Which Curtain Fabric Suits Your Home Best?

(Guest Writer: Javed Soni)

While decorating your home, one must not simply overlook their windows and leave them as is.

They are still a part of your home. Decorating them properly would help as a nuanced design of your house.

One good way of decorating your windows would be using curtains. The history of their usage goes far back as ancient Egypt and remain prominent today as decorations in the modern home, and not just on windows either.

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Why Curtains Are Important For A Home

You may be wondering: “Why do people like to use curtains?”

You have likely encountered curtains being hung in a house somewhere at least once and we may have grown accustomed enough to them that we don’t even ask why they are there in the first place.

So, what do curtains bring to a house?

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Privacy

Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, we can all agree that everyone occasionally wants a moment of privacy.

How much someone might want it differs from person to person, but the main point is, every person wants time alone. This is most prominent if they live in a shady environment, where their valuable furniture and accessories might be seen by everyone who walks past their home windows.

Curtains, depending on their fabric and colour, can be an important tool in providing this sense of privacy to people.

Simply put, it blocks the field of view of outsiders and allows the person inside who placed them to control what they want people to see, and how much they are allowed to see.

Sunlight Regulation

In the same way that you can regulate what people from the outside see inside your house, you can control how much sunlight enters your home.

The sun’s rays are warm and nice, but sometimes they can make things a bit too hot or bright inside, especially if they are directed at the couch you are currently resting on. This is where curtains come in. They are meant to help reduce or increase the effects of sunlight when needed.

Too much sun? Spread them wide and block it out. Not enough light? Tie them together and bask in the bright rays.

Room Temperature Control

Yes, even without the power of electricity and technology, your curtains can play a role in heating or cooling down your rooms.

How much they can do so, however, is dependent on their fabric type and cover.

With that said, during hot summer days or chilly winter nights, your curtains should remain fully closed to minimize heat gain from the former, and heat loss from the latter.

Dust Particle Prevention

It probably gets annoying having to sweep up all the dust that comes from outside, especially when the winds are blowing.

But you can’t expect to have all your house windows closed all the time either, especially if you want some fresh air.

Having curtains allows you to open your windows for some fresh air while still giving your house “protection” from the dust outside, as the curtains block and gather the dust that would otherwise scatter about inside your home.

This means that you will eventually have to wash your curtains to clean them, but it is certainly far better than having to sweep your house every time you open the windows.

Aesthetic Appeal

Finally, having curtains just makes your house look much better, thanks to the fact that they can have different designs, fabrics, and colour.

Having the right curtains means having practical uses that can help regulate things in your house, while enhancing its beauty in the process.

One way you can be sure that you are making the right choice in design and practical use is by opting for made to measure curtains.

Types Of Curtain Fabrics

What to choose? When examining curtains, look beyond its design, colour, and pattern.

Yes, its material also matters. Each fabric offers different benefits. Before choosing a curtain, you should consider how much practicality and luxury you want for your windows.

Image © Wolfgang Eckert via Pixabay

Silk

Silk curtains are hard and durable, yet delicate and beautiful to look at.

Most people, however, use silk curtains more for its aesthetic appeal, rather than for practical uses, as some aspects of it are susceptible to changes in the environment.

For instance, it is vulnerable to sun damage, so you will need to cover them with something like a roller blind when the sun shines too bright.

Cotton

Cotton curtains are flexible, as they can adapt to many designer styles, be it traditional or modern.

Unlike silk, however, they are light, so they will need to be properly lined when set up.

They aren’t vulnerable to sunlight though, meaning they can still block it, so long as they are tightly weaved or properly lined.

Linen

Linen is also prized for its aesthetic look more than its practical usage, as it brings in a relaxing atmosphere to the room it is in. It goes well with long curtains that hit the floor.

Like silk, they are extremely vulnerable to sunlight, which means that they will fade fast if exposed for too long.

Velvet

Velvet gives the room itself more focus, thanks to how thick and heavy it is.

Not only is it great for blocking out outside elements (allowing control over light and privacy), it is great for enhancing the look of the room to make it feel more majestic with its colours, especially when combined with proper lighting.

Polyester

Polyester fabric is a common choice for most households, thanks to being budget-friendly, time-friendly, and still making rooms look nice.

You may want to avoid placing them in the kitchen, due to it being flammable. Also avoid placing them in rooms that need fresh air from the outside, as it blocks proper air circulation while absorbing odours at the same time.

Lace

Lace curtains diffuse light, meaning that light comes in albeit at a reduced rate.

It’s perfectly suited for houses that still want to let in some light. They commonly come in white or cream colours.

Acrylic

Acrylic curtains have a texture reminiscent of wool.

It is a great insulator, as well as a great attractor and disperser of moisture. They are hypoallergenic as well, which should disperse doubts from people who might be vulnerable.

In other words, they are perfect for places like, say, the shower area.

Voile

Voile curtains are light and great at providing privacy without having to block out the light.

Though, how much light they block depends on their sheer. Sheer allows you more visibility, though that also will cost privacy, compared to semi-sheer.

Which Fabric Should I Use?

This kind of question is not easy to give a straight answer to, as there is a multitude of factors that can affect your choices when dealing with design matters.

You would need to examine and think about which one you should prioritize.

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Aesthetic Design, Or Practical Use?

If you don’t mind getting your hands dirty and having to carefully manage your laundry, using silk or linen curtains can add some lovely flair to your house.

On the other hand, if you are on a tight budget with not a lot of free time but still want your house to look presentable, polyester curtains will do you well.

Location

The location of your home matters a lot. Do you live in the city or an urban area that sees a lot of vehicles? You might want to consider using velvet curtains to block out the noise and the smoke pollution as well as give you privacy from passersby.

Do you live in a more secluded area that gets a lot of sunlight and not as much dust? Lace curtains help you control how much sunlight enters your home.

What if it is a place that doesn’t get a lot of sunlight? You can bring out the dark area-loving silk and linen curtains.

Other than personal taste, the location of your home might be the biggest deciding factor as to what curtains might suit you best, so take proper notes of your environment.

Concerns On Privacy

How much are you willing to show the inside of your house to the world?

Are you someone who likes showing off the inside of your house to any onlookers? If so, then cotton makes a great choice, thanks to its flexibility to many design styles.

If you don’t want anyone to see whatever valuables you have inside, then something thick and heavy like velvet curtains will do you well to protect the contents of your house from the eyes of people outside.

Wrapping Up

You can see that many curtains fit for many homes in both aesthetic appeal and practical usage.

The best curtain fabric that you can use largely depends on your own taste as well as what type of environment you live in, which is on a case-by-case basis, so it will rely on your eye for how much you understand yourself and your environment.