Decorating Guides
Do You Know Curtains Need Dressing Up Too?
Putting up a curtain is not the end of the story. Here are ways to further glam them up
Curtains. Does a room ever feel complete without them? Curtains dress up windows and transform a room’s decor. By playing with the length, using different pleating styles or securing them with decorative tie-backs, you can revamp the look of a drab curtain, make extraordinary curtains from ordinary fabric. Here are some fun ways to bring that oomph factor to these drapes.
Layer them with blinds…
Layering drapes and curtains with blinds creates an interesting blend of colour, pattern and texture. Here pinch-pleated drapes (made by gathering together the pleats in threes in the heading) are paired with Roman blinds. With their muted palette and straight fall, the blinds balance the flowy and voluminous curtain fabric and bring softness to the space.
What to choose: curtains or blinds?
Layering drapes and curtains with blinds creates an interesting blend of colour, pattern and texture. Here pinch-pleated drapes (made by gathering together the pleats in threes in the heading) are paired with Roman blinds. With their muted palette and straight fall, the blinds balance the flowy and voluminous curtain fabric and bring softness to the space.
What to choose: curtains or blinds?
… or a sheer lining
Sheer curtains work as a wonderful backdrop for regular curtains. Sheer printed ones create visual interest, along with an interplay of light and shadow. Not to forget, they enhance privacy and help control the degree of daylight entering the room; combined with heavier drapes, they block out light effectively, improving the blackout effect. They also help improve insulation at the windows. The sense of completeness, elegance and luxury imparted by a set of sheers backing heavier drapes is incomparable.
The khaki-coloured sheer curtains here allow natural light to fill the room through the day and restrict the view from outside in. They also balance the dynamic drama of busy geometric patterns one can see in the rest of the room.
Are Two Window Dressings Better Than One?
Sheer curtains work as a wonderful backdrop for regular curtains. Sheer printed ones create visual interest, along with an interplay of light and shadow. Not to forget, they enhance privacy and help control the degree of daylight entering the room; combined with heavier drapes, they block out light effectively, improving the blackout effect. They also help improve insulation at the windows. The sense of completeness, elegance and luxury imparted by a set of sheers backing heavier drapes is incomparable.
The khaki-coloured sheer curtains here allow natural light to fill the room through the day and restrict the view from outside in. They also balance the dynamic drama of busy geometric patterns one can see in the rest of the room.
Are Two Window Dressings Better Than One?
Substitute fabric with something else
For a quirky twist, use beaded or pom-pom curtains instead of fabric ones. This is a fun way to introduce colour and lots of texture. In this space, the white window shutters ensure privacy is not compromised, and the pom-pom curtains bring in lots of drama and a burst of colour.
For a quirky twist, use beaded or pom-pom curtains instead of fabric ones. This is a fun way to introduce colour and lots of texture. In this space, the white window shutters ensure privacy is not compromised, and the pom-pom curtains bring in lots of drama and a burst of colour.
Border them pretty
A decorative border gives your curtain a personalised look without much hassle. The key is to balance the weight and weave of the border with the curtain. Take a cue from this image, where subtle pom-pom balls are sewed onto the edge – taking this plain curtain from blah to wow.
Tip: One can also add a printed or embellished border to spruce-up the curtain design.
A decorative border gives your curtain a personalised look without much hassle. The key is to balance the weight and weave of the border with the curtain. Take a cue from this image, where subtle pom-pom balls are sewed onto the edge – taking this plain curtain from blah to wow.
Tip: One can also add a printed or embellished border to spruce-up the curtain design.
Gather them with tiebacks
Made of fabric, tiebacks are usually are classified as a kind of ‘soft furnishing’ that secures a curtain to one side of a window. Generally they are made of rope or cloth braids but you can amp up your curtains with some beautiful tiebacks and tassels made to unusual scale (as shown here) – this giant one is clearly an eye-catcher.
Made of fabric, tiebacks are usually are classified as a kind of ‘soft furnishing’ that secures a curtain to one side of a window. Generally they are made of rope or cloth braids but you can amp up your curtains with some beautiful tiebacks and tassels made to unusual scale (as shown here) – this giant one is clearly an eye-catcher.
Bling it up with curtain holdbacks
While curtain tiebacks are made of fabric and softer materials, curtain holdbacks are made from materials like metal. These decorative accessories to secure the curtains also come in clip-style variations, so no tools are required to install them – which also means no holes in the wall. Here’s a trendy hook-shaped one with a dangling chain, in a steel finish that lends a subtle element of bling to the area.
While curtain tiebacks are made of fabric and softer materials, curtain holdbacks are made from materials like metal. These decorative accessories to secure the curtains also come in clip-style variations, so no tools are required to install them – which also means no holes in the wall. Here’s a trendy hook-shaped one with a dangling chain, in a steel finish that lends a subtle element of bling to the area.
This is another decorative way to tie up the curtain while creating a ripple effect. These plain cascading drapes are given a lift by simply knotting them together them and using fabric tiebacks.
Amp up the pleats
There are so many pleat styles to choose from like the goblet pleat, double-pinch pleat, and many more. This metallic-hue curtain dons the pencil pleat, which is a set of folds at the top of a drape that look like a series of vertical pencils. These are approximately 3 inches long, but again, it all depends on proportions. The golden curtain holdback with spiral carving adds to the ambience.
There are so many pleat styles to choose from like the goblet pleat, double-pinch pleat, and many more. This metallic-hue curtain dons the pencil pleat, which is a set of folds at the top of a drape that look like a series of vertical pencils. These are approximately 3 inches long, but again, it all depends on proportions. The golden curtain holdback with spiral carving adds to the ambience.
Fiddle with the lengths
Cafe curtains may be short in length but are are high on style. And while most people might feel this look cannot work for the bedroom, this image shows otherwise. The valance helps to draw the eye upward as the curtain at the headboard length ensures privacy and doesn’t take up excess space. Of course, you can always add blinds or window shutters for added seclusion.
Read more:
A Guide to Choosing Curtains
8 Clever Windows Dressings Perfect For Tiny Homes
Tell us:
What curtain treatment are you partial towards? Share in Comments.
Cafe curtains may be short in length but are are high on style. And while most people might feel this look cannot work for the bedroom, this image shows otherwise. The valance helps to draw the eye upward as the curtain at the headboard length ensures privacy and doesn’t take up excess space. Of course, you can always add blinds or window shutters for added seclusion.
Read more:
A Guide to Choosing Curtains
8 Clever Windows Dressings Perfect For Tiny Homes
Tell us:
What curtain treatment are you partial towards? Share in Comments.
A valance is a decorative window treatment used to conceal drapery hardware and gives the space a formal feel. Fabric-based valances are an integral part of Victorian decor and can be customised to suit modern homes with sleeker designs. Displayed here is a box-pleated valance with corner and centre pleats. The fabric valances cover the curtain rods of the matching draperies underneath to give the curtains an elegant finish.
Tip: For a more formal look, attach swags to curtains along with valances, which are fabric panels that cover the bottom half of a window. They’ll give an added edge to your window dressing.
Check out more windows with valances