A dining room that’s a bit timeless yet collected and eclectic all at the same time. How do you choose the right window treatment?
Floor length panels were the first thing that came to mind and definitely an expected option for a formal dining room. Maybe too expected.
Anytime you add long panels to a room you add a touch of formality. We were looking for a more casual option that would still suit this traditional space.
Pleated cafe curtains were the answer. Tailored yet more casual than long panels. Plenty of light pouring in with the option for privacy and light control. And beauty.
Brenda’s dining room is full of timeless and classic pieces. An oriental rug, antique Elizabethan-influenced table with sideboard and a Williamsburg style chandelier. The only thing missing is curtains.
Once we’d chosen our curtain style…
There were many more decisions to make.
Where to place the rod? With cafe curtains the best placement is 2/3 to 3/4 the height of the window. When you have paned windows it’s best to place the rod in line with a horizontal divider or in the center of a pane. As long as you stay within those perimeters you’re good. Brenda preferred the rod a bit lower so we placed it in the center of the pane.
Lined or Unlined? Generally this depends on the fabric. Sheers would of course be unlined. But for our fabric and the look we wanted we used a napped lining which is a bit thicker than a regular cotton lining.
Create 2 curtain panels per window or 1? We chose 1 panel for each window. Since our windows are only 26″ wide we felt 1 panel per window was best. If we were using a sheer fabric 2 panels would work.
To Embellish Or Not To Embellish? Again, this choice is personal preference. Brenda loves tassels and fringe so To Embellish was the obvious choice.
The fabric we choose was a small, almost tone-on-tone, leaf pattern in pale gold.
Pleated Cafe Curtains – All the Details
- Each curtain is 1.5 widths of material – approximately 75″ wide.
- Cuff measures 6″ long plus a 2″ tassel fringe.
- Each curtain includes 7 @ 4″ traditional pinch pleats.
- Windows are 26″ w x 63.75 (inside).
- Doors are 33.75″ w x 80″h each.
- Window panels are 44″ long. Door Panels are 54″ long.
- Windows used an inside mount bracket. Doors used a french door bracket.
- Custom rods are 5/8″ diameter in a rope pattern. Rings are 1.5″ in diameter.
- Rings are ring-on-ring style used with pin hooks.
- Door rods include a “button” welded to each end in place of a finial.
It’s customary, when installing cafe curtains on a functioning french door, to hem the panels 2″ below the window. Even though we talked this through sometimes it’s hard to envision just how all our decisions will play out.
After installation, the shorter length didn’t feel right to Brenda. Fortunately the panels included a double 5″ hem. By reworking the panels to include a smaller hem we were able to lengthen them to 6″ below the window. This seemed much better.
Either option…2″ below the window or 6″ below the window is acceptable.
A closer look at the custom hardware – including french door brackets and the welded “button” on each end of the rope rods. The main reason we used the button was because it’s smaller than a finial.
The Best Option
Our cafe curtain is tailored, pleated and embellished with a matching trim. Three details which flow seamlessly in a traditional space and make this curtain the best option for a timeless dining room.
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