Recent changes in the family room started with new bamboo shades. I still love how they look and how well they control light and heat, especially during hot summer days. While the shades do a great job for privacy and temperature control, I wanted curtains to soften the room and add a layer of warmth and texture.
Finding long, affordable curtains that feel unique isn’t always easy. In the past I treated myself to patterned crewel curtains for my office, and they’ve been worth the splurge. For the dining room I used leftover fabric from previous curtains and extended the panels with a coordinating blue band at the bottom. Those kinds of tweaks can make a big difference.
For the family room I wanted something understated — no bold patterns or vivid colors. The curtains were meant to play a supporting role, framing the windows and adding softness without competing with the room’s other elements. Subtle details can give a space personality without shouting for attention.
I’m drawn to cozy details that work year-round, so while the room’s style may lean summery, I prefer elements that still feel warm and snug in cooler months.
Long, affordable curtains have been a challenge in every home we’ve owned. Often we end up lengthening panels or making them ourselves. This time I found inexpensive long curtains at IKEA that were perfect in color and texture, but they were still too short for the look I wanted.
I prefer hanging curtains higher than the window frame — ideally from the ceiling — to create the illusion of taller windows. If I’d hung these IKEA panels at the top of the window, the length would have been acceptable, but I wanted the panels to reach the floor from a higher mounting point. That meant I needed to add length.
To extend the panels without sewing, my mom — who’s made many of our family curtains over the years — used iron-on stitch tape and a spare jute-striped sheer curtain panel from World Market. She cut the extra panel and attached it to the bottom of the IKEA curtains. The lightweight fabric made the iron-on tape an easy and effective solution.
Instantly, the curtains gained personality and the needed length to hit the floor. The front looks seamless, and the small amount of visible imperfection on the back doesn’t matter once they’re hanging. If you prefer a more finished look, sewing a border is always an option, but iron-on tape is a quick, no-sew alternative that works well with light fabrics.
After a bit of ironing the panels were ready. I admit I was concerned that adding curtains might change the room in a way I wouldn’t like, since it had looked fine without them. Instead, they finished the space in a quiet, subtle way that felt complete.
If a window offers an extraordinary view, curtains can be less important. For our family room, the focus is inward, especially in winter, so curtains help create a cozy, finished feeling.
I chose to make the panels stationary and mounted short rods on each side instead of a long rod across the top. With all the existing molding and trim, I didn’t want another horizontal line or oversized finials drawing attention. Two short rods overlapped slightly at the center let in the maximum light and kept the look clean and simple. I used basic short curtain rods from a home improvement store and am very happy with how the installation turned out.
Next up: tackling the living room panels. My living room window is extra tall, so I’ll be adding significant length to those curtains. This time I’ll be working solo — I’ll share how that goes once I’ve finished.