Selecting Your Curtain Style

Your clothes, your shoes, your car, your hair; these are the ways you show the world your style. Likewise, when it comes to your windows, there are endless ways to bring your unique flavor to the spaces you spend your life in.

Knowing more about curtain styles and options can not only help you build a better space for your family and guests, but can prevent you from making the mistake of decorating your home with imperfect pieces. Marburn's handy guide to curtain and draperies styles will help you shop curtains with confidence:

Curtain and Drapery Styles

• Pinc h-Pleated Draperies — Pleats build fullness into a window treatment, creating a more formal look. Pleated draperies can also be layered over sheer and lace panels. They are usually hung on a traverse rod, to open and close more easily.

  

• Rod-Pocket Panels or Curtains — These pieces feature loops or "pockets" sewn at the top through which you can simply your rod, then gather the fabric to make these panels as full as you'd like.
• Tab-Top Panels — These treatments are designed to go on a decorative rod (since some of it will show through) and can create a modern look with lots of privacy.
• Scarves — These long pieces of fabric taper at the end, allowing them to be draped through decorative wall sconces or looped over a decorative rod or scarf holders. Scarf valances can also be wrapped around a rod to simply frame a window, or layered over panels.

Valances and Top Treatments

Valances and top treatments add drama to any window, whether used alone or layered over panels or blinds. For wider windows, order two or more valances, or use an insert valance. The total fabric width of the valance should be about twice the rod width.

Some of our favorite top treatments include:

• Balloon Curtains — These curtains have rod-pocket tops and are usually for single windows 36–54 inches wide. Buy approximately twice the window width for proper fullness.
• Jabots — Also known as "Swag pairs", these pieces can be hung with an insert valance (festoon, e.g.) on the same rod. When hung with a cascade valance, use a double rod and hang on the outer rod.

Take a look at some additional curtain styles and top treatments below:

Confused by any of the terminology? Visit our convenient glossary to learn more.

Find Your Perfect Curtains Now

Of course, these are only a handful of the near endless window treatment combinations, but now that you have a better grasp of styles and options, it's time to find the perfect pieces for your home:

SHOP CURTAINS NOW