These turned out PERFECT. Here are my tips:
1. I did order the swatch book beforehand to make sure I liked the color.
2. Order your rod first – you need to know the exact length of the curtain either from the bottom of the rod, or from the bottom of the rings. My personal preference is from the rod itself, no rings. So the curtain looks like it is touching the ceiling. My rod took off about 1” from the length of ceiling to floor. Also – I very much prefer a curved edge curtain rod. This means the curtains will be able to wrap all the way around and you won’t have light coming in on the sides. For my bay window – I did 3 of these rods (middle one was a larger size) with these bay window connectors. Way cheaper than a custom rod!
3. FLOOR TO CEILING. Trust me.
4. When measuring – you want the drapes to “kiss the floor”. Meaning – you should be a 1/2” from the floor. These curtains allow you to customize by the 1/8 of an inch. So when measuring – measure it PRECISELY, down to the 8th of an inch.
Hot tip: the delivery came in much sooner than the estimated time. I was even able to message back and forth with the seller prior to shipment to triple confirm everything. They were very responsive and had great customer service.
What I ordered:
– Light filtering, unlined. This was my preference because it is in our living area where I want maximum sunlight. There are blackout options for bedrooms.
– Beige White. The perfect off-white but enough to warm up the room.
– Pinch pleat – this is how you get that bunched look at the top that screams “custom”!
– I also did back tab – this allows the rod to slide in behind the curtain panel so it is hidden. My preference so it looks super custom.
– Enough width to hang 6-8” wider than the window. I didn’t want the curtain blocking the window much but more framing it. Obviously this depends on the amount of space you have beside your window. 8” is the max I’d go, but it really makes the window appear larger.
– I did double the width of the window size so the curtains appear fuller and more plush. Personal preference here but I really like the look of full, lush drapes.
– Curved edge curtain rod, that way curtains go all the way around and no light can be seen from the sides.
