Using curtains to create texture in your home
- Rebecca Iles
- Consultant
In short
Curtains add texture to a room in two ways. Tactile fabrics, light silks and linens for a luxurious feel, velvet for weighty richness, or woven cottons, acrylics and polyesters for subtle texture, give a hands-on quality. Visual texture comes from patterns (geometric for vibrancy, botanical for an outdoors feel) and from the pleat style, which sets how the curtain curves, falls and stacks. Because nearly every room has a window, your fabric and colour choices have a lasting effect on how a home looks and feels.
A great way to introduce texture into any room is hanging the right curtain, and there are two ways to do it. Textured fabrics give a tactile feel, while features and finishes such as patterns create an overall textured space. Let us look at both.
Table of contents
Fabric
Whether you are after a soft look or a statement, textured fabrics give both. They come almost exclusively in one colour, or in different tones of one shade, but it is their tactile appeal that draws people in. Light silks or linens are luxurious and make a room feel the same way, while velvet gives a richness that comes with its added weight and sense of glamour. We also have a wide range of cottons, acrylics and polyesters with textures woven in, a subtle way to add texture without distracting from the room, and they come in different weights to suit your home.
Features
Patterns and finishes create a texture that feels tactile and extends through your home. Geometric patterns bring vibrancy and elegance, while botanical prints bring an outdoors feel inside, so there is an option to suit your furnishings.
Pleat style is another thing to consider, that is how the curtain is gathered and looks at the top. It determines the curve of your curtains, how they fall and hang, and how they stack back off the window, and it can easily accentuate the style you are after. Wave pleats are an increasingly popular trend and, along with the eyelet heading, give a larger wave for a contemporary, modern finish. Forward-facing or reverse pleats offer everything from modern and minimalist to traditional and classic. When deciding which suits, consider how the space is already furnished, or if you are renovating, how you want the finished room to look and feel.
Curtains play a huge part in creating warm, inviting, comforting living spaces. Because of their size, and the fact that nearly every room has a window, getting the colour and fabric right has a lasting impact on how your rooms look and feel. To discuss your options, request a free in-home consultation and a specialist will help you choose the right textures for your home.
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Guides
Choosing the right curtains for your home
Not sure which curtains will suit your home? Find out everything you need to know with this free guide.
Frequently asked questions
How do curtains add texture to a room?
In two ways. Tactile fabrics, like linen, silk and velvet, give a physical, hands-on texture, while patterns, finishes and pleat styles create visual texture that carries through a space. You can use either or both to elevate a room.
Which curtain fabrics give the most texture?
Textured fabrics usually come in a single colour or tones of one shade, and their tactile appeal is the draw. Light silks and linens feel luxurious, velvet adds richness and glamour through its weight, and cottons, acrylics and polyesters can have textures woven in for a subtle effect in a range of weights.
What is a pleat style and why does it matter?
The pleat is how the curtain is gathered at the top, and it sets the curve, how the curtain falls and hangs, and how it stacks back off the window. Wave pleats and eyelet headings give a larger, contemporary wave; forward or reverse pleats range from modern and minimalist to traditional and classic.
Which patterns work for a textured look?
Geometric patterns bring vibrancy and elegance, while botanical prints bring an outside feel indoors. The right choice depends on your existing furnishings, so think about how you want the finished room to look and, more importantly, feel.
Expert advice at home
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