6 Things That Your Curtains Should Always Match

Giovanni Valle is a licensed architect and LEED-accredited professional and is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). He is the author and managing editor of various digital publications, including BuilderSpace, Your Own Architect, and Interiors Place.

Decorating your home can be fun and exciting while also leaving you scratching your head at times for the proper way to display your taste.

Choosing curtains for your home can be one of those head-scratching moments. How do you select curtains that will best complement the rest of your decor?

The curtains you choose should always match the rod they hang from, your walls, and your style. They should also complement the rest of the decor in the room. If you have more than one set of curtains in the room, they should match each other in color, design, and length.

Read further to better understand how to match your curtains with your home style. This article will explore six things your curtains should always match in your home to create flow and appeal. Let’s begin!

1. The Rod

Perhaps you haven’t put much thought into your curtain rod, but the curtains and rod should match. This means the rod should be the proper weight and thickness to support your curtains.

Curtains can vary in weight depending on the fabric, so you’ll need to use thin rods for lightweight curtains and thicker rods for heavier curtain fabric.

If you’re using curtains with a colorful design, choose a rod with a simple design to keep the appeal balanced.

Fancy rods complement simple curtains with solid colors or embroidery that is the same color as the background fabric.

2. The Wall Color Scheme

Whether you’re buying curtains for the living room or another room in your home, they should match the rest of the wall color in the room.

Bold colored curtains can create a contrast and statement with lighter colored walls in the same color family.

Alternatively, you can opt for light-colored curtains for dark-colored walls in the same color family. If you’re indecisive about choosing a color, use a neutral tone to flow with your colors, always making sure that the background color coordinates with the wall color.

If you have wallpaper covering the walls with elegant designs, your curtains are best displayed in a solid color or neutral tone.

Curtains with embroidery designs stitched in the same color as the curtain fabric are also an option. Using a simple curtain set with a wallpaper design keeps the balance without overstimulating the vision of the room.

3. Your Room’s Style

The decor and furniture throughout the room should create a design flow with a matching style. Curtains should always match the natural flow of the rest of the decor and furniture for balance in color and design.

For simple decor and solid-colored walls, spice up the room with a set of curtains with a stylish pattern with colors that create contrast and complement the rest of the room’s appeal.

Use solid colored curtains to coordinate with patterned furniture and “busy” decor. Too many patterns in the room can create a chaotic appearance that drains your mental health from being overstimulated.

Those who live in homes with chaos and clutter may suffer memory issues because the brain is continuously trying to process an overload of information.

When choosing a set that flows and complements the rest of your room’s style, your curtains can create a powerful statement in the room design.

4. The Texture of the Room

Curtains vary in fabric textures and should match the rest of the room’s texture style. If you peer around your living space, you’ll notice all of the textures your decor and furniture provide. Choose a curtain set that will match and complement the current flow of textures in the room.

The following are different textured fabrics that are available for curtains:

Linen
Silk
Cotton
Polyester
Velvet

Using Linen To Give a Refreshing Look

Linen curtains provide a clean appearance while still adding texture and character to your room.

This fabric feel is on the lighter side with a weave that allows airflow when the windows are open. It also allows the brightness to fill the room when the curtains are pulled closed for privacy.

Curtains made of linen fabric are versatile and can match most wall colors and decor.

If you like the look of linen but would like to block out more light, there are thicker and heavier linen options.

Silk Will Provide a Look of Elegance

Long silk curtains draped against the walls and flowing down to the floor can be a stunning vision when you and your guests enter the room.

However, they are slightly more challenging to maintain than the other types mentioned on this list because they’re made of a more delicate fabric.

If you’ve ever owned silk clothing, you know how easy it is for the material to wrinkle and get caught on anything slightly sharp. Silk curtains may not be the best choice if you have playful pets and children.

Hanging silk curtains during the summer months will reduce wrinkles and keep the fabric dry.

The Comfort of Cotton Curtains

Like linen, cotton is a natural, lightweight, and versatile fabric for curtains. You can choose a thicker cotton fabric to reduce the amount of sunlight when closed or sheer cotton curtains for a calming appeal.

Cotton curtains provide texture and elegance suited for complementing your home decor and walls.

Easy Maintenance and Appeal of Polyester

Polyester is possibly the easiest to maintain out of the rest of the fabrics mentioned on this list. This type of material is solid and durable while also providing insulation from the sun’s heat and window drafts.

When they get dirty, you can just throw them in the washer and dryer without worrying about them becoming damaged or shrinking.

Polyester curtains are also less expensive than other curtain materials.

The Fancy Look of Velvet Curtains

Velvet curtains are best displayed draped to the floor for a rich, royal appeal. It’s one of the heaviest fabrics for curtains and is excellent for blocking the sunlight to set the mood.

The thicker material also provides insulation from cool drafts coming through the tiny cracks of your windows, helping you save money with your heating bill.

5. The Room’s Height

As mentioned above, all curtains should match the rest of the room in color, pattern, and even length.

Using the correct curtain length creates a uniform look with an overall balance. Symmetry is essential to decorating your living space to provide an even appearance.

The following are standard lengths of ready-made curtains you’ll find in a typical department store:

63 in (160 cm)
84 in (213 cm)
95 in (241 cm)
108 in (259 cm)
120 in (305 cm)

Measure for the Preferred Length

Curtains are available in several sizes that are standard to fit common window measurements in homes.

For the perfect fit, there’s an option to order custom window treatments if you have windows with dimensions outside of the standard sizes typically available.

Custom-sized curtains are also great if you have a specific look in mind that standard curtain dimensions wouldn’t accomplish.

Typically, you’ll measure the window from above the top to underneath the bottom window sill for the desired area you want your curtains to cover.

Curtains can be flush with the ceiling and floor to provide the illusion of a bigger room. Ensure all curtains are mounted the same if multiple sets or panels are hung to cover all the windows in your living space.

Longer Curtains Give Illusion of a Bigger Room

Use long curtains that drape from the ceiling to the floor to make the room appear larger. Mount the rod as close to the ceiling as possible, or use ceiling mounts so the curtains will flow to the floor.

Ensure the space between the bottom of the curtains and the floor is the same as the space between the top of the curtains and the ceiling.

Depending on the color and pattern, it can provide a dramatic or elegant appeal to your overall look.

To create contrast and a dramatic look, use curtain colors and patterns that complement the rest of the room and are slightly darker against lighter-colored walls.

For a calming and relaxing living atmosphere, use a long curtain set that’s neutral colored or a color shade slightly different than but in the same family as the color of the walls.

Curtains To Fit the Window Dimensions

Using curtains to fit the window dimensions doesn’t always complement the style and feel of the room. Most of the time, it will direct attention to the size of the window and compromise the overall balance.

Even with short or short and wide windows, many designers suggest using window treatments that fall to the floor to create the impression that the windows are more oversized than they really are.

However, windows differ in dimensions and style from one home to the next. And while fitted window treatments may not be appropriate in one house, they could very well complete the look in another.

Here’s a popular video providing great ideas for how to make shorter curtains appear stylish in your home:

6. The Decor Style

Many designers have used curtains to create more dimension in a room, and achieving this look is not difficult.

The goal of decorating a room is to provide balance and symmetry that creates a natural flow and stimulates positive mental health.

Adding dimension to the room with colors, textures, and accent decor like curtains is part of the balance and symmetry.

The following are ways to create dimension in your room with curtains to complement the color and decor style:

Frame the window.
Utilize curtain ties to create dimension and style.
Use two sets, one neutral-toned and the other have a color or pattern.
Hang curtains the length of the wall.

A Stylish Window Frame Using Curtain Panels

Some don’t prefer to actually use the curtains for privacy or to block the sunlight. Curtain panels can be placed on both sides of the windows using short rods to add a “framed” appearance.

This style can be used to create the illusion of a larger room by mounting the curtains from the ceiling to the floor.

It’s also an excellent option for those that prefer nothing restricting the window view.

Create Style and Dimension With Curtain Ties

Traditionally, curtain ties are used to hold the curtains to the side of the window to allow the sun to shine through.

However, people have become quite creative with styling their window treatment using ties or the curtain itself if it’s a lightweight fabric. You can use floor-length or shorter curtains.

Tying up your curtains also helps when there are large furniture pieces in front of the window.

For example, with an oversized couch placed in front of a stretch of shorter windows, use curtains slightly longer than the window and tie them just above the window sill.

Center each curtain panel with the center of the window. This creates dimension, style, and elegance.

Mix Two Sets: Traditional and Modern

Curtains were traditionally displayed in many homes as a sheer set of curtains behind a thicker colored or patterned set of curtains.

Each set was on a separate rod so you could freely open and close them on their own. However, creative eyes have found other ways to add character.

Another option is to use the combination of curtains and shades for dimension instead of two sets of curtains.

By mounting shades slightly lower than the curtain rod, it creates a layered look and makes the window appear larger. This style can provide a powerful statement as you enter the room.

From the Ceiling to the Floor

As previously mentioned, hanging curtains from the ceiling to the floor will visually expand the entire room.

You can use rods designed to hang from the ceiling or mount the rods just below the ceiling or crown molding.

Let the curtains flow down the wall just touching the floor, or let them puddle on the floor for a look of elegance.

Decorating your living space includes creating an illusion from symmetry, textures, and dimensions that naturally flow together.