How to choose drapery hardware
There's lots to choose from.
Metal hardware is available in a variety of finishes : wrought iron, aluminum, chrome, brass, and oil rubbed bronze. Wood hardware is available in almost any finish, from natural blond to dark espresso.
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| Styles of drapery hardware |
- other items in the room
- the colour of the drapery
It is obvious that the rod colour decision was based on matching to the dark woods in the room, but why would you want to break the lofty look that is going on here with horizontal dark lines? When I look at this room, my eye automatically goes to the ceiling. Contrast always draws the eye. You probably don't want a focal point near the ceiling!
This rod is also dark, but the same thing isn't happening because the drapes are highly coloured and patterned. I still would not use black. In fact I probably would rarely use black because it is too harsh unless you have black drapes or it is a very modern decor. In this room I would look for something lighter that blended with the wooden blind too and make the whole thing more of a unit.
This is a good neutral colour when you have golden tones in a room.
You also have to watch where you use wooden blinds. The combination below really works.
This rod has enough colour to be noticed and it allows the drapes to have center stage. Imagine what a different room it would be if the rod were black.
How do you feel about this rod choice with these drapes? Certainly the black isn't as harsh as in some of the other examples, but it does compete a little too much with the horizontal banding for my taste. Personally I would choose something more neutral to match the top of the drapes.
A pulled together look.
What are your thoughts on choosing an appropriate drapery rod for your space. Do you have an aversion to black rods in light spaces?
