The Wild and Wonderful World of Curtains

If you are looking for decorative items for you home that come in an absolutely endless varieties of shape, size, color, and style, at the top of the list would have to be curtains. Described blandly by the dictionary as “material that hangs in a window or other opening as a decoration, shade, or screen,” curtains are all that and so much more. So many books have been written about curtains, including historical books, designer’s notebooks, sewing pattern books and how-to manuals, that entire bookstores could be devoted just to them.

Curtains are among the easiest items to sew at home, meaning that with a little sewing talent, you don’t have to be limited to the patterns, colors and trims of ready-made curtains. Intrepid decorators searching for just the right curtain have been known to use sheets, blankets and even towels to stitch up unique window coverings.

With so much out there to choose from, the world of curtains can be a wild and confusing place, full of strange words like swag, jabot, valance, café and drape – which only covers a portion of curtain styles. Then there is the entire vocabulary of the hardware needed including rods, poles, tie-backs, hooks, clips, rings, tension rods, and brackets — all of which are available in varying combinations of metal, wood, plastic or glass.

Good preparation will help prevent a homeowner from ending standing in the drapery aisle of the local department store, staring at the all the samples. The first thing to decide is the basic decorating style of the room. Is it contemporary, traditional or country? Each of the decorating styles has some pretty standard curtain styles. Leafing through a few decorating magazines can help you focus on the particular styles that most go with your décor. Next, determine the purpose of the curtains. Will they be strictly decorative or do they need to be light blocking or insulated against cold and heat? Do they need to provide privacy or can they be sheer? Then comes the decision about how long the curtains will be. Again, some decorating books can be of help, showing if full length drapes are right for a formal room, and if short, ruffled café curtains are just right for your country kitchen.

Once you have these items mapped out, you can move on to color choices. Curtains should fit into the same color scheme as the room and can blend into the wall color for a subtle effect, or be bold and attention grabbing for added drama. A professional decorator can help choose curtains that go with your upholstery, carpeting and wallpaper, and many home improvement stores now group curtains with other fabric and decorative items that are in the same color palette and style family. This way you don’t have to carry a curtain all over the store to see if you can find a pillow or vase to match.

Curtains in the home go beyond strict window coverings, and can be used to disguise ugly or odd-shaped architecture. They can be used to fool the eye in a windowless room, or add color in a rental space where painting the walls is not an option. Curtains can be real space-savers when used in place of closet doors, and mounted on a shelving unit they can hide a lot of messy clutter. Mounted inside a glass fronted cabinet door, a curtain can give new life to an old piece of furniture.

Even old and vintage curtains found at auctions and garage sales are finding new life as pillow covers, placemats and table covers. The possibilities are truly endless, limited only by your imagination!

Jason Petrina is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit - www.articleclick.com

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