In Feng Shui, an ancient Chinese art also known as Geomancy, the properties of iron are a part of the cycle of five elements. Iron condenses water, which goes into the earth and produces wood, which burns creating fire which turns to ash, creating soil, which in turn wrought iron ore. So why not use the properties of Feng Shui in your home with a decorative wrought iron curtain rod?
When shopping for curtain rods, there are more elements to consider than one might think. Gone are the days when curtain rods need to be concealed. Now they can be used to flatter and complement a window treatment or even an entire room. Decorative wrought iron curtain rods offer both style and functionality to achieve this. One important element of a decorative curtain rod is color. Color as the focal point can make a dull room more focused and livable. Try putting swags in your favorite shade on a brushed nickel birdcage rod, for example. Experiment with different valances and cornices to add interest to your decorative curtain rods and the window treatment as a whole.
How to Match Curtains to Curtain Rods
Choosing the perfect window curtains and curtain rods for your home can be overwhelming. If you know what you’re looking for, the experience can be a little easier. See our Curtain Style Guide to determine the mood you want to achieve!
Sheer Curtains– Peaceful, light
Bright Curtains – Playful
Contrasting Colors – Dramatic
Intricate Patterns – Elegance
Soft Fabric – Comfort and luxury
Silk Curtains – Classic, formal
Cotton or Linen Curtains – Relaxed
Whatever your theme and mood for the curtains, set it off with the perfect curtain rod. Decorative wrought iron curtain rods are one way to make curtains stand out and add personality. No longer should you worry about keeping curtain rods invisible. With decorative wrought iron curtain rods, you can choose a style and finish to make your windows pop. There are several finishes to choose from, including black matte, brushed nickel, and antique brass.
Selecting The Right Curtain Rod
Now let’s discuss the curtain rods themselves. What level of quality serves your needs and desires.
Consider the diameter of the curtain rod to be used or the “thickness”. Most of the time a 5/8” diameter (about a half inch) is best. For large rooms with 10 ft. ceilings and big windows, a 1” diameter may be better. I like the rods made by Skotz Manufacturing, because they are extra strong and don’t sag.
Make sure the rod you purchase is large enough. For instance, don’t buy a 48” – 84” rod to cover an 85” window. While it is big enough, the rod telescopes (two rods of unequal diameter) are placed one inside the other. This allows you to shorten and lengthen the rod inside a certain size range. When the rod is fully extended, no matter how strong the rod, one rod will rock slightly inside the other so that they are no longer straight.
Decorative wrought iron curtain rods with genuine metal finishes will add years to the life of your curtain rods. They are brush lacquered and hand rubbed to the highest standard in the industry. Decorative wrought iron curtain rods are also great money savers. For example, you could spend $20 on a decorative wrought iron curtain rod and choose a simple hemp or cotton fabric for relaxed elegance. This will save you hundreds of dollars in cost for every single window. Choose from many styles, such as telescoping black ball rods, birdcage rods, leaf or twig rods, glass onion Victorian style rods or shepherd’s hook curtain rods.
What’s the scoop on thicker, bigger decorative rods?
Well…
These rods would also be called 32-35mm rods. (mm equals a millimeter, one thousandth of a meter or… 3.2 centimeters. Here in America they are called One and one eighth inch rods.
What makes a high quality decorative rods set?
A good quality rod set will have close tolerances between the two rods. There should be a precision sleeve inserted into the wider rod so that there is not a lot of “wiggle” between the two rods or tubes. This sleeve can be made of different types of plastic with some Teflon® properties being a good choice. When the rod is extended out wide towards it’s maximum length, it may start to sag a little. The previously mentioned qualities of close tolerance between the size of the rods and a well made sleeve will help to solve this.
You often “get what you pay for” with rod and hardware construction, so expect a rod chosen by a decorator to be more expensive and better quality that what you might find at Wal-Mart for a lower price.
I prefer finials that have no visible screws. To accomplish this, the design of the finial must be such that the whole finial screws into the end of the rod. Several manufacturers offer this feature. Another small but extremely important detail in the set is the mounting brackets. Rods over 48” should have a third bracket included. The projection of the bracket becomes extremely important as the installation challenges in the real world are many! Some rods offer adjustable brackets so that you can tailor the projection to the situation.
Look at the gleaming brushed tinted and clear coated finishes available at the curtainrodstore.com. What a beautiful luster. They are so exceptional. The photos don’t even do them justice.
In addition to decorative wrought iron curtain rods, there are a variety of curtain accessories such as wrought iron tiebacks, curtain rod hinges, and curtain rings. By using your imagination, decorative curtain rods and curtain accessories can become a major part of your decorating theme with little effort! You can hold the curtains back from the window with a pair of tiebacks, which have finials that exactly match the rods. Another way is to cut a swatch of fabric matching the curtains and hem it into a tieback (many curtains include these). For curtain rings, choose either clip rings – which actually have little alligator clips that “bite” onto the curtain – or eyelet rings, which are more professional but require that you have drapery hooks sewn into the top of the curtain.
All decorative wrought iron curtain rods boast style and elegance at an affordable price. You can look for key objects in the room to help choose the style and finish of your rod. Fireplace andirons, candlesticks and door hardware might be a place to start. There is a style for everyone, whether you want to keep it simple or pick a design.
They also take the pressure off of you to pay for more expensive fabric than necessary. Something as simple as a white swag draped over a decorative wrought iron rod from your curtain rod store will create a current, yet timeless look for your room.
Now that’s good Feng Shui.
If you are interested in an introduction to the ancient art of Feng Shui, I highly recommend Feng Shui: Arranging Your Home to change your life. Author Kristen M. Lagatree has laid everything out neatly and succinctly.
