Are Curtains Out of Style? An Honest 2026 Verdict, Style by Style

Curtains get declared dead every few years, usually just as designers start hanging more fabric than ever. Here is what 14 dated design pieces actually say, and a verdict on every style people ask about.

In this guide

• What 14 dated sources say
• Are drapes out of style?
• The verdict table, style by style
• Which curtain headings look dated?
• Are tiebacks old-fashioned?
• Lace, velvet, florals: fabrics and patterns
• Which curtain colors look dated?
• Already own dated curtains? Fixes before you replace them
• The honest part: when no curtains is the right call
• Glossary
• FAQ

Are curtains out of style in 2026? What 14 dated sources say

No, and the case against them is thin. Here are 14 design-press pieces that answer the question directly, by date and verdict; four link to syndicated Yahoo copies of the original articles.

Tally: 9 in, 2 depends, 3 lean out. None of the 14 offers measured evidence that curtains as a category are fading; every negative targets a specific version, or prefers alternatives on taste rather than data.

The pull toward shades is real: in Apartment Therapy's survey of 140 designers, 38% named relaxed Roman shades the next big window treatment. But Hunker's "Say Goodbye to Curtains" piece rests on one market-research mention and one Instagram comment, and the other two lean-out pieces are a columnist's preference and a roundup that names no designers.

Other signals point the other way. In 1stDibs' survey of 468 designers, 39% named maximalism a most-requested style, up from 34% in 2023 (1stDibs, November 2025). Global Market Insights puts the global curtains-and-drapes market at $5.28 billion in 2025, about 30% of window-covering revenue and growing 6.9% a year; blinds and shades grow faster, at 8.2%, but both are growing. Trend agency Trend Bible puts drapery at the center of a 2027 "texture drenching" look that spills across walls as well as windows. For this year's full trend list, see our 2026 curtain trends guide.

Are drapes out of style?

No, but the heavy, formal version is. Drapes are lined, heavier panels, usually floor-length and often pleated; curtains are the lighter, often unlined cousin. Editors fault the excess: quilt-thick drapes (House Digest, September 2026), overly opulent drapes (The Spruce, via Yahoo), and the swags, frills and extra draping that Homes & Gardens' designers say age a window.

Tailored drapery is the opposite story. Homes & Gardens says statement drapes are "truly having a moment" after a long hiatus, and House Beautiful found designers hanging drapery behind beds, in doorways and as room dividers (our take: curtains behind the bed).

• Pleated drapes: current when the pleats are crisp and the fabric matte (see our pinch pleat guide).
• Puddled drapes: genuinely disputed. A designer quoted by House Digest calls heavy puddles a dust trap; designer Christopher Boutlier says the puddle is back (House Digest). We weigh the three lengths in do curtains need to puddle?
• Velvet drapes: it depends on the finish (see fabrics).
• Silk drapes: current at the high end. Boutlier sees silk taffeta returning, and the designers in a Veranda story leave silk unlined only where it won't get direct sun.

The verdict table, style by style

Every style people ask about, where it still works, and what to hang instead. "Split" means credible designers currently disagree. Headings such as grommets, tab tops and rod pockets have their own table below.

Swags draw the strongest agreement: designer Michael Mitchell called them "done and dusted" in Southern Living because they sit heavy and block light, and Ellie Stein, quoted in Real Simple, says heavy swags read as the 1980s (Real Simple, via Yahoo, June 2026). Ruffles split the room: Livingetc reports light ruffle-top curtains returning in semi-sheer and natural fabrics, while heavy ruffles still look dated. Exact matching is out; designer Alexis Earman finds one fabric across shade, valance and drapes too perfect (Southern Living, via Yahoo).

Which curtain headings look dated?

Grommets draw the most criticism and pinch pleats the most praise; rod pockets and tab tops are fine on panels you rarely open. The right column shows how we build each heading, from our own specifications.

Grommets look mass-produced, with stiff folds, says Everhem founder Haley Weidenbaum (The Spruce, via Yahoo); designer Cortney McClure still allows them in a playroom or kid's bedroom (The Spruce, via Yahoo, December 2025). The full argument is in our grommet verdict.

Rod pockets split designers on hardware. McClure likes the rod hidden; Jennifer Jones and Eddie Rider would rather see a good exposed rod than bunched fabric (House Digest). On function there is no argument: The Shade Store classes rod pocket as decorative and stationary, and it cannot run on a track.

Pinch pleats are not old-fashioned when kept simple. The Shade Store calls them a classic having a revival, and a designer quoted by Better Homes & Gardens prefers a plain two- or three-finger pleat to anything elaborate (Better Homes & Gardens, via Yahoo).

Ripple fold is the most contemporary option; designer Carrie Moore lists it among 2026's trends (Good Housekeeping, via Yahoo). The trade-off is a little light over the top, so The Shade Store suggests a cornice for rooms that must go fully dark. It needs its own track, such as our Arden ripple fold track; our ripple fold guide covers cost.

Are tiebacks old-fashioned?

The tasseled kind mostly is; a plain tie or holdback is not, and a few designers see tassels coming back.

Ellie Stein, quoted in Real Simple, avoids tieback tassels and heavy ornament, and House Digest says tassel tiebacks belong in stately and period homes, suggesting simple leather ties instead. On the other side, Livingetc calls tiebacks largely old-fashioned but says the "old money" look is bringing them back, Better Homes & Gardens lists tassels and tie-backs among returning statement-drapery details, and Homes & Gardens' 2027 forecast names fringe and tassels among old-fashioned details coming back.

Our verdict: one good tassel can work in a traditional room; in a contemporary one, choose a sleek metal, rope or fabric tie. There is also a practical reason tied-back drapes look fussy. Tying lifts the panel's leading edge, so the hem angles up and the lining can show, according to drapery trainers Workroom Tech, who size ties at 18 inches or more for a single-width panel and 24 to 30 inches or more for wider ones. The cleanest alternative is no tieback at all: a rod long enough that open panels stack beside the glass.

Lace, velvet, florals: which fabrics and patterns read current?

Finish matters more than fiber. Shiny or crushed synthetics are the most-cited dated fabrics; lace, velvet and florals are having a qualified comeback, and linen is the safe default that House Digest now calls basic.

Lace is contested. Homes & Gardens reported lace drapes returning this year, and designer Katie Rosenfeld told Country Living lace is "coming back huge," mostly as a layer. Designer Magda Callery told House Digest lace curtains are better left in the past. Our read: lace works as a sheer layer behind other curtains, not as frilly stand-alone or café panels. For privacy, lace behaves like any sheer (can you see through sheer curtains?); for pattern without the fuss, try embroidered curtains.

Velvet comes down to finish. Crushed velvet looks synthetic because it is "highly reflective," says Furniturebox's Laura Rich (Ideal Home, September 2026), while designer Cristiana Crin says velvet with a blackout backing is back in bedrooms, partly for sound (House Digest). A soft, warm-toned velvet hung floor to ceiling, like the one at the top of this page, reads current: see our velvet styling guide or velvet curtains such as Marina, a 100% polyester velvet that blocks about 70–75% of light.

Shiny polyester and satin are the clearest "out." That is a finish problem more than a fiber problem: most of our own curtains are polyester or polyester blends, and the ones that look current have a matte, textured weave. Judge a swatch in daylight; the fiber label alone won't tell you.

Linen is the default for a reason. Laura Rich calls linen or a linen blend the natural choice for 2026, and Etsy named washed linen its 2026 Texture of the Year (House Digest). The dissent is that plain, pale, unlined linen now feels basic (House Digest, January 2026), so line it, give it color or trim its edge. Hestara (70% polyester, 20% linen, 10% cotton) and Celina (70% polyester, 30% linen) are polyester-linen blends; browse the linen collection, and check each product page for its exact fiber content.

Florals and patterns are back in calmer forms. Livingetc put floral and botanical drapes in calm palettes at the top of its 2026 trends, even while noting a move away from bold pattern; Graham & Brown named a chintz floral its 2027 Design of the Year (Graham & Brown); and stripes, plaid, houndstooth and toile all made 1stDibs' designer watch list. Keep it to one patterned element per window, hung like a solid, and don't match it to the cushions. Browse floral curtains or a printed toile sheer like Elysia; our jacquard vs. embroidered vs. printed guide explains how pattern gets onto fabric, and patterned Roman shades are the smaller dose.

Which curtain colors look dated?

Cool gray is the color most often called out, followed by stark white; browns, greens, blues and deep reds are where designers are heading.

• Out: what Hunker calls "the overused millennial gray," steely grays giving way to beige, taupe and putty (Homes & Gardens), and cool light gray, stark white and steel blue, according to retail experts quoted by Ideal Home.
• In: in 1stDibs' survey of 468 designers, chocolate brown was the most-cited color at 33% (up from 17% in 2022), then cornflower blue (31%), burgundy (21%, up from 7%) and pistachio (20%). White, slate gray and black were each in single digits.
• Tone on tone: drapery matched to the wall color (designer Marie Flanigan, in Good Housekeeping) and tonal, hue-drenched rooms, a Homes & Gardens 2027 trend.

One caveat: Pantone's 2026 Color of the Year, Cloud Dancer, is a white, so "white is out" really means stark, bluish white; soft whites and ivory are fine. For 2027, most paint brands have already spoken, and the direction is plain: greens, blues and earthy browns, with no cool gray among them.

No curtain needs to match these, but if your walls are drifting warmer, a cool gray panel is likely to look left behind; the wall color, or a shade deeper, reads current.

Already own dated curtains? Fixes before you replace them

Usually they can be saved. Heading, length, fullness and trim are what date a curtain, and most of those change without new fabric.

1. Strip the extras. Tassel tiebacks, heavy swags and fussy frills draw the most criticism, and removing them is free.
2. Rehang higher and wider, if the panels are long enough (if not, see step 7). Many "dated" curtains are simply hung at the frame; our 7 curtain mistakes guide has the measurements.
3. Put rod-pocket or tab-top panels on clip rings. Rings lift the fabric so the panels slide; even Nicetown, which sells rod-pocket panels, suggests clip rings if you need to draw them.
4. Add a sheer behind them. A sheer on a second rod turns a flat single layer into the double-dressed look Homes & Gardens calls hugely popular for 2026. Our layering guide covers the hardware, and plain sheers like Liana (100% polyester) are made to size.
5. Add width or a lining. Designer Katelaine McGee says a half-width drape looks insubstantial and uses double width (Southern Living, via Yahoo); a lining gives a fuller hang and protects the face fabric from fading (The Shade Store). See 1.5x vs. 2x fullness for what extra width buys.
6. Change the hardware finish. Designer Avery Cox calls slim black rods with ball finials dated and prefers solid wood or unlacquered brass (Southern Living, via Yahoo). Our hardware trends guide and rods and tracks cover the options.
7. Add a trimmed edge. Trims on one or all four edges are a 2026 trend in Livingetc, where designer Venetia Rudebeck says "passementerie is having a real moment." A workroom can also add a band at the hem to buy back length; matched to the edge trim, it reads deliberate.

What no alteration fixes is the fabric itself. A shiny, thin face looks the same on better rings, and that is where replacing beats rescuing.

The honest part: when no curtains is the right call

Curtains are not always the answer, and their defenders say so. In Livingetc's roundup, designer Nina Lichtenstein would skip them in rooms that depend on every bit of daylight, rooms that already have privacy, strongly architectural spaces and strictly minimal interiors. We would add four more.

• Windows over radiators or baseboard heaters. Fabric and heat sources need clearance; read are curtains a fire hazard? first.
• A window that never needs closing. A kitchen sink window is often better with a café curtain or a shade; our curtains vs. blinds vs. shades guide compares them, and Roman shades are their own success story.
• A tight budget. One well-fitted shade usually looks better than two skimpy, too-short panels.
• Dust-sensitive households. Puddles and thick, rarely washed drapes hold dust; choose floor-skimming lengths and fabrics you can launder.

One more piece of honesty: we make curtains, so weigh our verdict accordingly. It rests on designers and editors, and where a source sells window treatments (The Shade Store, Nicetown, Everhem's founder), we name it.

Glossary

Pinch pleat / Euro pleat — clusters of two or three folds stiffened with buckram. A pinch pleat is stitched at its base; a Euro pleat is tacked at the top for a cleaner line.

Ripple fold — a track system in which evenly spaced carriers on snap tape form continuous S-shaped waves.

Fullness — total fabric width divided by the width it covers; at 2x, a 50-inch span takes 100 inches of fabric.

Float, break, puddle — a hem that hangs just above the floor, rests on it with a slight bend, or pools on it.

FAQ

Are curtains out of style in 2026?

No. Of 14 dated design pieces from June 2024 to September 2026, nine call curtains current, two say it depends and three lean away from curtains without data. Heavy frills, swags, tassel tiebacks, shiny polyester, grommets in formal rooms and sill-length panels look dated; floor-length, tailored, matte and layered curtains read current.

Are drapes out of style?

No, but heavy, quilt-thick and overly opulent drapes are. Tailored, lined drapery is having a moment: Homes and Gardens says statement drapes are back after a long hiatus, and House Beautiful found designers hanging drapery behind beds and in doorways. Puddled hems are still disputed.

Are tab top curtains out of style?

They are casual rather than dated and rarely appear on designers' lists of outdated styles. Tab tops suit cottage rooms with light panels you seldom move, but look out of place on formal drapery and do not glide well. Back tabs give a similar soft look with the hardware hidden.

Are rod pocket curtains out of style?

It depends on use. Rod pockets suit stationary side panels and sheers, but House Digest calls them finicky to open and close, and The Shade Store classes them as decorative. For panels you draw daily, choose pinch pleat or ripple fold, or hang rod-pocket panels on clip rings.

Are curtain tiebacks old-fashioned?

Tassel tiebacks mostly are, according to Real Simple and House Digest. Plain fabric, leather or metal ties are fine, and some designers see tassels returning with the old money look. The cleanest option is a rod wide enough that open panels stack beside the glass.

Are lace curtains out of style?

Lace is contested. Homes and Gardens and Country Living reported a lace revival in 2026, mostly as a layer, while a designer quoted by House Digest said lace curtains are better left in the past. Use lace as a sheer layer behind other curtains, not as frilly stand-alone or cafe panels.

What curtain colors are out of style?

Cool gray is the most criticized, then stark white. In 1stDibs' survey of 468 designers, chocolate brown (33%), cornflower blue (31%), burgundy (21%) and pistachio (20%) led, while white, slate gray and black were each in single digits. The 2027 Colors of the Year so far are greens, blues and earthy browns.

If your curtains failed a few rows of the tables above, the fix is usually length, fullness and heading, not a new trend. Start with our custom curtains, made to your width, length, heading and lining, and order free swatches first to judge texture and color against your own walls in daylight.