Search for boho curtains and you’ll get the same picture fifty times. Tassels, a block print and a macramé fringe share one window, next to a patterned rug and a pile of kilim pillows. It looks great in a styled photo. In a real living room, however, it often looks busy. The curtains are usually the reason, because they cover the biggest surface in the room. The trick isn’t finding the most boho curtain. It’s deciding what job the curtain has in your room before you choose one.
Short answer: Boho curtains come in four kinds. There’s pattern (block prints, medallions, ikat), texture (gauze, slubby linen, cotton), trim (tassels, pom-poms, fringe) and macramé. Pick one, based on what the room already has. If the rug or pillows are patterned, choose a textured solid. If the room is plain, let the curtain carry the pattern. Hang them high and wide, and let them just touch the floor. Also, measure trimmed panels to the end of the tassels. Finally, wash block prints cold and by hand, on their own at first, and dry them in the shade.
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Boho Curtains Start With the Rest of the Room
Boho rooms are layered by nature. That’s the appeal, and also the risk: every layer competes. Curtains are tall, wide and right in your line of sight. So they either anchor the layers or add one too many. Look at what is already doing the talking in your room.
| Your room already has | Choose | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A patterned rug or a pile of patterned pillows | Texture: gauze, slubby linen, plain cotton | A second big pattern fights the rug |
| Plain walls, a solid sofa, a jute rug | Pattern: block print, medallion, ikat | The curtain becomes the one bold piece |
| Lots of rattan, plants and woven baskets | Trim: a solid panel with tassels or pom-poms | Adds play without more pattern |
| A doorway, an alcove or a window nobody opens | Macramé | It works like art, not like a curtain you draw |
What a designer says
In her guide to pairing curtains and rugs, Emily Henderson’s rules for pattern on pattern are “scale, scale, scale,” colors that “at least talk to each other,” and “don’t be too matchy,” so no floral rug under floral curtains. For a bold patterned rug, she says a solid curtain usually works best: “pick your moment.”
My take: boho stretches those rules, but it doesn’t break them. Two patterns can live together if one is large and one is small and they share a color. Three big patterns in one eyeful is where boho turns into clutter. When in doubt, make the curtain the quiet layer. Then let a pattern mix happen lower down, on pillows and the rug.
Four Kinds of Boho Curtains and What Each One Does
1. Pattern: block print, medallion and ikat curtains
Hand block printed cotton is the most classic boho curtain. It has small, slightly irregular motifs stamped by hand, often in indigo, rust or mustard. Medallion and ikat prints are bolder and read from across the room. Either way, the pattern becomes the statement, so keep the rug and the sofa calmer around it. Choose a print whose colors already appear in the room, even in one pillow. That way the curtain looks chosen rather than added.
Hand block prints are usually lightweight cotton, so they filter light rather than block it. And because they’re often colored with natural dyes, they need gentler washing than a polyester panel (more on that below). Shop block print cotton curtains
Worth it if: the room has plain walls and a solid or jute rug, and you want the window to be the focal point.
Skip it if: the rug is already a bold pattern, or you want curtains you can toss in the washing machine.
2. Texture: gauze, slubby linen and cotton
This is the boho curtain most rooms actually need. Think crinkled cotton gauze, slubby linen or a linen-look panel in oatmeal, rust or sage. It brings the relaxed, handmade feel without another pattern. It also works as a backdrop for everything else: rattan, plants, a patterned rug and a stack of mismatched pillows. If you’re torn between real and faux linen, my guide to linen curtains matches them to the window.
My pick for a quiet boho backdrop: NICETOWN Faux Linen Curtains. A slubby linen-look panel that barely shrinks in the wash. The 96-inch length suits a rod hung near the ceiling. See the NICETOWN faux linen panels on Amazon. For a softer, gauzier look, shop cotton gauze curtains.
3. Trim: tassels, pom-poms and fringe
A solid panel with a tassel or pom-pom edge is the easiest way to say boho. You don’t have to commit to a print. The trim does the playful part, and the fabric stays calm. Two practical notes. First, trim along the bottom hem adds length. So measure to the end of the tassels, not to the hem, or the fringe will drag. Second, trim at floor level is the first thing a cat or a toddler pulls. In those homes, choose trim along the leading edge instead. Shop boho tassel curtains
Worth it if: you want a boho touch in a room with plenty of texture already, like rattan and plants.
Skip it if: you have a cat who climbs, or the curtains are long enough to puddle on the floor.
4. Macramé curtains
A macramé curtain is closer to a wall hanging than to a curtain. As Hunker puts it, it balances privacy with translucency, so it softens a view rather than hiding it. Most come attached to a wooden dowel. As a result, they usually hang as one fixed piece rather than two panels you draw open. That makes them lovely in a doorway, an alcove or a window you never close. However, they’re a poor choice for a bedroom you want dark. Shop macramé curtains
Quick quiz
Which boho curtains suit your room?
Three questions about what is already there.
How to Hang Boho Curtains So They Look Relaxed, Not Messy
Boho is supposed to look effortless. Still, the hanging is where the effort shows. Hang a great boho panel just above the frame and short of the floor, and it looks like a dorm room. Hung well, the same panel looks deliberate.
- Go high and wide. Mount the rod well above the frame and let it run 8 to 10 inches past each side. That way the open panels frame the window instead of covering the glass. My guide to how to hang curtains walks through the measurements.
- Let them touch the floor. A soft break of an inch or two suits relaxed boho fabrics like gauze and linen. Trimmed panels are the exception: keep the tassels just above the floor. The curtain length calculator works out which standard length to buy.
- Use clip rings or tab tops. They give soft, uneven folds that suit boho better than the tight pleats of a rod pocket. See the clip rings on Amazon
- Choose wood or matte black hardware. A wooden rod picks up rattan and woven baskets; matte black keeps it graphic. Shiny chrome is the one finish that looks out of place.
- Hang macramé from its dowel. Hunker suggests ordinary curtain rod brackets under the dowel. In a doorway, a tension rod works, and adhesive hooks can hold a light piece. Open rings or clip rings can replace the dowel if you want it to slide.
- Layer for privacy. A printed or gauzy boho panel won’t hide you at night. Instead, put a plain sheer or a blackout layer on a second rod. My guide to layering sheer and blackout curtains explains which goes in front.
Caring for Block Print, Gauze and Macramé Curtains
Boho curtains are often made of the most delicate fabrics in the house. That’s why a quick check of the care label saves a lot of disappointment.
- Hand block prints: the Indian textile retailer Fabriclore advises soaking them in cold water with a mild detergent. Wash them on their own at first to check for color running. Then dry them in the shade, because direct sun can shrink them. Excess dye usually rinses out in the first few washes; indigo bleeds the most.
- Cotton gauze and linen: natural fibers can shrink in the first wash. So wash once in cool water before you hem, and skip the hot dryer.
- Macramé: follow the maker’s instructions, and between cleanings give it a shake outdoors to keep dust out of the knots.
- Faux linen and polyester: the easy option. Most can go in the machine on a gentle cycle and come out the same length.
Questions People Ask
What colors are best for boho curtains?
Warm, earthy colors: oatmeal, terracotta, rust, mustard, sage and faded indigo. Pull the color from something already in the room, like the rug or a pillow. My boho color palette guide has combinations that work together.
Can I use patterned boho curtains with a patterned rug?
Yes, if the scales differ and the colors connect: a large print with a small one, sharing at least one color. If both are bold and large, make one of them a solid instead.
Do boho curtains give privacy?
Not much on their own. Gauze, block printed cotton and macramé are light and let light through, which is part of their charm. For night privacy or a bedroom, add a liner or a second layer behind them.
How long should boho curtains be?
Floor length, just touching or with a soft break of an inch or two. However, panels with tassels or pom-poms along the hem should stop just above the floor. So measure to the end of the trim.
Do boho curtains work in a minimalist room?
Yes, as long as there’s only one of them doing the talking. In a calm, neutral room, a single block printed or tasseled panel reads as a deliberate accent. It’s the same idea as mixing Japandi and boho.
Free printable
Measure before you fall for a print
My Curtain Measuring Cheat Sheet has blanks for rod length, number of panels and the length to buy for up to three windows. One US Letter page.
Get the free cheat sheet
The Bottom Line
The best boho curtains are the ones that know their job. If the rug and pillows already carry the pattern, choose texture. If the room is calm, let a block print be the one bold piece. Use trim where there’s already plenty of texture, and save macramé for doorways and windows you never close. Then hang them high, wide and long enough to touch the floor. After that, the relaxed look comes from the room, not from how many boho details you fit onto one window.
Sources
Keep reading
- Boho Living Room Ideas: Patterns, Plants and Cozy Vibes
- Boho Bedroom Makeover: Easy Styling Tips for a Relaxed Vibe
- Layered Boho Interiors: How to Combine Textures Like a Pro
- How to Hang Curtains: Measure the Height First, Then Buy the Length
- Linen Curtains: Real, Blend or Faux? Match Them to the Window, Not the Photo
- How to Layer Sheer and Blackout Curtains: Which Goes in Front Depends on the Room
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