Topics: # how to choose the right curtains # which curtains are better to choose # how to choose curtains for a window
When choosing curtains for windows, you usually first pay attention to the color and design, and then to the technical characteristics. We suggest first of all to deal with the technical side of the issue. Then you can immediately consider only suitable options and not waste time.
We have been developing and producing home textiles for 5 years. During this time, we have accumulated a decent amount of knowledge about what types of curtains there are and what properties they have. We also studied the requests and reviews of our customers, which helped us identify the main problems when choosing and using curtains. Based on all this, our selection guide was compiled.
We will not consider all types of curtains, but only those presented in our catalog - straight to the floor. Because we know reliably and comprehensively only about what we do ourselves. This type is also called classic, curtains and drapes. Typically they are placed in the bedroom, living room or hall, but sometimes they can be seen in the kitchen, balcony and other rooms in the house.
In the guide we will examine in detail the following questions:
- How to choose a size and what options do we have?
What comes first: cornice or curtain? How to take measurements and what should be taken into account? - How are our curtains attached?
About our fasteners and their installation methods. - What curtain materials do we use and why?
About synthetic bases and mixed fabrics. - What textures, types of fabric and patterns are there?
Our examples. About jacquard, blackout, embroidery and others
As a result, we will create a checklist for choosing curtains and our recommendations, which will help you quickly and confidently navigate the catalog. A checklist will be waiting for you at the end of the guide.
Curtains for the living room: what to look for when choosing?
In fact, there are many criteria for choosing curtains in general, and for the living room in particular. But it’s not realistic to take them all into account, so you’ll have to choose those that seem more important to you. For now I'll just list them.
- Correspondence of curtains to the style of the living room interior
- Matching curtains to living room sizes
- Matching the color of the curtains with the color of the wallpaper
- Matching the color of the curtains with the color of the furniture
Now let's take a quick look at each of these criteria.
Correspondence of curtains to the style of the living room interior
This is a must. It makes absolutely no sense to hang heavy classic curtains with lambrequins in a living room with a high-tech or contemporary interior. They would also be inappropriate in a loft-style living room. But for a living room in a classic, art deco or modern style, this will be what you need.
If you prefer to decorate your living room in a cozy Provence style, then the curtains should be light and made from natural materials, such as chintz or satin.
If you use laconic minimalist or high-tech styles, you can completely abandon the use of curtains, replacing them with roller blinds, roller shutters or blinds.
Fans of eco-style, which is currently increasingly used, should know that only natural materials are used in decoration. The same applies to textiles.
Matching curtains to living room sizes
This point is to some extent related to the previous one. The fact is that classical styles require sufficient space, that is, a large area, high ceilings. Massive curtains look organic in such interiors.
But if you have a small living room with a low ceiling, then classic curtains will not be entirely appropriate. In this case, the interior style should be different and the curtains, accordingly, too.
Matching the color of the curtains with the color of the wallpaper
It must be said right away that there are different approaches to interior design. You can, for example, match wallpaper to existing curtains, or you can do the opposite. That is, match the curtains to the wallpaper. It's up to you to decide which is more convenient and cost-effective. But in any case, the color of the curtains should be combined with the color of the wallpaper.
You can read about how to choose the right wallpaper in the article “Wallpaper for the living room.”
Matching the color of the curtains with the color of the furniture
If you don’t plan to update the furniture in the near future, then of course it’s easier to choose new curtains to match the color of the furniture. This does not mean that the color of the curtains must be exactly the same. It should differ by 2-3 tones, and perhaps be a different color, but compatible with the color of the furniture.
Original solutions
Tip: In a small apartment, it is better to avoid curtains with complex drapery, because they block the light, making the room seem even smaller.
Harmony and comfort in a house or city apartment are created by several factors. One of these moments is the decorative design of curtains on the windows. With the help of creative ideas for window decoration, you can favorably emphasize the style of the interior.
Curtains look impressive where the pattern and texture is repeated, or is in good harmony with other textiles in the interior: decorative pillows, upholstery, lampshades, and so on. The color of the curtains should not be matched to the wall wallpaper or whitewash. It should be rich.
If you want to decorate your interior in an original way, do not be afraid to consider other unconventional design solutions:
- Modern textiles are treated with a special impregnation, which has the properties of repelling dust, the fabric is made non-flammable, practically does not rub and does not fade;
- Curtains made of threads, rubber, twisted thin rope or thin wire, and bamboo ribbons, correctly integrated into the interior and currently very fashionable, will become real works of art;
- Newfangled panel curtains play interestingly with light and divide the room into zones, which will demonstrate the pattern on the fabric in all its glory;
- Curtains with eyelets fit perfectly into the interior of the apartment.
Choosing the size of curtains
Tip: the smaller and simpler your curtain, the richer and more expensive the fabric you choose for it.
To achieve a bright effect and highlight the design of the room with beautiful curtains, it is very important to correctly determine the required curtain sizes:
- First, choose a curtain model that suits the design of your room. We measure the height and width of the window, and determine the size of the selected curtain model. The length is calculated after attaching the curtain rod. The cornice can be attached to the ceiling or wall.
- We present to your attention introductory instructions for determining the width of curtains:
- The width of the curtain fabric should be two to three times larger relative to the width of the cornice;
- The splendor depends only on your preferences;
- To most accurately determine the size of the curtains, you need to hang a curtain rod;
- We measure the length of the cornice: this is the distance between the extreme right and extreme left positions of the hooks;
- The width of sliding curtains is determined by the size of the cornice;
- If the length of the curtain holder is no more than 1.5 meters, then the width of the curtain should be equal to one length of the curtain rod, if up to 2 meters - 1.5 curtain rod lengths, up to 3 meters - 2 curtain rod lengths, up to 3.5 meters - 2.5 cornice lengths, 4 meters or more - 3 cornice lengths for each panel;
- To determine the width of a solid curtain, you need to add from 1.5 to 3 m of its length to the length of the cornice.
Which curtains will suit beige wallpaper: photo
It is no coincidence that beige color has remained popular in the decoration of residential premises for a long time. It creates a pleasant, warm atmosphere, conducive to calm and tranquility.
You can combine both warm and cool colors with beige tones. It depends on the location of the living room windows and your personal preferences.
Curtains in warm colors can be 2-3 shades darker or lighter than the wallpaper. If the furniture is brown, then in this case you can choose curtains for the living room in chocolate tones. This will give the living room elegance and solidity.
As already mentioned, cool colors also go well with beige. For example, light turquoise curtains look good with peach wallpaper. This combination adds freshness to the living room interior.
Which curtains will suit gray wallpaper: photo
In general, gray is considered a neutral color, so it can be combined with many colors.
Meanwhile, gray color can be either neutral or warm, as well as cold shades. Based on this, you should select curtains to match the wallpaper.
It should be said that gray color is more suitable for neoclassicism, minimalism, and hi-tech. But if used correctly, it can be successfully used in many other interior styles.
If your gray wallpaper has a warm tone, then curtains of brown, yellow, pink or orange will suit it. You can also use red, brick and soft green.
Curtains in blue tones and the color of wet sand are suitable for cold shades of gray.
If you are not bothered by more saturated tones, then you can use curtains in the color of wet asphalt or graphite.
The use of white in combination with gray also adds subtlety to the interior.
Combined curtains for the living room
An interesting option for the living room is combined wallpaper. They add originality to the interior and make it more attractive. There are quite a lot of possibilities for imagination in this case, since wallpaper can be combined in different ways.
How to choose curtains for the living room: advice from designers
I'll give you some simple tips to use when choosing curtains for your living room. This will allow you to create a more thoughtful and attractive interior.
- You should not hang massive curtains in a small living room, as this will visually reduce the space even more. In this case, light straight curtains without all kinds of accessories are more suitable.
- It is better to choose light colors for both wallpaper and curtains. This will make the room more spacious and the atmosphere lighter and more comfortable.
- Spacious living rooms provide the opportunity for a flight of designer imagination. Therefore, in this case, you can use more saturated colors for curtains in any style.
- You just need to consider which side your windows face. If this is the south side, then the fabric for the curtains should be thicker.
- The color scheme of curtains should take into account the interior style of your living room.
- In addition, you need to ensure that the style of the wallpaper pattern is combined with the style of the curtain pattern. That is, if the wallpaper has an ornate pattern, then there is no need to choose curtains with a geometric pattern. They won't fit well.
- Interiors in the style of classicism and neoclassicism involve the use of soft, light, pastel colors for both walls and curtains.
- In Empire and Art Nouveau styles, contrasts between the colors of walls and curtains are acceptable.
- The color scheme of high-tech interiors is mainly limited to a combination of various shades of gray and white.
- Modern interior styles do not welcome clutter. This also applies to curtains. Therefore, you should not use a large number of accessories for curtains.
- Cushions covered with the same fabric from which the curtains are made add zest to the living room interior. This gives the interior a harmonious and more finished look.
Too frilly textiles
There are many patterns and prints, but before you buy fabric, think about how it will fit with the rest of the furnishings and whether it will draw too much attention to itself. Otherwise, the interior will be overloaded.
So, if the wallpaper and furniture upholstery are plain, you can use fabric with a bright and large pattern for the curtains, and only if the room is spacious enough. In this case, the tulle, like the cornice, is taken simple, without pretentiousness. Remember, in a curtain composition one thing can be active - tulle, curtains, accessories, cornice, and the rest can be subordinate to it.
An example of proper placement of accents
Curtains for the living room: photos of the best options
As mentioned above, curtains should match the style of the living room interior and its color scheme. Only then will they look organic.
I suggest you look at the most interesting examples of the use of curtains in living room interiors, decorated in different styles.
Curtains in the living room in Provence style
This style came to us from the southern coast of France, retaining its warmth and homeliness. This interior may seem not quite modern to some. But, nevertheless, it has quite a lot of fans precisely because of the very warm and comfortable atmosphere of such a living room. Nowadays this is very important.
Curtains in the living room in a classic style
The classic style is not ultra-modern, but this does not prevent it from being still very popular, if the living room area allows, of course. The fact is that for the full implementation of the classic style, the living room must be quite spacious. If this is the case for you, then you can take a closer look at the classic style.
Curtains with lambrequins in the living room
Lambrequins are an attribute of massive curtains, which, as a rule, are used in classic interior styles. For more modern design styles they are not often used. Although they can still be found in many living rooms.
Curtains in the living room in high-tech style
The high-tech style is more stingy in accessories for curtains and laconic, which is quite natural for a modern interior style. Therefore, we will not see lambrequins and all kinds of grabs here. Curtains are used straight, lighter and without unnecessary patterns.
A very important point: accessories
It is very important to decide on many more points: when buying ready-made curtains, think about how you will hang them, and what additional interior details need to be added so that the interior design has a logical completeness.
Aesthetics and functionality of curtains
The house should always be cozy, warm and comfortable. Each item must have its place and be a logical complement to other interior details, which is considered complete when window curtains are successfully selected and harmoniously fit into the design: one of the main decorations of the home.
Let's look at a few more examples of photo curtain designs that perform both aesthetic and practical roles.
What curtains for the hall are in fashion now: photo
The main trends in the fashion of curtains for the living room are as follows:
- Simplicity, functionality, elegance, lightness without the use of a large number of accessories, including in classic interiors.
- Combining fabrics of different colors and patterns, which gives the curtains an unusual, original look.
Let's sum it up
Curtains are actually one of the most important and visible elements of the interior. And if they are chosen correctly, they can significantly transform the living room for not very much money.
In this article, I tried to describe the main points that you should pay attention to and I hope that the question of how to choose curtains for the living room will now not be so difficult for you.
By the way, if, in addition to the living room, you are also interested in the question of how to choose modern curtains for the kitchen, then I recommend reading the article “Choosing curtains for the kitchen in a modern style.”
Sincerely, Tkachenko Alexander
Choosing a cornice and mounting method
Cornices can be wall or ceiling. They help create the desired visual effect. Ceiling cornice and plain curtains make the ceiling higher. For a small room or a room with a high ceiling, it is recommended to choose a classic cornice and install it directly above the window opening.
To attach textiles to the cornice, use:
- loops;
- drawstring;
- rings;
- eyelets;
- braids.
The type of fastening is chosen depending on the density of the material. The braid and hooks are designed for attaching light curtains. For heavy curtains, loops, rings or grommets are more suitable.
