Selecting Curtain Rods and Accessories
Selecting Curtain Rods and Accessories
When it is time to design or refresh the look of a home's windows, many people make the mistake of focusing solely on their curtains. While curtains can be the centerpiece of a perfect window design, your selection ofcurtain rods and window hardware can often have just as big an impact on the look and function of your final product.
Marburn Curtains offers a wide selection of hardware options to choose from, as well as a variety of blinds and shades. This handy guide to selecting curtain rods and window hardware will help pick out rods that set your home apart, and make sure aren't wasting time or effort installing improper pieces.
Know Your Rods and Hardware:
Before you even browse different styles of curtain rods or window hardware, it is important to know exactly what you are looking at. Here are the most common types of curtain rods and window accessories:
- Conventional Rods — These classic rods are typically adjustable andusually used for curtains or blinds with with a 1½" rod pocket. Conventional rods are versatile, and typically subtle in design.
- Continental Rods — These flat rods are typically designed to fit a 2½" rod pocket. They can come in a variety of materials, however wooden pole rods also work in a 3" rod pocket; many wooden rod diameters and lengths are available from Marburn.
- Combination Rods— Many designers and home furnishers opt tocombine multiple rods on one bracket. Double rods are used with valances over panels, and with festoons and jabots.
- Decorative Rods— Made ofwood, brass, or wrought iron, decorative rods can add that little extra you need to put your windows over the top. Combine with fancy finials(end caps), to create an aesthetic that works especially well with tab curtains, laces, and sheers.
- Café Rods— These piecesare used primarily with tier coordinates, but can also be used with any 1½" rod pocket item.
Decorative Hardware
- Sconces— These decorative pieces are used to hold scarves and are typically mounted just outside your window. A scarf is threaded through the holes within the sconce and draped decoratively. Marburn offers sconces in a variety of styles and sizes to match any home.
- Mini Vinyl Blinds — Both functional and stylish, mini vinyl blinds can provide a layer of privacy that makes your home feel cozy, as well as adding a modern touch to any window treatment.
- Roll-Up Shades — These simple, understated blinds offer easy control over your room's lighting and come in a wide variety of colors, sizes and materials.
Choosing the Right Rod for Your Curtains
Now that you have a better understanding of the types of rods and hardware available, let's explore what types of curtain rod is right for the specific window treatments you are hanging:
- Single Layer Treatments:When hanging window treatments that you want to open and close (such as pleated draperies or curtains), choose a traverse-type rod — a rod that is equipped with mechanisms that allow you to easily slide your curtains with the pull of a string. To hang any rod-pocket curtain alone, use a standard single rod.
- Multi-Layer Treatments —Curtains and draperies with top treatments or under-treatments require a double rod, or some combination of traverse-type rods, curtain rods, and decorative poles.
- Pinch-Pleated Draperies — These more specialized treatments typically requirehooks or clips to hang properly, rather than a standard rod.
- Rod-Pocket Panels— Curtains or drapes with rod-pocket panels can be slipped on a single rod, or on a continental rod if the pocket is 3 inches deep.
- Tab-Top Panels— These multi-faceted treatments can be hung on decorative rods with tailored or fancy finials.
Find Your Rods and Accessories Now
Knowing what you're looking for is half the battle. Now it's time to find your perfect piece! Take a look at the wide selection of curtain rods and hardware that Marburn has to offer:
Confused by any of the terminology? Visit our convenient glossary to learn more.