How to Choose the Right Curtains and Drapes for Your Home

Decorating a new home is a huge undertaking. From choosing a color scheme to picking out furniture and wallpaper, each room’s design comes with a dozen different choices to make under pressure. Even if you’re just thinking about redecorating a central space in your home, it comes with a lot of responsibility. But furnishing your space doesn’t have to feel stressful. Think of your room as a blank canvas. You can do anything you want with your space, but first, you need to find the right frame. That’s where your window treatments come in. When you’re choosing window treatments from a home goods store that sells curtains Richmond, you want to make sure you’re giving your space the best opportunity to shine. From picking out fabrics to considering light exposure, here are a few things to keep in mind while choosing curtains and drapes for every room in your home.

Take Measurements

To create a beautiful canvas, it helps to make sure you’ve gotten all your specs right first. Start by measuring the length of your curtain by extending your tape measure from the curtain rod to the floor. Next, measure the width of the window you’re dressing. From there, you can figure out how to modify your drape length and width to make it your own. For instance, some homeowners prefer curtains to extend a bit further past the window to create a heavier, more private shield from the outdoors. Since drapes tend to stay open and gathered at the edge of each window, you’ll want to measure them to be wider. You can also choose how low you want your curtains or drapes to fall. Many homeowners opt for curtains to graze the floor without gathering at the bottom, while others opt for drapes and curtains that break the floor or pool on the floor for an elegant look. If you’re looking to lengthen a room with a low ceiling, consider hanging drapes that fall just above the floor.

Choose Your Material

After you’ve taken your measurements, you’ll want to start thinking about materials for your drapes. Materials for drapes tend to differ greatly based on the style of a specific home, the outdoor climate, sensitivity to light, and the personal style of the homeowner. However, there are a few things to keep in mind for the sake of practicality. For instance, some materials like velvet or wool add a rich, textured appearance to a space. They also tend to be better at blocking out sunlight and trapping heat. Lighter fabrics like chiffon or linen can help lighten up a space. They’re also at less risk for fading and other types of sun damage. The material you choose might have a big effect on the internal temperature of your space, so choose wisely. If you’re dressing a window that gets a lot of direct light, it’s best to stick with lighter colors and fabrics to keep things breezy and cool.

Consider Lighting and Privacy

Ideally, you’ll want your drapes to protect you while giving you control over your view. You’ll also want them to transform the space when you need it, blocking out sunlight on hot days and letting in light and air during cooler, duller days. Picking a versatile drape can help you have more control over the look and feel of your room from the inside out. Spend a bit of time thinking about how you want to use the space before making a decision about privacy. Are you planning on opening up the room to guests, or using it for a private study? Do you want to keep valuables and light-sensitive objects in the room? Is the room street-facing or protected? Knowing more about what you want to do with this space, and just how private you want to keep it from view, will help guide you toward picking a curtain or drape style that will make sense for your room’s function.

Add Flair

The final item on the list is to make your window dressings fully your own. That means adding color, texture, and flavor to your choice in a way that best reflects your style. The patterns and colors you pick can reflect an overall attitude when it comes to your home, or they can differ wildly from room to room. As long as you’ve made sensible choices when it comes to keeping internal temperatures controlled, avoiding sun damage, and maintaining your privacy, you can feel free to truly have fun with style. You can also use your curtain style of choice to add a bit more personality to an otherwise monochrome room. Think about choosing fun patterns or elegant details to draw the eye. Choose colors that will help compliment the natural light and add a sense of balance to the space.