October 27, 2014by Kristin Jackson26 CommentsDecor, DIY, Everyday

Lucite Drapery Rods & Brass Standoffs

Lucite Drapery Rod Brass Standoffs Lucite Drapery RIngs

Finally!!! So sorry for the delay on this post…. but I am finally sharing how I put together my Lucite Curtain Rods with Lucite Rings & Brass Standoffs.  

First off, you need your Lucite Rods.  Luckily my genius friend Grace, from A Storied Style, found these for us.  They are from a company called Nationwide Plastics based in Dallas, Texas.  The site can be rather confusing & you have to call to place your order, but like I said before, Grace has done the work for you and walks you through what you need to order on her post.
Once I had my 1.5″ diameter lucite rods in hand, I needed a way to mount them to the wall… I knew exactly what I wanted, but could not find brass standoffs anywhere at a semi reasonable price.  So I left the idea of looking for actual “drapery mounting hardware” & started my hunt.  Obviously, one of my favorite things to do.  I landed on a railing site and found the perfect solution.  
These are Brass Flush Center Posts & I actually found them by searching for Ballet Barre Hardware!  Those 20+ years of standing at the barre finally paid off in the land of decor.  There are a few options to order, but I decided on the 1.5″ Diameter (this means the opening is wide enough to accept a 1.5″ diameter rod), Polished Brass version.  The polished brass will need to be polished about once a year, but I like that it has the opportunity to age a bit.  There is a Clear Coat Brass option as well as Polished & Satin Nickel.
For most curtain rod lengths, two of these heavy posts will suffice.  But if you are going any longer than 6′, I would recommend getting three & using the third as a center support so your lucite rod doesn’t sag.
My next search was for lucite drapery rings.  I found some, but they were something like $8… a piece!  So again, I went on the hunt.  I finally landed on the cheapo clear plastic shower curtain rings!  Once they are up, they look exactly like the lucite versions.  The key is making sure you find the ones that are an actual ring & click together… Harder to find than you might think.  I finally found mine at Target…. To allow my drapery panels & hooks to lay straight, I added a flat washer to the ring.  You can see the process below:
Lucite Drapery Rod Brass Standoffs Lucite Drapery RIngs
Yes, they are more of an investment than the run of the mill curtain rods, but I will be the first to say that they A.) Look crazy good! B.) Are incredibly sturdy! C.) Will not sag or droop over time, especially if you have heavier drapery that is lined & weighted.  We always had the problem of the drapery rod standoffs bending & sagging due to the weight of our panels.  No more!
One other note… they plastic rings allows the drapery panels to slide with ease without pulling the rod itself.  I was worried the rod would slide back & forth, but with the addition of the rings it was no longer a concern.
Thanks for waiting on this one!
xo- K