“The curtain rises.” “And now the curtain falls.” — No stage performance is complete without these sentences. And yet these curtains are somehow the most ignored part of your home decor.
When planning your home design, it is crucial to pay attention to them as they not only govern the aesthetics of your house but also the lighting and mood.
Picking the Perfect Curtains for Your Home
With the plethora of options available when shopping for curtains, there is a chance of making the wrong decisions. To ensure that everything goes well and your shopping spree doesn’t land in vain, we are here to help you out.
Before you go curtain shopping, keep these factors in mind:
Length
Buying curtains without having your measurements ready is a mistake. Your house might have different sets of windows and/or different decor for each one of them. Depending on that, your curtain size needs to be tweaked. If you don’t measure the length accurately, you might end up with less or extra material than what is actually needed. And things only get worse if you buy ready-made ones without measuring.
Let’s say you picked ones with a shorter length than required. It can easily damage the appeal of the room where they have been placed. And it can burn a hole in your pocket, especially when you are going for renovations. So take out your inch tapes and get accurate measurements.
Wall Colors
A color mismatch in your home can be the most daunting thing to look at. It’s not just your walls that require a uniform color scheme. All other elements should complement each other in terms of color. So before you head out to get your curtains, give some thought to the color. If each room has a different wall shade, you must find appropriate shades for your
curtains that blend with them. A good way to do this is to pick the color wheel, find your wall’s shade in that palette and pick a color which is somewhat close to it on the wheel.
Lighting
The curtains are an important window styling elements and they also govern the natural light that enters your home. Curtains with thick fabrics block the light completely while the ones with thinner material hardly block any light.
Now you have to plan how much natural light you want in each room. Based on your preference, you might have to not only pick different fabrics for curtains but also go for different styles. Be wise.
Once you have taken the above factors into consideration, here are the options you have when shopping-
Types of Curtains
Box Pleat Curtains
A modern version of curtains, these contain box pleats comprising the heavy fabric that is folded inward. These curtains are perfect to flaunt a simple and clean look and can be used in the dining as well as living rooms.
Rod Pocket Curtains
Probably the simplest of all styles, rod pocket curtains contain a cavity through which the rod can be inserted. They are often easy to find in ready-made materials and are quite easy on the pocket too. Depending on the window size, they may actually be used along with blinds or other curtain styles.
Pencil Pleat Curtains
In these types of curtains, if you look at the top panel, you will find that the pleats are rather smaller in size. This is because the pleats are strung together which gives them a pencil pleat look. Instead of the curtain itself going in the rod, there is a provision for the curtain rings to fit in through which the curtain hangs on the road.
Grommet Curtains
These curtains usually require less fabric compared to the box or pencil pleat curtains. And when you buy them, there is no need to buy extra rings as the curtain style already has rings in it. They are more casual looking so opt for them if you want to go for a fuss-free look.
Now that you are prepared with your list, here is how you can pick the perfect curtains while shopping:
Options: Ready-made or Custom-made?
Once you have picked the right style for window curtains, it is now time to move on to more important decisions. If your plan allows you to buy ready-made curtains then there is very less hassle. But when it comes to ready-made items, you don’t really have a lot of options.
Most of the times, you will have to settle for a limited choice of colors and styles. On the other hand, when you go for the custom-made curtains, there is a whole variety available in terms of color, texture, and fabric.
It is, however, important to keep in mind that if you choose to go with the custom-made option, picking the appropriate fabric is crucial as it dictates the lifespan of the curtains as well as the amount of natural light that enters through windows.
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Curtain Accessories
Once you have picked an apt style, it is time to list down the accessories you will need. If the curtain style is one that has a cavity for the rod to pass through, you don’t have to invest in rings. But for other styles, you need to purchase them.
While doing so, make sure that you go for the ones that are more durable and also compliment the style of your curtain. Also, pick the appropriate type of rods. From the material to the style, a lot goes into picking the right set of rods. For a simple and uncluttered look, go for basic curtain rods. For curtains that have drapes, traverse rods are a more sensible option.
Color Choices Depending on Wall Color and Budget
Choosing the right color is just as important as investing in the right fabric. We suggest that you pick colors that keep the theme uniform and don’t create awkward combinations when put against a particular color wall. Your color choice might depend on your budget since light colors are often more decently priced than the dark ones. So set a budget first and pick a relevant color scheme you can stick to.
In case you are renovating and the old accessories work well with your new decor then you can put them to use. Otherwise, you should consider hiring a skip service to get rid of the old accessories and replace them with new ones.
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