In interior design, the difference is in the details, accessories and choices that combine practicality and aesthetic taste. This category includes curtains, but choosing the right curtains is not child’s play, on the contrary.
There are various types of blinds on the market, and even more chromatic and decorative variations, which often make the selection long and complex, especially when you are not adequately prepared.
Let’s see together how to orient ourselves in the choice, evaluating not only the aesthetic aspect, but also and above all the structural/functional one.
The role of curtains: aesthetics and privacy
Why we use curtains in our home? This is a trivial question, because we are so used to having curtains on the windows that we can’t even imagine a room without them, and when it happens we notice it immediately.
Essentially, curtains cover two roles:
- Aesthetic: window curtains are part of the furniture, they create a particular atmosphere, which the furniture cannot do on its own. All you have to do is change a shade to completely transform a room;
- Privacy: curtains, such as blinds or shutters are used to prevent prying eyes from “sticking their noses” through the windows of your house. This problem is particularly true when you live at street level, or in front of another house.
These two elements, taken individually or together, make it necessary to use curtains in the house.
The problem, however, as mentioned above, lies in choosing the right ones.
Keep reading to find out more.
Which curtains to choose
There are so many types of curtains on the market, and unfortunately you cannot choose randomly. Yes, because it is not only the curtain that changes but also the support, the common stick, fabrics and colours.
Let’s look at some types of curtains that you could choose.
Ready-to-use blinds
It is an economical, fast, practical and painless solution. The curtain is already sewn, usually available in different standard lengths, for windows or balconies, for example.
The only thing you have to do is take the fold and sew the bottom edge. In some megastores you can find a special adhesive glue just for curtains; it is a roll of solid glue, which has to be unrolled and positioned along the edge you have to create.
Take the measurement, place the glue, fold the flap of the curtain, and pass over a hot iron. The heat will melt the glue, and that’s it.
Tailor-made tents
Tailor-made curtains are, without a doubt, more expensive, and the decision-making process is more complex, because you have to start from the choice of fabric, finally you have to go to an upholsterer to take your window measurements, mount the appropriate supports and sew the curtain to measure, professionally.
As you can imagine, this solution is used occasionally; once you have purchased the custom-made curtains for the house, you are inclined not to change them within a short time frame, because doing so is at considerable expense.
Interior blinds
Furnishing your home in an original way can be done through the use of interior blinds.
Thanks to their structure, blinds are able to respond perfectly to the two aforementioned needs: to improve the aesthetics of the house and ensure privacy.
Moreover, they are practical, because they allow light to enter in different ways, thanks to the inclination of the slats and the possibility of raising the Venetian blind completely or only partially.
If, on the other hand, you are looking for something really innovative, then you can always focus on the Venetian blinds inside the double glazing, that is, inserted inside the glass of your window.
Zero encumbrances, zero cleaning and a practical remote control to operate it, with Up&Down technology.
How to choose the colours and fabrics of the curtains
Some of the most difficult choices to make are colour and curtain fabric, because many things depend on these two elements, in particular the aesthetic performance and brightness of the room.
In fact, using heavy fabrics and dark colours means taking almost all the light away from the room, because the sun’s rays will not be able to penetrate the curtain.
One solution could be to mount curtains consisting of two parts, the one that covers the whole window, thinner and in a soft colour, and the one to be tied to the two sides with a cord, for aesthetic purposes only, darker.
The fabric used also has an impact on the fixing systems of the curtains to be used – unless you have decided to hang the curtains without making holes in the walls – because in the case of very heavy materials, there is a risk of compromising the hold of the support or the fabric itself.
As you can see, choosing curtains is not easy, but it is right to devote the right attention and time to finding the right product for your home, because they can really change the decor, and create the atmosphere you are looking for.