Curtains have come a long way since the days of your grandmother. The same gathers and headers are still around today but the choice of fabrics is much broader and varied. Sheer curtains have made a real comeback in various styles. The most popular being pencil pleated, which is quite a gathered and casual look, or the more elegantly organised new style of curtain is called an Sfold. This style is reminiscent of the spring Crest look which was very popular in the mid century. The new sheer fabrics range from well bodied linen looks too very light and dreamy Textureless fabrics That float and billow in the breeze. It is popular to add a matching lining to the back of your sheer so that you have the benefit of insulation and darkness, as well as privacy during the day when the sheer curtain is pulled across. These would be typically fitted to a double track. The sheer curtain is definitely the star of the show and the lining becomes purely functional.
Popular choices in fabrics these days are predominantly plain with some texture, however you still can get wildly colourful retro style cottons. There’s even a hairy maclary fabric that would be great in a child’s bedroom. The varieties are endless. Most compositions are polyester which is very easy to maintain and keep clean. Cotton fabrics make up beautifully as they have more weight to them but they tend to be a bit pricier. Velvets have also made a comeback and there is now a polyester velvet that is a lot more cost effective than the cotton varieties. Also a lot of fabrics are made wider these days which alleviates the need for a vertical joins, so it flows across in seamless folds of fabric.
Curtains are long lasting and very insulating. Block out coated fabrics are less in cost and will still darken your room efficiently, but a separately lined fabric will not only sit nicer but will reduce noise and insulate better.
There are many applications when it comes to curtains. Sitting them high above your architrave or fixing them to your ceiling is a sought after look. It gives a sense of height and creates a feeling of luxury and opulence.
if you have the space it’s best to take your curtain well past the edge of your architraves so that when it’s pulled open it will clear your windows. curtains will always have a stack back which is the thickness of the fabric as it is pulled back. To calculate how much space your fabric stacks will be, just imagine 1/3 of your window on a one way draw, and for centre opening you can halve that third.
If you love traditional curtains there are still a lot of striped and jacquard fabrics available. Its nice to add an elegant padded and shaped or straight pelmet just to add that finishing touch. A pelmet will do a lot to darken your room and to help insulate better as well. You can have contrasting piping to accentuate the shape and add some tiebacks in the same contrasting colour.
Curtains will add a softness to a room, creating a warm cosy look. Fabrics with separate linings or block out coating provide excellent insulation and noise reduction, whilst complimenting just about any décor. There are many ways to fit and configure curtains so its best to call our experienced décor consultants to achieve the best results.
For a more traditional look choose classic jacquards and stripes using a triple pinch pleated header and add a pelmet, shaped or plain, for better light control and insulation. We can source just about any fabric or choose from our vast selection to suit your style.
Sheer curtains have made a huge comeback. In particular Sfold style curtains in linen look fabrics. To create a luxe look its best to either fit these to your ceiling or under your cornice. Where possible wall to wall and ceiling to floor looks best as this creates a back drop of luxurious folds of fabric.
Pencil pleated sheer curtains are also very popular as the look is more gathered and casual.
A decorative round rod in matt black can be used with any curtain style or choose from a variety of specialised tracks in various colours and designs from traditional to ultra modern.
Motorise your curtain tracks for easy operation at the flick of a switch.
