How to choose curtains for a living room

I recently replaced all my windows which required that we take down ALL of our window coverings.  Once the windows were installed, I had the chance to reevaluate how I wanted to cover them up, if at all. 

Did I want blinds or curtains in all the rooms of my home? 

Does the room even need a window covering at all? 

The room is decidedly the determining factor on the ideal window coverings.

But let's keep the conversation to the living room as you have landed on this page assuming you want some help deciding.

And it's good that you're thinking about this thoughtfully.  Your living room is often the room you spend the most time in and it's essential to our well-being that we try to make it as cozy and inviting as possible.  

Remember, window treatments is not for the sole purpose of blocking sunlight or privacy!  It is also to complement the design of the space and add an element  of softness, color and coziness to the room.

There are two factors about your curtains that will completely change the feel of the room depending on which one you go with.  The first is the fabric but a very close second is the header style.  In fact, I would venture to say that they are tied in the measure of importance.

With that in mind, I will give you a quick tutorial of the different types of curtain header styles.   Any of these can be done with any kind of fabric by the way.  If you want to learn more about what kind of fabric is best for which room, please see this article for a synopsis of the best fabrics for curtains.

Okay so the header style.  There are many but I am not going to confuse you with ALL of them but will rather share the top styles that most of our customers ask us for.

Grommet Curtains

I will start with the one most people know and are familiar with, grommet curtains.  These are often mass-produced with a fixed width of 50" to 52" and are incredibly versatile.

We recommend these when you will be opening and closing your curtains quite often.  The grommets provide an easy glide which makes it very functional.  Grommet curtains are also incredibly easy to install and uninstall and work with standard rod.  Grommet curtains also come in blackout versions which we don't recommend in living rooms.  Light is a wonderful thing and we want as much brightness as possible to liven our spirits.  It also fits well with a modern or mid century modern or even industrial style with the sleek combination of metal and fabric.  The downside of grommet is that it tends to flatten out when open so it doesn't give you that full look.  But that's only if you're going with standard size curtains.

If you're looking to outfit your windows with grommet curtains, you don't need to resort to the narrow ones sold in box stores.  We make affordable extra wide curtains that have no unsightly seam going down that middle and cover your windows end to end and provide that full look!

Back Tab curtains

This one often gets conflated with rod pocket curtains.  Backtab or rodpocket curtains work in the same way in that you're slipping the curtain header directly into the pole using either a backstab or a "pocket" at the top of the header.  In some case, you can attach rings to the top of the curtains if you prefer that look. This style can be used with any standard rod.  When used without rings, they tend to be harder to open and close and don't have that same easy glide that grommet curtains have.  It is nonetheless a very functional design for those windows were you just need privacy and don't plant to open and close very often. 

 

 

Pinch Pleat Curtains

This is often the interior designer's go to and rightly so.  The style is absolutely timeless and had recently had a bit a makeover with a sleek and modern 2 pinch pleat instead of the traditional 3 pinch pleat.  I love this look and plan to upgrade a few rooms in my home with pinch pleat curtains.  It provides that ultimate coziness factor and instantly warms up your home.  The downside?  It tends to be pricier as it uses up a lot of fabric to achieve that full look and a lot of labor goes into creating those pleats.  But worth it right?  I highly recommend pinch pleat curtains in any living room, modern, traditional and anything in between.  I promise it will elevate your space completely

Ripple fold curtains

I love the undulating look of ripple fold curtains - they evoke a sense of calm and serenity that reminds me of waves in the ocean.

These are highly underrated and I predict they will become a lot more popular in the hear future. These can be used on tracks or specialty rods.  The design is incredibly sleek and uses specialty clips in the back to provide that ripple look which remains put even when you open them up.  And you can have them as full as you like depending on your budget.  The fuller you want them the more fabric gets utilized.  You will need a specialty rod or track to install these but it's honestly quite simple to do.  I highly recommend these for modern style living rooms.   

Of course, make sure you know what your window size is before purchasing a curtain. If you buy a curtain that does not fit your window, it will be too long or too short and look odd on the window.  You can check out this article on how to measure for curtain sizes.

Hope this was helpful!