House Flipper reveals a simple curtain rod trick that will make your room feel bigger

This expert-approved secret will make your room feel taller – and accentuate your space instantly

Blue and white living room with cafe curtains
(Image credit: Future)

If anybody knows how to bring out the best in a home, it is Hayley Orrantia. While you may associate Hayley for playing Erica Goldberg in ABC’s The Goldbergs, the actress has recently mastered a new venture: house flipping. 

Miss Orrantia currently runs a home flipping company in Tennessee – and with her role comes a host of modern decorating ideas that will accentuate your home. And amongst her most simple (yet effective) tips is her curtain rod trick. In an exclusive discussion with Livingetc, Hayley shares what you need to know. 

House flipper’s curtain rod secret – to make your room feel bigger

White bedroom with orange throw and green curtains

(Image credit: James Merrell)

‘One small trick I’ve learned is hanging your curtain rods as close to the ceiling as you can to make the room feel taller,’ Hayley says. If the room feels taller, your space will feel instantly airier and consequently roomier. However, if you want to take Hayley’s curtain idea one step further, you can do so with a transformative renovation project. 

‘If you’re wanting to commit to renovating versus just decorating hacks, adding a large window will always help draw the eye outward,’ she says. 

And when it comes to this curtain rod trick, Hayley is not alone. Gemma Moulton, the East London Cloth designer, who has just launched her first online curtain-making course with Create Academy, explains that a curtain rod has the potential to add height to a room when placed correctly.

how to hang curtains

(Image credit: Future)

‘Although fitting into the wall above (rather than the window frame) will inevitably be more difficult, the results are completely transformative,’ Gemma explains. The designer adds that this bedroom and living room idea will invite more light into your space – to make the room feel even larger.

If you’re looking to emphasize your room further, Hayley Orrantia adds that there are other ways to elevate the space. 

‘Making a space feel bigger is easier than you think,’ she says. ‘Lighter-colored walls or adding mirrors always trick the eye into thinking it’s a larger space,’ the house flipper adds. 

Hayley Orrantia has already flipped a host of houses in the Tennessee area, but whether you're looking to sell, or just want to create the feeling of a larger space, we're willing to give her secret a try. 

Megan Slack

Megan is the News and Trends Editor at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes. As the News Editor, she often focuses on emerging microtrends, well-being stories, and celebrity-focused pieces.


Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US whilst studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site.