Daily Globe British Values, Global Perspective
Curtains do more than just keep the light out. They maintain privacy, divide a room and provide a punch of colour and personality. Yet many people ignore window dressings when they redecorate, sticking to plain, ill fitting or just plain ugly curtains or blinds. Follow these tips to get the perfect look for your windows.
Consider Role Just as important as style is the role your window dressings will play in a room. Do you wish to block out light in a bedroom? Choose a lined curtain or dim out blind. Or is privacy of utmost importance? Then a bamboo blind or frosting (great DIY options are now available) may be better…
Don’t Shy From Colour and Texture When you’ve spent time and money getting your room just right it’s a shame to simply hang a boring beige roller blind. A brightly patterned curtain or heavily textured blind can change a room from bland to bling in an instant.
Hangings Count When choosing curtains consider how you would like them to be hung. Gathered curtains on a rail can look dated but tab tops have a casual breeziness, a box valance is boldly luxurious while a rod and rings imparts a neat, classic feel to your room. More modern are the eyelet curtains which have a simplistic, almost nautical feel.
Go Bespoke Buying curtains or blinds off the shelf may save money but badly fitting dressings stand out a mile and won’t always be fit for purpose. Why buy a blind which hangs an inch from the sill or a pair of curtains which don’t hang right? Going made-to-measure allows you to choose your ideal combination of fabric and shape for your room.
Tracks Are Key Just as important as the curtains themselves are the poles or tracks you hang them on. Choose a sturdy pole which will take the weight of your curtain without bending and which will suit your style – more decorative poles look good with eyelets or ties while simpler poles are better for rings.
Keep Curtains Out Of Kitchens In both kitchens and bathrooms curtains look fussy and out of place and gather dirt and moisture which leads to mould. Pick a simple roman or roller blind but add interest with a bold design to ensure your window doesn’t fade in to the background.
Try Non-Fabric Wooden and bamboo blinds can look fantastic in modern spaces and make an interesting change from the usual curtains. In traditional homes, particularly those with large bay windows there’s really nothing as sophisticated as shutters – panelled or louvered to suit the style of your home.
Shade Glass Rooms Conservatories and sun rooms take the brunt of the sun’s rays. It can prove expensive to protect them with specially created blinds but it’s important to do so. Just an hour in the full sun can turn a conservatory in to a sauna, negating the price you paid for it in the first place!
