The Decor Mistake That Makes Your Home Look Cheap

Curtains are one of the most transformative design elements in any space. Living rooms? Check. Bedrooms? Absolutely. Even kitchens, bathrooms, and dining rooms can benefit from the right window treatments. Not only do curtains provide privacy, but they’re imperative to adding personality and texture to a room.

“I love using window treatments to instantly elevate my clients’ spaces,” says Long Island, New York, interior designer Dawn Ianno of Dawn Interiors. “They add a beautiful mix of style, warmth, and comfort to a room.”

Not all curtain styles are created equal, though. Fabric type, color, and opacity are important, but so is the way the curtain attaches to the rod. According to Ianno, one common option instantly cheapens a room.

“I never recommend curtains with grommets,” she says. “They often read as less refined.”

No matter how beautiful the fabric, the exposed metal circles look tacky and mass-produced. Sure, they’re convenient to drape and often budget friendly, but they also draw unwanted attention to their hardware and compete with other metallic finishes in a room. The result? A space that feels disconnected and not very sophisticated.

Alternative Curtain Styles To Shop

For a more polished, styled design, there are plenty of other curtain styles to shop — and they’re often available for similar price points. “For a truly tailored look, I’m a big fan of ripple-fold drapes on a traverse rod for operable panels, and for stationary treatments — though they can be operable, too — I love back-tab, pinch-pleat, or reverse pinch-pleat styles,” Ianno says. “These details make all the difference in creating a high-end, custom feel.”

These styles allow fabric to fall in deeper, more natural folds, lending a tailored effortlessness to your space. They also pair well with heavier materials, such as velvet and blackout fabrics.

Let your curtains frame the view, not distract from it. Skip the shiny grommets, and instead opt for a style that focuses on rich texture, graceful drape, and a timeless appeal.