Curtains that go with a Persian rug?

[MariaDingbat]

We have moved into a new house and have a small antique pursian rug in the living room that to quote Lebowski 'really ties the room together'. I'd like to get curtains for the bay window that compliment it but I am useless with colours and patterns. Any ideas what type of curtains to go for? Plain? Patterned? Clash? Compliment? Our sofa is charcoal grey and we have a dark green wingback and teak furniture.

I’m not really sure how it ties the room together if you don’t have those colours elsewhere in the room? I think as you have green furniture, , grey furniture, , teak furniture and, pine flooring, and the multi coloured rug you could pick any one of the colours you have and go for it? The rug seems to be predominantly navy and red.

I think I’d go navy as it will work with all the other colours.

I thought the navy too (and plain), as I think that the colour red is used far too often for all sorts of things. I also think the dark blue would go with all your other colours, and if you are careful with the quality of the curtains - they need to be of a heavy, and quality looking material - it could look really sumptuous. A few scatter cushions in the same material may also help tie it together, but not all the same on all the sofas and chairs, as I then think that looks as if you are trying too hard? Also if you could get one or two pieces (lamp or small ornament etc) in copper, I think that those colours together would look great.

Have you tried an app that let's you colour a room in certain colours, types of furniture etc as that could help give you an idea of what looks good together, and what might be overdoing it.

For wooden furniture, sofa's and large curtains, I always think that as well as going for the type of wood you like (I'm into oak at the moment, but there is a lot of it about, so might look a bit samey), you should always go for as good a quality as you can afford, and the same goes for material furnishings, but particularly velvet, imo cheap velvet looks tacky, and does not last very well at all. Also, for material like velvet, if you have velvet curtains don't also have a velvet sofa. You might just about get away with a velvet headboard and curtains in the bedroom, but again, quality counts!

I know you are only looking at the curtains at the moment OP, but with any big and or expensive buys that you will want to last for a long time, it pays to think ahead for any future changes you may want to make. However remember that mish mashed furniture etc can also look great in a more classical looking home, and that rug just makes me think classical!

We have Persian rugs in most rooms of our house and don't have curtains at all. We have plantation shutters or blinds. The shutters are white and the blinds generally dark blue

Plain navy or, shutters. You've got a lot going on there!

If you have (?) 1960s teak furniture, then perhaps have the rest of the room very plain - plain matte faux silk would be the designer go-to for curtains, or plain heavy cotton, lined and interlined, in charcoal or navy blue or a deep red to match the rug.

Deep green does not really go with any of the above colours. But patchwork cushions - not that hard to make - might help to tie things together.

But be careful with the rug. Deep red and blue rugs on yellow-toned floors can look awful.

EBay is excellent for secondhand curtains. Do your research on top-quality brands. Get your measurements straight. Good curtains have a life of up to 100 years. And can be a real bargain.

However:

The rug looks small - what proportion of the floor-space is occupied? If it's just a little bit, the look at the other major factors - floor, walls, upholstery - when choosing curtains.

Not being impolite, as well, but that 'antique' rug has bright, rather than faded, colours and very, very new looking fringes. Perhaps it's just very well preserved. I really don't wish to criticise. But the intensity (faded or bright) of its colours will obviously have an impact on your future choice of furnishings.

Look for jewel tones. The purpley, red and green colours can all go together. Or go with the same grey as the sofa and use grey as your base colour for the room. Pinterest might help with colour palettes.

Lovely rug, but it does seem awfully small – what size is it and what size is the room? I tend to think rugs look better bigger and running under furniture .

Anyway with a Persian rug and going for that kind of eclectic, collected look, you can’t go too wrong – although country house layering/multi pattern/multi colour stuff is hard. Zooming in, you’ve got some dark greens and a deep turquoise. Rather than navy with teak and green and grey sofa and that rug, I’d pick up on the accent colours, and get a patterned curtain.

Agree with pp the “big” items in the room should be as spendy as you can afford, and sumptuous. Paint can just be paint, but curtains should be generous, lined, kiss the floor, and feel swishy on opening/closing.