I have always viewed window coverings as what helps give a room a finished look. We’ve talked about drapes and how to hang drapes properly in the past but I’ve never had a chance to talk about one important aspect of window coverings. That is the drapery hardware and curtain rods.
First, let’s talk about curtain rods and tracks. Yep, there are two different things you hang curtains on. Tracks are typically installed on the ceiling and mostly in bedrooms where you need to block light completely whereas curtain rods can be installed on the ceiling or on the wall of any room.
Let’s take a look at both these options.
Curtain Tracks
You can choose curtain tracks in metal or plastic and they are designed to blend in seamlessly with the wall or ceiling. They can be hidden behind a pelmet (this is my Mom’s word for it!) or what I call a valence.
Curtain Rods
While curtain rods have the function of holding up the curtains, they can be a more decorative feature in a room as well. Curtain rods come in all kinds of different styles in wood, metal and plastic. That can also complicate things! Too many choices, anyone?
Have you ever stared at all these choices of curtain rods, unable to make a decision? I’ve definitely been there. I, now, favour the more simpler curtain rods with even simpler finials.
What’s a finial, you ask? It’s the thing that goes on either end of the curtain rod. They can range from ornate to sleek and there are also a lot of options out there but my advice is unless you’re very design-savvy, stick to the more simple shapes.
Curtain rods are held to the wall or ceiling using brackets and most of the time when you buy a rod, you will get brackets too. Brackets are kind of utilitarian and boring so I won’t go on too much on those.
Choosing a rod for your window will depend on the size and shape of the window as well as the size and weight of your drapes. The longer the window or the heavier the drapes, choose a thicker rod, unless you like that sagging in the middle look.
You can also use brackets that go in the middle to provide extra support when you have a very long window or a really heavy drapes.
If you are layering a sheers along with your drapes, there are brackets specifically made to hold two curtain rods. You’ll notice that one of these rods will be smaller than the other. The smaller rod is where your sheers will go and the thicker rod will hold the drapes.
Now that you know everything you need to know about curtain rods, how do you attach the curtains to the rod? That, my friends, is based on the style of your curtains.
Curtain style
If your curtain has a pocket at the top or has tabs, then all you need to do is put the rod through the pocket or the tabs. However, I will say that I’m not a fan of either of these options, unless you’re going for a more boho kinda look.
My issue with pockets and tabs on curtains is that they make it hard to open and close the drapes. They end up getting bunched up on either end and it doesn’t look smooth and effortlessly elegant in the end.
My preference is using rings to hang the curtains. You can use either pins or the clip that comes with the ring to attach the curtain to the ring. Rings make it easier to move the curtains back and forth on the rod. And they look a little more elegant than the other options. That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it!
Curtain Rings
To create a nice pleat on your drapes, you’ll need to space clips or pins about 4 inches apart and you’ll need one clip or pin for each end.
You can purchase curtain rings at different price points but psst…don’t tell anyone but even the ikea ones look really good when they hang.
My only peeve about curtain rings is that each package usually has only 7 rings and that makes no sense to me because you need at minimum 9 pins per curtain and maybe more depending on the length of the drapery panel.
Are you ready to hang your curtains yet?
