No, grommet curtains are not out of style. But how people are styling them has shifted meaningfully, and if your grommet curtains look dated, the curtains themselves are rarely the real problem.
I have been working in residential design for over a decade, and this question started appearing in client conversations around 2021, mostly because social media began pushing pinch pleat curtains and linen tab tops as the new aesthetic benchmark.
The underlying fear driving the question is almost always the same: did I make the wrong choice, or am I about to?
The honest answer is more nuanced than a yes or no. Grommet curtains done well still look current. Grommet curtains done the way they were done in 2008 do look dated. The difference lies almost entirely in fabric choice, finish, and placement, not the heading style itself.
Why the “Out of Style” Conversation Started
Understanding where this perception came from helps you evaluate it properly rather than react to it.
The Pinterest and Instagram Effect
From 2019 to 2022, there was a significant shift in what interior design content platforms amplified. Linen pinch pleat curtains, particularly in warm oatmeal and natural tones, became the dominant aesthetic on visual platforms. Every aspirational living room seemed to feature floor-pooling linen with delicate pinch pleats, styled in a way that felt quiet, European, and expensive.
Grommet curtains, by comparison, became associated with a certain mid-2000s to early 2010s aesthetic, specifically the polyester panel in a bold solid colour with chunky rings, hung just above the window frame, stopping an inch above a carpeted floor. That specific combination does look dated. But that is a styling problem, not a grommet problem.
What Design Media Got Wrong About This
Design media tends to frame style conversations in binary terms because that generates engagement. “Grommet curtains are out, pinch pleats are in” is a more shareable headline than “grommet curtains remain relevant when executed thoughtfully.” The nuanced version is less clickable but far more useful to you as a homeowner making a real decision.
This is something I come back to regularly when clients arrive convinced that a perfectly functional design choice needs to be replaced simply because a magazine said so.
What Actually Makes Grommet Curtains Look Dated
If your grommet curtains look old-fashioned, these are the specific elements most likely responsible.
The Fabric Weight and Sheen
The most aging combination is lightweight polyester with a slight sheen, in a solid colour. This was the default for mass-market grommet panels for many years, and it photographs poorly, falls flat without proper fullness, and reflects light in a way that reads as cheap regardless of the actual price paid.
What replaced it: Matte, natural-looking fabrics. Linen, linen blends, cotton canvas, textured weaves, and quality velvet. These fabrics have a visual depth that polyester sheen cannot replicate, and they fall into folds with a richness that makes even simple heading styles look considered.
The Ring Finish
Shiny silver or bright chrome grommets had a particular moment in the late 2000s, especially in rooms with stainless steel appliances and high-gloss surfaces. That highly polished, cool-toned look has softened considerably. Rooms are warmer now, more layered, more textural.
What replaced it: Matte black, brushed brass, antique bronze, and warm nickel finishes. These sit more quietly within a room rather than competing for attention, which is exactly what a curtain heading should do.
The Hanging Height
This one single factor is responsible for more dated-looking curtains than any other. Grommets hung just above the window frame, with panels dropping to a few inches above the floor, create a visual proportion that reads as small, functional, and unconsidered.
What changed it: Hanging the rod close to the ceiling and extending it well beyond the window frame on each side. This approach transforms the same grommet curtain from looking like a window covering into looking like an architectural feature of the room.
I cover the exact measurements and approach in the main guide to eyelet and grommet curtains, which goes into the technical detail of rod placement.
Everything you need to make a confident, informed decision about this choice for your home is in there.
The Fullness Ratio
Single panels hung flat across a window with almost no surplus fabric were extremely common in the budget grommet curtain market. At 1x or 1.2x fullness, even beautiful fabric looks sparse and limp.
What works now: A minimum of 2x fullness, meaning your curtain panels combined are at least twice the width of the window. For textured or heavier fabrics, 2.5x creates a genuinely luxurious drape.
What Interior Designers Are Actually Saying Right Now
I want to give you an honest picture of the professional conversation rather than a curated one.
Grommet curtains have not disappeared from designer spaces. They have simply evolved. The heading style remains a reliable, practical choice for families and for spaces that prioritise ease of daily use alongside a clean visual line. What has changed is the context in which designers reach for them.
A few years ago, grommets were often the default recommendation because they were easy, available everywhere, and suited most rooms adequately. Today, designers are more deliberate about when to recommend them and what they pair them with.
When Designers Still Choose Grommet Curtains
- Open-plan living areas where curtains are opened and closed frequently throughout the day
- Children’s rooms and family rooms where ease of use and durability outrank formality
- Modern and industrial interiors where the ring hardware reads as an intentional design element rather than just a functional one
- Rooms with strong horizontal lines in the architecture, where the rhythmic spacing of grommet rings complements the geometry of the space
- Casual coastal and Scandinavian interiors, where a relaxed, unfussy approach to window treatment is part of the aesthetic intention
When Designers Reach for Something Else
- Formal dining rooms where pinch pleat or goblet pleat curtains carry more visual weight and ceremony
- Traditional period properties, where rod pocket or pencil pleat headings align better with the architectural vocabulary
- Spaces with very wide windows where the number of grommets required creates a very busy heading
- Rooms where complete light elimination is critical since the top gap inherent in grommet headings can be limiting without a pelmet
This is not a hierarchy. It is a fit assessment. Knowing when grommet curtains serve a room well and when a different heading style serves it better is exactly the kind of judgment that produces interiors that feel right rather than interiors that follow a checklist.
Grommet Curtains vs. What Is Trending Right Now
It helps to understand the current alternatives not to abandon grommets, but to make a genuinely informed choice about which direction serves your room.
| Heading Style | Current Trend Status | Best Setting | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grommet / Eyelet | Enduring, evolved | Modern, transitional, family rooms | Small light gap at the top |
| Pinch Pleat | Very strong right now | Formal, traditional, linen-heavy rooms | Less easy to operate daily |
| Rod Pocket | Declining slightly | Stationary panels, cafe curtains | Hard to open and close |
| Ripple Fold | Rising, particularly in luxury and minimalist spaces | Contemporary, high-ceiling spaces | Requires a specialist track |
| Tab Top | Steady but niche | Casual, relaxed, slow-living aesthetics | Wears faster at tabs |
| Wave / S-Fold | Growing rapidly in design-led homes | Minimalist, high-end contemporary | Higher hardware and labour cost |
Ripple fold and wave curtains are genuinely gaining ground at the design-forward end of the market, and for good reason. The continuous, evenly spaced S-curve fold they create is visually elegant and works exceptionally well in rooms with high ceilings and long spans of windows.
But they require a specialist track system, professional installation in most cases, and a higher budget than most homeowners are working with for a standard room project.
For the majority of homes, grommet curtains remain the most practical combination of good looks, reasonable cost, and ease of use.
How to Make Your Grommet Curtains Look Current Right Now
If you already own grommet curtains and you are reading this because someone made you second-guess them, this section is specifically for you. Before you replace anything, try these changes.
Rehang the Rod Higher
This costs nothing beyond a few wall anchors and 30 minutes of time. Move the rod to within 4 to 6 inches of the ceiling line and extend it 6 to 12 inches beyond the window frame on each side. The transformation this creates is disproportionate to the effort involved. I have seen this single adjustment take a tired-looking room and make it feel entirely redesigned.
Change Only the Rings
If your curtain panels are in good condition but the grommet finish looks dated, and your curtains use rings that were added separately rather than being factory-set into the panel, you can replace the rings without replacing the curtains. Swapping chrome or shiny silver rings for matte black or brushed brass gives the entire window a different character.
Add a Linen or Neutral Sheer Layer
Hanging a sheer panel behind your grommet curtains on an inner rod immediately updates the look. The sheer layer softens the window during the day, gives the room a more layered, considered feel, and makes the grommet panel look more intentional as the outer frame rather than the sole treatment. This is one of the most cost-effective styling updates I recommend to clients who want a refresh without a full replacement.
Change the Fabric, Keep the Grommets
If you purchased quality metal grommets separately and set them into fabric, as I recommend in my guide to eyelet and grommet curtains, you can remove and reuse those grommets in new panels. A fresh panel in a current fabric, natural linen, textured cotton, or a warm-toned velvet, with the same quality hardware, is a much more economical refresh than a full replacement.
Adjust the Hem Length
Curtains that stop short of the floor look dated in almost every setting now. The current standard is floor-length at minimum, and a slight break or even a deliberate pool of one to three inches is considered a sophisticated choice in design-forward rooms. If your panels are too short, adding a fabric extension at the bottom in a complementary or matching material is a straightforward tailoring adjustment.
The Rooms Where Grommet Curtains Look Best Right Now
Rather than speaking in generalities, here is a specific room-by-room picture of where grommet curtains are currently working well in the homes I advise on.
Living Room
Grommet curtains remain an excellent living room choice, particularly in rooms with a modern or transitional design direction. A natural linen panel in a warm neutral, hung high on a matte black or brushed brass rod, with 2x to 2.5x fullness, looks current and refined. Layered over a sheer, it handles the full range of light conditions a living room typically faces throughout the day.
Bedroom
Blackout grommet curtains in velvet or a quality polyester-cotton blend work beautifully in bedrooms. The ease of operation is genuinely valued in a room where you are opening and closing curtains twice a day, every day. For the light-gap issue at the top, a simple pelmet or ceiling-mounted valance above the rod resolves it completely and adds a layer of visual polish.
Kitchen
Cafe-length grommet curtains, panels that cover the lower half of the window only, work very well in kitchens. The short length requires less fabric and therefore less fullness, so even a 1.5x ratio gives you a tidy, unfussy look. Lightweight cotton in a stripe or a neutral solid is a classic choice that feels fresh rather than dated.
Children’s Room
Grommet curtains are genuinely the most practical choice for children’s rooms. They are easy enough for older children to operate independently, durable enough to withstand being pulled rather than gently drawn, and available in a wide enough range of colours and patterns to suit any theme.
Home Office
The clean, structured visual line of grommet curtains suits a home office well. A flat linen panel in a muted tone, hung high on a simple rod, creates a tidy background that does not distract from work. The ease of operation is useful in a room where you are frequently managing light across a screen.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are grommet curtains still in style in 2026?
Yes. The heading style itself is not dated. What created the perception of them being dated was a specific combination of shiny polyester fabric, chrome rings, and poor hanging height that was common in the mid-2000s to early 2010s. Grommet curtains in natural fabrics, matte finishes, and hung correctly read as current in most interior styles.
What curtain style is most popular right now?
Pinch pleat curtains in natural linen are having a strong moment, amplified heavily by social media. Ripple fold and wave fold curtains are growing in popularity in more design-forward and luxury settings. But popularity does not equal correctness for every room. The right style depends on the room’s function, architecture, and the aesthetic you are working toward.
Do interior designers recommend grommet curtains?
Yes, for the right contexts. Designers reach for grommet curtains in modern and transitional spaces, family rooms, children’s rooms, and anywhere ease of daily use is a priority. They are less likely to be recommended for formal rooms, period properties, or spaces where a more tailored, architectural drape is the design goal.
What is the difference between grommets and pinch pleats?
Grommet curtains use large reinforced rings along the heading to slide directly onto a rod. Pinch pleat curtains use fabric that is gathered and stitched into evenly spaced pleats, then hung from hooks on rings or a track. Pinch pleats have a more formal, structured look. Grommet curtains have a more relaxed, contemporary line and are easier to operate daily.
How do I make grommet curtains look more modern?
The three most effective changes are: hang the rod higher (closer to the ceiling), switch from shiny silver or chrome rings to matte black or brushed brass, and if the fabric is lightweight polyester, replace the panels with a natural or natural-look alternative like linen or a linen blend. These three changes can update the look of a window entirely without a full redesign.
Are grommet curtains good for living rooms?
Yes, especially in modern, transitional, and casual living spaces. A natural linen or cotton blend grommet curtain, hung at ceiling height on a decorative rod with 2x to 2.5x fullness, looks refined and is very functional for a high-use room.
The Bottom Line
Grommet curtains are not out of style. A particular way of using them, one that dominated the early 2000s mass market, has aged. That is a meaningful distinction.
The heading style itself is structurally sound, visually adaptable, and practically among the most user-friendly curtain options available. Designers are still specifying them. Homeowners are still benefiting from them.
The difference between a grommet curtain that looks current and one that looks dated comes down to the same variables that determine whether any design choice looks current: the quality of materials, the refinement of the details, and the thoughtfulness of the execution.
