Finding the perfect curtain

No matter how beautiful your room is, it isn’t quite complete until you’ve done a little window dressing.  When it comes to choosing the right curtains for your home you need to take colour, fabric, length and style into consideration and these decisions can be a little overwhelming.  Here are five useful tips to assist you in making the right decision when it comes to buying curtains.

1. Lifestyle of the room

Ask yourself what you are using the room for? Does it have a lot of early morning sunlight? Blockout curtains or blockout lining are a great option to block light out when you need too. This is not the only feature of blockouts. They help to keep a room cool in summer and warm in winter and they also help to reduce noise and protect furniture from sun damage. Do you need privacy and want to keep the room bright? A sheer curtain is the ideal curtain for this look. Not only is it airy and unobtrusive, it is also the ideal layer under or over a blockout, textured or woven curtain. Sheers are not limited to white – there is an array of other beautiful colours to choose from such as grey, duck egg and stone. Do you want to make your space look bigger? To do this, choose a curtain in a plain colour that is closest to your wall in order to achieve this. Or are you looking for a statement with colour and pattern?  For this option start your décor around your curtains and choose from modern and beachy stripes, classic woven designs, or bold pops of colour.

2. Rods or rails

When installing a ready-made curtain, pencil and pinch pleats are the easiest ways to hang a taped curtain, as eyelet curtains are made for curtain rods. Taped curtains give you the option of a pencil or pinch. In order to create a pencil pleat simply pull the strings evenly on the back of the taped curtain until you reach your desired fullness or width and then hang either onto a ring or directly onto the rail. To create a pinched pleat, use a pinch pleat curtain hook and simply hang onto your rail.

3. Height

Most rails or rods are installed into homes at a standard height of 218cm, or extra length of 250cm. Volpes ready-made curtains are available in both lengths. Make sure you know what the length is that you require before heading out to the shops or browsing online. If you would like to create a more modern look or a little drama with a standard-length rail or rod, move them higher and hang an extra length curtain. Many homes have a small or high window in a bathroom or kitchen and for these windows a café length curtain is the perfect solution.

4. Colour

A neutral or natural coloured curtain will do several things to your rooms aesthetic. It will help to make a small space larger, create a modern monochrome feel, or effortlessly blend in with all your other decor choices. A stripe or pattern is going to make a statement. Use a classic stripe in a child’s bedroom to create a relaxed beach look. Use stripes with a matching plain layer for a contemporary statement. A leaf or floral woven design traditionally lends itself to a classic and elegant room, French chic, or even a shabby chic look and works wonderfully with a voile or sheer layer and a pretty tie back.

5. Research

Before you head for the shops it’s a good idea to spend a little time researching looks and styles that appeal to you. There are thousands of ideas to be found online, on Pinterest or Instagram. Create a mood board or scrapbook of ideas that will guide you on your final purchase.