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:
Teri Davis says
We have remodeled an old victorian home. The formal dining room has the original 3.5 inch woodwork around the windows finished in dark cherry. Windows are set in a bay with the middle window measuring about 35% wider than the double hung side windows. All 3 windows have narrow transoms at the top with the casing surrounding each window and it’s transom. We are making stained glass inserts for the transoms but do not want to cover the windows as we have a perennial garden right outside. I intend to put macrame lace under the transoms but I’m not sure where to place the curtain rods. I uually hang curtains so the woodwork is exposed but I wanted to use rods and finials in this room. What is your opinion about installing the rods on the outside of that wide woodwork if I am only adding 16 inches of curtain (length)? It’s looking a little strange to me but I’m hoping it might be just that I’m not used to covering the woodwork. Thanks much.
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, we’re not really sure how it’ll look without seeing it, but maybe you can feel it out by getting rods and stepping back while someone else holds them at different heights and widths until you land on something you love? You can also search around on the internet and in decor magazines for rooms with curtains that you like and study how they did it so you can recreate that look at home. Good luck!
xo,
s
SG says
Following your lead, I’m raising our curtain rod in our nursery. Problem is that the curtains I bought will be too short if I raise the rod to just below the ceiling (94″ tall). There is 17″ between the top of the window and the ceiling.
What would you advise –
1) raising the curtains until they just graze the floor (which takes the rod about 7.5″ above the window) or
2) somehow adding some fabric (I guess about 10″) to the bottom so that the curtains can be hung just below the ceiling (then there will be 17″ of wall because we’ve already installed the room-darkening shades inside the window)or
3) some option your fabulous curtain-hanging minds will think of!
You guys have helped me so much to gain some confidence as well as provided really good advice!
Thanks so much –
YoungHouseLove says
I’d go with number one. It’s quick and easy and you’ll still have a nice high rod (7.5″ above the window is great). Good luck!
xo,
s
Rebecca ojeda says
Question re treating different window sizes in a bedroom. I have one set of French doors with side lights and on another wall two very tall windows that sit high on the wall So my instinct is to put rods at same distance from ceiling for all three areas, but how about bottoms? I’m finding that the curtains I’ve decided on don’t come in the 118 I would need to get the floor length to match the door side. The bottom of the windows are 51 inches from the floor. What length would you end them? The window opening is 46 tall by 3 wide. Ceilings are 9 1/2 feet. If I put the standard 84″ that the curtain comes in… Will this make my curtain “highwatered”. Lol? Should I try to remake these panels? (ick). And one last question… How long a span can my rod have without extra supports and how do you pull back curtains if the rod has more than one in the middle? My French with side lights is 10 feet long. Thanks for a great informational site!
YoungHouseLove says
It really depends on your rod when it comes to how many supports you’ll need (certain rods are more reinforced than others) so I would just see what the one you purchase recommends. If you need too many supports to draw the curtains, many people add bamboo blinds for privacy (or faux wood ones). As for the length of the curtains, we love the look of floor to ceiling so we’d probably DIY them with fabric to get the right length or find some that come that long. You also could add a band of fabric on the bottom of the curtains you like to extend them since they’re not long enough. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Karla says
WOW! You guys are amazing! I just bought my first house and have never hung curtains in my life! Your post on window treatments was a huge, no HUGE help.
We live in Alaska and have special blackout blinds in our bedrooms due to the midnight sun here in the summer. Your ideas to hang curtains and bamboo, solved a major issue we were having with trying to hide these ugly, yet needed bedroom blinds that cost 400 bucks each. Can’t just throw the things out right?
Is it OK to re hash an old post with you for advice on a unique living room?
My situation is we have a living room with a postcard nature view and tons of different sized windows in a narrow long space. The whole back wall of the room is windows. The ceiling is low which stinks since the view is as big as it gets.
When you come in the front door next to the door there is a small window. As you walk in, in front of you there are two huge 7×6 foot wide windows with hardly any space between them. Then a full glass porch door, then another 7 foot window. The wall directly to the right in the dining nook has a tall skinny 36″x72″ window and then a few more feet over is a kitchen sink window.
It’s seems like it could get out of hand to hang curtains in all those different sized windows and my husband is concerned about obstructing the view with too many window treatments. The three smaller windows are the only ones we need some kind of covering for since we have wilderness in our backyard. But we also could benefit from the drama and color that floor to ceiling panels can bring to a room, especially since we only have 8 foot high ceiling and lots of neutrals in our paint, carpet, and couches.
My best idea (which might be a crappy one since I am a curtain virgin and all) is to hang floor to ceiling curtains (high and as wide as I can) for the three big windows and to install white cordless wood blinds into the three small windows that need privacy. Then for the glass door buy a door insert that has the blinds inside the glass panels.
What would you, the experts do?
YoungHouseLove says
Agreed! We would give that a try for sure and just see how it looks (a lot of our method is just decide-as-you-go-and-try-things). If you think you need more curtain panels you can always add more to other windows, but I bet the balance of white wood blinds and panels will be gorgeous. Good luck!
xo,
s
Karla says
Thanks so much you guys! I feel more confident knowing some pros get me the A-OK. I also just saw your post of places to shop for decor items. Fantastic! I’m looking forward to using the list to grab some good stuff to go with my high and wide curtains!
Mindi Ritchie says
Great visual tips!
One question I have–is it ever appropriate to use two different kinds of window treatments in one room on different windows? We have a long living room with a window at each end (these we open and close regularly) and two on the north side (long side) of the room, which we rarely open. would it be appropriate to use panels on the end windows and bamboo shades on the long side? I have panels up on one window now and I think panels on all four(faux silk, kind of roomy) will really make the room look smaller.
YoungHouseLove says
You could give that a try and see how it looks. It could definitely work! And if you wanted more balance you could just do bamboo blinds and curtains on both sets of windows so they all have both the softness and the privacy going on. Good luck!
xo
s
Mary says
Hi,
What are you thoughts regarding having different types of window treatments in each room & how it looks from the “street view” if you are outside your house? For example, we have a split level and currently there are 4 windows for each separate room in the front of the house. All 4 windows currently have white backed roman shades that you can see if you were outside so it looks clean & consistent. However, my mother-in-law suggested us getting large wooden blinds for the family room. Do you think this would be okay from a “street view” since it doesn’t necessarily match the other windows? Is it a rule to make sure all treatments match from an outside view?
YoungHouseLove says
Generally it’s not always easy to see window treatments from outside thanks to glare from the window and different lighting conditions (usually you can only see easily into windows at night when lights are on). Bearing that in mind it’s totally normal to have different window treatments in every room and they aren’t expected to “match” from the outside since you probably won’t notice they don’t all match unless you leave all the lights on every evening so people can see into each room (and even then sometimes it’s just silhouettes of blinds, so you can’t tell if they’re white wood blinds or bamboo blinds, etc). I say go for it and just see how it looks. If you hate it, hopefully they’re returnable!
xo,
s
Amy says
After reading this entry I am waiting for my bamboo shades to come in the mail & copying your look. Now I’m wondering why I never decided to hang curtains long ago. The pictures are awesome, what a difference! My question is off the subject though…I really like the tv console in your living room (at least I think it’s yours, the picture with the chihuahua in it?) where did you snag it??
YoungHouseLove says
That was from Target a while back. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Tessa says
I have one half moon window above a normal one in my bedroom. I’m at a complete lost on how to include it in my window treatment plan. Or do I even include it at all? What would you do?
YoungHouseLove says
If you need to diffuse light you can always use frosting film to get a clean look. Otherwise we prefer to hang floor length curtains on the lower window and leave the top one alone. It’s definitely a personal preference thing though. Good luck!
xo,
s
Sam says
Sorry to post a comment/questions in such an old post. Hoping that you might find your way back here! I have been looking almost everywhere for affordable bamboo blinds. The nearest Walmart to us is a bit of a hike, so I tried looking online at their options. The bamboo blinds on there were VERY expensive. When you say, “super cheap” did you mean in the $35-40 range because that is all I’m finding online at Walmart. Are they cheaper in the store? Also, were the ones you used (at your old house obviously) cordless? Thanks SO much for answering my questions if you see this!
YoungHouseLove says
I think ours were about $20? Maybe $25? But they weren’t very long. You could also try Lowe’s and Home Depot (because we’ve heard they have great stuff too). They weren’t cordless though, we just wrapped the excess cord around one of the forked things they sell to screw into the side of the window so they were out of sight.
xo,
s
Kilee says
Excellent post! This is just what I have been looking for as I begin curtain decisions in our new house. My question is about our bedroom windows. There are two but they are in a corner, one window per wall. Should I treat them as one window with a long curtain on the outer sides of each window and one between them, give both windows its own set of curtains, or pick a different style of curtain? We already have white wooden blinds installed as well. Any advice would be great! Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
I would do three curtains (one in the middle of both and one on each end). And you can use two rods that look like one corner L-shaped rod like we did in our old sunroom: https://www.younghouselove.com/2010/08/our-sunroom-mini-makeover-phase-two/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Leslie Doyle says
We are moving into an apartment in NYC. The two windows measure
72 1/2″ wide. We need to mount an air-condition in one of the windows. Should we go with shades as we’ll need to be able to adjust the length of each one individually?
Also, our furniture is traditional & antique, and centered around an oriental rug– all in earth tones. Not sure bamboo blinds and white color panels are a good choice. Do we have to hang curtains around blinds to dress them up?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
You can definitely hang blinds without curtains! Just look around for a type/color that you like and measure each of your two windows to get blinds that fit. You could add curtain panels hung outside the windows to soften them and possibly shift the focus away from the air-conditioner a bit more, but just start with blinds and see if you need them in the end. One step at a time!
xo,
s
Angie says
Some really great gold nuggets in this post. We all thank you. My hubby and I are planning to do some light remodeling activities around the house and one thing we want to improve on is our window treatments. Your first Q&A was enough for the ideas to start in my head. Very nice tips, keep up the great work.
Mary says
Hi,
I wanted to get your thoughts on hanging the same type of curtain together in 2 different colors on one window. For example, I have 2 floor length panels that are in a warm khaki color, which I was going to hang on the outer ends of the window and then I was thinking of hanging 2 lighter pearl-ivory panels between the khaki panels & then putting them all on a traverse rod. What are your thoughts on this? I thought I have seen 2 different colored panels hung together in stores before but I don’t know if it would be better to just do one color. I would really like to have an ivory sheer rather than the thicker curtain but we need to have a thicker curtain due to the window location. The window is about 89 inches long, which takes up a larger portion of the room. It’s also a darker paneled room (which my hubby loves but I hate). I was thinking maybe this would be a way to get some brighter color in the room without taking down the paneling. Thoughts?
Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
I think it would look gorgeous and layered and lovely! I say go for it!
xo,
s
Amy says
This post is so helpful! Thanks for the great advice — and pictures.
We just moved into our own 1950s ranch house, and we would love to make use of the home’s original traverse rods. (With the pulleys, the drapery pins, etc. – extremely common in mid-century homes.) The house currently has the original pinch pleated heavy drapes, but we’d like to make our own breezy white panels. Any chance you know whether simple, DIY panels can work on traverse rods?
YoungHouseLove says
Ooh that sounds really cool! We haven’t tackled that yet, but maybe just try googling around or checking out some sewing books at the library to see if they have any tutorials? Good luck!
xo,
s
Vas roussos says
Hi, excellent info but im still confused on what to do with my bedoom windows. I have plastic venetian blinds left over from the previous owner. I love the look of venetians but hate the time it takes to dust them. My windows take up most of the wall and open both on the left and right, i like to have them open at night. Privacy is an issue and i get the morning sun so i need something to keep out the light. I have roller blinds in the living room on a two barrell system but i cant fit the same in the bedroom windows without having gaps either side which would let light in. I have a contempory style and wooden floor boards. Any suggestions on curtains or blinds?
YoungHouseLove says
It sounds like lined curtains (so they would block light for ya) would be a great solution! I would just search sites like overstock.com or target.com or jcpenney.com to see if you find any you like. Then just hang them up and you’re good (you can reach behind them to open them, close them for privacy/light blocking, etc). Good luck!
xo,
s
Michelle says
Thanks for all the great tips on hanging blinds and curtains! Curtains on the sliding glass door in our dining room has made a huge difference! Now for my area of need… our master bedroom is not symmetrical. Our king size bed sits on a wall with one window on the far right (if you are facing the bed) and nothing on the left. Each side of the bed has a nightstand. The bed is centered in the space from the left bedroom wall to the left side of the window opening. I am at a loss with what to do with the window and how to make it all look balanced and pretty. There is no other wall to put the bed on; tight space and just can’t give up a king size bed!
YoungHouseLove says
I would hang curtains high and wide on all windows in the room (including the one on the right of the bed) and then hang some art or a large mirror on the other side to create balance. It won’t be symmetrical, but it should make it look pretty even on either side- especially a window-shaped mirror (which adds light much like a window would). Good luck!
xo,
s
Melanie says
I was looking back through your projects since I’m looking for window treatments for my house. Just painted my dining room and I though I’d have to wait since custom blinds and shades can be pricey. Based on your suggestion I found bamboo blinds on sale for 50% off at JC Penny plus I scored free shipping. Blinds for three rooms using your tricks will cost us what one custom blind would cost us. Thank you! I love your cost saving tips and tricks!!
YoungHouseLove says
Wahoo- so glad!
xo,
s
suzie dyer says
Hi John and Sherry: My sister and I are hanging curtains in her new apartment and have a question that I don’t see answered in this post. We got a double rod and have really pretty sheers on the inside rod and dark curtains on the outside rod. The dark curtains puddle a bit and look really pretty but we can’t decide whether or not to have the sheers puddle? Not at all? Just a bit? Or should they just come down to the floor and stop there? Thanks so much for your opinion. We have been shopping for the last couple of days and keep saying, “what would Sherry do?” We also did a cute window treatment that I found on Pinterest; too bad we were too late for the challenge!!
YoungHouseLove says
I would just do grazing. So not short like highwaters, but just about a quarter inch longer than the floor so they graze. So pretty!
xo,
s
Shauna says
Hi! Our front doors (double doors) have windows in them, and I’m looking for a way to create privacy at night, but still allow the daylight during the day. The doors also have an eyebrow-shaped window above them. I’m thinking of hanging sheers and curtains. (sheets allowing daylight, curtains for night) Trouble is I can’t decide on HOW to hang them. I don’t want to create a “heavy” feeling over the door with a big rod. Because I”m thinking the rod needs to go between the eyebrow window and the door frame…is that right? Suggestions?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes, that’s right about placement. I’d just hang a thin-ish rod that’s not too heavy looking between that area. Good luck!
xo,
s
Kristin says
I too have fallen in love with your blog! I have just read all of your comments (wow…there are a lot). Our living room has three arched windows side by side with 9″ between them and they are about 70″ tall. Would you put one long curtain rod across with panels and bamboo blinds to cover past the arched part for each window?
YoungHouseLove says
Yes! That’s exactly how I’d do it! Good luck!
xo,
s
Kristin says
Thanks for your speedy response! Do I want two panels for each window? That seems like a lot of panels.
YoungHouseLove says
I would just do one panel on each end of the long rod and one panel in each of the slices of wall space between the windows. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Steph says
Question for you guys: I know that you recommend the bamboo shades with the white curtains hung high and wide, but in our kitchen, I want the bamboo shades to fit inside the window frame (that’s painted white). However, I need bamboo shades that are approx. 26 inches and I can’t find any. I went to Lowe’s, but the price to have them custom cut the one brand that my Lowe’s will cut is a lot… and I wouldn’t be able to afford shades for both windows in my kitchen and the one in my bathroom. Any suggestions? I was so counting on having the white trim to frame out the window in the two rooms where I can’t do long curtains, and now it seems like I might have to nix that idea… :(
YoungHouseLove says
Oh man, that stinks. Maybe try places like Overstock.com? Or other online vendors. Perhaps a site like nextag.com that lets you search multiple retailers will help?
xo,
s
Judy says
I have a 12′ wide bow window. It doesn’t go all the way to the floor. What do you suggest for window treatments?
YoungHouseLove says
I would do high and wide curtains (to the floor). Maybe try googling around for inspiration!
xo,
s
Andria Thatcher says
I’m just wondering…you seem to leave the curtains open a lot. However, we live in hot, humid Florida and the windows let in way too much heat. As much as we’d love the light and airy curtains, we think maybe the thermal ones would save us on AC. But those feel like they’d look dark and heavy. Any suggestions?
YoungHouseLove says
We always have curtains open and just use white faux wood blinds or roman shades (or bamboo blinds) that we close for privacy and to block heat and sunlight. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Terri says
Hi – Love your site. I am hoping you can help me with my dilemma. I am decorating my daughter’s nursery and she plans on having a bed crown over the crib with tulle draping down on either side of the crib. The crib is positioned between two windows. I need to know how to incorporate the windows or otherwise treat them in light of the bed crown and draping tulle. If I knew how, I would attach a picture of the room, crib and windows. The windows are small and mid-way up the wall so that the bed crown would be higher than the top of the windows – so the window treatments could go higher than the window I suppose. I am open to all suggestions. Thanks.
Terri
YoungHouseLove says
I would do breezy floor length curtains that tie in with your color scheme and tulle- maybe some light breezy cotton (you can use white faux wood blinds for light blocking and privacy or line them so they’re blackout curtains). Good luck!
xo,
s
rebekah says
I have a question for you! We just moved into a new home and we have some really pretty windows in our living room (3 beside each other) and there is a fanlight window right about the windows…. so how would you put window treatment up? I thought about putting the rod higher than the fanlight window so when the curtains are shut, then it just looks like very long windows. but when the curtains are open, won’t that look really weird?
YoungHouseLove says
I’d leave the fanlight window bare or frost it if you need privacy and just hang a long wide rod for the windows underneath it.
xo,
s
Nisha says
Hi!
I have some ugly wooden plantation shutters (ok, they aren’t really ugly but they are EVERYWHERE… in every window) in our new old house. My daughter’s room has 3 windows – all covered with plantation shutters – I love that they block out so much sunlight (great for naptime!) but I really do not like the way they look. Any recommendations for good window coverings that could also block out as much sunlight as these suckers are blocking?!
YoungHouseLove says
Faux wood blinds are always awesome. And they can be raised so they’re almost completely invisible or lowered to block light!
xo,
s
Dana says
Hey you guys,
Love the site and all the tips…. i am a new home owner and finally at stage of looking to hang some curtains to warm the place up. However on my main floor I have two windows that are not centered with 9 foot ceilings and a bulkhead that comes out where the rod would hang… I have no idea how to hang some curtains and would love to be able to …any suggestions???
thanks and keep up the good work!!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, it’s hard to picture. Maybe try uploading a picture to our Facebook page so we can see (and others can hopefully offer help as well).
xo,
s
Aneta says
Your blog is just stunning!!! Love your style! Love this idea, but what would you do if you have white painting on your walls and also white blinds. We cant paint or change them since we are renting. The rooms are pretty small even if it does not look so on pics so we need make them optically look bigger. How can we play with colors of curtains to make it chic and cozy and what would be your suggestion for the style to furnish it?
Thanks for any help you can provide. I really appreciate it.
a.
YoungHouseLove says
I would go with some sort of color in the curtains or blinds (maybe bamboo blinds to add texture with sand or mocha colored curtains to add some warmth)?
xo,
s
Megan says
In our bedroom we have 3 big windows with a separate arched window above. Together they span from my shins to almost the ceiling in the middle. As much as we love the light in the daytime, we can’t sleep in once the sun is up in the morning. I don’t like the look of the sunburst shades over the arch, can we do curtains high and wide over the whole thing or would that be a mess? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes! That works really well. You can also use light blocking film from Home Depot (it’ll look frosted, which is a nice clean look) and then hang the rod under the separate arched window. Either should work for ya!
xo,
s
Candis Linscott says
Okay two questions…
1) We have have this awkward window/door combo that my husband and I keep talking about asking you guys about, but just avoided it hoping maybe if we made the rest of the room look nice that we would somehow not have to do anything with. However, the time has come to do something so I am coming to you for help. Imagine a French door with a regular window about seven inches to the left. However, “French door isn’t really a French door because the right “door” is just a window and the left open on the other side (so the door hinges are in the middle). What do I do?
2) In our kitchen there is room for a four person table, but it is a tight fit and we have a high chair and two kids under 2.5. The is also white wood paneling that goes half way up. The window in question is right up next behind a chair. I don’t know if it would weird to have curtains down to the floor or not? Also, with their proximity to the playing children, a chair that is constantly being moved, and flying food. Do you think they would be okay or should it be shorter curtains? Would you hang shorter curtains high and wide still? I keep going back and forth, it is so frustrating!
Thank you for all your help and my husband and our friends love your blog!
YoungHouseLove says
You could go with bamboo blinds or roman shades for the window in the kitchen since it sounds like long curtains could get in the way! As for the door combo window thingie, maybe try hanging a rod high and wide above the entire thing (a super long rod) with some floor length curtains that will flank everything (but not get in the way of the door’s function or block too much light from the windows on the side). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Candis Linscott says
I forgot to proof read my question and now after reading it again, I let out a sigh of frustration! Let me know if you need clarification. :)
YoungHouseLove says
I think I understood it! Hope my suggestions make sense!
xo,
s
Jessica says
I have two basic windows of the same size on the perpendicular side of the room. The first window falls under a slanted ceiling (slant stops before it hits the window). The second window is a regular wall without the slope. Since the windows are the same size, I was wondering whether I should 1) keep it consistent and hang my curtains at the same height in the room. 2) hang the curtains at different height, and make the utilize the above space on the non -slanted wall to pull the curtain up higher (around 2 ft higher). What do you think?
Also, would it make a difference if I decide to put my headboard under the no slant wall? Would taller curtains be better? Or still keep it consistent height?
YoungHouseLove says
I would hang them all on the same line (same height) for balance so it doesn’t feel like one window is taller/unbalanced. You could definitely place your headboard anywhere and probably appreciate the consistent height best! Good luck!
xo,
s
Tracy says
Hello
I have two picture windows that are about 96″ wide. Definitely would need to use two blinds. Custom are WAY to expensive. I am going for the same look as in your space. My question is how are you hiding the cords? Does the cord on the right side hang in the middle of your window and need to be neatly tucked away or is there a trick to it?
Thanks for your time and beautiful site!
YoungHouseLove says
Yup, that cord is just tucked up in the middle (behind the blind at the top so you can’t see it in the room or from outside. That works for us since we don’t raise and lower them (they’re just for texture and height) but if you raised and lowered yours all the time it might be slightly annoying. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Rachael says
I have an open concept living/dining/kitchen room and I have two large windows (6 feet in width) on the same wall (one is in the dining area and the other in the living room area). They are both the same size and the back door is between them. However, the area on the side of the windows is not the same. The dining room window has about a foot on either side of the window, and the living room window has more like 3 or 4 feet on either side of the window. I have some questions: Should I hang the curtains the same distance outward from the window in both rooms or would it look weird if they were hung at different widths? Would it look weird if I had two different (but coordinating/similar) drapes on the two windows? I thought it might help separate the two areas, but I’m worried about it looking weird because the wall is only 24 feet in length, so the two windows are relatively close. Thanks!!
YoungHouseLove says
It’s all personal preference so there’s no “wrong way” to do it, but I’d personally use the same drapes to keep things feeling balanced and cohesive and use things like area rugs or other furnishings/accessories to help define the two different areas. I also would “cheat” the rods like I mention in this post so the area on the side of the windows looks more similar, but that’s another personal preference thing. Just trust your eye! Good luck!
xo,
s
Demet says
Hi Sherry,
We just bought our first house (Mediterranean) and I have never done the window treatment thing before so all this info is very helpful, thank you. But I am still perplexed as to a what to do about a couple of things:
1) Our living room has the really big picture window on the side facing the street. Goes from the floor to about 2 feet from the really high, arched ceiling. Only about a foot of wall on either side before you hit the built-in shelves. On the longer wall of the living room are two smaller windows, one on either side of the fireplace–narrower, start about 2 feet above the floor and end at 3 feet below the ceiling. And those two are directly above heat vents on the floor. And all the windows right now have white accordion-y blinds that you can open from the bottom or the top–good for privacy (which we need) but look super stark and bare, esp. against the walls that we just had painted a buttery cream. What kind of window treatment solution would you recommend, so that we can have something cohesive in the living room with both of those types of windows?
2) In the new baby’s room, we put a wide and low Ikea Expedit bookcase right below the two side-by-side windows. So the shelf begins right at the bottom edge of the window, overlaps a little. These windows right now have the same accordion blinds (a little grayish white, since they are double-layered blackout blinds) as the living room. The trim is very thin and white, and the walls were just painted Benjamin Moore Wythe Blue. What do you recommend for these? I assume I can’t put floor-length curtains because of the Ikea bookcase…
Sorry about the long questions, and I really really appreciate any advice you can offer! Thank you!
Demet
YoungHouseLove says
1. There’s really no right answer so I would just stand in the space and try whatever you think will look best (it’s hard from just a description to tell ya what to do because I might be dead wrong since I can’t see it, haha). It sounds like you could try hanging curtains but just not super wide because there are built ins and you don’t want to crowd them. You could also do roman shades- whatever you like! Look at magazines like Pottery Barn for windows like yours and see what they do to them and if you like it I’d mimic that look! Inspiration images can really help!
2. I’d do cute roman shades for sure! Maybe white with brown or blue ribbon trim?
xo,
s
Demet says
Thanks for the quick response, Sherry! Will do the roman shades in baby room. For living room–is it okay to do something floor length for the big window but not floor length for the other windows that have the heat vents right below them then? that’s the part I was really unsure about… Curtains touching the heat vent are a no-no, right? In that case, maybe I will have to go roman shade for all the windows? Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, think you can do something different but just try to keep it balanced (aka: not a big heavy velvet thing on one side and whispy sheers on the other). Good luck!
xo,
s
Kim says
Hi!
I moved into a beautiful brand new townhouse in Nov and still haven’t covered my windows! It is open concept kitchen/dining/living room, dark floors and cabinets, light greywalls, white trim, white fireplace with slate tile flanked by two windows, and then a big picture window on the wall on the left and then a sliding glass door on that same wall but jutted into the room. I want to go with white flowey curtains, high and wide! But I am not sure about bamboo blinds…..would it be too “white on white” to go with white roman shades on all the windows, and do you think the sliding door needs a shade, or just the curtains? Or should i go with a colour with white romans? I have a dark oak kitchen table and leather chairs, a dark leather recliner and a beige sofa…….am i lacking colour?? Ack! What to do! Thanks!!!
YoungHouseLove says
I’ve seen gorgeous homes with white roman shades, although with the curtains if the color isn’t exactly the same it might look off. You could definitely do white faux wood blinds with white curtains high and wide (we did that throughout our first house and loved it!). Or you can do the bamboo blinds with the white curtains for less of a monogromatic look! It sounds like if you think you’re lacking color you can still add it with art/accessories/pillows/etc!
xo,
s
Jana says
Sherry
This is such a great website! So many great ideas you have given me for my new apartment (first time without parents and roomies!). My question….I have a weird bay window that I need curtains for. The problem, they are all different widths. Cant decide if I should do like you showed in the bay window above or should I do a scarf valance across all three windows to make a look like a large window? Also keep in mind, my living room is small.
Thank you for all of your help and I look forward to learning more from you.
YoungHouseLove says
You could do either! You could also hang a rod in front of the entire alcove (on the front part of the wall above where the window dips in) and just do high and wide curtain panels to cheat the whole thing larger (with a scarf valance or bamboo shades if you’d like). Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Karen M says
In our old house I had issues finding a curtain rod long enough to span the double sliding glass doors that was not flimsy and that did not break the bank. By getting a wood rod or pvc pipe at the local hardware store and painting it works well and is plenty sturdy. Just make sure it will fit in the end brackets that hold the rod up!
Phyllis says
I have a den with french doors which sometimes doubles as a bedroom for guests. I want to put curtains on the french doors but am wondering which side to put the curtains on. The doors are open unless someone is sleeping so it seems it would be best to have the curtains on the outside so you see the front rather than the back from the living room. I’m just not sure that is correct. Suggestions?
YoungHouseLove says
Sure, it sounds like that would make the most sense for your situation!
xo,
s
Michelle says
I’m so happy I found this blog! I have two bare windows in my living room and have lived in my house two years already! Both windows are on the same wall, about 3′ apart and they both have radiators underneath. Any suggestions?
YoungHouseLove says
Radiators are tough, maybe try pretty roman shades with either white or boldly patterned or colored fabric? Check out pinterest.com or google images for ideas (maybe search fabric roman shades)?
xo,
s
Larana says
I love your ideas! I’ve adopted the bamboo shade / white Vivian curtain look and love it. However, my family thinks it’s “not quite right”. Do you iron the curtains? Personally, I like the wrinkled look (or maybe I’m just lazy). Also, do you ever tie back the white curtains? If so, what do you use and how high do you tie them? Thanks for your ideas!!
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I wrinkled them just to make it more polished, but didn’t tie them back. I just love the free vertical look!
xo,
s
Kerri says
I have a huge family room attached to my kitchen. There is a fireplace in the center of the wall flanked by windows and glass doors all with transomes above. The room is painted cream and has a hand ragged gold glaze over above the chair rail and a deep red hand ragged darker under the chair rail. All of the wood work is cream. While I don’t love the paint colors (it was painted this way when we bpught the house), I don’t despise it either. Painting really isn’t an option because it would be a huge paint job because the color goes all the way up the back staircase. My question is what color or pattern do you reccommend? I’ve bought and returned more curtains than I can count. Nothing seems to go. The windows are huge, both wide and long (98×108) including the doors! So all of the drapes I’m finding are crazy expensive! Please help!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, I would think that cream would automatically go since it’s on the trim. You also could try tons of mocha or brown since gold and cream and red look great with tans and browns. Hope it helps! Oh and Ikea sells 98-108″ curtains for cheap- I think they have them in cream and tan and brown! Good luck.
xo,
s
Erica says
I love this idea, but I have a quandary. I’m trying to re-decorate a sunroom/office combo that has three walls of windows. The back wall would be perfect for this look (long panels–with or without bamboo shades), but the windows on the side of the house are above the desk/other furniture and I think the dramatic panels would look awkward/cut off by the furniture. The previous owner had roman shades everywhere (which regardless are faded and need to be updated)… is there a way to do roman shades on some windows and the panels on others?
YoungHouseLove says
It can definitely be done! I would just try it and see how it looks! Trust your eye above all decorating “rules” for sure!
xo,
s
Jackie says
I have a full tan sectional that goes across two walls with windows. On one wall I have a pair of windows and on the other wall I have a singular window. Right now the pair of windows has 1 inch wood blinds and a medium cream scalloped valance going across both windows and the singular window has the same. I’m not happy with the look of this – do you have any ideas on what other window treatments I could put up? The pair of windows faces the street so I need something for privacy much of the time. Can long curtains work since they will fall behind the couch?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, if you look at our House Tour page for our first house, we had curtains that fell behind the sofa in the living room and it looked great! At least to us. Haha. You can also do blinds or roman shades instead or in combination with curtains!
xo,
s
Elizabeth says
Hello, I love this site!
I am a renter and live in a small space. I have this combination of two windows that have one vertical blind covering both. I would love to put a window treatment there- the blinds offer no privacy. However, it brings in most of the light in for the dining/kitchen/and living room area. What do you suggest? Any help would be appreciated.
YoungHouseLove says
I would hang curtains high and wide in combination with the vertical blinds (so they can be opened to be hidden behind the curtain panel if you don’t want to see them, and so the panels can be drawn to give you more privacy). Good luck!
xo,
s
Katie says
Hi! I LOVE your blog! We just moved to Charlottesville, VA and are renting a townhouse with a bay window in the kitchen. The windows are only regular sized, and do not go all the way to the floor. The ceiling above them is angled so we couldn’t put curtain rods higher than the windows. Also, the casing between them is all metal so I am thinking I can only install a bay window curtain rod since they screw in on the ends but not the middle between the rods. What kind of treatments would you suggest for kitchen bay windows such as these? Thank you so much!!
YoungHouseLove says
It sounds like bay window curtain rods with long panels or cafe curtains would be nice!
xo,
s
Dona says
Hi, I love both your blogs, and was so happy to run across them, both your places look just lovely. if you don’t mind, I’d love some advice. Right now every window in my house has vertical blinds that came with it when we bought, but now some of them are getting in bad shape and need to be replaced with something. I really like your blind and curtain trick, but I’m not sure if it would work for me. Some of the windows are off to one side of the wall with only a sliver (about 4-5 inches) of wall on one end. The ceiling height is standard 8 ft, but I’d love to add crown molding some day. Also, I have a cat with claws, I’m a little worried about what he might do to those sheer curtains. I had originally thought about replacing all the vertical blinds with white plantation type shutters. What do you think?
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, that will be gorgeous! We have seen those in many homes and they’re practical and so great looking! Good luck!
xo,
s