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Curtain Ideas
Try these simple curtain ideas from Country Living magazine to suit whatever window dilemma you face. More homes and interiors help at countryliving.co.uk
Simpler window dressings are the order of the day. Elaborate curtain treatments have given way to plainer styles while fancy swags and tails, frills and furbelows are consigned to the past! Try these easy-to-follow curtain ideas to suit your windows.
Curtains
Choose a plain wooden, metal or painted curtain pole and an unfussy heading such as simple gathered heading or pencil pleat heading which has a relaxed effect. In the blue bedroom above, with a little desk concealed in the bureau, a modern version of a blue and white toile (beasties linen by Celia Birtwell) a white pole and pencil-pleat heading look suitably informal. All the colours in this room are harmonious, including the curtain fabric – in a warm shade of blue.
Curtains
Alternatively curtains can be designed as a simple sleeve to go over the pole or as tab-topped design – with tabs made in the same fabric. A simple sleeve-design or tab-top work best with lightweight fabrics, such as a fine linen – where you don't need to open and close the curtains too often – as neither system is as easy to draw as rings.
Curtains
In a bedroom a simple pelmet which softens the top of the window and hides the heading too can work well. For a less-fussy look make it in the same fabric as the curtains, as in the bedroom above (with floral linen by Bennison). Opt for a plain design or a soft-scalloped edge and position well above the edge of the window to avoid cutting out too much light.
Curtains
Lined curtains work well in a bedroom where you need to cut out bright light. Black-out lining can be used as an interliner, or as a lining, and comes in black, white, or off-white. It can also act as an insulator – especially if you use both together. Try John Lewis or Villa Nova who do a range of patterned fabrics with a black out backing. Elsewhere, lighter, unlined curtains can have a fresh appeal and can look more contemporary. For lighter curtaining, tensioned wires and clips (tryIkea), or half-cafe curtains work well, especially for sheer fabrics.
As a change to traditional, plain lining fabrics you could contrast two fabrics together, with one as a lining, though this will be more expensive. Utilitarian ticking patterns look good used as linings.
Difficult windows
Curtaining awkwardly shaped windows is tricky. For deep dormer windows portiere rods which swing to the side (and sit inside the embrasure) are a great solution where there is no room for traditional curtains, or where they would cut too much light. Try Jim Lawrence for iron rods.
Bay windows are another difficult window to curtain. A pole system that runs around the whole bay so that two curtains can cover the area and be drawn back outside the window are best.John Lewis have a system where the rings can be run past the brackets to allow this to work.
A system of two poles run on top of each other, or a pole used in conjuction with a wire enables you to have a sheer undercurtain that can be opened and drawn independently from the main curtain giving you greater flexibility.
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