Interior design is an extremely personal art. Every individual’s tastes will differ, and as your home provides a completely customisable space, you’ll want to truly make it your own. Everybody who’s designing their home will have plenty of ideas about the biggest, grandest aspects of each room – lofty beds, antique wooden flooring, and sofas you can sink into. However, it is easy to overlook one major feature. Curtains are extremely important as they provide a frame for windows, a focal point of any room’s overall design, during the day. Not to mention the fact that they are very visible at night time! Read on for some curtain selection tips, which will hopefully help you to create the right atmosphere at your abode.

Keep Everything in Proportion

Choosing the correct proportions has the potential to transform your windows from blocky, intrusive constructions to elegant and beautiful portals of light. Try to pair taller, slimmer windows with floor length curtains. Wider windows are well served by curtain designs featuring a central design, drawing the eye away from the area below the window frame.

Plain Can be Boring

Try to avoid dull patterns and block colours. Luxury curtains can be created from plain ones by creating an interesting matching border. If the room features an adventurous shade of paint or wallpaper design, sew a strip of similarly coloured fabric onto the top of the curtain. Alternatively, use dressed-up holdbacks to add a splash of colour to simple drapes.

Use Layering

There’s no need to confine yourself to thicker materials. Two sets of lace curtains, when combined, can block enough light that it’s feasible to use them without any reinforcement. This option can create an ornate, fluffy feel well suited to more formal dining rooms.

Choose The Right Heading

Headings can make all the difference, especially if you’re trying to create a contemporary feel. Pleated curtain tops are truly multi-purpose, and look great as part of any design scheme. Fans of a more modern look are better off investigating eyelet designs. Eyelets create larger, softer folds, and are especially appealing when combined with more striking patterns.

High and Wide

Manipulate the impressions given by your luxury curtains by playing with their positioning. Hanging them a few inches higher than usual creates the impression of a taller window, whilst a wider placement makes windows seem broader and ensures that you are letting all available light in when the material is drawn back.

Buy The Right Material

It’s generally best to veer towards heavyweight fabrics. As well as being better at keeping out draughts and sunlight, denser materials tend to last longer and are less susceptible to tearing. On the other hand, thick fabrics may crease and fold less well when the curtains are drawn. A thinner, more lightweight base fabric could be combined with a suitable lining in order to create the desired specification.

Lawrence Jones is an interior designer. When he’s not working at his studio in London, he enjoys blogging about decor and high fashion.