Curtains are a simple, afterthought of a decor feature, but they’re one of the simplest ways to transform a space. Ever step into a room and felt immediately homey, luxurious or cosy? It was probably down, at least in part, to the curtains. As an interior designer, the right window treatment is your secret weapon to making a room feel finished.
In this post, I’d like to talk about five ways to use curtains as decoration. These tips will help you use curtains in a modern, minimalist space, a more traditional space, or any style in between.
1. Use Curtains to Define Space
Have you ever stopped to think how curtains can define a space? Open-concept living continues to be popular these days, but sometimes dividing up a large space into smaller areas is necessary. This is where curtains can help.
Curtains are often included in spaces that clearly need some form of separation from the rest of a kitchen or studio apartment, but don’t necessarily need a wall. For example, curtains often separate a sleeping area from the rest of the space in a studio apartment, and also tend to frame a dining area in a larger home. Curtains can even be used to create a cosy reading area in a living room.
But do not read them as mere practical signifiers. Curtains can also be dramatic, a pair of heavy velvet drapes pulled aside to reveal a stately dining room, demarcating both realms and a mood.
Have you ever stopped to think how curtains can define a space? Open-concept living continues to be popular these days, but sometimes dividing up a large space into smaller areas is necessary. This is where curtains can help.
Curtains are often included in spaces that clearly need some form of separation from the rest of a kitchen or studio apartment, but don’t necessarily need a wall. For example, curtains often separate a sleeping area from the rest of the space in a studio apartment and frame a dining area in a larger home. Curtains can even be used to create a cosy reading area in a living room.
But do not read them as mere practical signifiers. Curtains can also be dramatic, a pair of heavy velvet drapes pulled aside to reveal a stately dining room, demarcating both realms and a mood.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
How can I use curtains to create distinct zones within this room?
What type of fabric will best suit the function and aesthetic of the space?
2. Enhance Natural Light
When it comes to interior decoration, natural light is a valuable asset. But, of course, a well-chosen curtain can brighten up an interior or make it dim. Using the right type of curtain fabric and colour, you can control the light to make a space feel much brighter and warmer.
For light-hungry rooms, always use a sheer curtain. Sheer curtains, the translucent type, is best for rooms that need more light. They allow the sunlight to filter through easily and also the privacy as well. Light-coloured curtains like whites, creams and pastels also reflect more light and brighten up a room.
On the other hand, if your aim is to create a feeling of warmth and intimacy, stick to heavier fabrics in darker shades. These curtains are more likely to keep light out entirely, which makes them well suited to bedrooms and other media rooms where you might want fine control over light levels.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
Do I want to let more natural light into this room, or do I want it to be darker, more cosy?
Which fabric and colour will best achieve the desired lighting effect?
3. Add Texture and Pattern
Curtains are functional, to be sure, but they are also an excellent way to add interest in the form of texture and pattern into a room, especially if you’re working with a neutral colour palette.
Incorporating a textural fabric like linen or silk on curtains can also create richness and depth to a space. Introducing patterned curtains, on the other hand, can be the backbone of an entire colour palette. Florals, geometrics and abstract designs can all act as a bold pop of colour and personality.
When picking patterns, balance them against the rest of the furniture and walls. If your sofas or walls have a bold pattern, use plain or lightly patterned curtains, or, if the rest of the room is pretty plain, then feel free to invest in curtains with an eye-catching pattern.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
How can I use texture and pattern to enhance the overall design?
So, does the curtain need to be the feature wall, or does it need to play a complementary role with other elements in the room?
4. Play with Length and Layering
Whether you choose long floor-to-ceiling curtains or curtains that sit just above the window sill can make all the difference to how people perceive the height and scale of the room.
Layering curtains is another great trick. If you have sheer curtains and heavy drapes, you can keep the curtains closed during the day to block out light from the street but let in natural light and air, and then pull back the heavy drapes in the evening to create a warm, cocoon-like feeling.
It also adds depth and visual interest. Using different textures, patterns and colours for your layers will create a dynamic effect that will help with the overall room design.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
What curtain length will best suit the room’s style and function?
How can layering add to the room’s aesthetic and functionality?
5. Use Curtains as a Statement Piece
Lastly, consider curtains as a design statement. In some rooms or spaces, curtains can be the design feature that pulls the whole thing together. This works particularly well in minimalist spaces, when a vibrant colour or an eye-catching pattern is used to draw the eye in a simple, streamlined room.
For example, a neutral living room can have a new sense of energy from a bright, patterned set of curtains. This type of curtains can draw the eye in a room with plain walls and furniture. Or, in a bedroom, rich velvet curtains can make a space feel luxurious and decadent. Key to this is the idea that curtains chosen as a statement do not impose a domineering presence in the room. Instead they are part of an overall composition that elevates the curtain to a design feature. They work best when they are subordinate to the other colour featured in the room. Choose a non-bright colour that does not compete with the bright colour of the feature wall. Do worry about colour or pattern clashes; there should be no such thing. Be confident that your composition will create the desired effect: you want to arrest the eye with something bright but still appeal to the eye with an attractive composition that is pleasing and pleasurable to behold.
Questions to Ask Yourself:
Are these curtains so bold that they need to be the statement?
How do the curtains interact with the other elements in the room?
Conclusion
Curtains are used not just to protect or insulate a window but, when chosen and positioned well, as a design tool, to define a space, control light, bring texture and pattern, and provide a focus for the room. Indeed, at a basic level, curtains are fundamental to an interior designer being able to do their job. A designer who struggles to select and place curtains can only ever be designing a room that is fundamentally incomplete.
Thus, next time you plan a room, you might ask yourself: ‘What will the curtains do for this room?’ You can see the potential: there is no end to what your curtains could do in a room once you look at them as something more than decor for your windows.
