble and JC Penney- or you can use three regular rods and remove the finials on the ends that meet to create the look of one seamless rod) to follow the contour of the bay window and hung some breezy curtains for softness along with inside mounted 2″ blinds for privacy.
Isn’t this window transformation astounding?! That’s the power of curtains, people!
Q: How Can I Use Curtains To Make A Curtain That’s Off Center Look More Symmetrical?
A: We’d totally vote for cheating the curtains over a bit for the appearance of a more balanced window. Once the panels are in place no one will know where the wall ends and the window begins! We actually cheated the heck out of our living room window and even the bedroom window with long floor length curtains (since they’re both not centered) and it adds a lot more balance and symmetry to each room.
Q: I already have inside mount blinds. Can I still hang curtains high & wide?
A: We definitely think the curtain panels would still look lovely hung high and wide with white wood blinds, but instead of hanging them right at the ceiling height, you’ll want to mount the rod about 6″ above the window so they’re cheated a bit higher but they still have a visual relationship with the blinds below. Almost everyone cheats their curtains at least 6″ above their windows these days, just because hanging the rod right at the top of the window can look oddly invasive and heavy… it needs a little air to breathe! And the bonus height and drama that it brings is the icing on the cake. Since a picture’s worth a thousand words, here’s another room makeover that we whipped up a while back to show just how lovely inside mount white wood blinds can look with curtains hung about 6″ above the top of the window:
Q: How Do You Keep Ikea White Curtains Clean?
A: With a dog and countless home improvement projects going on at all times, it’s safe to say that white curtains can be just as easy to maintain as any other color (our living room ones even survived a nearby kitchen remodel). We like to wash our Ikea curtains before we hang them so they’re pre-shrunk (in case we need to launder them to refresh them once a season, we don’t have to worry that they’ll shrink up and look like highwaters). Then it’s just about tossing them in the wash a few times a year to keep them looking bright. A lot of moms even tell us that white is their favorite upholstery color since it can be bleached or oxycleaned and always looks crisp and fresh.
Q: What Do You Do For Window Coverings In A Bathroom?
A: Both of our bathroom windows are blissfully bare. We’re lucky that they each overlook the backyard (so privacy isn’t an issue), but we like the look of shades, blinds, or even frosted window film or spray. There are lots of options for the bathroom, so as long as you don’t go with floor length curtains you’ll be a-ok. Sometimes the best idea is to peruse a shelter magazine or the internet for a bathroom you love and see how they addressed the windows and follow their lead. Inspiration is everywhere!
Q: What Do You Do About Privacy With Your Blind / Curtain Combo?
A: We actually never lower the bamboo blinds or close the curtains for privacy (we have a good amount of space between the houses in our neighborhood and we hang out in the den at night, which isn’t visible from the street (it’s behind that front fireplace that you see in our header- so there’s no front window to watch The John & Sherry Show from the street).
That being said, we do have those cheap-o white inside-mount roller shades in the bedrooms to block the light at night. The great thing is that they tuck right under our higher-mounted roman shades so no one’s the wiser that they even exist when they’re up. Anything from an interior mounted hidden roller shade to some pull-up 2″ blinds are perfect to use for privacy (since you can pull them up and “hide them” behind your bamboo blinds or roman shades when they’re not in use).
Q: What Curtain Length Do I Use On 96″ French Doors?
A: Good news! The Ikea curtains are great because they come with iron-on hem tape (no sewing, just fold the curtains where you wish they’d stop and iron the hem tape onto the bottom for an instant no-sew hem). But even though they’re easy to hem, it’s even easier to just hang those 98″ panels above your transom (wash them before you hang ‘em to pre-shrink them to make sure they don’t look too short for your perfectly mounted rod!). It’ll look great. And if you just wanted to mess around with the hem tape for fun, you could always get the 118″ curtains and hang them about 6″ above your transom for a bit more breathing room and height (and then just break out that iron, baby!).
Q: What Color Or Finish Curtain Rod To You Prefer?
A: We usually like oil-rubbed bronze or black rods best for our home (they feel classic without drawing a lot of attention to themselves), but chrome rods can look amazing and become more of a modern touch in contemporary rooms (especially with grommeted curtains). White rods can definitely work in certain situations but we find that thin white metal rods can feel a bit too dainty (you want your rods to be understated but not to look too flimsy for the long floor-length curtains they’re supporting). There are tons of gorgeous options out there though (our den ones, pictured below, are from Target), so it’s really just a matter of personal preference!
Q: Would It Look Weird To Have Different Height Curtains On On Wall? We Have A Sliding Glass Door Next To Windows…
A: I’d use the blinds and the curtains on both the windows and the sliding glass door for instant cohesion and balance. I’d also go out of my way to hang curtains at the same level (cheat one set higher so they look more symmetrical and balanced). Voila: height, softness and elegance to spare.
Q: What would you guys suggest for windows that have vertical blinds that can’t be removed (we rent)? Also, in a room that has contemporary black furniture, would you suggest white panels or black panels on those windows? Do you match your curtains to the main color of the room decor? Thanks so much!
Q: What About Curtain With Veritcal Blinds? We Rent.
A: When it comes to your curtain debacle, I’d generally steer clear of solid black curtain panels (since they can seem pretty heavy and dark) but something with a pattern that includes some black to tie them into your furnishings would be great (we love these from Ikea with white, black and green stripes). You can also choose to tie your curtains in with the wall color for an expansive and layered look or even with the upholstery on your sofa (say it’s tan, a cream curtain would complement that beautifully without feeling matchy-matchy). And when it comes to you vertical blinds, drawing them to one side and hiding them behind your curtain panels will make them virtually invisible (but they can still be used by pulling them back out when you need them). Similarly, horizontal blinds can be pulled all the way up and obscured behind bamboo blinds or roman shades when they’re not in use. Oh happy day.
Q: I know you guys are crazy about using white curtains for that light and airy look, but can bright saturated curtains work too?
A: They sure can. Check out this kitchen makeover that we helped Carla out with a few weeks back. This is her space before our accessory intervention…
And this is the same space after some paint and a few new accessories (including the vibrant green curtains that really make the space).
Q: Can I Use Blinds Or Curtain On Sliding Glass Doors?
A: Beth actually took our white-curtains-with-bamboo-blinds suggestion to heart when it came to her sliders, and here’s the amazing transformation. This is her valanced sliding door before…
… and her light and airy after:
The best part is that if you still want privacy (or are a renter) you can keep your vertical blinds pulled to the side and tucked behind one of the curtain panels to hide them when they’re not in use.
So there you have it. About a million curtain related queries and some lovely eye candy to demonstrate the power of curtains and blinds. Happy hanging everyone. And for more curtain related tips, tutorials and photos, check out our living room’s curtain & blind combination, and our den’s not-naked-anymore windows.
Update – Wanna know where we got something in our house or what paint colors we used? Just click on this button:
liz says
Wow, that was a whirlwind of info, thanks! I do have one follow up: what about a bay window in a kitchen (very similar to the one you pictured) that has a window seat instead of going all the way to the floor?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Liz,
In that case I would just do panels on either side of the bay (none in the middle) that are still floor length, but wider than the bench so they don’t interfere (the bay will look like a little tucked-away escape… so sweet and private).
xo,
s
Wendy says
Great ideas – I totally needed some of the ideas for my house. I have not one single curtain hanging right now because I didn’t know how to tackle my windows because everything in my den and spare bedroom have plantation shutters, but I love the addition of the wispy white with the black rods that can add softness to the room. Great, as always!
Holly says
I thought your readers might like to know that Amazon has great prices on Top Blinds’ bamboo blinds–and free shipping! They come in many sizes, more than say, Wal-Mart or BBB. (By the way, I don’t work for either Amazon or Top Blinds.)
Jill says
Wow, such good tips!! Thank you! I only wish I had an IKEA close by to get those Vivian curtains…..or that I could order online. I may need to make a day trip somewhere. :)
elizabeth says
Do you think that plantation shutters are worth the investment? We are on the fence about it, but have heard that they really add value to your home.
Thanks,
Elizabeth
Charity says
I’d like to know what your thoughts on shutters are too.
YoungHouseLove says
I think curtains and blinds in general can really add value to your house because they draw the eye up and add height and softness and can allow maximum light in if they’re hung high and wide, etc… so I think there are cheaper ways to complement your windows instead of pricey custom plantation shutters. But that being said they’re always lovely accents that you’ll enjoy for years to come (and they certainly can’t hurt when it comes to selling) so it’s really your call!
xo
s
abbey says
Wow – these are lots of great tips! I do have a question though – what do you do when you have baseboard heaters on the floor underneath the windows? I’m assuming that you can’t use floor length curtains (don’t want to start a fire). So should you shorten the curtains to just above the heaters or go withi 63 inch curtains? I do love the look of floor-length curtains. That’s the dilemna I’m facing with my family room (it’s me Abbey – the one with the FR makeover). Thanks!
Betsy says
Great post! I was about to ask the very same bay window/window seat question. I’ve struggled with that for question for years! Have you seen any pictures for an example of how this would look anywhere?
YoungHouseLove says
Betsy- Nope don’t know of any pics off the top of my head by Candace Olson takes this approach on Divine Design a lot so you can try checking out that show. Of course you can also probably google image “bay window” and see what comes up. Happy hunting…
Abbey- Ending the curtains right above the baseboards will look like highwaters so definitely go for the around-the-bottom-of-the-window hem instead. Hope it helps!
Elizabeth- Personally, I think curtains and blinds in general can really add value to your house because they draw the eye up and add height and softness and can allow maximum light in if they’re hung high and wide, etc… so I think there are cheaper ways to complement your windows instead of pricey custom plantation shutters. But that being said they’re always lovely accents that you’ll enjoy for years to come (and they certainly can’t hurt when it comes to selling) so it’s really your call!
xo,
s
Whitney says
I love all your tips and suggestions!! I have a follow up as well. I have been having so much trouble with my bay window, the problem is I don’t have it in my kitchen I have it in my living room. It’s a big focal point since it’s the first thing you see when you walk in the house! Our TV is also on the opposite side so when people are walking by they can see everything, so privacy at night is a must. The sizes of the windows are also odd as well so finding shades/curtains have been very frustrating. I have ordered the pottery barn ribbon border roman shade for all three windows; however, I am nervous that it will look silly. What do you recommend, doing the panels like the picture you showed of the persons kitchen? We have nothing on them now, when we bought the house blinds were not on any window:( Is it worth it to just buy some fake wood or bamboo blinds that you mount on the inside and get the panels? I am also struggling with the color of the panels since my couch is the color of yours and my accents are red, i guess going with a textured white should be safe. Sorry for the long post,getting out all my frustration was difficult:)
YoungHouseLove says
Whitney- I think mimicking the bay window shown above will be flawless (they’ll look great in any room- not just a kitchen). You’ll have the wood blinds for privacy and the curtains for softness and height. Hope it helps.
xo,
s
TB says
Oh I wish I had gotten my curtain question in before this post! Our sliding glass doors are nestled in a bay window, with small windows to each side. Unfortunately, there is a soffit immediately above the door frame, so we can’t put a rod above it. The previous owners mounted the vertical blinds directly to the molding around the sliding doors. What do you think we could do? I don’t think there’s room on the molding to mount bamboo blinds and a rod.
priscilla says
wow. that was a trip. =P
Kori says
The only “windows” in my master are a set of french doors leading to a patio. I have seen your slider solutions, but my doors open into the room. I can def see the panels working, but should I try to do the bamboo shades as well?? I think I would have to set them reeeally high since I use that door regularly and that might look funky.
Susan says
Great info! Thanks! I have another question though, What about a really long wall in my living room probably around 30 feet….it has a door to the porch in the middle, about 1-2 foot on each side of the door, and then 3 big windows on each side…..should I try to to put a couple of rods together so that it goes across the whole back wall, and then let the curtains hang on the both sides of the door, and on the outside of the windows? Right now I have curtains on both sides of the windows, but the door seems to stand out, and I don’t want the door to stand out, I’d rather it seem like one seamless wall of windows. If this is possible, Do you have any pictures with several rods put together?
claire says
those are great tips! thanks so much! i’ve never really known what in the world to do in our house in terms of curtains, but you guys are so inspiring!
Denise says
As always, you’ve left me inspired with some great tips and ideas! This will definitely help me decide what to do with my kitchen windows. But sadly, the builder who constructed my ten-year-old ranch home had no design for windows in the Master BA. Weird! Still I loved the home enough to buy it. Any suggestions on “faking” a natural light source in the bathroom??
~ Denise
YoungHouseLove says
Ack! Answers just breed more questions, huh?
Denise, we would switch out your lighting above the sink for something with more bulbs so you can get more light in there. Other than a skylight or punching out a window it’s the way to go.
Susan, we would definitely suggest creating the look of one long rod across the entire wall and softening the windows and the door with curtains. I don’t have a picture to show you, but removing the finials on the ends of the rods that meet should do the trick.
Kori, you can just skip the blinds and go for curtains on either side or hang them higher as you suggested so they don’t interfere with the door.
TB, this is a toughie. I would actually just play around with things (maybe purchase bamboo blinds and curtains and rods and save the receipts and see what works in such a tight space). You might want to just go for bamboo blinds mounted to the molding and leave the curtains for another space since they’ll be under a soffit anyway. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Sarah says
Thanks for all the tips. One other tip that I have used in my house is using table cloths as curtains. Places like Crate and Barrel put them on fantastic sales since they always have seasonal colors and they come in window lengths. I have 9 foot ceilings, so I purchased 108″ table cloths (my windows are huge so I bought 4 and sewed 2 together for each side but other than that, all the edges are already finished for you!!), mounted my rod high and wide (ceiling height), and used the clip rings (Thanks target) to hang the curtains. Easy as pie, cheap as poptarts.
Letty says
I was eagerly reading through all the fabulous tips to see if there was a solution to my problem, but I might be the only one with this situation! My huge sliding doors go all the way up the ceiling so there’s not much room above (maybe about an inch) and I have crown molding on the ceiling all the way to the edge of the doors. There used to be vertical blinds that I had removed and want to put curtains, but I can’t find hardware that will work in this space, since I need the curtain rod to sit basically right at the top of the window, but have 3-inch crown molding on either side. Can you guys think of anything I can do??? Thanks a mil!! Love love love your site!!!
Thanks,
Letty
Nichole says
Whitney,
I got my Hunter Douglas Chalet 2″ wood blinds from nobrainerblinds.com and the curtain panels are the Cameron Cotton Drapes from Pottery Barn. The wood blinds are custom sizes and pretty affordable. I tried to match the color to the wood cabinetry in my kitchen and family room.
Cecily says
This is probably a very silly question, but I’m moving into a new apartment and our new living room has two small-ish windows a few feet apart. I was planning on doing separate shades/curtains on each but do you think that one long curtain rod across would look better instead? Or should we just stick to two totally separate window treatments since there is so much space between them? Thanks!
August says
I am such a voyeur and love being able to see what people do to their homes which makes me so excited to have found your site. We just bought our first house and I love finding inspiration from you both. We just hung curtains in our bedroom and I didn’t want to spend a fortune on a curtain rod so I bought a wooden dowel (the kind usually for closests) and had it cut to my 12 foot length I needed. Painted it a creamy white and for $15.00 I had a 12 foot curtain rod.
Katie says
Great tips! What about a window with an odd shape? In my living room a I have a large window with an architecturel small curved transom window above it. Right now I have blinds on the main window, but I am at a loss of how to do curtains with how it would look with the architectural window above it – any ideas?
Laura says
Wow! So thorough! I wanted to hang curtains in my current place but they have vertical blinds, PLUS these plastic valances covering the tops of the blinds. Ugh! Luckily, only two more months until the design process starts over! Phew!
Thanks for sharing!
YoungHouseLove says
Katie- Hmm, good question. That’s something we’d probably google and flip through design mags for ideas. Hopefully you’ll find someone with a similar window and love what they did (maybe just simple white curtains on a rod below the curved transom?) and use it as inspiration. And you can also experiment by bringing home a few curtain and blind options and returning whatever doesn’t float your boat.
Cecily- It’s not a silly question at all, in fact we’re stumped. Since we encourage people to mount their curtains about 18″ past the sides of their windows, it stands to reason that you could use all one rod and treat both windows as one with curtains in front of the gap between them for the look of all one window. On the other hand, since there’s more than just a sliver of wall, it might look nice to treat each window individually although they’ll be pretty close once the curtains go up. Let us know how it all works out! Good luck!
Letty- Basically, what would work for you would be to eliminate a rod and somehow hang curtains on either side of the glass without needing to mount a rod in the cramped space above them. In our sunroom we didn’t use a rod to hang curtains (John MacGuyvered them in place with twine and nails) and this solution will work for you as well since you’ll just be able to use the top of the wall space on either sides of the doors to hold the curtains up (they’ll appear to be floating on either side and you won’t have to worry about a rod). Here’s the sunroom link about our floating curtains in there- hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amanda says
Great post! I do have a question about a big living room window (like yours). Since you don’t close your 2 bamboo blinds on your window, what do you suggest for those that would need to close them each night? I like the approach of using 2 blinds right next to each other, but since the cords hand on the right side of the blinds we would have a cord hanging right down the middle of our big picture window. Suggestions? I know they make cordless ones, but I think the ‘cheaper’ standard sizes all have cords!
YoungHouseLove says
Amanda,
Another good question! You wouldn’t use the bamboo blinds for privacy (since you’d tuck the vertical cord that would cut through both of them up and not use ’em) but you could stick inexpensive roller blinds or vertical blinds behind the bamboo blinds (inside mounted) and use those for privacy (pulling them up out of the way when you want to hide them). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Erin says
I’m loving all the curtain ideas! I have another design question request for you guys. Do you think sometime in the future you might discuss the topic of trim color? I adore white woodwork but it looks like we might be moving into a house with beautiful stained trim and molding. I am not against painting it, but I’m eager to think about color and decor options that could work with the wood tones instead of just painting an entire house of trim and doors. I would love hearing your opinions!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Erin,
Interesting subject. We’ll definitely try to chat about trim (painted and natural) sometime soon.
xo,
s
kat says
Brylane Home has a really awesome bay window curtain rod (unfortunately I can’t find it on the site right now – they run out of things FAST!) but if it comes back on again – it’s a good place to look. It’s got rubbery corners so it can fit anywhere.
Laura says
Man, I so wish I’d had this info before investing in and hanging the curtains in our bedroom. They’re gorgeous, but I should have ordered longer ones (or installed the rod lower). They are totally high-waters, touching the top of the baseboard! :( At least they’re the same color as the baseboard. Even if I let out the hems, they’d still be too short. Great advice – I’ll employ it in the few windows that still need curtains!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Laura,
We feel your pain! One way to alter your existing curtains is to sew (or have a local seamstress sew) a band of fabric on the bottom of each panel (about 18″ or so) for a tone on tone look to make them a lot taller and add a bit of fun detail. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Kate says
We have two good-sized windows in our living room (about 4′ high & 7 ft. wide total). The two windows are side by side with a standard 3.4″ trim piece separating the two … the windows aren’t centered along the living room wall, though, but are pushed almost all the way to the corner of two walls. The right window trim is only about 4 inches from the corner wall. What’s a girl to do? I love the “mounting wide” philosophy, but don’t have the space to extend a rod farther with the right window being so close to the corner. Love your bamboo blinds & white curtains look, should I just forgo the wide mount and stick to mounting curtains high?
YoungHouseLove says
Kate- I would treat both windows like they’re one big window and even though you can’t cheat the curtains wide since they’re so close to the corner, you can still hang curtains on either side and blinds above them (a bit high for more height even if you can’t go wide is always good) and both windows will look dramatic and lovely. Hope it helps!
Kimberly- We would either forgo curtains on windows with your corner situation (and just stick to clean white roman shades or bamboo blinds) or we would hang curtain panels on either side of them even if you can’t go wide due to the corner. It’s really all about what looks good when you step back- so feel free to experiment!
Amanda- Good question about bamboo blinds with wood trim. It’s really all about what tickles your fancy so if you’d like the tones to be extremely close and even “match” that will look cohesive and deliberate while a deeper or lighter toned bamboo blind will still complement the trim since there are so many shades of brown and tan in the flecked bamboo shades. I think the real answer is probably something like this: it’s hard to go wrong with bamboo shades no matter what color you end up with. Just try to think about undertones when you select yours (don’t bring home something with very red undertones if your wood has yellow ones). Hope it helps!
Leah- We would definitely definitely paint those plantation shutters white for a clean and updated look in a snap. Removing them and using a small brush to get into all the nooks and crannies should work (you’ll want to use an oil-based primer on them first and then apply very thin non-drippy coats of latex paint only after each coat has thoroughly dried). It should look flawless if you go slow and use thin even coats. No globbing! You could also try white spray-primer and paint but be very careful not to get too close or spray them too heavily or they’ll end up covered in drops. As for the blinds with the shutters, it might be a bit much, but hanging breezy curtains high and wide without the blinds will still look airy and light (instead of cheating them to ceiling height, just hang the rod about 6 inches above the windows so it still has a relationship with the plantation shutters). Good luck!
Margaret- Maybe you can hang bamboo blinds or roman shades right over the plastic valances of the vertical blinds and then hang curtains on either side of the window (even if you can’t hang them as wide as you’d like due to the wall being there). That way the blinds will cover the plastic valances and the curtains will allow you to hide the vertical blinds (when you pull them open to one side they will tuck behind the curtain panels). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Ann says
You are once again completely amazing! This is definitely going to come in handy and I’m sending it to a relative who’s at a loss for her windows! AWESOME.
Kimberly says
What a great post; thank you! But of course I have to ask a question! :) One window in our living room is right in the corner There is room to the right of the window to hang a panel high and wide, but only about 2 inches to the left of the window…should I swag one panel across the window?
Sarah says
Thanks for all the curtain advice! We’re putting ours up this week so its especially helpful.
I LOVE the PB rug in Blayne’s Living Room! Wish PB still carried it!
Cecily T says
I just have to tell that I’m squealing with delight! This answered EVERY single one of my questions that I had about the windows in my house! Now I know how to tackle them all! And with the curtains we ‘inherited’ from the previous owners (think cabbage roses in sheer!), they certainly need tackling. I’ll be referencing this post for a long time.
Huge huge thanks for this one :)
Amanda says
Like Erin, I would also LOVE LOVE a post about your ideas on indoor trim. Our whole house is Oak and I don’t like it at all. I would love to paint our kitchen cabinets white like your recent before/after kitchen, but not sure how that would look with oak trim. I would love to paint all the trim white, but the hubby isn’t real thrilled with that idea. I am the type of person that likes to see instant results and painting the entire house trim work seems like a big project… especially since we just painted every room in the house when we moved in less than 9 months ago! :)
Also curtain related, should bamboo blinds match closely to the wood trim color or go lighter or darker or stay away from bamboo blinds all together?
Thanks YHL!!!
leah says
Okay, so many useful tips here. Thanks you!
We do have a sticky situation in a condo we are looking at. There is a large window and a sliding glass door in the living area. This space has very high vaulted ceilings, and both the window and door have been fitted with custom dark wood plantation shutters.
We hate to undo all the work that was put in for those, but want to definitely face-lift those windows to look larger and brighter instead of smaller and darker. (which is the effect right now)
1. can we paint those shutters white and maintain that professional finish? How difficult will they be to paint in those small nooks etc.?
2. Can we add curtains/bamboo blinds there? How would those look partnered with plantation shutters?
We would love any help you can give us!
Jen says
Wow! This could not have come at a more perfect time. I’ve been trying to help my mom transform her bedroom and want her to incorporate the bamboo/white curtain look (thanks to you!) and wasn’t sure about how to get the width we needed. Now I know! Thanks for ALL this info. I think this is one of my favorite posts!
ChristinaMarie says
Fantastic post! You guys are such a wonderful resource, keep up the good work.
laura says
thank you, thank you, thank you! You answered every question I had about treating windows, with my french doors and bay windows, etc.
margaret says
You answered so many questions I’ve had expect one… I wanted to hang curtains in my bedroom but they have vertical blinds and plastic valances covering the tops of the blinds. On top of that the window is close to the coner 2′ from the wall. We rent so we can’t remove them. I have tried to hang curtin but i couldnt find hardwear the extened far enough to pass the valence, and we cant put it above because it it right below the ceiling. Thanks you guys are great!
Jen Z. says
WOW, that was a lot of great info. I can’t wait to finish up our Family Room and get my window treatments up. Everyone has given such great ideas. I’m going to Ikea tonight to look for those Vivan curtains. Can’t wait to see what else I might find there. ;-)
leah says
awesome! thank you so much. We’ll keep you posted on how it all turns out!.
shelly says
Thanks a lot! This is the post I’ve been waiting for.
Lindsay says
So many tips! And even more after reading through all the comments!!
One thing I saw a couple people bring up is the issue of windows that go right up next the ceiling or crown molding, leaving not enough wall space for curtains to be mounted. In an old apartment of mine, I had that issue and had really good luck with mounting the curtain rod to the _ceiling_ instead. It took a bit of work to find a rod where that worked and where the curtains would stick up enough past the top of the rod to cover the entire mount (so it wouldn’t look weird), but I was SOOO pleased with the results that I thought I’d put it out there as a possibility for other people. :)
Amy says
Wow! Great post, so much useful information!
Sam & Jacci says
Alright – I’ll ask the idiot question: How do you hang your bamboo blinds? We bought some from Target and they are hung with two little triangle-shaped rings at the top. The way we have ours hung up, though, the triangle rings **show**. This isn’t right is it? How are we supposed to hang these things to hide the nails and rings?
XO,
Jacci
Great post, by the way!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Jacci,
I actually think you just have a type of bamboo blind that hangs from rings that show (there are so many kinds out there). We got ours from Walmart and since they’re the kind that can be inside or outside mounted, they don’t hang from rings- so maybe you can exchange yours or somehow flip the rings so that they’re behind the blinds and obscured. That process is really hard to explain in words, but can you somehow bend the part of the blinds that hook over the ring backwards and secure it somehow (twine from behind?) so the rings hook over the nails and are held in place behind the blinds instead of the blinds hanging above them and showing the nails? Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Amanda says
I love that bay window transformation and I had NO idea they made curtain rods specifically for bay windows- nice! I can’t wait to change my out, hopefully soon. I have to agree with you, window treatments really pull a room together and give it that finishing touch. I’m excited to eventually do all the windows at Brian’s house- he has GREAT height in his cathedral ceilings in the main room and I think it will be great!
Carol S. says
That’s a killer article on curtains and blinds. It’s an interest of mine lately, and I always click on the mood boards for curtain details. I’ve got the ikea white panels and have used them on outside porches, inside family room for summer, and I just keep moving them around. Thanks for the awesome post.
Lynnie says
Fantastic post, really comprehensive & helpful! Have to bookmark it.
I *love* the tip about using roller blinds in the window bay behind romans. Simple but genius. And you may just have inspired me to go for a dark curtain rod in our bedroom – we’ve been curtainless in there since we moved in almost three years ago (!) because I’ve never been able to make a curtain pole decision.
Oopsie.
Katie says
Great post! I like your ideas for bay windows, but some bay windows don’t go to the floor like the one you showed…I wrestled with ideas for a YEAR before deciding how to dress mine! I finally ended up picking up the card of a woman who makes curtains at JoAnn Fabric and she made some custom for us. They mount directly onto the ceiling so no ridiculously expensive hardware is required. Plus you can choose whatever fabric you want! It was a little pricey ($400 for the labor on the bay window) but not so bad if you look at it as a long-term investment and an important part of the decor in the room. Here’s a link to our pictures:http://inpursuitofplace.blogspot.com/2009/05/curtain-call.html
Lisa says
So many great ideas! I have a bay window in a converted garage (now a cozy den) that currently has swag drapes and I would love to change them to something more updated. The problem is that the windows go almost to the floor, but the windows start at the same level as the garage door used to be. So, they have this lovely overhang making it difficult to do anything with them. There is one large window in the center and a smaller window on either side. The large window is fixed in place while the two side windows can be opened for fresh air. I love the light shining through and the view to my garden, but I am stumped for drapes. Any ideas?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Lisa,
Since you mentioned that you currently have swag drapes on the window, why not switch them out for floor length curtains which should still fit. Maybe the blinds won’t, but a curtain panel between each window and on either side of the whole grouping will really soften things up and add height- even if there’s an overhang above them.
xo,
s
Lisa says
Thank you so much! Our older ranch home had a lot of DIY in the past from previous owners. Some DIY includes lovely trim that appears to be custom made, but that also means that nothing is square or standard in our home. It makes life interesting. I will definitely try your suggestion. I had thought about floor length curtains, but worried about the large overhang. I agree it would look much more updated and it would open up the view as well. Thanks so much for your advice. I love your site – it provides constant inspiration as I struggle though my 1970’s ranch update. I’ll definitely keep the curtain and blind information handy for future reference!
Julie says
I am trying to purchase the IKEA Vivan curtains, but am not able to do it online. I live 5 hours from the closest IKEA. Any ideas or suggestions?
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Julie,
Eeks, the unthinkable happened. Since our little curtain post yesterday Ikea has completely sold out of the Vivan panels. We’re hoping that it’s only for a short time while they scramble to get more in stock, so our fingers are crossed that they’ll be back up for ordering in a week or two. Otherwise Bed Bath & Beyond or Target will definitely have something similar (just look for long simple white panels). Happy hunting!
xo,
s
Jen Caputo says
I’ve been waiting 1.5 years for inspiration to hit so that I can hang some window treatments and here you are!!! I’m so happy I found your blog. I just ordered a truckload of bamboo blinds, sheer panels, and curtain rods from JC Penny’s (they’re having a big sale). I posted my before pictures on my blog:
http://jencaputo.typepad.com/jen_caputo/2009/06/window-treatment-shopping.html
I can’t wait till they arrive and I can post the after shots!