Window treatments. They are one of the quickest ways to change the look in your home. They can highlight your windows and make your room appear larger. Or, they can have the opposite effect. Take a look at some of my rules to live by when choosing window treatments.

RULE #1 : HEIGHT OF Custom Curtain rod

When installing a curtain rod, don’t use the top of a window as the placement guide; rather, use the ceiling as your guide. If you install a curtain rod just above the window frame, the hard line that is created will visually pull the height of your ceiling down, making the ceiling feel lower, the room more compact, and ultimately, smaller than it actually is. Instead, install your curtain rod as close to the ceiling as you can. This design technique will pull the visual line up towards the ceiling, resulting in a room that looks open and often larger than it is. The Pinterest image below illustrates this concept perfectly. Both of the windows are the same size/height, but the higher rod placement on the right makes the window and room appear much larger.

Determining where your curtain rod should be is the FIRST STEP in your process. See Rule #2 for the reason why…

Design Tip: If you have crown molding and can’t get to the ceiling height, take the rod as close to the crown molding as you can!

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RULE #2: LENGTH OF WINDOW TREATMENTS
Another rule to be aware of applies to choosing the length of the window treatment. It is a very common mistake, and one that can be easily made, (even by us professionals) but can also be easily prevented by taking proper measurements. After you determine where your curtain rod will be installed, take the time to MEASURE and RE-MEASURE the distance to the floor. A good rule of thumb is to have the curtain panels just “kiss” the floor or slightly puddle at the bottom. Again, if they are too short, they will make the room feel smaller. Keeping the length longer will in turn, elongate your room.

I mentioned that this is an easy mistake, even for professionals, to make. Unfortunately, I know this first hand! On a recent client’s home I had a momentary lapse of sense (also known as a brain fart) and ordered the incorrect length of window treatments for install day. It wasn’t a proud moment for me, but, I corrected my mistake (of course) and WOW! You can sure tell the difference! They say you learn from your mistakes…and thanks to the photos below, you can learn from my mistakes too! Your welcome! :)

Too short...
Too short...
Just right!
Just right!
#3 : SOMETIMES LESS IS MORE!
Yes, you read that right! 98% of the time, the addition of window treatments to a space I am designing improves the aesthetic. But, every so often, I come across a space where the window treatments are weighing the room down, not lifting it up. Typically, I see this in homes that have focal walls with two story windows, or in the case of an oddly shaped window where rods and window treatments just won’t hang correctly. Of course, in these instances, custom window treatments can always be ordered, but sometimes the solution is easier and far less expensive. Take the window treatments down! By opening up the room it allows the natural beauty that the architect intended to take center stage. I recently encountered this at a client’s home and love the result!

Before: Rods are too low, bringing down the height of the room, making the room feel dark and cramped….
Before: Rods are too low, bringing down the height of the room, making the room feel dark and cramped….

After: Now all the natural light is able to come in, the beautiful architecture is on display and the room feels bigger.
After: Now all the natural light is able to come in, the beautiful architecture is on display and the room feels bigger.

RULE #4 : FASHION OVER FUNCTION
While window treatments are traditionally thought of as a functional design element, that doesn’t have to be the case. I often add window treatments to a space for no reason other than to soften the hard edges of a room, add texture or color, or to make the room feel “complete.” These window treatments aren’t meant to move, and don’t need to block light or provide privacy. They are just for looks! My clients are always amazed at how window treatments can change the whole look and feel of a room. Here are a few examples of rooms I installed non-functional window treatments in. Totally worth it, right?

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