Curtains Instead of Closet Doors
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Not every home has the perfect layout when it comes to maximizing space. Sometimes you need to get creative when making a space more usable. If you need help in your bedroom this post is for you! See how curtains instead of closet doors can give you the extra room you need to make your bedroom layout more functional. Keep reading to learn how I used this beautiful linen fabric from casabranca.com to DIY these custom closet curtains!
Why Would You Need to Replace Closet Doors?
Spacious bedrooms don’t usually run into this issue, but there are occasions when the location of windows or a closet can make furniture placement awkward. Closet doors that open into a room will determine how close you can place furniture to that wall.
If a door repeatedly bumps into furniture there will eventually be damage to both. This is a common issue in bedrooms with full-size swinging closet doors and even bi-fold doors.
These sliding doors don’t interfere with the room, but they do make access a little awkward.
There isn’t much room at the foot of the beds in this room for a large dresser. To provide guests with storage space during their stay, I wanted to place a small dresser inside the closet. However, the sliding doors didn’t allow for that so using curtains instead of closet doors was the best way to make it more accessible.
Removing Existing Doors
The first step is to remove the existing closet doors. Doors that slide will have a track while doors that swing will be on hinges. Luckily I didn’t have to remove any hinges which would require repair work to the frame.
These sliding closet doors have a couple of small wheels that pop right out of the track once you lift the door and tilt it to a certain angle. It’s easy for one person to do.
Once both doors were removed, I needed to figure out how to hang the curtains in the door frame.
Ways to Hang Curtains Instead of Closet Doors
There are several ways you can hang a curtain on a closet door. One way to do it is using a rod, much like you would for a window. Hanging the rod high and wide will imitate a custom drape but it may seem overwhelming as you are likely working in a small space.
An easier way to do it is with a tension-type rod at the top of the frame. Unfortunately, this leaves you with more of a shower curtain look. I wanted this to be an easy DIY project, but I didn’t want it to look cheap and tacky so I embraced the existing setup and used an adhesive track system.
You can use something like this on the wall or mount it to the inside of the frame, which is what I did. This way I was able to avoid that unsightly gap at the top.
How to Install a Track System
First, measure your door frame to figure out how much you’ll need. The track system I have is available in different lengths and is customizable. Using the connectors, create a continuous strip that is the width of the inner door frame.
Next, slide the ceiling (or wall) runners into the track making sure you use enough for all your curtain hooks.
Once you have the track all ready to go simply remove the adhesive cover strip, attach it to the desired surface, and slip your curtain hooks into the loops.
DIY No-Sew Custom Closet Curtains
I fell in love with the Animal Kingdom fabric in Sky from Casa Branca as I was pulling design elements together for the beach house. When I decided to use curtains instead of closet doors, I knew just what to choose! The linen fabric is stunning in person and looks so luxurious. The best part is that it is reversible so you can choose which side looks best in your space.
The print features exotic animals and florals that bring an element of whimsy to this kids’ bedroom. Casa Branca has a wide selection of fabrics and matching wallpapers. Using them together in a room is sure to give the space that high-end designer look you see in magazines.
I’ve turned regular curtain panels into pinch pleat drapes before, but this project was a little different. For the curtain to span the width of the closet when closed, I needed two panels of fabric. Similar to hanging wallpaper, I matched up the pattern and then used fusing fabric tape to connect the two panels.
The same tape was used to make a finished edge on all sides. For the top edge, I created a wider band and used the tape to attach the pinch pleat tape to the curtain.
Create a custom look by making double or triple pleats in the fabric and slide the hooks right into the slots on the header.
Read more about this home here:
Thank you for this post. Been thinking about this for my bedroom since any configuration of doors are just in the way and I’m not liking just having it open without any doors. Tried a bamboo curtain and that looked cheap. Thought curtains might look like college room decor.