Nothing completes the interior decoration of any home like curtains. Curtains will provide a soft, warm environment as well as creating color, texture and pattern for your home décor.
It’s amazing how many options and choices of fabrics, rods, tracks and styles are out there for curtains.
We often wonder where to start and this can be confusing causing one to give up before you even get started. Below I have listed a few simple tips to follow I hope this will help.
- Remember the length or height of the hung curtain should be to the floor or the window sill anything in between would look a little odd.
- A huge trend today is puddling curtains; this look is where the curtain is made longer than the height required and puddle on the floor. You must carefully select the fabric so that the curtains sit well. The look is popular in living rooms and bedrooms.
- Keep in mind with puddle curtains on a drawn track that the width of the curtain should not be excessive, because they will tend to become very heavy and difficult to draw the curtains back. You do not want the curtains picking up all the fluff stuff from your floor, a little more detail and attention is required to keep them looking fabulous.
- The top of the curtain for all curtains can be at a ceiling height above or at the top of a window frame or flush with window reveal.
- Your space can play a big part in selecting curtain styles, do keep your choice constant in your home it can look odd if some curtain heads are fixed at different heights to others. This can be noticed when you a view through from room to room or in the same room.
- Remember to follow consistency in design of the window treatments. Allow for a symmetrical form this will create a common flow and balance to the window treatments.
Types of Curtains
- Scarf Drapery this portion of the fabric is uncut it is draped to form an ornamental drapery using a rod or pole.
- Casement Curtain- This style has many names casement curtain, panel curtain and pole top curtain. Casement curtains work best on windows that are not opened and closed often. This is a wonderful curtain to use to add color and texture into a space. The benefit in using casement curtains are low cost, they do not require a heading tape, hooks or curtain tracks. Rod or pole will simply do for this curtain.
- French Pleat Curtain- Normal spaced triple pleats. Forms are by a tape that pulls through cords to create. French pleated curtains are popular tied in an hourglass form these curtains create a formal look. Best when using heavier fabrics like velvets and damasks.
- Pencil Pleat- Is neat and smart creates a full curtain, the pencil pleat hangs in uniform and may be used with a variety of lengths of curtains.
- Café Curtain - These curtains are often used with a valance at the top of the window and used as a decoration to create a tiered effect. Ideal for any room but ideal for a kitchen.
- Tab Top Curtains - This is curtains with fabric loops at the top edge / head. Used with poles or rods. Best used where they will not be drawn frequently. Benefit is they are ready made curtains or panels. Available in many colors, weights, fabrics, designs and they are simple & easy to hang on a rod system. These curtains coordinate well with blinds to add color or texture, as a side curtain puddle on the floor, if a sheer fabric they look beautiful blowing gently.
- Swags (The decorative fabric element over the window) two fixed points on either side of the top window, draping down the center.
- Tails The fabric that hangs down from the end of the swags
- Lambrequin A stiff pelmet that continues down the both sides of the window frame.
- Rosettes Often called the focal point for a curtain arrangement. It is the finishing touch for curtain headings, tiebacks, swags and tails. (Forms are typically rose, choux, knife, pleated and bow).
- Flags are double sided jabots used at the center of the fabric swag.
- Jabots tapered portion of the fabric, self or contrast lined. Pleated and used as a frame on each side of a row of swags.
Curtain Accessories
Tie backs – Used to hold back the curtain from the window. From drama to traditional there are
so many choices out there.
Hold backs – A decorative rigid form of a tie back. Easy to use, attractive and attaches to the wall. (Typically used in a modern style design)
Curtain tracks – Used to hold the curtain and this form are attached to the wall above the window.
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