How to Choose the Right Types of Curtains for Each Room in Your Home
Plus three different construction styles
Decorating the windows often gets overlooked, and when it comes to curtains, the main priority is usually to block out light. However, curtains help bring a space together and they’re another way to add a pop of color or a fun pattern to the room. With so many types of curtains to pick from, finding the best one for each room in the house feels overwhelming. Luckily, FIRST compiled a comprehensive guide on what you should be using for different parts of your space. Keep reading to find out the right types of curtains for each room and why they work.
Types of curtains
Curtains come in all sizes, materials and lengths, so it’s important to know what you’re looking for. Think about how large the window is, how long you’d like the curtains to be, how much light you want to let in and what style matches the aesthetic of the room.
Pamela McCormick, an interior decorator and lifestyle influencer who posts videos to TikTok, says that you should always measure your windows first, but after that, there are three general lengths to pick from: “There’s floor length, breaking length and puddling length.” She further explains the measurements and where each one fits best.
Now, it’s all about choosing the right fit for the room you’re decorating!
Types of curtains: Single panel
Single-panel curtains are best for small windows or sliding glass doors. They hang on one side of the door and won’t be too overpowering. These can go in the bedroom or living room depending on the size of the window.
Double panel curtains
As the name suggests, these types of curtains hang on either side of the window. According to Blinds.com, double-panel curtains provide “balance and the illusion of a wider window.” Similar to the single panel, this one can work well in various rooms.
Sheer Curtains
Sheer curtains don’t block out as much light as others, but they’re nice for decoration. They’d look best in a sunroom with a wide window. The fabric is translucent so these aren’t great for bedrooms.
Blackout curtains
Blackout curtains don’t allow any light to peek through and they bring complete darkness. This makes them perfect for the bedroom because they encourage a good night’s sleep. They always come with a thick lining and help to regulate temperatures in addition to light.
Cafe curtains
Cafe curtains are a bit of an outlier as they’re much shorter than other styles and are only meant to hang from the middle of the window to the bottom of the window sill. The length makes them ideal for kitchens or bathrooms because light filters in from the top and they still provide privacy.
Popular types of curtains
The curtain style and how they’re hung all depend on the design of your home. However, three styles are common across the board.
Grommet curtains
Grommet curtains “feature metal open rings punched into the fabric at the top of the panels that allow them to slide along the rod easily,” per Blinds.com These work best for windows or doors especially when you want to open or close them often.
Rod pocket curtains
One of the most common styles is rod pocket curtains. These are similar to the grommet type, but they have a fabric pocket that slides onto the rod instead of metal rings. The pocket doesn’t have a lot of room once it’s on the rod, so these aren’t meant to be opened or closed.
Pinch pleat curtains
If you’re looking for a style that’s a little more elevated, pinch-pleat curtains are the way to go. Unlike the two above, these have hooks or pins that attach to the drapery rings and let you adjust the height. You can arrange the folds however you want, and these also work well for windows that get opened and closed daily.
For more home how-to’s:
Experts Share How to Get Sunscreen Out of Fabric At Home to Avoid Stains
How to Lower the Humidity in Your House With Ease on Your Own According to Experts
How to Get Crayon Off the Wall: Experts Share Their Easy Solutions
