The Traditional Blind Design Nate Berkus Avoids At All Costs (And His Best Alternative)

Because HGTV's Nate Berkus typically steers clear of trends, he's a great resource for what's in style and what's not. According to him, one specific traditional window treatment trend, which was popular during the '60s in the U.S., is now out of style. When a fan asks, "Are fabric vertical blinds 'out'?" Berkus responds, "Yes, they are," per The Washington Post.

Instead, Berkus has a much better solution that will elevate your room's design and make it appear timeless. "For years, I tried to avoid using draperies because I thought they were too fussy," he tells My Domaine. "But now they feel like an important final step that needs to happen for a room to feel complete and layered." Because of this, he adds curtains to almost every room that he designs. If full-length curtains don't work for your specific space, you could use roller or Roman shades instead to accomplish this look.

No matter where you're hanging curtains, whether in front of a window or a door, Nate Berkus suggests taking advantage of the height. "I really can't stand curtains that don't hang the full length from the ceiling all the way down to touching — or just skimming — the floor," Berkus told My Domaine. "You want them to give as much height as possible." If you're working with a sliding glass door, he says to "consider doing drapery with a rod mounted close to the ceiling and a pair of panels flanking the door, if you have the wall space on either side," per The Washington Post. "If you don't, the drapery could stack to one side or the other."

He also gives some advice on how to pick the right style. "The curtains could be a stand-alone feature if you're working with a really specialized material, but most of the time, there should be a connection to what else is in the room for the space to feel unified," he explained. Therefore, whether your curtains blend in or stand out, make sure they feel like they belong in the space.