The Right and Wrong Way to Hang Cafe Curtains
Café curtains are one of my favorite window treatments. Equal parts practical and charming, they provide privacy without cutting light, and can look sweet or elegant depending on the fabric, length, hardware, etc. They are almost a no-brainer, but not quite. How you hang them makes a difference. There is a right way and a wrong way, so take notes!
The Wrong Placement
A lovely bath, no doubt, and installing cafe curtains was the right choice. The clients have privacy, plenty of light, and can push the curtains aside if they want to enjoy the landscape outside. What would have made this a home run, is if the curtains were hung in alignment with the metal grid – either with the muntin above or the rail below. Currently, the hardware and the window framework are in competition, creating a busier than necessary viewpoint. Sidenote, black or oil-rubbed bronze should have been the obvious hardware choice here instead of brass.
The Right Placement
The windows above and below all have cafe curtains installed with the architecture of the window in mind. It’s a detail that conveys the thoughtfulness behind each space’s design.
A pistachio living room by Nicky Kehoe.
Caveats
1 | Two Approaches
There are two schools of thought when it comes to exact placement of a curtain rod. One, align the rod itself with a muntin/rail. Two, install the rod high enough, so the top of the curtain header aligns with the horizontal element. My opinion is that it should be determined on a case-by-case basis. When the hardware is darker, I think it’s better if the rod aligns, and therefore, disappears. If the hardware is lighter and the fabric is more pronounced, then I align the curtain header with the rail or muntin.
2 | Single-Pane Windows Sans Rail
And what if you have a plain, plate glass window without muntins or a rail? At Huntley & Co., we won’t install cafe curtains in these situations; I think it looks awkward and too forced. Instead, I opt for short drapes that are hung at the inside top of the window as shown in the Huntley & Co. bedroom elevation at right below.
3 | Ready-Made Problems
If you purchase pre-fabricated curtains, you need to be mindful of their measurements. The window dictates the length of the curtain, not the other way around. If you can’t request a specific dimension, order them slightly longer and hem them. Otherwise, your window will scream, “I bought this on Amazon” like (case in point) the kitchen below.
FYI, not only the wrong length, but the wrong fabric, wrong hardware, and wrong placement.
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