THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN YOU'RE BUYING CURTAINS
Curtains are an essential part of the home decor. Some of the factors that you need to consider when buying curtains are the colour and fabric, the right measurement of curtains and the budget allocated.
COLOUR & FABRIC, AND PRINTS OR SOLIDS
FABRIC
Fabric is an essential part of choosing curtains. From sheer lace to lightweight cotton, medium weight jacquard to heavy velvet, there are plenty of options. The two factors that you should consider while picking your fabric are:
• The amount of sunlight you want streaming in
• The mood and décor of your room
• To test how well would the final outcome of curtains hang, work with a big sample, at least 2 meters, since a smaller piece may not show the fabric's true drape.
• Remember, each and every different type of fabric falls differently from an elevation and therefore will look different when pleated and drawn back.
COLOUR
Incorporating different patterns and colours into your interior can be intimidating. Other than making sure your colours look balanced, they should ideally blend in with the rest of the furnishings. You could either choose the tones that harmonise with the whole ambient or in contrast with it. By playing safe, you may choose the curtains which complement the shade of your walls. Alternatively, if you want the curtain colours to stand out from the rest, pick a hue that contrasts with decors and walls.
PRINTS OR SOLIDS
What makes this mash-up of patterns work?
Rule Of Thumb:
The right proportion of shades is important Printed curtains is a good idea if all the other soft furnishings in the room are a solid colour or vice versa
LENGTH AND WIDTH
MEASURE
How wide do you want the curtains to be?
When measuring the width of your window, be sure to add 4 -8 inches on both sides and double the total number to ensure curtain fullness to avoid blocking most of window glass when the curtains are open.
If would like the curtains to shut out the sun completely, those extra inches around the perimeter of your window frame will also close up the gaps which allow creeping light.
How high do you want the curtains to hang?
Consider all the windows together. For a room to look cohesive, make all of them the same height.
• Brushing the floor – These curtains will fall flush with the floor or hang just above the floor by about half an inch. Some would like to have theirs a couple of inches above the floor for easy maintenance.
• Pooling on the floor – Curtains that hang this way are anywhere from 6 to 12 inches longer than the measurement to the floor and will generously puddle at the bottom. For more classical look, you may go for this type.
BUDGET
OFF-THE-SHELF AND CUSTOM WINDOW TREATMENTS?
Custom window treatments offer many benefits: You can customise the dimensions to your window size and create a tailored look. Custom panels come in endless design options, from material to header style. With these options, though, comes a considerable price difference from off-the-shelf curtain panels.
CURTAINS 101:
• Sheers will still let in plenty of natural light while blocking out harsh direct sun.
• Medium weight fabrics like linens will let some light filter through, but less than sheers.
• Heavier fabrics such as dim-out fabric will block out up to 80% of natural light. Blackout curtains are an option that keeps out all sunlight.
• Sunlight will fade fabrics over time. If the room gets a lot of light, avoid bright colours, since they tend to fade faster. Neutral colours are less likely to fade than other colours.
• Ease To Maintain: Many fabrics like silk and velvet requires dry cleaning. Some fabrics can be washed and dried at home like linen and synthetic fabrics. Choose fabric according to use and maintenance.
• Choice of fabric play major factor determine the price of curtains. For example, silk is very expensive, polyester is one of the least expensive fabric.
• Some fabrics help in moderating the temperature of the room and keep the heat in. Do take this into consideration of that when choosing type of fabric.
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