Guides & Advice
Everything on this page comes out of our own workroom — the questions customers ask before ordering, answered by the people who cut, sew, and remake curtains every day. We measure in real numbers, name the trade-offs, and tell you when the answer is a blind, a shade, or nothing at all.
Start with measuring if you're new to made-to-measure — it's five minutes that decides everything else. Then pick a fabric, a header, and a length, in that order. Every guide links to the next decision, and if you'd rather a person walked you through it, our free design service answers within a business day. When the reading turns into arithmetic, the free curtain calculators do the sizing math for you.
PlanningLayering Curtains: Style Meets Function
How to layer sheers with drapes — double rods, fabric pairings, and light control by hour — plus when a single layer honestly does the job.
6 min read · Updated Sep 30, 2026
PlanningCurtains vs. Drapes vs. Blinds
An honest comparison of curtains, drapes, blinds, and shades — cost, light control, maintenance, and the rooms where each one is the wrong choice.
6 min read · Updated Sep 30, 2026
StylesCurtain Hanging Styles: Height, Width & Hardware Done Right
Where to mount the rod, how far to extend it, inside vs. outside mounts, and the hanging tricks that make windows look taller and rooms brighter.
6 min read · Updated Sep 30, 2026
FabricsCurtain Fabric Guide: Linen, Velvet, Blackout, Sheer & Semi-Sheer
How linen, velvet, blackout, sheer and semi-sheer curtains actually behave — light, privacy, drape, insulation, care — and which fabric fits which room.
8 min read · Updated Sep 30, 2026
MeasuringHow to Measure for Curtains
Measure for made-to-measure curtains in four steps — rod position, rod width, fullness and length — with a worked example and the mistakes to avoid.
7 min read · Updated Sep 29, 2026
StylesCurtain Pleat & Header Styles: A Visual Guide
All ten curtain headers we sew — pinch and euro pleats, grommet, back tab, rod pocket, tab top, ripple fold and flat panel — with photos, fullness and the room each one suits.
11 min read · Updated Sep 29, 2026
MeasuringCurtain Length & Drop Guide: Float, Kiss or Puddle?
The curtain lengths we sew — sill, float, kiss the floor and puddle — with photos, the exact number to enter, room-by-room picks and the cases where each fails.
6 min read · Updated Sep 29, 2026
CareCurtain Care & Maintenance: Washing, Steaming & Keeping Colors True
Fabric-by-fabric care for linen, sheer, blackout, and velvet curtains — washing rules, wrinkle removal, sun-fade prevention, and a realistic schedule.
6 min read · Updated Jun 15, 2026