August 02, 2022

The Curtain Guide

Size and Styling Tips for Buying and Measuring Curtains

The time has come! You’re in your new home, or perhaps you’re halfway through a remodel, and you’re starting to think about adding the finishing touches to your new space. Rugs, pillows, and décor are all very nice ways to personalize a room. However, we find that one of the most impactful ways to finish a space is through the addition of curtains.

No matter what space it is, we’ve always found that the rooms we curate just don’t seem complete until we add panels to the windows. They help absorb sound, they are functional in keeping the sun out or the heat in, plus they’re just plain pretty!

We’d love to help you choose what’s right for your space by writing this handy little blurb all about one of our favourite things - curtains!

What to choose: Form & Function

Function

What’s the first thing that comes to mind if we asked you what you want your window coverings to do? If you answered ‘protect my furniture from the sun’ over ‘nothing, I just like them’, then we’d recommend adding blinds as the first layer in your window treatment.

The look of the decade (we’re thinking longevity here, not trends) is still a warm, clean, casual style. Long gone are the froo-froo mini blinds your mom made you clean as a kid. The most commonly sold item at Crown and Birch for blocking the sun, is a good ole’ roller blind. They can be solid or a little see-through, and do the trick to cut out the light (or keep your neighbours from seeing you in your bathrobe).

We usually do them as inside mount, and when the curtain panels are fitting just right over the sides of your window frames, you shouldn’t be able to see the white brackets unless you’re looking for them.

The roller can have the addition of a little cover (valance) over them, at the top, or you can leave it as an open roll. It’s a matter of preference really, plus a matter of how deep your windows are. Either one is fine, remember there are no rules. It’s your house, your budget, your windows.

Now we could go on and on about all the different styles of blinds here, and we are happy to discuss, but in regards to bang for your buck, rollers are where it’s at.

Now onto the fun stuff! The curtains!

Style

If you’ve ever been to your local fabric store, you probably know that there are literally hundreds of thousands of options when it comes to fabrics. The same is true for curtain fabric, but luckily for you, our very talented team of designers has expertly curated through those thousands of options, so you don’t have to! Aren’t you lucky!

Part of the design process, whether you’ve hired us to do top to bottom design, or you are taking it on yourself, is assembling the various textures, colours, prints etc. And again, here we want to go for longevity. Most people put up their curtains then don’t really want to think about them for at least ten years. This is why we pretty much always recommend neutral, solid, and muted shades. Our panels are all expertly made right here in Ontario, and unless otherwise specified are all lined.

We recommend opening up the package when you get them, lay them out across a bed to let them relax a little (they have come a long way after all) and gently press them on low heat if needed. Usually if there are any wrinkles they fall out within a few days of hanging them, just from the general humidity in your house. In a pinch, you can steam them but we find we rarely have to, since the look is casual and not fussy like the long pleats in your grandma’s house. (Sorry grandma!)

How to Measure: Blinds & Curtains

So you’ve decided you need blinds as the first layer, along with curtains to frame out the window and complete the space. You’ve worked with our designers and have narrowed down your selection to roller blinds, curtains, and rods. We’ve attached a handy little measurement guide here, but here’s the gist of it.

How to measure window for curtains and blinds

The rollers go on the inside of the window frame, and the curtains go on the outside of the window frame. So essentially you’re going to measure both (or we can measure for you). For the inside of the frame, you’ll measure to an 1/8th of an inch. (We know we’re in Canada but the window industry is still on the Imperial system). When you write down your measurements, Width always gets written first, followed by height. So we’ll need W x H plus whichever side you would like your cord to be on. Picture the furniture placed in the room, and make sure you can easily reach the cord.

Then for your curtains, we’ll need the same measurements plus a little extra. Measure as if you’re putting in blinds, (even if you aren’t), then measure the outer measurement of the frame of your window. Then measure from the floor to the top of your window frame. And that’s it! We’ll use this to calculate what size to order your curtains, what size rod you need, and how many brackets. (A rule of thumb for brackets is not to try to span any more than 4-5’ without placing a bracket, or the pole will eventually sag).

That’s it! See, easy peasy! We’d love to hear back from you when they’re up, or even better tag us in your finished photo on Social Media!

We hope this guide provides you with some useful tips on finding the perfect curtains for your space. No matter what, we want you to love the curtains you choose. Still feeling unsure of what to buy? We’re here to help! DM us on Instagram or email us anytime at info@crownandbirch.com. Our customer service team can provide styling tips, size suggestions, or help you with anything else you might need along the way. Happy shopping!