How to Make Budget Window Treatments Look Expensive

Hi Everyone, this is a continuation of the series about cheap furnishings that look much more expensive than they are. However, there was an old post that I updated. It’s one of my favorites that shares a lot of ways to make budget window treatments look custom and expensive.

In addition, there’s a widget at the end that shares some fantastic sources, many of them new for ready-mades and customizable window treatments. But… One has to know what they are doing when ordering. There are links throughout the post that will take you to other posts where I share pretty much everything I’ve learned in the past 37 years.

 

Dear Laurel,

We recently moved to a 60s center hall colonial. And, yes, the previous owners had granny decor taste. Lots of ditzy flowers and ruffles and stained oak. 

Oh, Laurel, we’re house poor and have 21 windows that are covered in paper shades.

So, I looked at some of your ultimate window treatment guide. And, from what I can ascertain, it would be thousands of dollars, not including installation. Uh, like tens of thousands. I asked a friend who has a gorgeous, professionally decorated home. And yep. That’s what it is.

 

We just don’t have that kind of money to spend.

 

The absolute most we can afford right now for all 21 windows is $5,000.

We need budget window treatments, but with a custom look. Am I asking for the impossible?

Best,

Sade Roman

 

*********

 

Thank you, Sade! Is it possible to get budget window treatments that look like high-end custom ones?

 

It’s a challenge, for sure.

But, with a little ingenuity and some clever ideas (none of them are mine), much can be achieved to make budget window treatments look pretty damned good.

Plus, I have found some fantastic lower-priced alternatives. You’ll find those later on in the post.

 

But, here’s one, FabriHome on Etsy (they’re taking a short break.) However, putting a decorative trim down the fronts of the drapes is an excellent way to give a budget curtain a high-end look.

 

Before I go on… I realize that several readers are professional designers or own window treatment workrooms.

 

I want to make it clear to consumers that if you can swing it, there is nothing like custom curtains, draperies, valances, shades, etc. That is because these are going to be crafted by hand by professionals who also know how to measure, how high to hang the drapes, how long they need to be, and 100s of other details that only years of experience can teach.

These types of custom window treatments are super-labor-intensive. Thus, you can expect to pay a lot more for that than for something manufactured in China, in an automated process.

 

Custom drapes and shades are very expensive.

 

Still, if you can’t afford custom window treatments, please know that all is not hopeless. If money is tight, we will go over some ways you can create the custom look for a fraction of the price.

 

So, let’s get started, as I’m excited to share all of this with you!

 

A while back, Beverly, a very clever reader, sent me a photo of her beautiful bathroom.

 

Wow! That’s gorgeous.

But, get this. She told me the Roman shade was from Bed, Bath & Beyond! And no, it did not come trimmed like that; she added the trim. Now, I’m doubly impressed!

Here is a good tutorial that shows how one clever blogger added a flat trim to a similar Roman Shade.

 

I know. You want to know where the wallpaper is from.

 

After some research, I discovered that it’s Luzon by Thibaut.

***Before ordering wallpaper, I recommend reading this post to help you avoid making costly mistakes. Unfortunately, wallpaper is never returnable. That’s right; not even if it’s shrinkwrap sealed and unopened.

 

Okay, it’s time to share numerous ideas for ways to get budget-friendly window treatments that look custom.

 

This first idea to get a custom look for a budget window treatment is not for the plain tangerine curtains, but for the plain white roller shade.

 

 

A talented designer, Darnetha, stenciled the roller shade!

But, not only do I love the stencil design, her use of color is fantastic and fun.

Please check out her beautiful blog, where she shares her tutorial for how she did the stenciling.

You can purchase the stencil here.

 

There’s also this darling idea where a woman took a plain roller shade and embellished it with iron-on tape to make a Greek Key design. I love this idea.

 

What The Vita – The Tutorial is here.

 

A few years ago, I was considering this design (below) for my old bedroom.

 

The design is with ribbon trim.

Around that time, I showed a similar image to a client I was helping with her kitchen, and she found a source to have them made!

 

The source*, you might already realize, is By Harrington. And, they did a wonderful job. This was a new design then, and they should’ve made the bottom flap longer. Dianne, the owner of By Harrington, offered to fix it– no extra charge, but my client was fine with them the way they are.

*By Harrington, many of you have seen on the HOT SALES main page, is offering 15% off all shades and drapes– everything, only for Laurel Home readers. To get your 15%-off, use code SECRETSALE

 

 

And, please check out this post for another Greek Key design on a Roman shade.

I want this one for my living room– one day, I hope!

Haha. That’s what I said in April 2023. I will be getting the re-made shades in a few weeks, but in the meantime, below is what I ended up with, made by Dianne of By Harrington.

 

Okay, let’s move on to curtains and drapes for our next category for budget window treatments that look expensive.

 

The first idea shows trim on the fronts and sometimes the bottom of the drapes. We did this kind of applied trim dozens of times for clients. Sometimes plain and quite often my favorite Greek Key trim.

 

These kinds of trim are usually sewn on by hand.

 

The above is from a job we did several years ago.

 

However, what if you don’t have a sewing machine?

 

No problem.

 

 

Please check out this beauty. These ready-made curtains from Ballard Designs had the trim applied after purchase, and without sewing!

Tutorial via Ballard Designs

They used stitch witchery, an iron-on adhesive. I’ve seen tutorials that explain how to create all sorts of things using this iron-on tape.

 

 

However, other products are on the market for no-sew curtains and other soft furnishings.

 

Please check reviews and other information. Also, if anyone has had great success using no-sew adhesives or tapes, please let us know what works and what doesn’t work as well.

Please click on any image for more information.

 

 

It has come to my attention from a kind reader that she prefers using Steam A Seam.

 

She found that stitch witchery tended to bleed through the fabrics. What I would do is buy a few of these and then make some samples, following the directions. Then, let them dry and see which one performs best. Below is a mini widget for some of the Steam-A-Seam Products.

This like will take you to some terrific sources for trim on Etsy!

You’ll also see some beautiful trim in the big widget later on.

 

 

The next idea I got years ago when I found this image on the ish and chi – blog from seven years ago!

 

The location of this window with the gorge drapery is the Viceroy Hotel in Palm Springs, CA.

 

However, this is the only image I had.

The design is by Kelly Wearstler. Remember her? She’s the decorator who got arrested in Florida for practicing without a license.

I realize that sounds very clickbait-like; however, it’s true. My idol, Darryl Carter, and the legendary Juan Montoya were also arrested in Florida. WTF??? It’s a very entertaining post. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Well, I loved this trim so much (and still do) that I used it on at least four or five of the boards in the Laurel Home Paint & Palette Collection.

 

If you missed the announcement, there’s a flash sale going on this week of all of my interior design guides, and ending Sunday night. You can read about it here.

 

But, I had no idea what the trim actually looked like, without the drapery folds.

 

This is one of my favorite mood boards from the Laurel Home Paint and Palette collection. There are 40 of these boards and 40 palettes. And, guess what my favorite part is? Yeah, the curtains with that awesome trim.

So, I had this wild idea to reproduce the trim without seeing the full repeat.

 

I began doing searches for running Greek key trim.

 

I couldn’t find it anywhere.

Okay, so what did I do?  Well, I went on picmonkey and created a grid, and then I started recreating the parts I could see. I figured if I started with that, knowing it’s a meander, I might be able to reconstruct it.

Part one. I did a screenshot and saved it. And then I came back and added the screenshot to what you see above, only I turned it upside down.

OMG! That’s it! I was so excited.

Then, I created the entire pattern, including the top and bottom trim. The height of the trim is about 12″ – 14″. But, you could scale it a little bigger if needed. Kelly’s, actually, IS bigger. Or, at least, it is when it’s used as a valance.

The above is from one of the hotel rooms at the Viceroy in Palm Springs, designed by Kelly Wearstler. My design is more square and a little looser. Kelly’s is more rectangular and tighter.

 

So, now the question is, how do you make this design on the bottom of a plain linen or cotton curtain?

 

Thank you, that is a very good question. I’m afraid that my capabilities are more conceptual than actual. haha.

That isn’t stopping me from longing to see this in my bedroom. If I do it, I would have to iron on the tape to a separate piece of fabric and then iron that onto the hem of the curtain.

 

original source unknown

 

Fortunately, Kristi from Addicted 2 Decorating loves doing this stuff and always does it well. In this post, she puts together a gorgeous drape with one of my favorite Greek Key corner trims. The one above isn’t hers. But, her design is very similar.

In addition, you can see other posts I’ve done on the blog, such as this one about all kinds of Roman shades and some great ideas to dress them up.

 

So, one way to create the Kelly Wearstler design is with tape, as Kristi from Addicted to Decorating did.

 

Another way would be to paint the design on. That would require a stencil and a tremendous amount of patience. But, it could be done. (not by me, but someone. haha)

 

Why don’t you have Dianne make them for you, Laurel?

 

I’ll have to think about that. It might be fun, but maybe I’m deluding myself. ;]

 

Okay, I want to talk about another favorite way to make budget window treatments look amazing.

 

This idea is also my favorite remedy if your drapes are too short.

 

 

These ikat curtains were from World Marke, but now discontinued. However, they are also only 84″ long.

Tsk, tsk… 84″ is so 1992. We no longer do 84″ curtains unless the ceiling height is only 7 feet or so. 84″ is too short for an 8-foot ceiling. The only choice is to mount the curtain rod on the window frame. (casing) These days, we are mounting the drapes much higher.

 

 

The solution is to add a deep hem. We can also add a border to the front, but that isn’t essential. The fabric looks like it has a slight pattern because the ikat is showing through. I did that so that the folds would still show. But, usually, we do a solid pattern.

I adore this look! And, have done it for clients who possessed some curtains that were too short. That was a gratifying solution.

 

Now, we need to go over some things NOT to do when working with budget window treatments.

 

The contrast hem above is too deep. This is a ready-made, but if it were custom, this is a wonderful example of a low sill that is the perfect height for the contrast hem. The drapes should be longer as well and go up several inches above the window.

Usually, the hem is from 14″ – 18″. However, if your sill is at 20″, then it’s fine to follow that line.

 

 

If the ready-made curtains come with back tabs, please do not use them, or the rod pocket.

The curtain looks glued to the rod instead of hanging from it, thereby giving is a cheap look.

We’ve been through this before, but I feel compelled to speak up as the marketplace is determined to impose this  21st-century abomination on us.

Below is another example of the backtab stuck-to-the-rod look.

 

Instead, please use rings with hooks.

 

If you want more information about decorative curtains and drapery hardware, please check out one of my favorite posts.

 

The curtain above is hung properly, using hooks and rings, thus exposing the rod. Yes, the rings are an added expense, but curtains stuck to your rod will never hang right, and they will scream BUDGET WINDOW TREATMENTS!

 

For an extensive post about drapery hardware, please go here.

 

For good-looking and inexpensive window treatments, another choice is bamboo blinds, below. They’re great alone or layered with curtains.

 

 

These are so cheap, I’m wondering if they are okay.

 

But the reviews are splendid. And they have many styles and sizes to choose from. (info in the link)

Please note that the bamboo shades above are NOT LINED. That means they are not private. They will make the room darker, but folks can see through them at night.

 

Yes, Laurel made that mistake once for a client job, and I had to pay to get them fixed. Lesson learned.

 

Woven wood blinds are terrific alone or underneath your curtains or drapes. You can see an example in this post about a young woman who inherited her granny’s dated furniture.

 

For an extensive post about woven wood blinds, please go here.

 

And please enjoy more shades, curtains, trim, drapes, and hardware in the widget below.

 

(Please click on the individual images for more info. Also, a few of these treatments are not cheap, but they are not expensive either. But, totally lovely, I think.)

 

 

I hope you enjoyed learning some of my tips and tricks about how to make budget window treatments look more custom.
xo,

 

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