Table of Contents
Quick Summary
- How To Choose Curtain Rods? Choosing curtain rods is as vital as selecting the colour and style of curtains for a room.
- Curtain rods serve as essential supports for curtains, influencing the room’s style, privacy, and comfort level.
- Multiple curtain rod types exist: some popular choices include traverse, decorative, concealed, double or triple, café, and tension rods.
- Each rod type suits a different purpose, curtain style, and room setting.
- Choosing the right rod involves checking the mounting location, curtain weight, rod diameter, and window width.
- The design and finish of the rod should complement the room’s look, whether it is modern, classic, rustic, or minimalist.
- Quality accessories like brackets, rings, and finials, enhance the setup and improve its appearance.
- Professional suggestions can help avoid wrong choices and ensure the rods support both heavy and light curtains effectively.
How to choose curtain rods? The topic may seem to you trifle at first instance, but the curtain rods are perfect accessory of hanging curtains.
Have you ever seen a house without curtains? It is hardly possible. Homemakers lay their focus on curtains, and styling curtain are more than just part of the décor. Curtains can protect an interior from the outside elements, apart from providing you some well-deserved privacy.
Besides prevention and privacy, curtains in a room emphasize the look and the elegance. Curtain rods compliment the style of curtains. Considering how important curtains are to your room aesthetics, comfort, and privacy, the curtain rods make the curtains looking lavish and well-structured.
Before we get into the tips of how to choose curtain rods, let’s take a closer look at curtain rods.
What is a Curtain Rod?
Curtain rods are the hardware required to support curtains and drapes over windows. The rods are attached by brackets either to the wall, ceiling, or window frame. These poles can be made of a wide range of materials such as plastic, wood, metal, or wrought iron and can be either hidden from view or visible. The rods often have to be paired with complementary accessories like end caps, brackets, tiebacks to add to the look by being either fun or formal.
Different types of curtain rods add a unique touch to your home decor depending on the one you select.
Different Types of Curtain Rods
Curtain poles or rods are available in many materials and finishings like painted wood, antique brass, or brushed nickel and can be handmade, mass-produced, carved, painted, etc. Let’s explore these latest curtain rods designs. Overall, they are broadly classified as:
01. Traverse Curtain Rods
The traverse rods are generally visible when the curtains are open i.e. there is no top treatment installed. Curtain rod holders or carriers are installed with drape or curtain hooks. Decorative traverse poles, on the other hand, are visible even when the curtains are closed. They carry curtains with the help of rings.
The two-way traverse type is the most common and used with drapes or curtains that are operated with a wand or cord. It allows the curtains or drapes to move away from the middle to the ends when opened. One-way traverse rods, on the other hand, allow the curtains or panels to move in one direction and are often mounted over sliding patio doors or in the corners.
02. Decorative Curtain Rods
These curtain poles are designed to be highly visible and have a huge impact on the appearance of the window and room. They are available in a variety of designs and sizes and can be made of brass, wrought iron, brushed nickel, wood, pewter, etc. Finishes and colours like gold or black for decorative curtain poles add a nice and glamorous accent to the room. It is an amazing curtain rod design to add in your rooms.
03. Concealed Curtain Rods
As the name suggests, this type of curtain pole or rod is designed to be hidden or covered by the curtains or drapes they support. They are often adjustable, white in colour and may come with metallic finishes. Concealed curtain poles can be of the sash, wide-pocket, or tension types. Generally, the sash concealed rods are used for French doors or casement windows with hourglass curtains or sashes. Whereas wide-pocket poles are used for shirred valances.
04. Double and Triple Rods
Compared to single rods, double and triple curtain rods add depth and dimension to a room as they are used to create a layered and decorative treatment for windows. This means that the additional number of rods allows you to add additional curtains or drapes of varying materials, thickness, transparency, and colours. Usually, this setup involves two rods and a single bracket.
05. Cafe Curtain Rods
Generally made of brass, cafe curtain poles or rods are narrow and round or fluted and come with subtle finials. They don’t have rings and are ideal for tie-tab and hand-drawn curtains. Cafe drapery rods can also come in a wide range of coloured finishes and can be used indoors and outdoors.
06. Tension Curtain Rods
These rods are typically used with lightweight curtains and drapes and keep the ends in place with the help of a spring mechanism. They are easy to install as there is no need to drill holes and can be paired with lightweight seasonal panels and sheers. Tension rods are best suited for the kitchen window above the sink as heavy curtains are not installed in this area.
Tips on How to Choose the Perfect Curtain Rod
Choosing the right rod is essential for the look for your room and home, as well as the right choice boosts the stability of your window treatment. A curtain rods buying guide can help you to cherry-pick the variant for you effortlessly.
Now that we know more about the various types of rods available to choose from, let’s look at some pro-tips that will help you select the best support rod for your curtains and drapes. If you are in dilemma and want to know how to choose curtain rods and its colour, how to pick a curtain rod, how to buy curtain rods, below we have a detailed curtain rod guide for you.
Step 1 – Figure Out Where to Fix the Curtain
You must first figure out where you want your curtain attached – to the wall, ceiling, or inside the window frame. There are various curtain rod styles, many of which are decorative. It will be easier to narrow down your choice of curtain support once you decide where to fix your curtain.
Step 2 – Figure out the Weight of Your Curtains or Drapes
To figure out what type of curtain rod you should pick, you need to know how much your curtains or drapes weigh. This step is important as you will learn how much weight your pole can carry. If you are looking to black out your room with thick curtains or add thermal curtains, the material will be heavier and will need a sturdy curtain rod and brackets.
You can calculate the weight per foot your rod must carry by dividing the curtain weight by the rod’s width. For example, if your curtains or drapes weigh 60 pounds (~27 kgs) and the required width of the rod is 15 feet, the weight the rod should be able to support is 4 pounds (1.8 kgs) per foot.
Step 3 – Figure out the Required Diameter and Width of the Curtain Rod
A curtain rod’s diameter is the width of its cross-section. The diameter of curtain poles is generally 1 to 3 inches, based on the weight of the curtains. Knowing the diameter of the rod helps you determine if a heading fits and helps you find the best bracket if it does not come along with the rod.
When it comes to the rod’s width (length), you first need to know the size of the window, including its frame. If your window is small with just a little space on both sides, you need to pick a rod that’s of the same width. In the case of larger windows, choose a rod that extends beyond the window by 5 inches on both sides. Doing this will ensure that only a small part of your window is still covered by the curtains when open.
Step 4 – Pick a Rod That Matches Your Room Decor
The curtain rod should always match the style of the window and the rest of the room. If you are going for a glamorous look, pick a brass rod that has a polished finish. A black pole, on the other hand, would go great with a farmhouse or mid-century, modern look and a silver-grey rod goes well if you are going for a Scandinavian look.
If you want metal rods, you can make them more interesting by giving them a satin nickel, oil-rubbed bronze, or antique silver finish. Wooden rods go well in rooms that are designed to look more natural.
Step 5 – Always Choose Quality Products
When talking about curtain rods, you aren’t talking only about the rods, but the whole package. Generally, they come with other curtain rod accessories like brackets, curtain rings, finials, rails, etc. All of these materials need to be of good quality as they last longer and add a different feel to the room.
Step 6 – Don’t Hesitate To Ask For Advice
No matter what you do or who you are, everyone can use some good advice every now and then. So, why should picking curtain rods be any different? The worst thing that can happen when picking curtains to glam up your room is buying the wrong curtain support. It is always best to take the advice of interior designers and others in the business to pick the best hardware to support your gorgeous curtains and drapes.
Conclusion
How to choose curtain rods? Now probably you have developed a fair idea of choosing the curtain rods best suitable for your room. It is important to give curtain rods as much thought as you would when choosing a material or the colour and shade of the cloth. You can make a fun day of mixing and matching curtain support based on the curtain style, material, colours, and finishes. While choosing the curtain material, if you want any help, we are here with an amazing article which will surely aid you with:
Choose the Right Curtains Materials for your Home
You can also improve or add to your rods by buying fun, ornate, or wild finials and curtain rod brackets to go along with your curtain poles.
We hope this article has helped you to develop some insight into the intricacy of curtain supports and how to pick the right curtain rod for the curtains you have chosen for your room.
If selecting curtain rod was helpful, we are definitely sure that whenever you want to buy curtains, you will also have a look at this blog:
Window Curtains: How to Select the Perfect Match for Your Windows?
FAQs on How to Choose Curtain Rods
1. What Should I Consider Before Buying Curtain Rods?
Consider the location where you want the curtains mounted, the weight of the fabric, the size of the window, and the overall décor. These details help you select a rod that supports the curtains correctly and blends with the room.
2. How Do I Choose the Right Curtain Rod Size?
Measure the window frame and add extra length on both sides to allow the curtains to open fully. The rod diameter should match the curtain weight so that the setup remains stable and looks balanced.
3. Which Curtain Rod Works Best for Heavy Curtains?
Heavier curtains need strong metal rods or thick wooden rods paired with sturdy brackets. A wider diameter of the curtain rods helps prevent the risk of sagging and allows the curtains to move smoothly without stressing the hardware.
4. What Type of Curtain Rod is the Best for Layered Curtains?
Double or triple curtain rods work well because they can hold sheer and blackout panels together. This kind of curtain rod setup creates depth, improves light control, and allows each layer to move freely without impacting the others.
5. How Do I Match Curtain Rods with My Room Décor?
It is super easy! You need to select finishes that complement the room’s colours and style. There are some generic rules, although these are not fixed. For example, brass suits classic spaces, black works with modern or industrial themes, and wooden rods match natural or warm interiors for a coordinated look.
Author Bio
Andrea Noronha – Andrea Noronha is a content writer and editor with over 4 years of experience. Although she comes from a finance background, Andrea is passionate about blogging about interior design. Her other interests include travelling, baking, and digital marketing.
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