The living room is the heart of any home – it’s where you relax, entertain guests, and make memories with family. An often overlooked detail that can make or break the aesthetic of your living room is the drapery. With the right living room drapery, you can transform the entire feel and style of the space. There are a variety of elegant drapery styles to explore for your living room that will add visual interest, regulate lighting and privacy, and pull your decor together into a polished, designer look.
Most Popular Drapery Styles for Living Rooms
When considering new living room drapery, you’ll first want to decide which style best fits your space and personal tastes. Here are five of the most popular drapery styles seen in living rooms:
Puddled Drapes
For a formal, elegant style, flowing puddled drapes make a bold statement. Often made of luxurious fabrics like silk, velvet, or brocade, these curtains puddle on the floor for a super dramatic effect. They really accentuate high ceilings. Pull them back during the day or keep them closed for maximum coziness at night.
Flowing Floor-Length Drapes
Floor-length drapes are a step above puddled drapes and are meant to gather attractively on the floor without completely covering it. The billowing folds add dimension and softness to living rooms. They make a room feel welcoming and casual-chic.
Eyelet Curtains
Eyelet-style sheer drapes have a light, airy feel from the evenly spaced holes and ornate embroidery along the edges. Hung alone or paired with another layer, they allow sunlight to filter into the living room beautifully while still providing coverage and privacy.
Valances
Valances are short drapery panels hung at the very top of windows. They add customized style without blocking views or light. You can even incorporate valances atop longer drapes for a layered look. They’re a great way to experiment with unique fabrics and patterns.
Roman Shades
Roman shades offer soft, cascading folds when opened and crisp, uniform lines when closed. Made from materials like bamboo or luxe fabrics, these shaded blinds manage incoming sunlight while allowing some visibility. Add privacy and temperature control without sacrificing style.
Table comparing key differences between popular living room drapery styles:
Style | Length | Sunlight Control | Privacy Level | Formality |
Floor-Length Drapes | Touch floor | High | High | High |
Puddled Drapes | Gather on floor | Medium-High | Medium-High | Medium |
Eyelet Curtains | Various | Low | Low | Low |
Valances | Top of the window only | Low | Low | Varies |
Roman Shades | Wall-to-floor | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Key Takeaways
With endless options for fabrics, patterns, and styles, the right living room drapery can elevate your space in beautiful ways while adding valuable functionality. As you evaluate window treatments, remember these key takeaways:
- Consider your room’s proportions, architectural details, and decor style when selecting drapes
- Layer different curtains for depth, dimension, and customization
- Invest in quality materials and precise tailoring for an upscale, built-to-last appearance
- Control lighting, temperature, and privacy with window-to-wall drapes in flowing or neat configurations
- Express personal taste with on-trend prints, luxurious materials like silk or velvet
- Accent windows by topping longer curtains with charming valances
- Seek out specialty designers for advice and custom-made pieces
Frequently Asked Questions
Still deciding which living room drapery is best for your home? Here are the answers to some of the most commonly asked questions:
Take room height and window size into consideration. Floor-length styles work well with high ceilings but may overwhelm a smaller space. For standard ceiling heights, puddled curtains gathered elegantly on the floor are ideal. Valances fit neatly, regardless of proportions.
Choose fabrics with durability suitable for your lifestyle. Active households may opt for easy-clean polyester sheers or simple cotton. Luxurious velvet, silk, and brocades add glamour but require dry cleaning. Meet in the middle with pretty-yet-tough linen or textured fabrics.
Lining improves light control, insulation, hang quality, and durability. Blackout lining blocks outdoor light for media rooms. Acoustic lining dampens sound reverberations. Unlined drapes have a relaxed vibe but wrinkle easily, let light through, and show wall texture. Assess your needs, budget, and style preferences.
Design the Living Room of Your Dreams
The drapery experts at Kerrville Window Fashions create gorgeous custom window treatments to match your living room’s unique dimensions, architecture, and decor. With an incredible selection of fabrics and styles to choose from, they’ll help design the perfect drapes to realize your decorative vision.
To discuss your living room drapery project for Kerrville area properties, contact Kerrville Window Fashions today for a free in-home consultation. Draperies are made just for you, on your schedule, professionally installed, and look beautiful.
