12 Living Room Curtain Ideas to Try in Your Space (2024)

When it comes to designing a great living room, curtains are practically a must. They create more privacy and they add an instant layer of warmth to a space, inviting you to sit, stay a while, and relax. But before you head to your computer and order the first set of plain white curtains you can find, consider this: In addition to being a practical choice, curtains can be a great aesthetic upgrade, too.

From bold hues and punchy patterns to playful trim, the best living room curtain ideas can up the ante on your room’s design aesthetic, while also lending your room privacy, light filtration, noise dampening, and more. To inspire you to get a bit more daring with your drapes, we’re rounding up 12 designer-approved living room curtain ideas to try in your own space.

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Make It Mini

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Curtains may have gotten their start as a functional, utilitarian feature, but over the years they’ve become a great opportunity to have fun with design. If your room doesn’t actually require curtains (but you still want them), you can go a bit smaller with your scale, leaving room to splurge on a pricier fabric or luxe curtain rod. Here, designer Lisa Gilmore chose to forgo wall-to-wall drapery, instead installing two smaller rods and panels on either side of the expansive sliding doors.

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Choose Fun Finials

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Finials—aka the hardware found at either end of your drapery rod—can be a fun opportunity for personalization. Even if you opt for a basic rod, you can customize your finials to bring a little funk to the equation. In this home by designer Jill Cole of CMCA Design, graphic starbursts punctuate each drapery rod, bringing with them an added layer of visual interest.

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Mirror Your Paint

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For a living room drapery idea that whispers instead of yells, consider matching the color of your fabric to the hue of your walls. Here, the team behind Salt Design Co. paired a rich ocean blue with velvet curtains made from the same shade. The result is a cohesive but layered look—and one where the living room drapes aren’t the first thing you notice.

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Stick With Sheers

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Looking to add privacy without eliminating all the natural light your room gets? Sheer curtains perfectly toe that line. They’ll obscure your comings and goings just enough to ward off nosey neighbors while allowing you to enjoy the morning light beaming into your space. In this multi-faceted great room, the Lucas Browning Design team hung airy linen curtains to cultivate a casual yet refined atmosphere.

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Pick a Playful Print

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If you’re opting for a more subtle paint choice on your walls, you can ensure your room still feels playful and dynamic by hanging playful printed curtains. In this glam room by Lisa Gilmore Design, a bold nature-inspired fabric by Pierre Frey ties together the vibrant pink and green hues seen on the couch and chairs.

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Make a Swanky Statement

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When it comes to living room drapery with a luxe appeal, nothing feels more high-end than velvet. The weighty fabric hangs beautifully, blocks light like a dream, and often comes in pigmented hues that feel gutsy and fresh. Take this room by designer Bethany Adams for example. To stand up to the antique panning and stained glass in this historic home, Adams opted for vibrant citron drapes, which hold their own against the cobalt velvet chairs nearby.

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Keep Your Palette Tight

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No rule states your living room drapery has to coordinate with the color of your upholstery or pillows—but it’s definitely a beautiful look when it does. To create a cohesive scene in this sitting room, designer Ashley Ferguson echoed the teal of her living room drapes throughout the rest of the space, including on the couch, on the matching Roman shade, and even on the artwork.

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Break Out Your Panels

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Like with any design feature, too much of a good thing can become overwhelming, especially when it comes to curtains. A lot of fabric can read as heavy, adding unintended visual weight to your room. Instead of covering a large swath of windows with an equally large expanse of fabric, consider breaking up your panels into smaller sections. In this home by designer Sarah Storms of Styled by Storms, an oversized bay window is punctuated by panels of drapery that add just the right touch of warmth—without any of the bulk.

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Add a Fun Trim

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We’re all for pattern and color, but there are some instances where white curtains just feel right. Don’t worry, though—you can still inject a bit of fun and personality onto the scene, this time with a decorative trim on the edges of your drapes. In this living room by designer Judy Pickett of Design Lines Signature, a Greek key motif adds a graphic touch to the otherwise classic white drapery.

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Pile on the Pattern

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It may sound crazy, but there are instances where piles of patterns can actually act as a quiet, neutral backdrop—no, really! The key lies in utilizing the same print over and over again throughout your room. In this room by the team at Daley Home, a game table gets a wow-worthy backdrop, thanks to a grassy-green Thibaut pattern on both the walls and curtains.

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Add the Illusion of Height

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To score taller ceilings, you could undergo a pricey renovation project—or you could just hang your living room drapery a certain way. By putting your curtain rod as close to the ceiling as possible, you can create the illusion of more height in your space. In this breezy living room, designer Kate Haynes of Nobel Studio embraced floor-to-ceiling drapes in a creamy white hue, making the ceiling feel positively soaring.

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Layer Up

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Sometimes, a pair of curtains just isn’t enough, whether they don’t provide ample privacy or you want more flexibility when it comes to light filtration. In that case, consider layering your living room drapes with another window treatment, like Roman shades. In this welcoming space, the team behind Salt Design Co. paired flax-colored linen drapes with equally textural woven Roman shades for a look that adds both functionality and style.