Curtains and Curtain Fabric
Windows are the eyes of a room and the curtains a focal point, so never underestimate their impact. A window treatment that harmonizes with its surroundings will always be most successful; when deciding how to curtain a window, choose a style that – in addition to flattering the shape of the window – complements the architectural style of the room or other important elements within it, which may be the wallcoverings, the furniture or some of the accessories. However eclectic the assortment of furnishings and possessions in a room, there is almost always a strong stylistic theme connecting them that gives each room its character. Identify that essential character and you have the clue to the style of window treatment – and even the type of fabric the room needs.
Curtains form a screen between you and the outside world, and they keep out the light, keep you warm and help reduce noise significantly. These practical matters are as important as the colour, design and texture of the curtain fabric.
Curtains should be either floor or windowsill length, otherwise they will ruin the proportions of the window (curtains that are over length so that they fall in a sculptural mass on the floor look particularly good). The exception is café curtains, which are hung on a pole or track placed half-way down the window. If a window is unusually wide, you can compensate by extending the curtains to the floor or by stopping the rail at the edge of the frame so that the open curtains covers some of the frame. Sill-length curtains suit narrow windows, or the rail could be extended beyond the frame.
Curtain Fabrics
There are so many curtain fabrics on the market that it’s difficult to know where to start. You’ll have to choose between plain ones – there are heavy linens and textured weaves, moirés, thick velvets and airy voiles – or a pattern – such as traditional floral prints, glazed chintzes, small clear-coloured geometrics or strong stripes.
Don’t forget about scale when selecting fabric for curtains. Generally a small room with small windows won’t look its best with curtains made of a large-scale pattern, although a single-colour border or a plain blind beneath the curtain can sometimes soften the effect.
Equally, tall gracious windows will look less than impressive with a small, busy pattern, while horizontal stripes will distort their shape. Heavy fabrics, such as velvet, shouldn’t be used for short curtains; they are best reserved for full-length curtains. Look for textiles that don’t immediately spring to mind as curtains, but would look good hanging up and framing a window – a paisley shawl for example, hung diagonally across a window and caught at one side, with a plain full-length roller blind beneath; or a soft rug, too fragile to have on the floor, hung on a pole and caught with a brass loop.
Sheer Fabrics
If you live cheek by jowl with your neighbours, or right on the street front, sheer fabrics are almost a necessity. And they can be used as second curtains, hanging under chintzes or velvets, perhaps; they can be stretched over screens to permanently cover the lower part of the windows; or hang them on their own as café curtains.
There are sheer fabrics that shine, and ones that have the dull gauze texture of cheesecloth. There are self stripes, semi abstract patterns, burnt-out designs with a ghostly quality, and sheers with small coloured designs all over them. Many of these can be used for roller and Roman blinds, and they can look good gathered across a frame and used to diffuse the light.
The way that sheer fabrics affect the light is one of their most endearing qualities. Even in countries without too much sun, the light can be harsh, and sheer fabrics can soften and, in many cases, dilute it. A heavily patterned, sheer curtain in a bedroom that faces the rising sun not
only diffuses the morning light but has a soft dappling
effect.
Lace – many of the laces available today are based on Victorian or Edwardian designs, including French window panels (narrower than usual to cover the width of the window only) and half sized horizontal panels to go across the lower half of a kitchen or bathroom window. You can make roller blinds out of the harder wearing laces, such as Nottingham or Madras. Or lace could be hung over plain curtains, so that the pattern of the lace is accentuated.
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