Glam up Your Interior Decor with Stylish Curtains
Beautiful and colourful curtains can change the look of our room from drab to fab in few minutes. But when it's about choosing the perfect curtains that match the decor, we are confronted with a plethora of options to choose from and finally end up in a muddle. The fabric, colour, length, style and arrangement of the curtains are some of the important aspects that need to be considered.
As the options are endless, let's learn a little more about curtains and pick the best ones that can match the interiors of your apartment:
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Fabric The fabric of curtains is important as it decides the flow, flair and also the durability of the curtains. For example- if the fabric is too light, your entire day would be spent in managing the curtains in a windy day. Expert interior designers suggest that silk, velvet and linen are the best fabrics for curtains and faux silk is durable too. Velvet and other relatively heavy materials are good for keeping the cold out.
Colour As the windows are most exposed to the sun, do not use dark coloured curtains as they tend to fade away very fast. Go for neutral colours like cream, beige and light shades of pink, yellow or blue as these easily blend with the colour of your decor and do not fade fast.
Length Other than measuring the size of the window or door, there are some other factors that count while deciding about the length of the curtains. You need to see at what height you want the curtains to begin. 'Six inches above the window' is the most common length used by designers. So, you need to measure the length of the window plus the height. While measuring the width, make sure you add 4 to 8 inches extra on both sides to give a fuller look. Also, if you want the ends of curtains to puddle on the floor, take the measures accordingly.
Photo Credit: Diann Weckbacher/ Flickr
Type of Curtains
Cafe Curtains - This style of curtain covers only the bottom two-thirds of the window and adds an informal feel to the room. If you want ample sunlight to enter the room, such types of curtains are the best. This style is not so popular in India.
Valences and Cornice - If you want to hide the panels, then you should go for valances. These hang over the rod and can be arranged either in a plain way or can be crushed or pleated. Cornice, an ornamental moulding round the wall is another option which is stretched tight against a board and does not allow decorative options like valances.
Swags and Jabots - Used to give a formal look to the room, swags and jabots are the classy curtain treatments. Swags run horizontally around the rod and the jabots are the vertical portion falling down.
Tab Top and Rod Pocket - Tab Top curtains have fabric loops on the panel that is used to attach the curtain to the rod whereas the Rod Pocket types have a pocket made of fabric through which the rod is slipped in order to hang the curtain.
Photo Credit- Terri Mann/ Flickr
Apart from the colour, fabric and style of the curtain, you can also choose the pleat type to adorn your decor. 3-finger pinch pleats are the most common. Goblet pleats are tacked at the bottom whereas French pleats are tucked at the top. Tie backs and box pleats are some of the less used kinds.
Do you know some more factors that are important while choosing the curtains? Share with us by commenting below and keep coming back for more interior decor tips. Till then Happy Decorating!!