Window coverings are essential to any home, not only do they serve an extremely important function, but they also have a huge impact on the overall look and feel of a space! So whether it be privacy, light control, energy saving or something as simple as wanting to soften a rooms presence – window coverings (when done right) are the ultimate finishing touch for any room!

Whilst it sounds relatively simple, you would be surprised how often we walk into homes and see curtains poorly hung. And at the end of the day it really doesn’t matter how on point the rest of the room is, if the curtains are hung wrong – it will impact the entire room!

To help you avoid these rooky errors, we are breaking down some of the biggest mistakes we see when it comes to window coverings – essentailly so you are clear on what NOT to do!

Too Low

When it comes to the height to hang curtains – one of the biggest mistakes we see are curtains hung TOO LOW!  The closer you go to the ceiling the more your eye will be drawn up giving the illusion of space. Far too often we see curtains hung just above (or even worse just on) the window frame itself. The general rule of thumb is to hang them at least 100 -200mm above the window frame.  

Design by Dries De Malsche

Design by Templeton Architecture

Too short

When to comes to the length of your curtains there are many options, whether it be kissing, puddling or pooling and everything in between.  Depending on the look you are going for, the length can vary from kissing, puddling or pooling and essentially everything in between. Before you settle your decision, it’s important to consider how many times you will be opening and closing your curtains and if you have pets /kids etc because if you do go for any sort of puddle the fabric will drag on the floor and pick up anything that drags along with it. But if there is on thing that is a no-no though, it’s going TOO SHORT! Nothing looks worse, or cheapens the entire look of a room than a window covering that is too short.

Design by CJH Studio

Leeton Pointon Architects & Interiors

Wrong width

Width also comes into play when getting you’re window treatment right. It’s important that the width of your curtains extend past the width of the window / doors.  Not only will this reduce light bleed giving you better light control, but it will also allow you to pull your curtains wide open so they are completely tucked away from the window allowing for ample natural light when you desire. In some instances running the curtain’s the full width of the wall will help complete the space…  especially having more than one window / door on the same wall. Separate curtains for each window can start to look very inconsistent when looking at the space as a whole. 

Design by Charlotte Pitella

Rob Mills Architects and Interiors

Not enough fabric 

 Have you ever seen a curtain closed that resembles something like a sheet hanging flat agains the window… ?  Looks cheap right? This is a result of not enough fabric being used which effects the fullness. Generally when it comes to fabric, always allow for at least two times the width of the actual window.  This will create fullness that will enhance the look of the window treatment not only when they are open but closed too!

Design by Sally Caroline

Design by Loft Kolasinki

Wrong Fabric

Yes, this happens all the time.  Your choice in fabric will also make a huge difference to the overall look and practicality as well as longevity of your curtains.  This is where you can really play with the over all feel of the space.  Are you after a more structured look or relaxed crushed look?  Lighter fabrics such as sheers are great at helping a space feel airy and filter natural light into the space where as heavier fabrics will of course allow you to control how the natural light plays with your interior as well as adding a layer of privacy into the space.   So it’s important to think about the function your window treatment will serve… a strong block out or a soft sheer to filter light… or both!

Another important factor that is often missed when selecting window covering fabrics is it’s UV resistance.  Understanding the direction the window is facing and how it correlates to the sun path (in summer & winter) will help you understand how important UV resistance is.  If you’re space does cop a lot of sunlight during the day we would recomend steering away from linen and any other natural fibres as it’s quite susceptible to fading and effecting the over all quality of the material.

Our Tennyson Residence

Design by Golden