Curtains, crown molding, and window trim...HELP!

4 months ago

Hello, All...we just purchased a house and are about to start some minor and major renovations. One of the things I can't decide is where to hang the curtains (minor issue). We have crown molding that meets the window trim. I know the curtain rod should be 4 - 6 inches outside the frame. However, I can't decide if the curtain rod goes on the crown molding, below it...??? For me, higher is better but do I put it on the crown molding? I'd prefer not to have curtains, but we have two windows (not pictured, but exactly like these) that will need curtains. Thoughts? The curtain rod in the pic was left by the previous owner. Thanks!

Featured Answer

palimpsest

4 months ago

last modified: 4 months ago

The lower piece of moulding is a picture rail. I would consider painting the frieze area (above the picture rail) the same color as the lower wall. Then you can put the curtain rod up higher if you want.

However, this style of house which seems kind of pre WWII, with some elements used in craftsman houses (that doesn't mean it is Craftsman, the details were just popular), the curtains were often hung from the window casing to the sill or apron, or even within the casing itself on very small diameter rods.

Back when more people did wallpaper, because the paint roller hadn't been invented yet, the area between the lower and upper molding would frequently have had a wallpaper border or frieze different from below, or a different paint color than below.

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Comments (6)

PRO
JAN MOYER
4 months ago
last modified: 4 months ago
The "crown" Is out of proportion to the height of the room. I think they have a fascia and then crown. Take a close up at the top of a window casing. Rods and where to hang curtains, is a buggy in front of your horse: )

There are plenty of treatments for windows that are not curtain panels!
Angela Simmons thanked JAN MOYER
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Angela Simmons
Original Author
4 months ago
Ahhh, I see what you're both saying. Thanks for the visual. That helps a lot! Still not sure what I'll do but we'll live with it for a while and then decide. We still have to paint the walls so that may make a difference. I do know that I won't hang them low and I'll paint the upper if I hang them at all.
PRO
Beth H. :
4 months ago
last modified: 4 months ago
if you don't keep the shutter panels, can you do an inset blind? a warm woven wood would be nice w/the walls/floors. and the fan is all wrong. if you don't need one, get a nice ceiling light. (if you do need a fan get one w/longer blades from this decade)

just a quick mock up. the charcoal is nice w/the wood/yellow. the woven woods nd light give some texture. greenery is always nice

if you want lighter, think about painting the walls

Same style of room:

or, you could try a cellular. you don't have to have curtains w/a rod.
Angela Simmons
Original Author
4 months ago
Thanks, Beth! We still have to paint (greyish/blue) and get new fixtures. Lots to do, but we're definitely moving away from the yellow and the tiny ceiling fan.
PRO
Amy Peltier Interior Design & Home
9 days ago
It looks like you could easily do Roman shades instead of curtains. Here are some designs of ours that include Roman shades:
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