Great Tips For Using Drapes With Plantation Shutters

On their own, plantation shutters combine function and form with their brilliant appearance and equally-brilliant ability to filter light and provide privacy when needed. Combining plantation shutters with carefully-selected drapery can further enhance their appearance and add a new spin to just about any room. Here are a few tips to consider when combining window treatments with plantation shutters:

Keep the Depth in Mind

One of the challenges of fitting drapes to plantation shutters involves clearance. In other words, you want to give the drapes enough clearance so they won't interfere with the slat movement. To keep this from happening, you'll want to make measurements of the slat depth and add that to your minimum curtain rod return.

For this, you'll want to tip the shutters into the fully-open position, making sure all of the slats are lying parallel to the window sill. Grab some measuring tape and measure the portion of the slat that protrudes past the window molding and then add two inches to that depth. This will give you an idea of how large a return you'll need for your curtain rod.

Use a Swing-Arm Curtain Rod Instead

If you don't want to go to the trouble of measuring slat clearance, using a swing-arm curtain rod just might be your next best choice. These rods are split in the middle and fastened at their ends on a swivel, allowing them to swing away from the window and expose the shuttered window.

Combined with stationary drapes, swing-arm curtain rods offer great decorative looks without the hassle of accommodating ordinary curtain rods for use with plantation shutters. Since they swing out of the way so easily, they also provide excellent functionality for those times when you want to let a little sunlight in.

The only caveat is that they're relatively short when compared to full curtain rods, which shouldn't be much of a problem when using stationary drape panels.

Stationary Drapes Also Work with Full Curtain Rods

Having a full curtain rod in place doesn't mean you have to use full drapes. Stationary drape panels provide the look of drawn-back curtains without the worries of interfering with open shutter slats. You also won't have to worry about the expense of full drapes, since stationary panels tend to be more affordable than their full-on counterparts.

Keep in mind that you can also combine your stationary drapes with a sheer inner curtain. This not only gives you the look you want out of your drape panels, but the sheer inner curtain also adds a softer dynamic to your room. It can also provide a negligible amount of privacy when you have your plantation shutters open.

Tall Drapes Can Add Visual Height to Any Room

A small room can be made to feel much larger with some simple and smart curtain rod positioning. By mounting your curtain rods as close to the ceiling as possible, you can give any room the illusion of added height and dimension. In most cases, you'll mount the curtain rod a couple of inches away from the ceiling or its trim.

You can also opt for ceiling-mounted curtain rods, which should give you the height you desire while providing plenty of clearance for your plantation shutters. Keep in mind that installing ceiling-mounted curtain rods will take a bit more time and patience than a typical wall-mounted installation. You'll also need drywall anchors that are strong enough to withstand the weight of the rod and drapes, just in case anyone accidentally yanks on the drape itself.

The above tips can help you go above and beyond when it comes to enhancing the look of your plantation shutters.