Ivory curtains, brass curtain rods and beautiful bamboo shades make this primary bedroom feel like a calm, restful retreat.
I’m excited to share the progress on our primary bedroom makeover. I hadn’t planned to post updates from this room so soon, but it’s already come together in ways I love and I couldn’t wait to show you the window treatments and how much the paint and soft furnishings changed the space.
When we moved in the room had a pistachio-green paint that never sat right with me. Paint can transform a room—seriously, paint colors make all the difference. We switched the walls to a neutral that works with both warm and cool tones; I used Revere Pewter (a shade I’ve used before and trust for its versatility).
Below is a quick reminder of the original pistachio walls and how different the room looks now.
While paint made a major visual impact, my main focus for this post is the window treatments. The combination of blackout bamboo shades, ivory curtains and brass rods has completely changed the mood—making mornings darker and the room more soothing.
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Window Treatments in the Primary Bedroom
I didn’t want to just show the paint; the window treatments were a priority. The bedroom gets bright—seven windows and two French doors bring a lot of sun. Beautiful during the day, but brutal when you’re trying to sleep in on a weekend. The goal was to keep the natural warmth while gaining control over morning light and nighttime privacy.
Brass Curtain Rods | Ivory Curtains | Bamboo Shades in Jute Wheat
I ordered blackout curtains first to tame morning light, but I’d long pictured bamboo shades with ivory curtains flanking a king bed. That design—bamboo shades inside the window frame with a curtain panel on each outside edge—was a top priority when house hunting. Seeing that vision come to life was exactly as satisfying as I’d hoped.
Blackout Bamboo Shades
When the custom bamboo shades arrived, they were worth the wait. I chose woven wood shades with blackout liners so the windows truly block daylight when closed. The liner also helps with privacy at night and blocks stray porch or garage lights from disturbing sleep.
Curtain Rods | Curtain Rings | Simple Finial | Ivory Curtains | Bamboo Shades in Jute Wheat | Ivory Quilt
I selected the Designer Series woven wood shades in a neutral jute tone to bring texture and warmth. For convenience and safety, I ordered a continuous cord loop for the bedroom shades—this makes raising and lowering them simple even when a nightstand sits below the window. For the patio-facing French doors in the sitting area, I chose cordless shades with a bottom ring lift for a clean, child-safe solution.
Bamboo Shades on the French Doors in our Sitting Room
The original door blinds were thin and see-through, and they didn’t fit properly. Replacing them with custom bamboo shades fitted to the door frames and equipped with privacy liners resolved the light leakage and removed dangling cords that were unsafe and unsightly.
Linen Curtains and Brass Curtain Rods
To finish the look, I invested in linen-cotton blend ivory curtains and brass curtain rods with a subtle decorative profile. The hardware elevates the room without feeling fussy. I hung the rods high and wide to visually enlarge the windows and the room: screwing the top rod bracket at about 99″ allowed my 96″ panels to almost touch the floor without puddling.
One pair of panels ended up slightly longer than the rest, so I’ll contact the retailer about a replacement. Four out of six panels are perfect, and overall the curtains beautifully cover the transom windows at night while letting light and views back in during the day.
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How to Hang Curtains to Make a Room Look Larger
A simple way to make your windows and room appear larger is the “high and wide” rule: mount the rod 4–6 inches above the window frame and extend it 3–6 inches beyond each side. Choosing the right curtain length also matters—leave a small gap if you open and close them often, or allow a 4–6 inch puddle for a more formal, luxurious look.
If you want more detail on inexpensive curtain options and where to hang them, check the related posts linked throughout this article.
What’s Next?
Next up: new furniture and a few finishing touches. I shared the full design board in my Primary Bedroom Retreat Design Board. I’m waiting for a few sales to pick up the bed and nightstands, and a loveseat for the sitting area that’s currently sold out. I also plan to decide whether to refinish or replace the dresser and update the ceiling fan.
For now we’re enjoying darker, more peaceful mornings and a much more cohesive look. The combination of textured bamboo shades, soft ivory panels and warm brass hardware created the restful primary bedroom retreat I’d been imagining.
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