How to Get Custom Looking Curtains for Less

Photo credit: Brian Wetzel
Photo credit: Brian Wetzel

From House Beautiful

Let's face it: Selecting window treatments can be a tricky endeavor. There are so many options and, while it would be ideal to have custom curtains for every window, that can get pretty pricey. Luckily, one designer has a trick for getting custom for a little less $$. When sharing the story of her 8 week home redesign with House Beautiful (check it out here!), Rasheeda Gray, the founder of Gray Space Interior Design revealed one of her go-to tricks for getting the perfect window treatment without shelling out tons of cash: a combination of custom and out-of-the-box.

Gray's trick is to purchase standard panels from a big box store (like Target or Bed Bath & Beyond) and then take them to her workroom and have the tops remade. "It's my favorite designer trick," Gray tells House Beautiful. Non-designers who don't have a workroom can get the same treatment from their local tailor or dry cleaner.

In her own home, Gray recalls, she used this combination to get the perfect pattern plus a custom top and unusual size. "The curtains are from Target and they had a grommet-top construction, which I despise, but I loved the pattern," she says. "I had searched high and low for the right fabric, but then with COVID everything was delayed, so I knew I wouldn't get them in time [she was aiming to complete the project for the One Room Challenge] and then I saw these on Target's website."

Since her dining room windows are especially wide, Gray says, "I bought four panels, which I took to my workroom and they sewed two together to make larger panels and then changed the tops." The turnaround time? Just four days.

If you decide to try this for yourself, it's best to go to your tailor with specific measurements and plans (you can even draw your concept out for them!). Give it a few days and you'll have your very own custom look. Genius!

Follow House Beautiful on Instagram.

You Might Also Like