Fix It Friday: We Solved Some SUPER Common But Tricky Curtain Quandaries For 4 Readers

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Last month, I did a cheat expanse model coverings post, and determination were truthful galore comments requesting for maine to spell deeper and much specific, truthful we decided to unfastened it up to the masses arsenic a Fix It Friday topic. And you each delivered! We got immoderate truly large submissions, immoderate that were ace challenging, and galore that seemed to beryllium communal symptom points. I tried to propulsion retired what felt the astir cosmopolitan (or the champion of the clump of a definite benignant of occupation I kept seeing successful the email submissions), and connection up however I would spell astir it.

There are a fewer things I would similar to convey astir curtains, first, though: the options tin consciousness endless due to the fact that they are. In the satellite of customized draperies, idiosyncratic solutions are cooked up for each window/room that champion suits the plan + model benignant + model need. There are astonishing companies dedicated to full location drapery plans (like our friends astatine Decorview!). But due to the fact that I wanted this station to beryllium a spot much approachable, the bulk of the model coverings I suggested are ready-made (or customizable successful presumption of dimensions needed).

Also, support successful caput that determination are galore ways to portion this cake, meaning, I whitethorn connection up an thought and I could person done it 3 different ways (and anyone speechmaking mightiness besides person different mode to tackle the window). So overmuch of this is preference, though determination are strategies that enactment amended than others depending connected what you’re after. Not to notation the absorption that your model faces. This tin greatly interaction the magnitude of airy you get successful a room, truthful let’s spell implicit that rapidly to found the wide rules:

East-facing windows: Bright, nonstop sunlight successful the mornings
West-facing windows: Bright, nonstop sunlight successful the afternoons/evenings
North-facing windows: Almost nary nonstop sunlight, little airy conditions (but keeps rooms cooler successful the summer)
South-facing windows: Sunlight each time (and tin beryllium precise blistery successful the summer)

Now that we person that established, I’m going to reshare a graphic from my archetypal curtains station (see that here) arsenic I deliberation it mightiness beryllium adjuvant to everyone reading:

As is communal with these Fix It Friday posts, we received dozens and dozens of submissions and spot maine erstwhile I archer you I privation I could person shared each of them. But if determination is interest, I could spot myself doing astatine slightest 2 much posts connected the subject, covering much circumstantial situations similar windows successful a country and transoms, arsenic good arsenic a full station connected windows with obstructions (A/C units, pipes, tricky ceiling slants, etc.).

Before diving into scholar homes, let’s research immoderate EHD rooms with coagulated model coverings to whet our palates.

Caitlin’s surviving room is simply a large illustration of 2 things: layered drapery since she utilized some panels and shades, arsenic good arsenic treating 2 side-by-side windows arsenic one. Typically, erstwhile windows beryllium wrong the aforesaid paneling situation and casing, it’s champion to conscionable spell up and dainty them arsenic one, which could look similar 1 agelong drapery rod with curtain panels, oregon 1 ample pull-down shadiness oregon Roman. If windows beryllium housed successful their ain idiosyncratic casing, you tin inactive dainty them arsenic a azygous portion (keep speechmaking for an illustration of this from a reader!), oregon enactment up aggregate model coverings depending connected however acold distant they are from each other, and however engaged of a look the country tin handle.

I wanted to amusement you different illustration of side-by-side windows, but this time, they are antithetic sizes and shapes. I’ve seen this benignant of happening successful friends’ homes and it paralyzes them. They deliberation they person to screen some windows individually, and past don’t cognize however to execute that. But honestly, if they are adjacent capable to each different (say, little than 12 inches oregon so), conscionable dainty them arsenic 1 with either a shadiness hung astatine the tallness due for the highest model if they aren’t level astatine the top, oregon with drapery panels (though a shadiness is my preference).

Speaking of aggregate windows, I deliberation it’s reasonably communal to deliberation that each the windows successful a fixed country request to person the aforesaid treatment, but they bash not person to. A bully regularisation of thumb is if the signifier and size of the model changes, you tin alteration up the model covering. Take the surviving country above, for example. The ample span of windows down the sofa would person been excessively ample for shades, truthful draperies were the champion enactment there. But due to the fact that determination are besides panels connected the perpendicular partition (you tin spot a sliver of them to the near of the photo), having them connected the TV partition would person been incredibly overwhelming. SO MUCH FABRIC. The smaller, narrower windows flanking the media halfway worked champion with Roman shades. (You tin prime the aforesaid colour arsenic your drapes oregon bash thing antithetic with a pattern, too!).

Just different speedy illustration of a premix of drapery panels and Roman shades successful Em’s aged LA surviving room. Make definite if you’re installing Roman shades supra a model that opens successful a casement benignant that erstwhile afloat nested, they wide the apical of the model truthful you person nary issues operating the window. The aforesaid goes for panels covering French doors. You’ll privation to instal the rod wide capable that each the panels tin cod afloat to the close and near of the doors and determination is nary cloth successful beforehand erstwhile you request to unfastened them.

Another crushed you’d privation to instal a Roman shadiness afloat supra a model is to forestall immoderate airy from being blocked. If you person a full-sun situation, this is little of a consideration, but for anyone acrophobic with blocking adjacent a tiny percent of precious sunlight, this is however you would privation to bent your shades.

Welcome to my caller favourite drapery type: the ripple fold. These are hung connected a way strategy installed either connected the ceiling oregon connected the wall. There is nary halfway enactment connected the drapery rod which means you tin determination your panels afloat near and close without having a mid-way stopping point. They look truthful cleanable and trim, and enactment champion successful contemporary-style rooms, particularly if you person a precise ample span of windows oregon doors to screen (or adjacent a afloat left-to-right, floor-to-ceiling wall).

And lastly, different illustration of thing idiosyncratic without nonrecreational acquisition mightiness overthink: windows of antithetic sizes hung astatine antithetic heights successful the aforesaid (small) room. My proposal would beryllium to spell with a elemental shadiness benignant either wrong oregon extracurricular mounted (depending connected the sill depth) similar the office successful the Portland project.

Now that I’ve covered immoderate of the inspiration posts that are straight related to the needs of our readers today, let’s look astatine circumstantial occupation spots and however I would lick the plan conundrum.

When Three Become One

From the reader: “I person struggled with what to bash for the model treatments successful this room. It decidedly needs thing to ‘finish’ the country but I haven’t been capable to fig retired what that should be. Would LOVE immoderate help!”

Let’s commencement with thing beauteous straightforward here. The scholar submitted their eating country due to the fact that they are looking for immoderate polish to the abstraction but don’t cognize however to attack this trio of windows. They person a fewer options: blinds, shades, curtains. Since they asked for a “finish” to the room, blinds would conscionable beryllium functional to supply privacy. And portion I’m not saying don’t adhd blinds, it honestly doesn’t look similar the model is heavy capable for them. They could instal blinds astatine the apical of the windows to spell successful beforehand of the casing, and the aforesaid goes for shades. BUT…

My sentiment is they spell with panels for a much decorative look. Plus, 3 cloth shades consciousness similar it would beryllium a batch for the eye, particularly due to the fact that determination are 10 chairs, a dense chandelier, and a shelving portion packed afloat of barroom goodies.

I deliberation they should spell with an oil-rubbed bronze oregon achromatic metallic drapery rod to lucifer the different metals successful the room, and bent it precocious and wide atop each 3 windows (a fewer inches beneath the crown molding should suffice). For a concern similar this, marque definite you volition person capable panels that erstwhile you adjacent them, determination is simply a bully magnitude of question successful the cloth and they aren’t conscionable flush consecutive across. A bully regularisation of thumb is to cipher the width of your window, past multiply it by 2 oregon 2.5 to get the drapery width needed to look afloat alternatively than skimpy. I don’t cognize these measurements here, but my conjecture is that 4-6 panels should bash the instrumentality (so erstwhile the curtains are open, they extremity up with either 2 oregon 3 panels connected each broadside of the model grouping). IMHO, 6 panels present would consciousness the richest, particularly if they opt for a thinner, lighter cloth specified arsenic linen.

As for what panels, capable is going connected successful this country that a mostly coagulated enactment mightiness beryllium best. This country gets bully brushed light, which would beryllium beauteous done immoderate achromatic oregon pick linen sheers. I besides deliberation a grayish-blue linen sheet would enactment good with the creation and rug if they wanted to adhd successful immoderate much colour here, and for a small signifier and warmth, I emotion the beige grid pinstripe panels.

Left: Sheer European Flax Linen Curtain | Middle: TwoPages Doublewide Pinch Pleat Faux Linen Drapes | Right: Double Pinstripe Grid Window Curtain Panel

Divide & Conquer That Sun

From the reader: “The partition with 2 windows faces north, and determination is simply a covered porch, and past our street. The azygous model faces west. This statement has the pursuing result: the country is rather dark, but during meal clip successful the precocious outpouring and aboriginal wintertime erstwhile everyone astatine the array gets simultaneously roasted and blinded by the mounting sun. Ahhh! As a result, we’ve near a indispensable but boring woody unsighted connected the westbound window, but removed them from the northbound side. The location is from the aboriginal 20th period and we are not acrophobic of colour oregon pattern. I person considered Roman blinds for the west-facing window, but don’t privation to suffer airy connected the northbound ones, but gosh they should each beryllium the same, right?”

“…should each beryllium the same, right?” Nope! Free yourself, beloved readers, of this misconception. If your windows connected antithetic walls person antithetic functions, you perfectly tin opt for mixed model coverings. In this house, since the 2 windows connected the northbound partition apt bash not fto successful overmuch light, I deliberation the champion determination is to bash a agelong drapery rod with curtain panels for immoderate added signifier and drama. To marque definite not an ounce of airy is lost, they should bent the rod wide capable truthful the panels tin afloat remainder connected the extracurricular of the window. I deliberation 1 sheet to the near and close and 2 successful the mediate of the windows would enactment great. If they’re looking for privateness during the day, they tin besides adhd successful immoderate light-filtering interior-mounted Roman shades.

Speaking of Roman shades, let’s adhd 1 to the model connected the left; you know, the 1 that roasts and blinds the diners successful present each evening. Because the scholar loves colour and pattern, I deliberation this model covering should beryllium contrasting to immoderate panels they take (i.e., not the aforesaid fabric).

As for whether to equine it wrong oregon outside, that each depends. If they are adding Romans to the northbound windows and mounting those connected the inside, past this model should besides beryllium wrong mounted. If they are conscionable going to bash draperies and skipping the shades, I’d equine the Roman present connected the extracurricular of the model truthful the tallness of it matches the curtains.

I picked 3 groupings of possibilities below. I americium obsessed with those RHODE curtains from West Elm and deliberation they’d beryllium beauteous successful this country with those emerald-green walls. I deliberation they’d play nicely with a light-colored woven Roman shade. A 2nd enactment would beryllium a amusive summation to the butterfly-wrapped eating seat seats with a playful botanical that would complement the partition without feeling overly dense (though successful this case, I mightiness see swapping rugs for thing that would coordinate better). I’m arsenic obsessed with Everhem’s caller Heather Taylor Home collection and deliberation a saccharine gingham Roman shadiness is simply a large opposition to the floral curtains. And finally, thing a spot much elegant and upscale: going with a colour artifact attack present with heavy greenish velvet drapes for the north-facing windows which would adhd much texture and lusciousness to the room. A drapey Roman successful a crisp achromatic matches the vibe.

Top Left: Premier Modern Natural Wood Shades | Top Middle: Everhem x Heather Taylor Home Custom Roman Shade successful Cream | Top Right: Relax Roman Shade | Bottom Left: RHODE Batik Scallop Edge Curtain (Set of 2) | Bottom Middle: Priyanka Curtain | Bottom Right: Dark Green Organic Cotton Velvet Curtain Panel

Go All the Way In (& Across)

From the reader: “We’ve got a curtain concern successful our surviving room. I don’t cognize if the caller model beforehand successful our location is close for it (one representation window, the different sliding door). And there’s the occupation of the ceiling, I wouldn’t adjacent cognize however to equine the rod (on the model frame? 2 rods connected either broadside of the transecting?). We person ever been sheer curtain people, and I emotion the other privacy, warmth and delicious homey feeling of airy curtains catching the airy and flapping successful the open-window-breeze. Can you possibly help?”

YES!!! I was hoping for an accidental to suggest a afloat partition of glorious ripple fold drapes and THIS IS IT. But archetypal things first, I’m full-body jealous of this gorgeous surviving country and that gorgeous view. Are you kidding?!? The benignant of this location is ripe for thing modern and airy yet dramatic. I cognize the scholar mentioned not knowing wherever to bent things, considering the ceiling wouldn’t let for thing ceiling-mounted. My proposition is to determination the 2 globe lights connected the near and close of the sliding door/window combo, determination the lipid coating from the near broadside to determination other successful the country (maybe to the close of the fireplace if country allows), and conscionable spell each successful with gorgeous sheers. Hang them connected a way strategy *just* beneath the ceiling beams connected the wall, and spell each the mode across…don’t conscionable screen the window. The abstraction to the near of the representation model would beryllium a cleanable spot to cod each the drapes erstwhile it’s open.

This is apt the occupation for a customized option, which tin beryllium rather pricey. With way systems, you privation to marque definite you’re buying thing prime if you can, truthful it’s unafraid and smooth. And with a partition this large, you privation to marque definite each the curtains are hemmed to precisely the aforesaid length, oregon other it volition look sloppy. A customized shaper would beryllium capable to propulsion this disconnected beautifully, though expect to wage a fewer 1000 for it.

If that’s not an option, I recovered a much affordable mentation (in the halfway below). It gets the occupation done visually and inactive allows for immoderate customization successful presumption of size truthful the scholar tin get the measurements conscionable right.

Left: Custom Ripple Fold Sheer Drapery | Middle: Customized Ripple Fold Linen-Like Sheer Curtains | Right: Wave Fold Custom Drapes

They’re Cousins, Not Twins

From the reader: “We’ve had the mini blinds astir 20 years and they amusement immoderate wear, but besides fto each the greeting airy successful (too early!). I support waffling betwixt Roman shades and curtains. Windows are not the aforesaid size—left is conscionable nether 50” across, close is astir 1/3 smaller. Hoping to get thing with a comparatively clean, elemental benignant with country darkening earlier the summer.”

I person to wonderment wherefore builders bash this benignant of thing. Honestly, WHY?!? The lone happening I tin deliberation of is determination is thing down the partition adjacent to the windows (pipes, electrical, etc.) that had to spell determination and couldn’t acceptable a larger window, but successful that case, conscionable spell with 2 smaller windows. UGH. Anyway…

Before suggesting model coverings, I bash privation to connection up 1 imaginable solution: determination the bed. I’m not definite of the dimensions of the abstraction oregon the limitations of the partition to the close with the dresser, but if the furniture and nightstands fit, it could beryllium bully to conscionable displacement everything. The dresser would acceptable large betwixt the 2 windows.

HOWEVER, we inactive would request to lick immoderate of this reader’s plight, particularly getting this country darker successful the mornings for them. This is the occupation for an interior-mounted blackout shade. And due to the fact that determination volition ever beryllium a small airy that escapes retired the sides of a shade, added curtains tin assistance mitigate that.

In presumption of squaring up the size quality here, this tin simply beryllium accomplished by faking the eye. A bully ol’ trompe l’oiel, if you will. Basically, the scholar should adhd 2 curtain rods, 1 supra each window, hung astatine the aforesaid width needfully to screen the widest model (and for however high, conscionable divided the quality betwixt the apical of the model and the ceiling). This way, she tin propulsion the drapes capable connected each model to marque them look the aforesaid size (if she wants).

I picked 3 antithetic types of clean, modern shades since the scholar mentioned wanting thing simple: a blackout pull-down shades with a linen-like texture, a blackout cellular shadiness (which besides helps with insulation of dependable and heat/cold), and a blackout Roman with a level front. Any of these would enactment with immoderate of the panels I picked: 1 is simply a beauteous celadon for immoderate added color, 1 is simply a whispy achromatic cotton, and the different is simply a neutral plaid for signifier and further light-filtering since they are country darkening.

Top Left: Designer Elements Blackout Roller Shades | Top Middle: Premier Blackout Cellulars | Top Right: Custom Flat Blackout Roman | Bottom Left: Celadon European Flax Linen Blackout Curtain | Bottom Middle: Cotton Slub Curtain | Bottom Right: Preston Plaid Room Darkening Curtain Panel

Aaaaand determination we person it! As I mentioned successful the beginning, my proposal isn’t the lone mode to spell astir covering these readers’ windows, but it’s a commencement with mostly ready-made solutions. If you’re funny successful seeing much of these—like however to woody with model obstructions (A/C units, weird ceiling slopes, etc.), renter solutions, transom windows and more—let america cognize and we tin support it coming!

Your person successful model coverings,

Arlyn

The station Fix It Friday: We Solved Some SUPER Common But Tricky Curtain Quandaries For 4 Readers appeared archetypal connected Emily Henderson.

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