Hummingbird Hilltop Homestead

Does It Feel Too Complicated?

Have you ever looked around your home and gazed upon your bare windows? You may think to yourself, if only I could find the perfect curtains it would complete the whole room. Sounds simple enough, but it can be surprisingly overwhelming. I am here to help you! Finding the perfect curtains for any room in your home doesn’t have to be hard – let’s make it simple, shall we?

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The Overwhelm

I’m not sure if it’s just me, but I came to find that picking out curtains and getting all the measurements and extras like curtain rods can feel really overwhelming. I am by no means an interior designer so when it comes to the world of curtains I felt like a wanderer in a strange land trying to piece it all together.

The internet is great in a lot of ways and the endless options is sort of nice but it can also make an already overwhelming situation feel even more daunting.

If you find that you are feeling like I did when it came to selecting the perfect curtains for different rooms of my home then I will give you all the tips and tricks I learned to hopefully help you so that you can feel confident in your decisions and not spend months as I did worried about my choices and measurements. Basically, I did things the hard way so that you don’t have to!

Think Everything Through

If you read my Quick Tip you will see that we have roman shades on all the windows in our home. We went with a neutral color that compliments our wall and trim tones but would also work well against any changes or decor like curtains that we may later add. I personally love the look of roman shades behind curtains it brings extra luxury and simple decor to a space without having to do anything too extreme to add interest to a space.

The fact that we have shades on windows already was something I did take into account before selecting curtains as I wanted the fabrics and colors to marry well together. Before you start selecting anything or even begin looking at curtains and fabrics think about the space and what you already have there. Maybe you have other textures nearby the window instead of shades that could affect the look and feel like your couch or bed being up against the windows. Be sure to take this into account and don’t skip this step or things may look heavy handed or off in the end.

The Process

Once you’ve established what you think would be good options color wise, or perhaps you have a specific design or overall feel you want to achieve in mind then you need to do some measuring (which is probably the hardest part if you aren’t a math person like me).

I recommend doing your measurements early because the worst thing is looking online for the perfect curtains and thinking you found them only to find that they don’t come in the size you need. Trust me on this!

When it comes to curtains, the unfortunate, but also fun thing, is that it really is all about personal preference. Because of this, I can really only give you the directions and advice based on how I have styled the curtains in my home. BUT I can give you some of the basics of measuring and styling tips for most standard window treatments.

The Math

The key to measuring for curtains of any style is you want the curtains to overhang on either side of the window just the right amount. The rule of thumb is to measure the window and double it. So if you have a 32 inch window for the width then you would need curtains that cover 64 inches. This will allow full coverage of the window when the curtains are pulled closed but will provide enough on either side to look nice and full without being too bulky when open.

Length is more of a personal preference. I prefer curtains that go to the floor. I don’t like when curtains are so long they have a slight pile on the floor but I don’t want them too short where they look like they shrunk or were mismeasured. Personally, when curtains skim the floor I find it to look most classic and elegant bringing decor and business to a space without being too ostentatious. The one time I go against this rule would be when dealing with a really small window or kitchen window then I prefer no curtain at all or maybe a cafe curtain instead.

To get your measurements right for the length if you like the same look I do with curtains skimming the floor then you will want to take into account your curtain rod. Figure out where you will be placing it and measure from that starting point to the floor instead of measuring the length of your window.

The Extra Details

We’ve discussed general style, colors/patterns, and measurements, but now let’s dive into all the other little details. Windows can be decorated boldly or made to feel like a barely there accent. This all comes down to personal preference and room specific style. For example, in your living room you might want to tone down the window treatments and have basic curtains that provide a touch of elegance with just a bit of light prevention. On the other hand, in your child’s nursery or bedroom you might want something more playful or whimsical.

Some of the extras you can add to curtains to give them a little more interest would be curtain tie backs, a valance, or play up the curtain rod with something more noticeable or decorative. A valance in a child’s bedroom can be a really sweet touch while classic tie backs can be beautiful and practical and go with any space. Some curtains come with matching tie backs or valances, but if the curtains you like don’t come with the full set there are plenty of individual items out there for sale. There are some really sweet, cute, or just plain fun curtain tie backs you can purchase in stores or online that would go with any style.

Curtain rods can be a great accent based on the color or finish alone but finding ones with prominent details or a distinct or more showy end cap, or finial, is another fun way to add to the decor of the window treatments. There are ones with flashy gem stones to rods that look like branches all the way to the classic route we took with a simple spherical end cap. The options are endless!

Curtains In Our Personal Home

Personally, in our home, we felt the need to add curtains to only two rooms – our master bedroom and our daughter’s room. The rest of the rooms felt complete with only the roman shades as our window treatments. Normally, in our living room and possibly dining room I would have added curtains, but we have ceiling beams and window seats giving a complete feel to the windows with the current decor. Also, because of the window seats being involved the windows are set back. We still could have done curtains, but it would have been a challenge to make them look and function right and just never felt necessary to add.

Our Daughter’s Room

If you have read my previous blog post about decorating my Daughter’s Bedroom then you will have already read a bit about my curtain selection decisions. A lot of thought went into her room. The accent color I wanted to use in her room was sage green, but I did not want this to feel too heavy handed. Once I had balanced out the room with a neutral rug I decided that the perfect space to add that pop of color was against the white walls and the window. I also knew that I wanted her window treatments to have something cute and fun that added some character.

For a long time I played with patterns, anything from floral to gingham. I then played around with a valance and really loved the idea initially, but the more I looked at it all the more I felt like it was all too much. In the end I love what I ultimately picked! I decided to go with something a little more simple but still fun. I love a classic curtain, so I went with a solid sage green curtain with a classic cut, tab tops, and that had matching tie backs. Because the curtains had the tie backs it kept them from feeling boring and instead providing a sweet and vintage touch to our daughter’s bedroom.

I was a little nervous ordering green curtains, because there are SO many shades of sage green. Fortunately, it was the perfect green! My big tip if you’re nervous about a color or print looking good in person and not just online is to ensure that you can return the item. If you are ordering custom curtains see if you can get a sample of the material before having them made.

The Master Bedroom

Unlike our daughter’s bedroom, my husband and I preferred understated curtains. We wanted our room to feel light, airy, and a bit ethereal. Our bedroom has tall ceilings with beams. We have two windows on either side of our bed’s headboard. Because the windows are tall, and right alongside our bed we wanted something that provided some light filtering for whatever light got in on the sides of the roman shades but that also provided a touch of decor without feeling too heavy.

We have nightstands right in front of the windows so we preferred curtains that not only avoided looking heavy, but that were physically light and airy so that there wasn’t too much happening all in one spot in our room. We found these curtains that checked all the boxes. Linen is a great fabric for providing a sheer but still light filtering effect. Light, airy, and the perfect color too against our slightly off white walls we have loved these curtains. They provide the exact effect I was going for in the room and the natural shade blends seamlessly while still contrasting beautifully against the wall color. The curtains have enough weight to hang beautifully but are still light enough that they can blow in a breeze and provide the airy feel I was hoping for.

The Perfect Curtains

At the end of the day, the “perfect” curtains for any room of your home is all a personal preference. The logistics like measurements don’t have to be complicated. Picking out all the details can feel daunting but ultimately should be fun and there are ways to keep it simple. Look at inspiration online or in magazines, film, etc. Once you know the overall look or feel you are drawn to then it simply comes down to sorting out colors, patterns, and all the other little details. One of the easiest ways to do this is to have two or three main colors in a room, usually one or two basic neutral colors like white and brown or white and ivory and then pick your pop of color, like the sage green in our daughter’s room.

Bring in some fun and whimsy with patterns, tie backs, valances, and or statement curtain rods. If you are looking for curtain rods that have a bit of subtle statement without stealing the show these are perfect! We got the white for our daughter’s room and the antique bronze for our master bedroom. If you ever feel unsure as to what curtains to go for I always recommend a classic style with simple elements that give interest but remain relatively understated. Have fun with picking out the curtains, double check your measurements, check on return policies for your curtain selections, and step back and admire a job well done that even interior designers would be impressed by!

Looking For More Inspiration?

If you are looking for more home decorating inspiration check out my blog posts, such as, Finding the Perfect Rug for Your Cozy Home, Creating A Cohesive Home, and Give Your Home a Cozy Feel With These Five Easy Tips are some of the latest.

If you are looking for a way to not only decorate but also keep your home clean all year long then go download a free year long cleaning checklist by simply heading to the Homepage and clicking the button “Download Your Checklist!”. The cleaning checklist will be sent directly to your email for FREE!