Determining how you should dress non-standard windows and doorways requires a bit of creativity. Arched doorways and windows, and other different shapes give a home a lot of character, but a hexagonal or rounded shape can leave you wondering how to treat the opening.
While you can create treatments that fit the shape, doing so tends to be a little awkward. For windows, it’s usually best to leave the top area open and simply run a curtain rod straight across at the first area in which there are parallel lines, or in other words, just below the rounded or hexagonal part.
Treating non-standard doorways can be a little trickier. You cannot hang a standard door, but the doorway may be one that opens into a room where you would like privacy. You can have louvered doors specially made to fit the doorway, and they’ll just be a little shorter than typical doors, again leaving the top open. You could also install a sliding door, fitting it to size.
Another option is to hang a set of swinging doors, similar to those you might see in the movies in an old time saloon, which will at least offer a bit of separation between spaces. However, you may decide that a fabric treatment would work better and be simpler. If so, proceed as above by installing a curtain rod just below the shaped area.
If you decide to us a fabric treatment for a doorway, be sure to pick a sturdy fabric, something substantial instead of lightweight. It is also important to make sure that the brackets for the curtain rod are attached to studs or firmly anchored. Otherwise, as people push or pull the fabric treatment when entering or leaving the room, brackets and hangers may work themselves loose. You might find your curtains lying on the floor and find yourself patching holes in the wall.
It’s also a good idea to use two fabric or curtain panels instead of one to cover a doorway, leaving an opening in the middle for easy entering and exiting.
Other articles that may be of interest:
Some Cool Ideas for Kid’s Curtain Rods