The choice of curtains or drapery can be a complicated process, especially because of the large variety of colors, sizes, textures and decorative designs. But once the right fabric is found, we’ll see what visual impact it has on a room and how it helps to harmonize the whole space.
When we choose a curtain or drapery, we need the overall vision of the room we want to design, taking into account both its functionality and the style approached. Also, a very important aspect in the choice of material is the role of that curtain in the room: to filter the light from the room, to keep privacy or simply to be a color spot for the interior. Curtains are not just aesthetic elements that add to the end to shape and embellish the decor of a space, but can also play a very important role in daily living, to which many of us may not think.
For east-facing bedrooms, if we are disturbed by the presence of the morning sun, we recommend either a thicker curtain to block the light, and are also useful throughout the day for the afternoon rest. Also, during the winter, thick and dense materials will prevent heat loss in the glazed area, and during summer, on torrid days, they will be a protective firewall against excessive heat that can penetrate the windows. In rooms with strong and long-lasting natural lighting, we can opt for darker fabrics without the risk of room shading, a choice not recommended when the rooms are located northwest, for example, or the windows are shaded by other constructions, large trees or generous awnings and balconies.
Although the choice of curtains can be considered a costly stage in building a building, we should take into account that once purchased, they will be part of our interiors for many years, and for these reasons, ideally we would do the first time an intelligent choice, according to both aesthetic and practical criteria. Thus, if we opt for curtains made of durable, high-quality materials, to which we add a flawless finish, they will last for long periods of time, the only maintenance required to be washed or occasionally cleaned. A careful first choice will then save us from unwanted extra expenses.
Whether we are going to buy the fabrics in the profile stores, which also ensure the execution of the curtains, as well as their installation at the site, or we search them online, in a range of predetermined sizes, we must pay attention to the technical specifications and description of the materials to be able to choose according to the natural lighting needs of the space in which we live, the chrome and the favorite design.
Thus, color is the first element that we observe and which influences our choice the most, then our attention falls on the fabric pattern. Both aspects, however, have the role of highlighting the overall arrangement, completing and enriching the already existing elements. Choosing unified materials in warm tones is the surest way to decorate the windows of our homes. However, if we want curtains and draperies to be the strength of the house and to look at when we entered the room, we can opt for more intense colors, stripes or floral, geometric or abstract patterns.
If we make this choice, we must be careful that, through the rest of the arrangement and decorations chosen, we do not visually clutter the space with other objects in striking colors that are not found in the fabric chromaticity, with totally different patterns and non-complementary patterns on curtains other visual elements contrasting with the window area. It is also recommended that unfinished wall finishes be chosen for wall windows with no additional decoration, so that they do not compete visually with curtains, and they are truly decorative elements.
As a final product design, including the execution and gripping methods, there are a variety of variants (with staples, ribbons, bracelets, Roman galleys, rolls, etc.) available both on order and as serial products, which we will choose them depending on the layout style and the particularities of each window area. For higher than 2.5 m heights, custom curtains will be required, as with more atypical windows, especially at the stairwell or attic. With respect to the combination of curtains and drapery or the choice for only one of them, both variants are possible, according to the customer’s wishes, but also according to the design and overall layout of the arrangement.
For a classic interior, the choice of delicate curtains, enriched by curtains of heavy materials, such as velvet or taffeta, is suited to an elegant cut that will help to achieve that age-old atmosphere. In a modern arrangement, however, it is possible to choose sets of straight curtains from materials not very thick, but sufficiently rigid, or just for a row of curtains of a more woven fabric and a little transparent, so in both cases to perform the function of the other. The density and opacity of the materials can influence the natural lighting of the rooms, making it necessary to analyze the space before purchasing the fabrics.
In conclusion, the choice of curtains and drapery should not be treated superficially, being an important investment at both financial and aesthetic level, with obvious practical benefits. Therefore, the role of an interior designer is to provide you with the professional advice needed to reach the three cumulative directions, which should be based on any purchase of the necessary products in a fitting: proper budgeting, design and color matching and the correct price ratio – quality.
