When choosing home decor for your living room, it's easy to focus a large amount of your attention on furniture, rugs, or paint colors. Curtains are often the last thought, the final touch to accent the rest of the decor. Curtains don't always get the effort and consideration that other parts of the living room do.
Your living room is a place to gather and relax, so turning it into your haven is a must. Whether you're looking for subtle style, bold patterns, or interesting ways to hang your drapes, curtains have the ability to elevate your decor. From functional curtains to decorative focal points, it's time to give curtains their time in the spotlight.
If you're on board with giving curtains a try as the highlight of your living room, then check out this list of 15 curtain inspirational photos to get you heading in the right direction!
1. Curtain Wall
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When your living room features a large, expansive window, it can be difficult to use that wall for much else besides curtains. Whether your windows take up most of a wall, or you just want it to appear that way, you can make them appear larger than life by adding floor-to-ceiling and wall-to-wall curtains. A curtain wall is dramatic in the best way.
If your living room is where you plan to enjoy movie nights, then this will block lights and sounds from outside to help make your movie experience more enjoyable. You'll feel like your living room is your own personal movie theater.
Expect a wall of curtains to be heavy and hard to maneuver. To remedy this, you can hang the curtains from a ceiling track that will allow you to easily move the large curtains.
Click here to view this curtain track on Amazon.
2. Pretty Florals
Curtains are the perfect chance to play with patterns and designs. In a room with muted tones, curtains can add the perfect amount of complementary design.
These floral curtains bring all the colors of this room together, accent the throw pillows, and add a delightful touch to the room. Floral patterns are perfect for bright and airy rooms where the sun can highlight the delicate flowers and make your living room feel like your own personal garden.
To get this look, try curtains with a light neutral background color to allow the accent colors of the flowers to really pop without turning into the focal point of the room.
3. Two-Toned
Two-toned curtains are a great way to add dimension and layers to your living room curtains. Use a neutral color as the base and accent color from the room for a color blocking effect. This makes the room look taller, as the viewer will look up towards the top of the curtains.
You can add the additional colors in the tie-backs and valances like pictured above. Or you can add just a hint of texture and color with only a decorative tie-back. For an added touch of creativity, try valances with tassels or fun trim.
Click here to view this valance on Amazon.
4. Dramatic Drapery
For old-fashioned elegance, choose long and flowy curtains with a draping valance. Soft colors and silky fabrics fit well with antique decor. You can add a layer of white or cream lace to create more window coverage without distracting from the dramatic drapings.
To get this styling, you can add a draped valance to existing curtains or get matching drapes and curtains.
Click here to view these curtains on Amazon.
5. Bold Plaid
A daring red and black plaid is perfect for a room with solid color decor. This adds an interesting pattern bound to be the talking point of your living room. For a softer touch, sheer plaid curtains are sure not to overwhelm the room with patterns and will let in more natural light than a solid fabric.
6. Bright Fuchsia
Bright colors are perfect for a light-filled living room. Fuchsia is a great color for decor that wants to be fun and exciting but also understated and refined. Curtains are a way to splash a room with color without having it spread out all over the living room. Colorful curtains and matching throw pillows are all you need for this look.
Click here to view these curtains on Amazon.
7. Brilliant Turquoise
Turquoise is a beautiful color to pair with brown furniture in your living room. Since turquoise is cool-toned, it will automatically feel light compared to darker furniture. However, since it can make fabrics appear lush and rich, it adds drama to your living room.
Velvet curtains will add to the elegance of the deep turquoise. These curtains are lined in brown pom fringe so they will complement brown living room furniture.
Click here to view these curtains on Amazon.
8. Lovely Lace
Lace curtains are gorgeous for a subtle hint of texture without losing any natural light or taking away from the decor of the rest of the living room. All lace is delicate and bright, perfect for a romantic style decor.
Lace half curtains or large valances would work well to get the pictured look. Choosing not to cover the whole window showcases the curtains for their decor as opposed to their function.
9. Mixing Colors
Curtains don't need to only highlight the accent colors in your living room. If you love your color palette and can't decide which color to use for curtains, then don't pick. Single-colored panels can be combined to match all aspects of your living room. Separating the panels with a sheer white curtain will allow more light in and give a contrasting texture between the colors.
10. Delicate Blush
For a feminine touch, soft blush is the perfect way to add a delicate elegance to your living room. Paired with gray, white, light wood, and hints of dark blue, blush is the sophisticated version of more vibrant pinks. Its muted tone is understated and modern.
Click here to view these curtains on Amazon.
11. Classy Cream And Black
If you want patterned curtains but with a more refined look, black and cream are a striking color combination that lends itself to more mature decor. With a neutral color palette, you can choose busy patterns and fabrics without looking gaudy or childish. If anything, curtains like these greatly elevate the overall aesthetic.
12. Bright White
It's hard to go wrong with bright white curtains in any room in your home. White provides a crisp and clean look, it reflects light around the room making it appear larger, and it matches nearly every decor. Thick white curtains give your windows more substance than sheer white or lace. Plus, they provide more light- and noise-blocking ability.
Click here to view these curtains on Amazon.
13. Monochromatic
A monochromatic color palette features the same color in a variety of different shades. Monochrome home decor has been on the rise for its simplistic look. Dark blue-grays with velvety textures look luxurious and moody, perfect for a formal living room or sitting room. You can also achieve a much similar look and feel with rich and velvet emerald or hunter green.
14. Showcase Windows
If you have a wall of windows or french doors in your living room, you can use your curtains to highlight them and provide some extra privacy for yourself. Using tie-backs with your panels to create sides and a center, you can make your wall of windows look as if it is one very large window.
Magnetic tie-backs are perfect for center tie-backs and when you don't want to attach a hook to the wall to hold your curtains open.
Click here to view these magnetic tie-backs on Amazon.
15. Exaggerated Elegance
Bold, flowing, exaggerated curtains are one way to make sure your living room stands out. Turn doorways or large windows into theatrical focal points by using bright colors and tons of fabric. You can use layered panels and center tie-backs to accent your windows. If you want to create a striking entryway around glass doors, large sweeping curtains with side tie-backs will give you a dramatic entrance.
For smaller windows, layered panel curtains will give you options for different ways to drape and tie back your curtains for the right amount of elegant drama.
In Closing
It's easy to make curtains an afterthought when choosing how to decorate your living room. However, you may be missing out on stylish ways you can incorporate them more intentionally into your decor. With seemingly countless patterns, colors, and materials, you have so many options to choose from in order to create your ideal living room.
Trying to decide if you actually need curtains in your living room? Check out this post to see if they are necessary to every living room: Do Living Room Windows Need Curtains?
For more living room curtain inspiration, head on over to this post to see if bright curtains are the way to go: 11 Living Rooms With Bright Curtains Ideas