10 Linen Curtains Under $50 I’m Eyeing For My Bedroom
Project 365, Day 137/365
I’m going to start this post with the first thing that came to mind when starting this post. A fact I’ve long known to be true: OH MY GOD ARE CURTAINS EXPENSIVE. Even in my living room, where I bought VERY affordable IKEA curtains (these which I love, and are $35 for a pair…hard to beat), I ended up spending several hundred dollars because of the number of windows I had.
At stores that aren’t IKEA, you could easily spend several hundred dollars on ONE SET OF CURTAINS. And if you get them custom-made, you’re looking at several hundred dollars PER PANEL. In my apartment in Florida, I sewed a set of draperies for the guest bedroom that I still have and will one day hopefully use again (they’re better suited for a nursery tbh…dare to dream), and I’ve contemplated doing that again, but fabric is no less expensive, especially when it comes to linen.
I’ve been hunting down new draperies for my bedroom to replace these that were left over from the previous tenant:
I really want something natural, possibly a linen (or at least linen-like) texture, and if the heavens would just smile down on me for a second, they’d be pinstriped linen in a warm flax color. I need that to offset the pinky peach walls that could easily steer “little girl’s room” if I go white, or grey or…anything else really. I have thought of going super bold with a jewel-toned velvet, and as much as I’d love to bookmark that on Instagram, in my bedroom, I want something that feels a bit lighter. Besides, the bed will likely be a velvet, so I don’t want to go too heavy-handed there.
So, I went on the hunt this weekend (online) to see what I could find, and my goal was to spend no more than $100 on a set (I need at least three pairs for all my windows) with a length of at least 95 inches. Which means…no more than $50 a panel. And while they don’t need to actually be linen, I at least want them to look like they are for the subtle texture that adds to a space. All the colors below aren’t necessarily for me, but I’m sharing in case they are for you!
Quick design info: Linen curtains, well…all curtains for that matter, tend to fall in a few categories: sheer, light-filtering, blackout. I don’t need total darkness to catch Zzzzs…I could nap on the surface of the sun if heat weren’t a concern, so I don’t necessarily need blackout. I prefer a light-filtering curtain that’s ideally lined for privacy but not total blackout. The only problem is that lined drapery rarely falls into the “budget” category (but fear not, I uncovered some), so it’s either spend more $$$, sew in a lining myself, or just leave things be.
Let’s take a look at what I found, shall we?
95″ Linen Light Filtering Curtain Panels – Threshold at Target, $46 a panel
Target’s curtains are usually pretty good in terms of price and looks, but the lengths can kind of be all over the place (just read the reviews, you’ll see what I mean). I’ve learned this from experience, as well. The way I get around this is to order a length longer than I need, and then do an iron-on hem. It’s less of an “out of the box” solution, but you don’t want to risk anything being shorter than you need or else you’ll be in trouble.
95″ Aruba Linen Blackout Curtain Panel – Threshold at Target, $35 a panel
“Linen” and “black out” don’t always go hand in hand. Less expensive linen can be very sheer as the weaving is not as tight as say, Belgian linen which is the creme de la creme. These aren’t actually linen, but more linen-look (they are made of a polyester material), but if darkness is important to you in a room, these are an awesome option for the price.
95″ Blanket Stitch Curtain Panel Railroad Gray/Sour Cream at Target, $25 a panel
Alright, these aren’t even remotely linen, but I saw a design blogger use them in a space and I gotta say…they looked GREAT. And they check my “pinstripe” box. Plus the price is bonkers good. It would run me about $150 for six panels, except that they are out of stock in all of LA, not available for shipping, and I feel like I need to see them in person in case they are too yellow. My sister, bless her, is going to check her Target in Florida this week. Wish us luck!
84″ Striped Ikat Curtain – Pearl Gray at West Elm, $48 a panel (on sale)
These don’t work for what I’m looking for, but I love the pattern. Technically, at 84″, these don’t meet my earlier set criteria, but someone here might need 84″ curtains, and who am I to keep you from your linen window treatment dreams, hm? I’m NO ONE, that’s who. These are on a limited-time deal, so hurry and grab them if they made your heart pitter-patter.
98″ DYTÅG Curtains at IKEA, $60 a pair
I love IKEA curtains and I don’t care who knows it. Honestly, it’s very, VERY hard to beat the value if you’re looking for basics there. These come in three colors: this rich blue, cream, and oatmeal/beige. They’re all great, tbh.
98″ 2-pack Multiway Linen Curtains at H&M Home, $99 a pair
H&M Home is a great place for decor if you don’t normally check there for smalls and softs. I can almost guarantee these are very thin, but if you don’t really care about that, or prefer more sheer-like light filtering, these are worth checking out.
118″ Linen Curtain at Zara Home, $50 a panel
Okay, okay, so these aren’t purchasable yet, but worth bookmarking for sure. Zara Home is another place I LOVE for decor, small little accent pieces, and linens. They didn’t use to ship to the states, but they do now. Take a look around if you haven’t before. It’s worth it.
96″ Rod Pocket Linen Look Curtains at Marshalls.com, $25 a pair
I adore the sage color of these, and if I had a room that worked for them, I’d scoop these up. $25 A PAIR!
96″ Textured Linen Look Semi Sheer Curtains at Marshalls.com, $25 a pair
Yellow “linen” curtains with a little stripe action? I LOVE THESE. Please, someone, grab these for a breakfast nook or reading corner or somewhere in their house. How sweet are they? They’re a smile in a curtain.
96″ Linen Linen Curtains at Marshalls.com, $80 a pair
Lined. Belgian linen. $40 a panel. You know when you find something and you feel like jumping out of your skin because you’re so excited? That’s how these make me feel. Anywhere else, curtains like these would be hundreds. I honestly can’t believe these are real, so I’m wondering what the catch is. They also have them in a lighter natural, and if I can’t find the Target ones from above, I’m getting these.
And that’s that. Any that caught your eye? I’ll keep you posted on where I land. I can’t wait to swap out the curtains in my room. I decided that until I get in the right textiles, I’m not making any knee-jerk decisions on repainting, or even painting the trim. Pink and gray together is not a color combo I’m drawn to, so it’s probably just playing tricks on my eyes. Stay tuned.
See you tomorrow, FOAS.