Most people choose the fabric first and think about the hardware last. Designers do the opposite, because the rod or track controls how high the drapery hangs, how far it stacks off the glass, how easily it opens and how it looks for years. We supply and install the hardware with every custom drapery order, and installation is always free.
Decorative curtain rods
A decorative rod is part of the design. Wood and metal rods come in many finishes, from matte black and brushed brass to painted and natural wood, with finials that can be simple or ornate. Rings let the panels slide, and the rod's diameter should suit the scale of the window and the weight of the fabric. Decorative rods work best for panels you open now and then, or for panels that stay fixed beside the window.
Rod sizes, finials and finishes
Our metal drapery rods come in 1⅛″ and 1⅜″ diameters, and our wood rods in 1⅜″ and 2″, with larger rods available for heavier drapery. Finials range from simple end caps and balls to square, cone, trumpet, fluted, geometric and urn styles. Metal finishes include matte black, matte gold, satin gold, nickel and oil-rubbed bronze, and wood finials come in caramel, chocolate, espresso and white. Matching rings, holdbacks and bypass rings complete the look, and grommet drapery is available with round, square or diamond grommets.
Through Carole Fabrics, we also offer premium decorative hardware lines including Kirsch, Forest, Magnolia and Paris Texas, with wood rods from 1″ to 2¼″ in diameter that can be stained or distressed to show the grain.
French return rods
A French return rod curves back to the wall at each end, so the drapery wraps around the side instead of leaving a gap. It blocks light leaking around the edges, which makes it a favorite for bedrooms, and it gives a clean, tailored finish. French returns can be made in custom lengths.
Double rods for layering
To layer sheers behind heavier drapery, we use a double rod. It keeps the two fabrics separated so each set opens and closes on its own. See layering drapery.
Traverse rods
A traverse rod has carriers that glide inside the rod, so the drapery opens and closes with a cord or a wand instead of being pulled by hand along the fabric. It's the practical choice for wide windows and for drapery you open every day, and it keeps the pleats evenly spaced. Traverse rods can be plain and hidden behind the heading, or decorative and on show.
Traverse rods can draw one way, stacking the drapery to one side, which is ideal for sliding doors, or two ways, opening from the center. Many are operated with a baton, a slim wand you use to pull the drapery open and closed so your hands stay off the fabric.
Drapery tracks
A track is a slim rail mounted to the wall or the ceiling. Ceiling-mounted tracks make rooms feel taller, hide behind the top of the drapery and are the cleanest look for modern homes. Tracks also suit ripplefold drapery, the soft, even wave look, and some tracks can be bent to follow a bay or corner window so the drapery runs in one continuous line.
Ripplefold drapery uses a special tape sewn into the header that snaps into carriers on the track, which creates the even wave. Ripplefold tracks come in basic, decorative wood and decorative metal styles, and we order the drapery and track together so they match perfectly.
Motorized drapery tracks
For tall windows, wide sliding doors or drapery you want to open on a schedule, a motorized track opens and closes your drapery by remote, app, voice or timer. Our motorized drapery runs on a Somfy-powered track. See motorized drapery for how it works.
Motorized tracks come in basic metal, decorative metal and wood styles, so motorized drapery doesn't have to look technical.
How to choose
- Panels that rarely move: a decorative rod with rings.
- Drapery you open every day: a traverse rod or a track.
- Modern rooms and low ceilings: a ceiling-mounted track.
- Bay and corner windows: a track bent to the shape of the window.
- Tall or hard-to-reach windows: a motorized track.
Mount the hardware higher and wider than the window frame so the windows look bigger and the drapery stacks off the glass. See how high and wide to hang curtains.
Installed by our own team
Hardware has to be anchored properly, especially for heavy lined drapery and long rods, so we measure, supply and install it ourselves. Installation is free on the window treatments you order from us, and if something we installed isn't working right, we come back and take care of it with no trip fees.