Curtains and Draperies
Dressing doors and windows is practical as well
as decorative as they are focal points of the room and deserve a treatment that
will display them at their best. Curtains are the most commonly used way of
interior decoration treatment; it is a covering for door and windows, usually
unlined and made from lightweight fabric.
Many people use the terms curtains and drapes synonymously, but in fact
there are some differences between the two. Curtains and drapes are both made
for the same purpose, which is to cover windows and doors. Drapes, however,
tend to be heavier than curtains and are typically used in rooms that are more
formal. Curtains are often made of very lightweight material and are common in
kitchens, bathrooms, and other areas of the home not typically used for
entertaining guests. Drapes are often made with lined fabric and might be
designed to open and close with a cord, while curtains are often unlined and
sheer and are typically opened and closed by hand.
Drapes are often used in
rooms where guests might be entertained, such as a living or dining area. For
this reason, they tend to look more formal than curtains and might also be more
expensive. Patterns and fabric options for drapes are also typically much more
elaborate than what a person would find when selecting curtains. Drapes are
often attached to rods with the use of hooks, which can be decorative. Another
difference between curtains and drapes is that drapes tend to be pleated at the
top, while curtains are usually gathered.
Types of Curtains
Curtains are a wonderful way to decorate a room.
Four types of curtains are described below:
Draw Curtains: These are the curtains
which slide on rods and can be drawn as and when the needs arise. The primary
purpose of these curtains is flexible control of light, heat, and privacy.
Strong, durable and flexible fabrics are generally used for these types of
curtains as they can withstand constant pulling back and fold. The draw
curtains can be of any color which suits the home and its occupants. Draw
curtains looks best and effective when hanged in straight folds covering the
entire window frame beginning either sligl1tly above the top of frame or at the
ceiling and end slightly below window frame or at floor level.
Draperies: These are used on cold
walls for the purpose of warming the room both physically and visually.
Draperies are similar to draw curtains but they differ as they are sometimes
heavier than draw curtains and they need not cover the entire window. Heavy
fabrics are used for these curtains with wide hem to hold the weight of the
curtain. It is also provided with a lining to protect it from fading and to
increase strength and durability of the curtain.
Hourglass Curtains: It includes permanently
installed treatment attached at the top and bottom of doors and windows and
pinched together in the middle to create the hourglass look. It is generally
used for decoration but sometimes it provides privacy during the day. It
softens the light and modifies the hardness of the frame and the shade. Plain
white translucent material gives the most desirable effect in this type of
curtain.
Roll-ups: These are shades made
of a sturdy fabric and lined with a contrasting fabric. The shade can be rolled
or unrolled to the desired position and held in place by means of a sash. When
rolled up, the contrast- coloured lining and top fabric are shown off
together.
Curtain Headings
The very top of a curtain is called the
headings. It is formed by pleating, pinching, gathering, bromating or tying. Stiff
effect is created by inserting or wrapping the buckram into the heading.
v Pleated headings: These are custom made curtains which are
pleated at the heading sometimes finished with pleated tapes. The various types
of curtain pleats are:
a.
Pencil pleat: These are narrow,
evenly spaced gathers, which looks good with pelmets and are also called
standard gathers.
b.
French Pleat: It is a threefold
pleat found at the top of a drapery and also known as a Pinch pleat.
c.
Goblet Pleat: It is similar to pinch
pleat with variation of goblet shape pleat top. Sometimes the goblet is filled
with batting to provide bulk, or a contrasting fabric for emphasis.
d.
Inverted Pleat: It is a reverse box
pleat, also known as a pick pleat, which conceals the extra fabric in back. The
pleat meets in the middle, rather than is folded back at the sides.
e.
Knife Pleat: These pleats are evenly
spaced, tight, crisp, narrow that run the length of the top of a drapery.
v Grommet heading: In this type of curtain headings, rings are
inserted into a hole hem which hangs from the curtain poles; hence the name
eyelet curtains.
v Rod pocket: A rod is passed through a hollow tube-like sleeve located at the
top of a curtain. As the rod is attached to the wall ceiling, the suspended
curtain is able to transverse back and forth.
v Tab top: It includes a series of tabs at the top of the curtain, either a
closed loop or a tip, through which a rod slides.
v Shirred heading: It is a hand sewn decorative heading which
consists of four rows of shirring and gives the appearance of smocking.
v Puffball: In this type of heading, an extra fold of fabric is used to form
gathers giving it a frothy effect.
v Flip topper: It is a typical flat contrast lined fabric panel that is flipped
over a rod and the flipped portion is decorated to draw attention, such as
using beads or other trims and also sometimes cinched or triangulated in some
way for adding emphasis.
Dressing Curtains
Curtains are designed in a number of ways to
suit one's personality, need and the use of the room. Even though the choice of
curtain style is a matter of personal preference, but the weight of the curtain
fabric should be suitable for the style to be created. The curtains are dressed
in different manner as given below:
- Tie-back: Tie-backs curtains are tied
back in graceful folds which lend dignity and formality to a window and
thus to a room. Panels are draped aside and held to the frame or to the
wall with extra piece of fabric or special fixtures. These curtains are
often made of sheer fabric, self-fabric, decorated with ruffles which are
extremely ornamental. Placement of the tie-backs may be high, low or
centered, as per the room proportions.
- Criss-cross: This is a variation of the tie
back type of curtain. Both the curtain panels overlap each other at the
top along the entire width of the window and then they crisscross each
other when they are tied back. These curtains generally make a window seem
wider and also insure an impression of fullness.
- Bishop sleeve curtain: Another variation of tie -back
curtains that is bloused vertically at least twice resembling the puffy
sleeve of a fancy garment.
- Tent fold: This type of curtain resembles
an old fashioned peep tent opening in its appearance where the middle edge
of the curtain is pulled back and secured simply, overlapping the rest of
the curtain, rather than pulling it all back. It conceals much of the
doors and windows, even when open.
- Jabots: These types of curtain
dressings include pleated and draped lengths of fabric that hang down the
side of the window. It can be up to floor length or only a foot above the
floor level. They are used more for decoration or other effects than for
concealing light or view, hence requires some other window dressing for
concealing the view.
- Cafe curtains: These curtain dressings are
designed as a two-tier treatment, set at a variety of heights for maximum
privacy and light control, although usually at the top of a window, and
then again midway.
Curtain Top Treatments
Curtains are given various top treatments
providing softer decorative look to doors and windows using relatively little
fabric. They are also called crowning glory of a curtain arrangement as they
are positioned at the top of the doors and windows fitting neatly over the
curtain headings. Three categories of top treatments are described below:
- Cornices: These are horizontal bans
several inches wide placed at the top of window or door to conceal curtain
tops and rods from which they hung. These are made of wood, plastic, or
mirror glass. Wooden cornices are commonly used. Width of cornices is
generally one-eighth of the overall length of curtain.
- Valances: It includes a piece of fabric
that hangs across the top of a window to hide window hardware, as well as
to add softness, color, and pattern. It can be either simple or attached
to a rod with clip rings or pinch pleats.
- Swags or Cascades: These are decorative, curtain
treatments meant to hide the curtain headings arid usually taper to a
cascade. These cascades loop and fall luxuriously over a curtain pole,
ending in elaborate tails. As they look heavy in small or normal sized
rooms, hence they are used in large formal rooms with high ceilings. The
depth of the swag in the center after it is draped is generally
one-seventh of the distance between the top of the frame and the floor and
its width at the top coincides with the width of the drapery when
hung.
Decorative Treatments for Curtains
- Rosettes: These are primarily separate embellishments made of
same or contrasting fabric that of curtain for focusing attention on a
particular area within a curtain arrangement. These are of three types
namely knife, choux and bow shaped.
- Ruffles: These are made of light weight fabric expressed in
tiers, in a single ruffle at the bottom of a plain curtain or as a valance
giving an appearance of softness and feminity to the curtain. They are the
delight of a young girl's domain.
Importance of Curtains
The use of curtains in a
room fulfills various purposes:
Ø Provides privacy
Ø Controls entry of light
and heat
Ø Absorbs noise depending
on the thickness of material and depth of folds
Ø Covers bareness of
window
Ø Changes apparent size,
shape and character of room
Ø Conceals architectural
awkwardness
Curtains for Different Rooms
Decorations of doors and windows depend upon the
type and use of room.
Ø Living room: Living rooms are generally impersonal therefore tailored curtains
with pleated headings are most appropriate. Laced curtains of rayon, satin,
brocade or damask can be used in strictly formal rooms. Ruffled curtains can be
used in colonial homes. In modem homes however, venetian blinds with curtains
of interesting texture and pattern or strips can be used.
Ø Dining room: Curtains are similar to living room. Plain curtains look better if
the walls are papered with patterned wallpaper.
Ø Bedroom: The master bedroom should have curtains which is neither too feminine
nor too masculine. Tailored curtains and gathered valance give both daintiness
and masculinity. Glass curtains are preferred when the walls are patterned
while cheerful look is provided by gay printed chintz or cretonne curtain when
walls are patterned.
Ø Guest room: As the guest room is for the comfort of either sex hence the
curtains are predominantly feminine or masculine with in between treatments.
Curtains with plain or shaped cornice, a pleated or gathered valance or a swag
effect with a heavy cotton cord of contrasting color are used. Curtains are
also made more interesting by adding a gay colored pleated or ruffled valance
with matching tie-backs.
Ø Children room: This room is of utmost importance regardless of one's age,
especially for a child it is like a playground, a place of wonder where
children feel free to explore their imagination. Curtains with different motifs
such as nursery prints, cartoon, flowers, fairies, princess, sea creatures’
motifs etc. in bright colors are preferred by boys and girls. It can be concluded that the variegated forms
of window and door treatments are functional as well as offer aesthetic
satisfaction. Whatever may be the style of a home, curtains and draperies have
the power to enliven a room. Innovative products and imaginative treatments can
be effectively tried and trusted styles into sensational window and door
coverings.