How to Choose Curtains or Drapes for Your Home

Drapery panels can drastically change the look of a room.  They can be used in addition to blinds or shutters to add warmth, character, and color to a space.  They can also be functional and block light, add privacy, control sound, and insulate drafty windows.  However, there are several things to consider when selecting the perfect curtains or drapes for your space:

Light Control & Linings

If you are purchasing curtains in any fabric other than a sheer, I highly recommend that you look for panels that are lined with a quality lining.  The added expense is minimal, and the added value is great.  After all, would you hang your favorite black outfit in the blistering sun for a days, months, years and still expect it to look good enough to wear out in public?  Of course not.  So why do this to your curtains.  Lining is sunscreen for your fabric.  It protects fabric from fading and moisture, therefore protecting your investment.  It also adds a uniform look to the outside of your home.  No one really wants to see your hot pink curtains as they drive down the street.

Would you like to sleep later in the morning?  Then consider adding blackout lining to your curtains to make your room dark and cozy.  Not only does blackout lining block light, but it also insulates your windows which is especially nice in bedrooms.  Also, be sure to order drapes that are wide enough to cover your entire window when closed.  When we pleat curtains (i.e. pinch pleats), the top width of each panel is reduced to about 25 inches; whereas unpleated panels (i.e. rod pocket panels) are a full 50" wide across the top.

You may also want to consider panels that have an added layer of interlining.  Interlining is usually a 100% cotton flannel that is placed between your face fabric and lining, adding fullness and weight to thin fabrics.  It adds a luxury feel to your curtains and a good bit of insulation.  Think of it as a blanket for your windows.  It is especially recommended with silks.

Privacy

If privacy from neighbors is important to you, then you will also want to order curtains wide enough to cover your entire window (as noted above) and lined so that they are not easy to see through.  Draperies can also be used in conjunction with blinds, shutters, or shades for a beautiful layered look that also provides maximum privacy.

Fabric

Curtains these days can be made in just about any fabric imaginable from the roughest burlap to the softest velvet.  It really all depends on the mood you are trying to convey within the room.  Of course, you should also keep in mind how the panels will be used.  If the panels will be pulled closed on a daily basis, then a white silk is probably not the best choice as you will quickly notice that our hands can leave dirt and oil behind on delicate fabrics when we pull curtains closed.  The same holds true for households with small children and pets.  I would probably not use a delicate silk in a high traffic area with kids, cats, and dogs.  Many fabrics today come with stain guard protection to help with everyday mishaps and busy families.  These fabrics are usually cotton, polyester, or a blend thereof - just look at the curtain tag or selvedge of the fabric to see if it has been treated. 

If you are ordering custom curtains through the internet or a designer, be sure to ask for a fabric sample before you purchase panels.  Tape the fabric sample to your wall next to the window an live with it for a few days.  How does it look in the morning light and evening shade?  Many fabrics look quite different when held at different angles; by fixing it to the wall in the direction it will hang you will get a good idea of how it will look in the room.

Style

Along with your fabric choice, the style of panel you choose can greatly affect the mood your curtains will create.  Styles vary from simple rod pockets to elegant goblet pleats to modern grommeted panels.  Look through some current design magazines to see what styles you are attracted to.  Typically the more pleated the panel, the more formal it appears.

Length

First, you probably need to decide where you would like your curtains to end in relation to the floor. 

• Floor length curtains sit directly on the floor (order them 1 inch shorter if you would like for them hang slightly off the floor).
  




• Trouser length panels "break" on the floor much like a trouse breaks over a shoe (add 1 -2 inches to the order length of your panels)
  




• Puddle length curtains form soft folds on the floor (add 6 - 7 inches to the order length of your panels).
  

In addition, you will also need to consider your drapery hardware.  For example, if you already have a drapery rod in place and would like floor length panels, simply measure from the base of the ring to the floor.  For rod pocket curtains (no rings), measure from the top of the rod to the floor.

If you do not have a rod in place already, remember the higher you mount your rod, the higher your window and ceilings will appear.  I prefer to mount drapery rods several inches above the window.  In most cases I will take the distance between my window frame and crown molding (or ceiling), divide it in half, and go a few inches above my half mark as I do not like even spaces above and below the rod (just a designer pet peeve I suppose).  Of course, if you have extremely high ceilings, this rule changes.  Try taking a long piece of blue painter's tape and making a line above your window on your wall where you think you will hang your rod, how does it look?  Move it up a bit and take another look.

Additionally, I like my rods to project at least 4 -6 inches beyond the window frame on each side (if there are no obstacles) to allow my curtains to hang completely outside the window if I choose and give the appearance of a larger window.

When installing curtain rods always be sure to mount your corner brackets in a stud (they usually run vertically along the frame of your window) or use a heavy duty toggle.  Heavy panels or curtains that are often pulled on can quickly pull away from drywall.

Resources:

http://www.idreamofdrapery.com/Selecting_the_perfect_curtains_s/78.htm

http://www.idreamofdrapery.com/Choosing_drapery_length_guide_s/81.htm