How to Choose the Best Curtain Material and Style for Any Room In Your Home

Curtains are meant to provide privacy and block light in a room, but they can also work like accessories to an outfit, adding a pop of colour and personality to the space. Since there are so many different styles for curtains available today, and you even have the option of custom made curtains, you'll need help choosing the right style. Check out these tips to ensure your curtains look good and that they function as you expect.

How much privacy do you need?

One challenge to choosing curtains is that you might want privacy in a room but don't want to fully close the curtains and block out all light. One good way around this is to layer your curtains with sheer, lightweight curtains that obscure the view inside while still allowing light in. You can close the sheer curtains when needed while keeping the outer layer of curtains open.

How big are the windows?

If you have a long wall of windows, you probably want to avoid curtains with a pattern, as any print can look very overwhelming once all those curtains are closed. If you must have a print on the curtains, choose something simple, such as one thick stripe that runs horizontally along the bottom hem of the curtains, or very lightly coloured circles that add some visual interest but which don't overwhelm the space.

 How often will you close the curtains?

This may sound like an odd consideration, but people don't always close the curtains in every room of their home. For example, if you have sheer curtains, mentioned above, you may never close those outer curtains. However, if you do plan on closing and opening the curtains often, note how they're connected to the rod. Tabs, or just a bit of fabric that folds over the rod, can be difficult to move back and forth. Choose rings instead as these slide easily along the rod.

Do you like details or a simple look?

If you prefer a simple and minimal look in the home, choose straight square panels. If you like lots of details and visual interest, choose longer and thicker panels that you can tie around the middle and hook to connectors that attach to the wall.

For maximum volume and detail, choose very long curtain panels and connect those wall hooks along the upper part of the window. You can then pull the lower part of the curtains up high, creating a long and loose swag and lots of volume and movement to the curtains.