Get the look of designer-inspired curtains, and you’ll completely elevate the look of your home!
I’ve been swapping out my old curtains for pinch-pleat curtains over the past couple years, and I can’t believe the difference they make in each room! I love the way curtains soften a room and make it feel inviting — which is probably why I have them in most rooms in my home.
In this post, I’ll outline all the details about the designer-inspired pinch pleat curtains that I have in each room. While they are all pinch pleat curtains, many of the other features of them are different based on what I try to achieve in each room.
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure.
WHAT IS PINCH-PLEAT?
Before I go any further, let me explain what “pinch pleat” is, since I keep referring to it. Pinch pleat is a header style, which every curtain has. It’s basically how the very top portion of the curtain is gathered, which can impact how it hangs from the curtain rod. Pinch pleat curtains are, quite literally, pinched at the top of the curtain every several inches, giving it a gorgeous custom look! Curtains with this header style immediately elevate the look of any room.
I have pinch pleat curtains in several rooms in my home including my sitting room, my dining room, my bedroom, my guest bedroom and my daughter’s bedroom.
WHAT SIZE CURTAINS SHOULD I ORDER?
One of my FAQ’s is “what size should curtains should I order?” While I can’t answer that specific question because that is very dependent on your home and how you want your curtains to look, I can tell you exactly what each length and height my curtains are as well as the wall length in each space. This information will give you an idea of what size you can get your curtains. You’ll just have to do a little math!
Now that I’ve installed curtains so many times, my best piece of advice for measuring for your curtain height is to install your curtain rod and curtain rings first. Then, measure from your floor to the bottom of one of the installed curtain rings. This will give you the height you want your curtains to be.
I always tended to order my curtains a bit too long and ended up having to hem them myself using no-sew hem tape. It is tedious and you have to hem them just right for your curtains to be even at the bottom. That’s why it’s best just to order them properly to begin with so you don’t have to make any alterations.
My other piece of advice is to order them wider than you think! My first couple times ordering curtains, I did not order them wide enough. When I bunched them up, they did not cover enough space. I ended up having to order more curtains and bunch up multiple curtain panels together to look like one panel. Fortunately, this hack does work! I’ve done it many times.
Below, I’ll go through each room’s curtains and outline all the specs for the curtains and the walls!
SITTING ROOM PINCH PLEAT CURTAINS
My curtains in my sitting room are the first pinch pleat curtains I ever bought! I loved them so much that I started adding them to other rooms after that.
In my sitting room, I wanted to achieve a light and airy look. I have no need in this room for blackout curtains so I decided to get them unlined. This also saves you money because liners behind the curtains add on to the cost. For bedrooms though, I think the blackout liners are very important and worth the extra cost!
These curtains are not memory shaped, which is an option you can get when ordering curtains. You’ll notice they’re a bit more flow-y than the ones in my dining room, which are memory shaped. I definitely prefer the memory shaped option!
HERE ARE THE DETAILS OF MY SITTING ROOM CURTAINS:
- Type: Liz Polyester Linen Fabric Drape Pleated
- Color: 1908-2 (Ivory White)
- Header Type: Pinch Pleat
- Panel Width: Left side: 60’’ panel (11 pleats), Left middle side: 160’’ (29 pleats), Right middle side: 160’’ (28 pleats), Right side: 60’’ (12 pleats) (NOTE: The reason some panels are the same width but have a different amount of pleats is because I ordered different amounts of curtain panels for each area. For example, the left side uses one panel only which is 11 pleats, but the right side uses two 30” panels which equal 12 pleats. The reason I used multiple panels in some spots is because I wanted a fuller look, so I ordered more curtains and bunched them together! You’d never know I have multiple curtain panels in some spots because when you bunch them together they look like one solid panel!)
- Single Panel Length (Height) Inch: I ordered 92” but I ordered them too long and had to hem them myself. I used no-sew hem tape that only requires you to iron it on. It worked perfectly! I should’ve ordered them at a 90” length. I have since learned the best method for measuring the height is to install the curtain rod, then add the rings, and then measure from your floor to the bottom of a ring.
- Liner type: unlined
- These are not body memory shaped, but I highly recommend getting that!
- Curtain rods: They are from Pottery Barn but no longer sold. I used two rods and placed them side by side to get the look of one long rod. Together, the rod length equals 243” total. (Since these are no longer sold, here’s another great curtain rod that I use around my home!)
- Curtain rings
Order sitting room curtains (color ivory white) – Use code MARLYDICE for 8% off!
Sitting room sources:
The below links are affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure.
Sofa
Accent chairs
Area rug (I have the 9×12)
Coffee table
Picture frames (similar) – mine are custom from Frame It Easy (for specifics, read this post)
Gold sconces
Lamp
Black wood accent table
Brown velvet pillow covers
Charcoal cream striped pillow cover
Brown beige southwest pillow cover
Faux fur throw blanket (color is beige)
DINING ROOM PINCH PLEAT CURTAINS
You may notice how full my dining room curtains look. I ordered these super wide so that they bunch together tightly and appear full-looking! I absolutely love how the curtains in my dining room turned out. Similar to my sitting room, these curtains are unlined. They look different, however, because I ordered much wider panels to give a more full look. They are also memory shaped, so they look very straight and crisp, not flow-y like my sitting room curtains.
HERE ARE THE DETAILS OF MY DINING ROOM CURTAINS:
- Type: Liz Polyester Linen Fabric Drape Pleated
- Color: 1908-6 (Grey Beige)
- Header Type: Pinch Pleat
- Single Panel Width: left side panel: 210” right side panel: 210”
- Single Panel Length (Height) Inch: I ordered 91” but I ordered them too long and had to hem them myself. I used no-sew hem tape that only requires you to iron it on. It worked perfectly! I should’ve ordered them at 90&1/4”. I have since learned the best method for measuring the height is to install the curtain rod, then add the rings, and then measure from your floor to the bottom of a ring.
- Liner type: unlined
- Body memory shaped
- Curtain rod (black)
- Curtain rings
Order dining room curtains (color: grey beige) – Use code MARLYDICE for 8% off your order!
MY BEDROOM CURTAINS
I love our bedroom curtains so much! These were the second room I bought pinch pleat curtains in and they immediately elevated the look of the room. These curtains have the blackout liner behind them, which I love adding for every bedroom! During the summer months when it stays lighter outside longer, it’s nice to be able to shut them and darken the room.
HERE ARE THE DETAILS OF MY BEDROOM CURTAINS:
- Type: Liz Polyester Linen Fabric Drape Pleated
- Color: 1908-1 (Beige White)
- Header Type: Pinch pleat
- Single Panel Width after Pleats Made (Inch): Window near vanity: left side panel: 52” right side panel: 52” . Wall with dresser: left side panel: 52” right side panel: 100”
- Single Panel Length (Height) Inch: I ordered 96” but they were too long. I ended up hemming them myself using hem tape to be 90 & 1/4” long. I did not account for the crown moulding and curtain rod!
- Liner type: thermal blackout
- These are not body memory shaped, but I suggest getting them memory shaped
- Curtain rods (black)
- Curtain rings
You may notice that in both images, the curtain width is significantly more than the wall width. You’ll notice that I used a 52” curtain width for the window near my vanity and for the left side of the wall with the dresser. In both cases, the 52” width curtain bunches up to be about a 10.5” width. The wall width in both cases is smaller than 10.5” so the curtains overlap the window a bit, which I don’t mind at all! Having a much wider curtain width than wall width makes for a tighter bunched up curtain look, which I prefer. You’ll notice these curtains have a much tighter look compared to the curtains in my sitting room.
Order bedroom curtains (color: beige white) – Use code MARLYDICE for 8% off your order!
Bedroom sources:
The below links are affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure.
Bed (I have the king size)
Area rug (I have the 9×12)
Nightstands
Lamps
Comforter (size king and color is white)
Knit bed blanket (size king and color is natural)
Roman shades (color is simply white)
Wide dresser
Tall dresser
White vessel (size small)
Plum leaf stems
Vanity (I only used the vanity and stool but it comes with a mirror too. I paired mine with a vintage mirror instead)
Faux wood table lamp
Olive tree
Black planter (size is 12”)
Fan (color is matte black with matte black shades)
GUEST BEDROOM CURTAINS
I loved my bedroom curtains so much that I decided to get the same ones in my guest bedroom. They are the same color, beige white, and also have a blackout liner. If you’re looking for a soft white curtain, these are my absolute favorite white-toned curtains!
HERE ARE THE DETAILS OF MY GUEST BEDROOM CURTAINS:
- Type: Liz Polyester Linen Fabric Drape Pleated
- Color: 1908-1 (Beige white)
- Header Type: Pinch pleat
- Single Panel Width after Pleats Made (Inch): 52” (all four panels)
- Single Panel Length (Height) Inch: I ordered 96” and they are a little long. I have not hemmed these yet. I don’t mind the puddle look at the bottom of these in this bedroom!
- Liner type: thermal blackout
- These are not body memory shaped, but I suggest getting them memory shaped
- Curtain rod (oil rubbed bronze)
- Curtain rings (oil rubbed bronze)
Order guest room curtains (color: beige white) – Use code MARLYDICE for 8% off your order!
Guest bedroom sources:
The below links are affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure.
Bed (queen size)
Area rug
Nightstands
Lamp
Curtains
Curtain rod
Mirrors above nightstands
Dresser
Round mirror
Cotton bed blanket (size is queen and color is charcoal)
White comforter (size is queen and color is white)
Faux fur throw blanket (this is my favorite throw we own!)
Brown velvet pillow covers
Art print
Large vase
DAUGHTER’S ROOM TRIPLE PLEAT CURTAINS
The curtains in my daughter’s room look so sweet! I am so happy with how they turned out, and more importantly, so is she! These curtains have a different header style than all the other curtains in my home. They are triple pleat instead of pinch pleat, which means there are three fabric pinches for each pleat. These have a blackout liner, just like my bedroom curtains and my guest bedroom curtains.
HERE ARE THE DETAILS OF MY DAUGHTER’S BEDROOM CURTAINS:
- Type: Liz Polyester Linen Fabric Drape
- Color: 1908-19 (Pink Lemonade)
- Header Type: Triple tailor pleat (Note: these are the only curtains that features this header type; the rest are pinch pleat)
- Single Panel Width after Pleats Made (Inch): left side panel: 126” right side panel: 47”
- Single Panel Length (Height) Inch: I ordered 93” and they were the perfect height! The reason these worked right is because I don’t have crown moulding in this room. The rods hang higher than the ones in my other rooms because those rooms have crown moulding (which means I needed shorter curtains in those rooms).
- Liner type: thermal blackout
- Body memory shaped
- Curtain rods (warm gold)
- Curtain rings (warm gold)
Order daughter’s bedroom curtains (color: pink lemonade) – Use code MARLYDICE for 8% off your order!
Daughter’s bedroom sources:
The below links are affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure.
Area rug
Nightstands
Gold curtain rod
Flower art prints
Baskets (similar) – mine are from Home Goods
Butterfly art print
Moon cycle art print
Upholstered headboard (similar)
OFFICE PINCH PLEAT CURTAINS
The newest curtain addition in our home is these curtains in our renovated office! They are very similar to my dining room curtains but they are a slightly different color. I also used a different curtain rod than normal because the one I usually get was sold out. I bought this adjustable window curtain rod in the size medium.
HERE ARE THE DETAILS OF MY OFFICE CURTAINS:
- Type: Liz Polyester Linen Fabric Drape
- Color: 1908-5 (Burlywood Birch)
- Header Type: Pinch pleat
- Single Panel Width after Pleats Made (Inch): left side panel: 137” right side panel: 137”
- Single Panel Length (Height) Inch: 94”
- Liner type: unlined
- Body memory shaped
- Curtain rods
- Curtain rings
Order office curtains – Use code MARLYDICE for 8% off your order!
Office sources:
The below links are affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure.
- Desk
- Task table lamp
- Chair
- Sideboard
- Horse herd print (printed and custom framed from Frame It Easy)
- Large resin table vase
- Artificial eucalyptus stems
- Small resin table vase
- Rug
- Curtains (Liz Linen drapes in Burlywood Birch, pinch pleat header, unlined, more details above) – Use code MARLYDICE for 8% off your order!
- Concrete tray
- Round cement lids boxes
- Primally Pure candle
- Table lamp
THINGS TO KNOW WHEN ORDERING CUSTOM CURTAINS:
I have ordered so many custom pleated curtains, and I learned a few things along the way!
Measuring length: When measuring for desired curtain length in your room, I suggest installing your curtain rod and curtains rings prior to measuring for your curtains. In the rooms I have crown moulding in, I just placed the rod right under the crown. In the rooms I don’t have crown moulding in, I placed the rod at the very top of the the wall. I have 8′ walls throughout my home, so I always take my curtains as high as they can go. Once they’re installed, measure from your floor to your curtain rings. This will give you a pretty exact length!
Measuring width: This measurement is dependent on quite a lot of factors. For example, in my dining room, I wanted the curtains to span the wall on either side of the window so I had to account for more curtain width. In my guest room, I only needed the curtains to gather on each side of the window, therefore, I needed much less curtain width. In my sitting room, I wanted the curtains to span between windows so I had to account for that. I suggest taking a look at my photos and see what type of look you’re going for. Then, determine the width of your wall and decide how many times wider you need your curtains to be.
Ordering curtain rods: There are plenty of curtain rods out there, and I think it makes such a difference if you get one that is a little bit elevated. Specifically, the bracket and and finial style can make or break the look in my opinion. My affordable, go-to curtain rods are these rods on Amazon. I have the color black in my bedroom and my dining room. In my daughter’s room, I have the color warm gold. In my guest bedroom, I have the color oil rubbed bronze. My rods in my sitting room are from Pottery Barn but they are no longer sold.
Ordering curtain rings: There are tons of options for curtain rings. The main thing to remember when ordering rings is that the diameter of them needs to be larger than the curtain rod you order. This ensure that they’ll slide over the rod properly. You also want to find a good color match to your accompanying curtain rod. I have used both these Urbanest curtain rings and these Eyelet curtain rings on my black curtain rods. I used these warm gold curtain rings on my daughter’s curtain rod and they’re a great match to the gold rod. I used these oil rubbed bronze curtain rings for my guest bedroom.
Want to shop more spaces in our home or looking for paint colors? Shop our home here.
