Choosing Curtains And Draperies For Your Home

Seldom will you see homes without curtains and draperies. Apart from being extremely useful, they are highly decorative and can change the aesthetics of a room in a significant way.

Curtains and draperies are two separate types of window treatments, although many people use them interchangeably. Curtains mostly refer to unlined fabric that covers up windows while draperies completely close them off. The terminology, however, may not be as important as how well they help block light, sound, heat and cold from outside the house while helping set the mood in your room.

Using Curtains And Draperies

You can find many window treatments from home supplies store and the home decoration department on most shopping centers. There is a wide range of options both from the types of curtains and draperies you can purchase to how you want to use it in your home.

You can use sheer curtains like lace, cotton or silk by themselves if you want to keep the room well-lighted. You can opt for decorative curtains or draperies placed over blinds and watch them add personality to the room in an instant. You can also use slight curtains under a thick draw drapery so you can switch between a fully-closed window opening and some natural light whenever you feel like it. Not to mention that window treatments can also help hide flaws in your homeís windows if theyíre old or poorly-designed.

Picking What Works

Itís hard to make set rules about which curtains and draperies you should buy. Much of it will depend on your windows, your room and the design of your overall home. As a general guideline, here are some good ideas to look out for when deciding on what youíre going to do.

1. Formal Rooms

Curtains should be long and touching the floor but not pooling at the bottom. Silk draperies topped with some sheer curtains can help add refinement to an already elegant room.

2. Romantic Rooms

Use very long curtains that puddle on the floor. Sheer curtains that filter light can help set a quiet and sensual mood that lends itself well to romance.

3. Functional Rooms

Curtains that only reach down to the window sill are often used in functional areas of the house, such as the kitchen where long curtains can prove to be a fire-risk.

4. Living Rooms

Dens, family rooms and living areas are great to outfit with longer curtains that cut off just short of the floor. You can also use shorter curtains just past the bottom of the window pane for a more informal atmosphere.

Good Treatments, Bad Treatments

Good window treatments should serve both function and aesthetics. While choosing curtains and draperies, ask for advice from store attendants as to which combinations are often used together along with the kinds of window youíre intending to use them for. Try them out and imagine how well they can work with the rest of your room. Thereís pretty much no limits to how much you can do with window treatments so let your creativity fly!