How To Amp Up Your Home's Drama With Drapery (+ Our Statement-Making Picks)

By: Style At Home

Photography by Patrick Biller

Decorating & Design

Sep 30, 2025

How To Amp Up Your Home's Drama With Drapery (+ Our Statement-Making Picks)

By: Style At Home

Curtains are so much more than a simple billowy window treatment.

Adding texture and movement to your home is a simple way to elevate your space. A mixture of dynamic materials instantly infuses a glamorous atmosphere into a room, making the design feel more intentional.

One of designers’ favourite ways to amp up the drama right now is with a deceptively high-impact strategy: bold drapery. From brilliant patterns and dramatic lengths to surprising placements, the right curtain can completely transform a space.

Here are our top tips for styling curtains in your home, plus our favourite finds to invite into your home.

How to style dramatic drapery

Photography by Patrick Biller

1. Don’t hang curtains too low

The most common mistake that homeowners make with curtains is hanging them too low. Incorrectly positioned drapes make the walls appear shorter, thereby causing the ceiling to look lower.

Aim to hang your curtain about halfway between the top of your windows and ceiling. If you’re looking to carry the dramatic effect throughout your room, keep the height consistent.

2. Not steaming your curtains

While some curtains are naturally billowy and soft, others require a bit more attention. Use a handheld steamer or iron to get rid of off-putting wrinkles.

3. Incorrect sizing

Another curtain faux-pas? The wrong size for the window. Too wide, too narrow, too short—an incorrectly-sized curtain makes any space look off.

Go for curtains that are two-and-a-half times the width of your curtain rod.

4. Use in unexpected places

Curtains are obviously useful to shield your windows from bright sunlight and nighttime privacy, but that's not their only use. Hang a curtain as a room divider, or surround a room in puddled drapery for a glamorous effect.