How HGTV Stars Spruce Up Outdoor Space With Curtains

Many of us are familiar with how curtains can elevate a room, adding a touch of luxury or acting as a creative trick to make the space look larger. But curtains can also make a world of difference in our outdoor spaces as well. Those scrolling for designer takes on outdoor living rooms you'd want to sit in might have come across this tactile element that adds a chic touch to the backyard, patio, or deck. HGTV designers are using outdoor curtains in clever ways to add more pizazz to these spaces, contributing color, movement, and texture to pull off a luxe design.

Generally, you might find patio inspo showcasing billowing curtains tied back to a wooden pergola. While that is, of course, an excellent method for sprucing up your backyard space, it isn't the only way outdoor draperies can enhance your design. HGTV designers have experimented with some unique ways to change up an outdoor design scheme using outdoor curtains, whether that means choosing a unique material, adding curtains on unique sets of furniture, or incorporating outdoor curtains into exterior spaces beyond the back yard.  While some of their tips and tricks might need a prerequisite of an existing pergola or concrete arches built into your home's exterior, others can be achieved with some simple materials and some DIY know-how.

If you're looking for creative solutions for sprucing up your outdoor curtains, HGTV interior designer and host of "My Lottery Dream Home" David Bromstad ditched ordinary outdoor curtains for a unique idea in the patio space: curtains made with macrame. In a clip from HGTV on Instagram, Bromstad uses colorful rope with braided strands and knots to create a bold feature on the back patio. "It's an installation of art," Bromstad says. You can use this idea as inspiration to dress up your patio space by making the swap or by adding macrame details as an overlay on existing outdoor curtains.

Another way to make your outdoor curtains look more inviting is to blend drapery with greenery. Dan Faires shared a clever idea (via HGTV) that not only uplifts your design by adding a biophilic touch but also adds more privacy to a back deck or patio. Hang potted plants just outside the curtain rail to create a green space that provides more privacy from neighbors when the curtains are open. You might also consider using vining plants to cover the top of a pergola or drape around the curtains.

Renowned television host and landscape designer Jamie Durie was tasked with figuring out an elegant method for maximizing shade in an outdoor dining space for actress Anne Heche (via HGTV). The results are a clever spin on traditional outdoor drapes. Durie installed pleated Roman shades on three sides of the outdoor pergola to create a perfect way to adjust the setting for privacy and weather protection. While not billowy like normal curtains, these shades could be a more durable alternative that better blocks out direct sunlight. 

Outdoor curtains aren't just for the back patio. A creative way to dress up your home is by using outdoor drapes on the front porch,as Erin Napier showed on HGTV. If you're interested in how to get the look of Erin Napier's breezy, coastal front porch design, consider installing a curtain rail as high as possible on the porch overhang and adding tie-backs to the pillars to secure the outdoor drapery. The fabric adds a new visual component as well as some softness and texture to the main entrance of your home.

Those searching for clever and innovative DIY projects to introduce to the backyard might find inspiration from Christina Haack's daybed installation (via HGTV). Designer and host of "Christina on the Coast" Christina Haack displayed a stunning and whimsical open-air lounge space, perhaps inspired by those seen at luxury resorts. While daybeds exude luxury, you could extend this idea to other sets of outdoor furniture, like sofas or sectionals, by creating a canopy with flowing sheer curtains to frame the sides, creating a cocoon of peacefulness.

Curtained cabanas and pergolas radiate luxury, but they could benefit from even greater functionality. Rather than using them solely as a place to recline, Brian and Mika Kleinschmidt of HGTV's "100 Day Dream Home" showed off their take on a cabana with tiered seating, fit for a family movie night. Aim your structure at a blank wall or hang a white sheet on a fence, and bring out the projector for unforgettable summer movie marathons. The tiered seating was created by DIYing wood risers, adding cushions, and topping off the cabana with draperies that offer a cozy feel.

Not everyone has the budget to install a full wooden pergola. If you're tight on money but want a luxury look in your patio space, Brian Patrick Flynn shared a mini tutorial on HGTV on how homeowners could achieve a luxe, freestanding curtain support. Using painted two-by-fours, a large planter pot, concrete, a plant, curtain rods, and curtain panels, he created a DIY support system to hold up the curtains. This can work for an uncovered patio, small balcony, or deck, allowing homeowners to spruce up their space and create handy dividers without draining their wallet.

Scott McGillivray, host of "Vacation House Rules," took a low-maintenance approach to backyard patio designwhich was featured on HGTV.  A quaint outdoor living space with a simple pergola featured a retractable fabric awning. The benefit of a retractable fabric canopy is that you can withdraw it when not in use to better preserve and protect your furniture from the elements. Then, on hot, sunny days, draw out the awning. It also creates additional shade above the seating area, pairing well with hanging drapes.