Choosing the Right Drapery Hardware

Installing beautiful drapery involves more than choosing fabric and narrowing down your preferred style. In fact, one overlooked component— or at least one that seems to rank less in importance— is hardware. Drapery hardware can make a huge difference in both the look and functionality of your window treatments, so it’s important to carefully consider your options and choose what’s best for your room. And with the selections today, there’s really no reason you can’t find something that makes you happy. But how do you go about choosing the right drapery hardware? Here’s a bit of information that can come in handy when the time comes to decide. 

Getting Started

First of all, it’s important that you become familiar with all that’s available for purchase. The options are many, including standard rods, decorative rods, traverse rods, magnetic rods, double and triple rods, as well as rods that are spring-loaded and adjustable. There are also finials, rings, and tiebacks to choose from. To top it off, an assortment of designs are available in materials such as iron, wood, stainless steel, wrought iron, and ceramic.

• Standard (conventional) rod — wood or metal poles in varying diameters and styles such as single curtain rods or double rods that allow you to hang a layer of sheers beneath privacy curtains. Ready-made conventional rods often come as part of a set with matching wall brackets, finials, and rings.
• Traverse rod — a versatile rod that can be ceiling or wall-mounted and spans vast window expanses with ease. Commonly used for pleated draperies and is recommended for high ceiling windows as they make it easy to open and close the curtains.
• Swingarm rod — a rod that attaches to only one side of a window and operates on a hinge that allows the curtain to swing back and forth over the window opening. These work well in areas, such as French doors or on narrow windows, where other rods won’t do. 
• Tension rod — a rod that remains in place thanks to a spring and twisting mechanism, which creates pressure between the rod ends and wall. No screws or mounting hardware needed. 
• Finials — an element screwed onto the ends of curtain rods to add a decorative touch. They are available to match any style of drapery rod in a range of materials including glass, metal, wood, bamboo, rattan, or resin. For the best look, the finial should line up with the outside edge of the window molding. 
• Rings — can be attached to drapery panels in different ways for different looks. Drapery rings should be large enough to accommodate the circumference of your drapery rod, leaving room for the rings to slide along easily. Rings can be found in various finishes making it easy to coordinate with your rod and finials.
• Tiebacks — u-shaped or straight pegs with decorative finials, which are used to hold drapes open. Tiebacks are available in several designs and finishes, making them compatible with just about any decorating style. 

When it comes to drapery rods, they should be able to hold the weight of the curtain fabric and accommodate the number of curtain layers at each window. 

Making a Choice

Once you’ve learned about the choices you have in regards to hardware, you’ll need to narrow it down. Here are some tips to help:

• Let your fabric lead the way. Is the fabric thick and heavy or is it light and airy? What are the colors like? Will you be layering the window coverings? Knowing the answers to questions such as these will be very instrumental in determining the rod’s material, color, and style (i.e. double or triple).
• Complement the room’s decor style. You wouldn’t want something ultra-sleek and modern in a traditional-style home. Look for something that will fit in rather than stand out (in a bad way). 
• Think about how you want the rods hung. Do you want them covered by the window treatments or exposed so the detail can be seen? 

Tips for Hanging

Is there something you wish to create in the room that isn’t there? For instance, do you want to make the room look bigger, the ceiling look taller or the room feel unified? The way you use your hardware can make do a lot.

• To give the illusion of more space, extend the pole hardware past the window frame. This will make the window appear larger, which in essence makes the room look larger.
• To make the ceilings look taller than they are, hang the hardware 4 to 6 inches above the window frame. The higher you hang to the ceiling, the taller it looks.
• For a harmonious, unified feel, hang all hardware at the same height regardless of the window sizes.
• Always take measurements so you save time when purchasing. Some places will even cut rods to fit any size window, so be sure to ask when buying.

At Cutting Corners, we have a nice selection of hardware made of both iron and wood. Our rods, brackets, finials, and rings are sold separately, which allows you to piece together the exact look you want. Hardware is not available for purchase online at this time, so please stop into one of our locations to browse our selections. While you’re at it, check out our collection of discount designer upholstery fabrics, which can be turned into custom drapes within 3 to 4 weeks. We also have custom furniture pieces and accessories as well!