A general rule of thumb is for curtains & walls to be one shade lighter or darker than each other, or be a complimentary colour to each other. Although light or dark curtains can influence the mood of a room, provided they match the colour, hues & shade of the walls, it will be a good choice.
Should curtains be the same colour as the wall? The rule of thumb is to choose curtains that are in the same colour family as the walls. Yet, be sure to choose a slightly lighter or darker share of the wall to create a tone-on-tone effect.
Light coloured curtains are good for rooms that get a lot of direct sunlight as they're less prone to fading from the sun. Dark and bright colours tend to fade faster. Good summer options as a white/lighter colour is more likely to bounce the sun's rays away keeping rooms cooler.
Overall, you should be looking to have a coordinated curtain and wall color combination, helping to add texture and help make your curtains look expensive and stand out, but not matching, unless a coordinated room is the look you want to achieve.
Go with lighter curtains
Heavy curtains make the room feel dark when you want to lighten the room to make it feel brighter. Focus on the lighter curtain colors as well. A warm yellow or soft blue can help turn any room airier. You want your curtains to help spread light in your room while adding privacy.
Which color curtains go with everything? Neutral curtains in tones such as beige, taupe and gray, as well as white and nearby shades such as ivory and cream can be the go-with-everything choice.
So, what colour curtains make a room look bigger? Opt for simple, plain colours to create open, airy space - white, cream, light grey colours. Avoid fussy, short and dark curtains. To make a room seem taller, hang long, floor-to-ceiling curtains.
Light curtain benefits
Increase how big a space feels with lighter curtains. Light coloured curtains are more likely to be made of lightweight curtain fabrics, which fall and flow beautifully. Lighter colours are easily dyed a different colour should you want an easy way to change it up in future.
Consider a muted or tonal color scheme if you have a more modern or contemporary room. If you have a more traditional or traditional space, you may want to go with a more colorful or vibrant scheme. Pick a shade similar to your throw pillows. Curtains can be a shade darker than the walls or a shade lighter.
Black and white combination works every time
This is a colour combination that works every single time. If you have dark walls, you can opt for a white curtain to maintain the balance or vice versa. This is a great colour choice for a men's bedroom.
If you're looking for ways to make a small room look bigger, you've come to the right place. Below, we've put together our top tips to create the illusion of extra space in your home. Light colours are more reflective than dark ones and therefore they're ideal for small spaces.
White is the most popular curtain color.
colors like white, peach and light blue are the best choice. Rose pink is best suited for the bedroom of a couple as it represents love. Dark red should always be avoided in the bedroom as it symbolises anger. Similarly, avoid black color in the bedroom.
Look to shades in the same color family
For a curtain design that takes the lead from the wall color but achieves a slight element of contrast, opt for curtains that sit in the same color family as the shade you have used on the walls.
You don't need to stress over matching your curtains exactly to your walls, sofa, or carpet. In fact, using a different colour can actually add visual interest to the room, breaking up the walls so that the curtains don't “disappear.”
Cover walls with curtains.
"Extending your draperies from floor to ceiling and from wall to wall surrounding your window makes them appear bigger," explains Francesco Bilotto. The reason? This makes it unclear when windows stop and walls start.
'Cool colors, green, blue, and purple, are calming so they work best for bedrooms. Lighter colors tend to be more soothing, and darker colors are more stimulating. If you're looking for a calming place to rest and relax, consider soothing pastels such as pale blues, light pinks, or light greens.
If your sofa is dark, match the curtains with another dark colour to keep the room feeling cosy, or choose a lighter shade to brighten it up. Similarly, if your sofa is light, choose a light colour for your curtains to keep that airy feeling, or a darker colour – perhaps in the same shade – to add some contrast.
Blinds can be lighter or darker than your walls, but there are a few things to keep in mind before choosing a color. To ensure that everything blends well together, the blinds and walls should be at least one shade lighter or darker than each other, but most importantly, they should also be a similar tone.
Keep It Private. Constructed from an opaque material, blackout curtains won't just block out the natural light, heat and external noise pollution coming from outside your home, they will also offer you the perfect solution for improved privacy.
Making Your Room Look Larger or Smaller with Curtains
High-hanging curtains with long vertical stripes create the illusion of height, which is excellent for low ceilings. However, short curtains and horizontal stripes shorten your wall height and make the room appear smaller.
Instead of hanging your drapes a couple of inches above your window, you may want to try hanging your curtains higher. The higher you hang your curtains, the more significant impact it'll have on your space. Install your curtain rod as high as possible, and you'll be surprised how much larger your room looks.
By hanging curtains from the highest point of the wall that fall all the way down to the floor, you create a soft and subtle guide for the eye to follow, encouraging you to take in all of the space you have therefore giving the illusion of a larger room.
Absolutely not. But it is entirely dependent on the type of room or rooms that are involved. Oftentimes, matching adjacent window treatments on the same wall ensures the room looks put together and cohesive. But that doesn't mean every single shade or drape needs to be the same.
Lighter paint colors like off-whites, light neutrals, pales, and pastels give the illusion of larger, brighter rooms.