Downtown L.A. has lost some of its appeal recently, according to some loft buyers and renters, as prospective urbanites have grown weary of inner city crime, grime and chaos. There are several loft buildings right outside of Downtown, including Boyle Heights and Lincoln Heights. Other neighborhoods with industrial, historic and other stylish urban abodes include Hollywood, Pasadena, Santa Monica. A little further away, Long Beach, Orange County, the Valley and a few other unexpected locations have some great live/work options. FOR SALE, FOR LEASE, UNLISTED and NEW LOFTS.
Get a free list of lofts not in Downtown. Fill out the online form:
The Best DIY Tips for Tricky Loft Curtains….and How to Get It Right
I recently met Kris Quinn who owns OzCustomCurtains.com. When the conversation turned to loft living, she mentioned her numerous clients who are excited to move into a loft and then are stumped when it comes to window treatments. Lofts, in particular, need curtains for privacy and to block the sun, but the large windows and industrial walls can seem daunting. Installing hardware into masonry can require a handyman with a concrete punch and most people don’t think they can tackle it themselves. Kris assured me she can teach us a few things and sent me a brief tutorial. Follow her tips:
“Hello Lofters! You can have great curtains that you DIY. Here’s a quick lesson and some suggestions to help you along. Here I’m focusing on shallow, square casement windows when metal and masonry are what you’re working with. Google any terms you don’t understand.
Curtains have three parts that need to be planned ahead of time. They also might affect your fabric choice, which I’ll address later. -WHERE you’ll hang them (inside or outside mount). -WHAT kind of hardware (rod, track, traverse). -HOW fabric joins hardware, called the header treatment (rings, pinch pleats, rod pocket, tab back).
For this lesson, I’m addressing inside mount installation for shallow, square windows, using a rod or ceiling track. It’s the easiest and most attractive for a DIY.
Keep in mind, the higher you hang your curtains, the harder they are to open and close. Anything taller than about 10 feet puts torque on the system, making it difficult when you pull the fabric too and fro. A reach extender can help you move the curtains at the top edge, or simply open the curtains with tie-backs in the middle, leaving the top part of the window slightly curtained. Rods with rings OR ceiling tracks with sliders will help curtains move more easily, but might not be fool proof at taller installs.
So how do you install rods or ceiling tracks when your walls are brick or concrete? Add wood.
FOR RODS: Use a good construction epoxy that joins wood to stone. Attach 2″ x 2″ x 3″ wood blocks to the upper inside corners of the windows, making secure contact with one side and the top. The 3″ side is vertical and the blocks should tuck fully inside the window frame. Find 2″ x 2″ x 12″ wood blocks online from hobby shops and amazon, and cut to fit. Once they are firmly in place, use 1 1/4″ screws to mount the flanges 3/4″ down from the top edge, leaving room to insert the rod. When curtains are hung, hide the blocks behind the outer edge of curtains.
Oval closet rods and flanges work great as curtain hardware for inside mount applications. Sturdy and narrow, they neatly tuck into shallow windows. Also, one smooth rod is better than telescoping, as the curtains or rings can catch on the lip where telescoping rods intersect. A google search leads to many oval rod options, but a great resource is HARDWARE-DECOR.COM. The pricing is excellent, they have eight foot long rods, lots of finishes and do free cuts. Use rings, rod pocket, or a tab back header to attach fabric to rods. If you’re using rings, please don’t use the clip on kind. They won’t hold. Use rings with eyelets and sew them on or use pin hooks. Also, the rings should be at least 1/2″ bigger than the rod for smoother operation.
FOR TRACK: Use a good construction epoxy to attach wood to masonry. Cut 2″ x 2″ x 8′ wood furring strips (Home Depot) to fit the uppermost edge of the window from corner to corner. The wood should tuck fully inside the window depth. If the upper edge of the window frame is choppy and uneven, use a piece of trim molding to cover the jagged edge where wood meets masonry. Paint all of that wood black, or the color of the wall, and it will resemble a lintel or cornice.
Use 1-1/4″ screws to attach plastic ceiling track into the underside of the wood. A favorite resource is RECMAR.COM and the website will help you determine what you’ll use to attach the curtains to the track. If you opt for the sliders, use pin hooks or hand stitch them to the top of the curtain. Cut the track with strong scissors to fit exactly from edge to edge and put the sliders or curtain on the track before attaching to the wood.
CHOOSING FABRIC: Now you have somewhere to attach your curtains. Whether you have them made, or just use sheets, there are a few tips when it comes to fabric. Inside mount curtains always block some of the glass when open. Thin to medium fabrics work best, as they ‘stack back’ more completely and reveal more of the window when open. Thick fabrics, used for added privacy or sun blocking, means the width of your panels can’t be as expansive, as they don’t compact as much when open, leaving less room for the view to show. Use a ring or slider every 4-5 inches of the FABRIC, not the HARDWARE for the prettiest result. Using too few connections between hardware and fabric makes the top edge of curtains look unkempt and droopy.
Measure everything twice, plan ahead, take your time, and for sure get in touch with me if you have questions or need more help. Because you CAN curtain!”
