I want to know everything about .......Wooden curtain poles

When choosing a wooden curtain pole, many people think that their choices are limited, more so than say choosing metal curtain poles and tracks. But curtain poles have undergone somewhat of a design renaissance over recent years, regaining their popularity in the interior design market and as a result are now available in lots of different styles, colours and diameters of wood to suit all needs and situations. Choosing the right wood curtain pole for the space available can be a tricky business, especially when you are trying to purchase a pole that will not only do the job properly but also look great as well. So to help you overcome some of those challenges we’ve put together this concise and helpful guide that covers everything that you need to know about our wooden curtain poles.

Is there a limited choice of colours for wooden curtain poles?

There are many different colours and finishes available for wooden curtain poles today. In the past, wooden curtain poles were available in only a few natural wood shades and associated mainly with tradition homes or country style interiors. But the multitude of different colours and finishes available now, means that that is no longer the case and a well selected wooden curtain pole can just as easily complement the decor of a modern, contemporary or retro style home as well as metal curtain poles could.

Dark Wooden Curtain Pole

In addition, wooden curtain poles, by the nature of their material, can add texture and a touch of warmth and luxury to your decor- be it modern or traditional - in a way that a metal curtain pole perhaps wouldn’t. We carry a select range of good quality wooden curtain poles at Terry’s based on our years of buying experience.

Our wooden curtain poles are all at excellent prices and most are available from stock, and can be delivered quickly, but we think we’ve covered all bases when it comes to colour options as you can choose from: white, cream, light ash, gold, chestnut, antique-pine, dark-oak, aged-oak, distressed, cream/gold, black/gold, natural-oak, dark-walnut, antique-white, antique-silver, April-cloud, panna-cotta, pewter, burnished-bronze, beachcomber and driftwood finishes. Some of our wooden curtain poles also have matching accessories such as hold backs or bosses to help you finish and style your window perfectly.

I have limited space above my window, are wooden curtain poles available in different thickness?

Wooden curtain poles are available in differing thicknesses or diameters to suit the available space and different weights of curtain. At Terry’s we carry a range of 28mm curtain poles, as well as a 50mm and 35mm wooden curtain pole. 28mm diameter wooden curtain poles are ideal when there is limited fitting space above a window and are often used for lined or unlined sheer curtains such as voiles and for lightweight curtain fabrics.

Measure Window Width With Tape

35mm diameter wooden curtain poles are excellent multi-purpose poles. They look more substantial than a 28mm wooden pole and as a result play a more significant and obvious part of your window dressing. The extra thickness provides extra strength too, so a 35mm wooden curtain pole will easily cope with sheers and lightweight curtain fabrics, but will also take a medium to heavy weight curtain fabric.

50mm diameter curtain poles have a fabulously luxurious and robust, sometimes even opulent, appearance and undoubtedly play a very aesthetic and noticeable part in dressing your windows. A sturdy or chunky looking wooden curtain pole can also be used to add detail to a simple window treatment in favour of an additional valance or pelmet. A 50mm diameter wooden curtain pole will also take more weight and so is an excellent choice if you are hanging heavy weight curtain fabrics such as chenille fabric, velvet or brocade for example.

I want a glamorous look for my wooden curtain pole, is there much choice with finials?

Finishing touches are important and when you’ve decided on your choice of colour and diameter for your wooden curtain pole, you can perfect the look with your choice of finial – the fancy bits on the end of the pole. Some finials for wooden curtain poles can be extremely ornate and detailed, while others are understatedly simple and there purely to serve the purpose of capping the end of the curtain pole and stopping the curtain pole rings from sliding off.

We have again used our years of buying experience here to be as selective with our finial choices as we have with the whole of our wooden curtain pole range, to bring you a choice that is varied but not overwhelming. At Terry’s you will again find styles and shapes of finial to complement all types of homes, decor and window treatments, from traditional urn shapes to plain or ribbed ball finials, acorn twists and square-urn finials. And don’t forget that some of our wooden curtain poles also have matching accessories such as hold backs or bosses to help you perfect that co-ordinated, finished-off look!

Are wooden curtain poles made to order or available in set sizes?

Wooden curtain poles can be custom made to order in more or less any shape, size, colour and design required. Often this means selecting and ordering individual component parts and considering such things as the pole length, will it be in one piece or two halves, how many brackets you will need, which finials you want and how many curtain pole rings you will need – all time consuming and often confusing.

At Terry’s we have again used our years of buying experience to put together a range of wooden curtain poles that are not only of a very high quality, affordable and stylish; but which also offer variety and are readily available. All of our wooden curtain poles therefore, come complete with everything you need to install them, in useful sizes that can very easily be cut down to give you the same customized and professional looking finish that a custom made wooden curtain pole would. (So sshhh! - no one need know it’s a ready-made one! They’ll all just be impressed how nice it looks)

Thin Black Curtain Pole

Our wooden curtain poles are available in 150cm, 180cm, 240cm and 360cm lengths. The smaller sizes come with a single pole and two support brackets and for the longer sizes the pole will be in two equal pieces which make up the total length of the pole excluding the finials. Longer poles will come with an additional central support bracket and your pack will also include all the necessary curtain pole rings that you require for your length of pole. All you need to do is select the size of wooden curtain pole that most closely matches the size of pole that you require and follow the enclosed instructions on how to cut it to size. If you need more advice on which size pole to order, we’ve got it covered in our curtain pole measuring guide

Are the brackets all the same on wooden curtain poles and are they metal or wood?

The vast majority of the time wooden curtain pole brackets are usually hidden by the curtain heading once curtains are installed onto the pole. It is usually only the central bracket of a curtain pole that is clearly visible when the curtains are in the open position and therefore the brackets are usually made of wood to complement the colour and finish of the pole itself. Most wooden curtain pole brackets are turned to give them an attractive but not overly decorative shape, which again complement the pole itself and they are strengthened with a metal plate and supporting pin which is not visible once the wooden bracket is securely screwed into pace.

The brackets are usually either a single piece wooden cup style or a two part bracket. With the cup style brackets the curtain pole is offered onto the top of the bracket and sits securely in the cup of the bracket. The curtain pole is then fastened into place with a secure fixing screw. With the two part wooden bracket system one half of the wooden bracket is fastened to the wall and the other half slides onto the curtain pole. The bracket on the curtain pole is then offered into the receiving part of the bracket on the wall and again secured with a fastening screw.

Both methods are equally as effective and strong and the type of bracket is usually governed by the thickness and length of the pole. With our complete curtain pole kits, however, all the brackets are already included so you don’t need to worry about which type to use. Some wooden curtain poles do come with metal fixing brackets too though and although metal brackets provide strength and durability they are mainly used with wooden curtain poles simply for style and effect.

The combination of metal and wood is very attractive and can give a wooden curtain pole a modern and eye catching look. The metal brackets stand out against the wooden pole rather than blending in with it, creating an attractive and desirable feature and the same metal finish is often incorporated into the finial design too, to further enhance the stylish look of the finished curtain pole. You can see out our combination wood and metal poles here: