Hurray, we are hanging curtains! For everyone who was undergoing repairs yesterday, this phrase sounds like a victorious fireworks. It means that the torment is over: dirt, construction, searching for toilets, installing furniture, dialogues with the foreman and arguments about the choice of paint. The renovation is over, it's time for decoration.
*This article is sponsored by Cozyland, an exclusive distributor of Premier Prints, Inc. (USA) in Russia since 2016.
6 reasons to start decorating your home with curtains:
- “bare windows” – ugly
- need to hide from an inquisitive neighbor
- curtains are very beautiful and stylish
- nice job – picking up “rags for windows”
- textiles on windows dramatically change the interior
- this is the easiest way to update your interior without resorting to renovations
Cozyland curtains in the project of Oksana Panteleeva 2022.
Today in a new article on the website “On the Wave of Decor”:
- what is a classic curtain and why is it needed?
- what types of curtains are there
- curtains that slide to the side - a classic of the genre in the center of the article
- formula for the perfect curtain
- what length to buy a cornice so as not to make a mistake
- how much fabric you need to buy - your personal formula for success
- fabric with a pattern - pitfalls when choosing and purchasing
- how to save money on curtains
- tulle, curtain and curtain - choose the one you need
Types of curtains
Curtains in a modern interior can be of a wide variety of styles. According to the opening method, they are divided into two types:
- curtains move to the sides (classic opening)
- rise up (all types of Roman, roller, Austrian blinds)
Today I, together with Emma and her assistant Mr. Roulette, will talk about curtains that slide apart and hang on classic wall curtain rods. Statistics from professional experience show that we love classic curtains more than all others.
Modern cornices and systems
- Profile cornices are a system of guides with grooves for runners. The design of cornices can be varied, allowing them to be installed on the wall and ceiling. Profile structures are often equipped with a decorative hood for covering curtain fastenings or rotating segments in the form of a semicircular profile. Aluminum profile cornices are always used when installing manual, automatic, remote lifting or sliding mechanisms.
- Flexible polymer-metal cornices are one of the most suitable types for bay windows, corner niches or for installing a canopy over a bed, regardless of the architectural features of the wall or ceiling.
- Telescopic curtain rods are attached between two walls using spacers in the form of internal springs in the rod. Such models are used in bathrooms, in niches, in doorways where it is undesirable to drill into walls or where it is not possible to install brackets.
Curtain rod systems are modern multifunctional products that, in addition to guides, include special lifting and movement mechanisms and are used to hang certain types of curtains: French, Roman, Japanese.
Fabric with a pattern - pitfalls when choosing and purchasing.
The task becomes more complicated if you choose fabric with a pattern.
Each drawing has its own report. A report is a repetition of a pattern on fabric vertically and horizontally.
To make the curtains look seamless and beautiful, you need to combine the pattern. This procedure requires buying more fabric so that the master can make the joining perfectly. For fabrics with a pattern, on average 2 or 3 reports are added to the total consumption, and for some prints this can be a whole meter.
Advice: check with the seller for the drawing report. Come to the fabric salon with all the window measurements so that the master can make a professional calculation: how much fabric to buy.
Window Drapery Options: A Brief Overview
In most cases, the modern design of window openings aims to solve two problems: to provide basic functionality and maintain the level of aesthetics in the interior of the room.
There are several ways to drape curtains.
There are several types of drapery:
- Transparent. Involves maximum use of fabrics such as muslin, tulle, chiffon, organza. Other fabrics are added only for contrast or emphasis.
- Solid. Here, “heavy”, solid fabrics are used that transmit little light. Actually, this is the purpose of such drapery.
- Combined. The most common type. Allows you to hang curtains beautifully and provide the necessary level of comfort.
In addition, window drapery differs depending on the type of layout:
- Plumb. It can be either inside the opening or outside. Partial or complete closing of the window is allowed.
- Sliding. Using curtains from different sides.
- Stationary. It is possible to install both individual curtains and curtains, as well as their combinations using such decoration techniques as descent, rise or composition.
Additional Information! In fact, there are a great variety of drapery methods, and only an experienced designer can decide which one to choose.
Classic version
In most cases, not only curtains, but also curtains or drapes are used to decorate windows. This usually involves a combination of light translucent curtains with properly hung curtains in the hall, both beautifully hung on hooks and diverging to the sides, or capable of being lifted.
Different types of curtains require the use of specific holders.
Sometimes, as an addition, thick curtains are added. However, it is possible to use only a light curtain. It is also allowed to include third-party elements, such as flounces or tassels.
Viennese drapery
In this case, this is a popular combination of French and Roman curtains - heavy fabrics are located at the edges, and lighter transparent ones are placed in the middle. Typically, such combinations are distinguished by a noticeable number of auxiliary decorative elements, such as lambrequins and puffs.
Incorrectly selected products can make even attractive curtains look inappropriate.
As a rule, the “Viennese style” is used to design wide large openings, not only windows, but also arches and even walls, in order to give the interior design a touch of romanticism or a touch of sophistication. Individual solutions may include special lifting mechanisms.
Formula for calculating fabric without a pattern for curtains using Emma's window as an example:
At the end of our conversation about dream curtains, I want to express one thought.
You don’t have to hang curtains, you can replace them with wooden blinds, or with a roller blackout mounted on the window frame. You can completely abandon any method of closing yourself off from the light. But always remember about the climate in which you live, about banal coziness and comfort.
And remember that if you refused to decorate the windows with curtains, then their design should be made perfect during the renovation. No chips, uneven corners, sloppy joints of wallpaper and paint. Pay special attention to window sills and slopes. And then everything in your house will be 5 plus, not for the picture, but for your cool life.
I thank decorator Lira Shamsutdinova for her help in preparing the material and the interesting conversation about curtains.
Lira Shamsutdinova. Member of the International Union of Designers. She teaches a course in interior decoration at the Moscow School of Design.
Preliminary preparation: what do you need to know?
In the classic case, the choice of curtains is not limited to just determining what should be placed where. Along the way, many secondary issues have to be resolved.
The design of the room will depend on the type of methods and devices for hanging and fasteners.
For example, how to beautifully hang curtains in the living room, how to hang curtains correctly on hooks or rings, which type of fastening is preferable and which is more functional?
Curtain fastenings
The classic and most common method of attaching curtains is still hooks. Nevertheless, inventive thought does not stand still and by now the number of options that allow you to tie up fabric has increased significantly.
The following fastening methods are considered the most popular:
- Hooks.
- Eyelets (rings in fabric).
- Braid or tape.
- Rings.
- Overhead loops and clamps (clips).
- Backstage (the top of the curtain or curtain is a single loop).
Important! Since fasteners are part of the decorative design, they must be selected taking into account the interior design and match the style to avoid disharmony in perception.
Choosing a cornice
Different curtain hanging technologies allow for a flexible approach to interior design, especially in rooms with complex or non-standard room layouts. This is especially important in light of the growing popularity of non-traditional approaches to room design, when it becomes important not only to understand how to hang curtains beautifully, but also how to do it in the most technologically and functional way possible.
Thanks to the correct hanging location and suitable drapery, you can significantly change the original appearance of the room.
The most common fastening methods include:
- On the ceiling cornice. A well-known hanging of curtains using braid and hooks. Can be installed near curved walls or bay windows.
- On the cornice rod. Suitable for solutions with rings or grommets.
- On the string. Allows various types of suspension. However, it is not suitable for heavy curtains and large window openings.
- For a baguette. This option can withstand heavy curtains or drapes. It is distinguished by the ability to flexibly fit into any, even the most sophisticated, interior.
Separately, types of fasteners for children's rooms are distinguished, since they are subject to more stringent requirements for environmental friendliness and safety, as well as for design and appearance.
Suspension and installation features
In general, installing fasteners and hanging curtains does not present any particular difficulties. The exception is unusual design solutions, which require not only using your own approaches to how to hang curtains, what to hang curtains on, but also foreseeing several possible options in advance in the case of using “advanced” construction technologies. For example, in rooms with suspended ceilings, the location and method of hanging curtains must be known in advance, since during ceiling work the location of the fastener is determined only once and its subsequent relocation is impossible.
Hooks will help attach curtains.
In other cases, the installation process is much simpler. If this is a ceiling cornice, then for mounting it is enough to drill a couple of holes in the ceiling. The cornice rod is attached in a similar way (with dowels), only to the wall. Difficulties may arise when installing Roman or roller blinds. However, they are relatively easy to install either directly on the window or on the window frame using the accessories that are supplied in the kit.
Non-standard windows: design features
Unfortunately, the architects of modern houses do not stop exclusively with rectangular window openings. The manifestation of their creative imagination can puzzle more than one owner who does not understand how to beautifully hang curtains in the hall, how to properly hang curtains on hooks, when looking at a round, triangular, beveled or slanted window.
The combination of different curtains can interestingly decorate the interior.
Although there is no single solution for such cases, it is still easy to identify common approaches when draping windows:
- With an arch. A frame made of sliding curtains is suitable. Definitely needs to be supplemented with grabbers.
- With a triangle. The best solution would be a curtain made of thick fabric mounted on a tubular cornice or hooks.
- With a bevel. A typical attic opening - here it is better to drape with light curtains with tiebacks.
- Round or oval. The most suitable solution is a composition of tulle in combination with a curtain. A cornice can be used as a fastening. It is recommended to leave part of the window uncovered to emphasize its unusualness.
Difficulties in choosing: how to choose what you need?
Beautiful does not mean right. Perhaps that is why many experience certain difficulties when trying to figure out how to hang curtains, what to hang curtains on, trying to bring together aesthetics and practicality, design and functionality.
Modern designers note the relevance of minimalism.
In general, when choosing, you can rely on the following:
- A pronounced transverse texture on the fabric will help visually enlarge the room.
- Rooms with low ceilings can be “enlarged” a little by draping the windows with light curtains made of light fabrics.
- The partitions on the window side should not be covered with curtains - this “complicates” the perception of space.
- Large windows should be covered with curtains made of dense materials.
- If there are allergy sufferers in the family, you need to choose curtains made from natural materials.
- You should be careful when choosing colors. For example, bright red curtains in the bedroom can cause poor sleep, and the twilight in the living room, complemented by massive black curtains, will not contribute to a good appetite.
The abundance that is the hallmark of our times has made choosing conventional window drapery a major challenge. Fashion trends and expert opinions have penetrated every sphere of human life, constantly demanding something new and unusual.
The prostate of the interior only has a positive effect on the perception of the room.
Although, the simple interior of an apartment can still be considered as one’s own way of looking at things, while hanging curtains beautifully has become almost a mandatory requirement. This becomes, in fact, a necessary condition, since there is design, decoration, “aura”, without which it is impossible to make your home truly cozy and comfortable.
