Say Goodbye To Vertical Blinds - Nate Berkus Has A Better Idea To Cover Sliding Glass Doors

Vertical blinds were all the rage in the '80s and '90s. Their clean lines reflected the design trends of the time, and their practicality made them especially popular for covering tall windows and sliding glass doors. But according to HGTV's Nate Berkus, those days are over. If you're looking to cover a sliding door, Berkus suggests swapping out fabric verticals in favor of drapery panels to create a more elegant, layered look.

Fabric vertical blinds are out, Berkus tells The Washington Post. Instead, he says, "Consider doing drapery with a rod mounted close to the ceiling and a pair of panels flanking the door, if you have the wall space on either side. If you don't, the drapery could stack to one side or the other." When it comes to mounting the curtain rods, Berkus says it's particularly important to mount them as high as possible. "When you walk into a space, you want your eye to go up. You don't want your eye to be cut off," he says in an Instagram post. "I'm not a fan of draperies that are mounted right above the window frame. They should all come from the top of the wall or at least the highest point." If you're looking to add even more warmth and dimension to the space, you can also consider layering your curtains with these simple tips, such as using a double rod and hanging sheers. 

When choosing the perfect curtains for your space, Berkus is a fan of those that have inverted pleats or ripple folds. There are also a few rules of thumb he likes to follow when selecting both the curtains and hardware. The drapes should be fuller, and he prefers them to skim the floor — hovering about ¼ inch above — rather than puddling. He also likes simple hardware to mount the curtains, such as rings attached to a thin rod. If you're creative or on a tight budget, you may want to consider DIY curtain rods that are more unique than what you'd find at the store. 

In addition to giving your sliding glass door a more elegant, refined look than vertical blinds, drapery panels can have the added benefit of brightening up a dark room. In another Instagram post, Berkus says he likes light ivory linen floor-to-ceiling drapery against a dark paneled wall. "What you notice isn't the darkness of the room any longer. You notice the contrast," he says, adding that other drapery colors that work well when trying to lighten up a dark space include ivory, off-white, bone, or chalk.