Choosing curtains and drapes: 7 tips

Curtains and drapes are important home accessories that not only accentuate your personal style but also create a harmonious atmosphere and significantly improve room acoustics. But how do you actually find the right curtains and drapes? How long should they be, which hanging system is best, and what should you absolutely keep in mind? Our guide will help!

1. Curtain or drape – what is the difference?

Although the two words are often used synonymously, they refer to two different things: curtains and drapes are not the same. While curtains are transparent and let daylight into the room, drapes are usually opaque and effectively block sunlight.

A classic curtain consists of two parts: the sheer and the decorative panel . The sheer is a semi-transparent, mid-length or floor-length undercurtain, usually white, which can be drawn closed. Its purpose is to let daylight into the room while providing privacy and, of course, creating a beautiful visual effect. The accompanying decorative panel is also called an overcurtain and is usually hung to the side of the window. Lightweight, airy fabrics such as batiste, voile, or linen are typically used for curtains.

In contrast, curtains are usually made of thick, heavy fabrics such as velvet or cotton. They can be combined with drapes and, for example, placed as a side panel in front of the curtain. Drapes are usually floor-length and, depending on the quality of the fabric used, sometimes have blackout, heat-insulating, or sound-absorbing properties.

2. How do I find the right curtains and drapes?

Whether for the living room or the bedroom , whether finely or densely woven, sheer or opaque, solid-colored or patterned – the selection of curtains and drapes is now so vast that making a decision can often be difficult. To find the perfect model, it’s advisable to create a short checklist before purchasing . The questions to consider: Which room are the curtains and drapes intended for, and what function should they fulfill? Should the new purchase be particularly easy to care for or durable? Which colors and materials best suit the room’s design concept?

To define more precisely which curtains and drapes are suitable, a mood board , a fabric sample collection , or advice from an interior designer or decorator can also be helpful.

Choosing the right curtains or drapes depends on personal taste and interior design style , including preferred colors and materials. However, the room where the curtains or drapes will be hung also plays a significant role. Room size and the amount of natural light are particularly important: small, dark rooms appear airy and welcoming with (semi-)transparent fabrics in light colors. Larger rooms can be made cozier with heavier or darker curtain fabrics.

3. Which curtains and drapes are suitable for which room?

Basically, curtains and drapes are distinguished by four different fabric properties, which are suitable for different rooms or situations:

Transparent fabric: This is a lightweight and translucent fabric quality.

Semi-transparent fabric: This quality dampens incoming light and offers slight privacy protection.

Opaque fabric: This quality makes it easy to darken a room and block out prying eyes.

Blackout fabric: This is a heavy, opaque and lightproof material that offers protection from external influences.

In the bedroom, blackout curtains are usually preferred, as they darken the room when needed. Dense cotton fabrics are suitable for this purpose. Thicker and fluffier textiles (such as chenille) provide additional sound insulation for restful nights and insulate against the cold from outside.

In the living room , curtains and drapes made of velvet and shimmering fabrics, whether floor-length or used as decorative scarves, enhance the cozy atmosphere. Lightweight cotton or linen curtains are also popular, as they absorb sound and create a modern and bright ambiance. For those seeking sun and heat protection , curtains with special coatings that effectively block glare are recommended.

In a child’s room, colorful motifs, seasonal themes, or curtains in the little one’s favorite color are appealing. However, blackout curtains can also be particularly useful for darkening the room, especially for babies and toddlers.

4. The right format: ready-made or custom-made?

The selection of attractive curtains and drapes available off the rack is now remarkably large. Mostly in standard sizes, they are relatively inexpensive and available without waiting time or measuring, and can easily be hemmed with a hemming tape if needed, thus adapting them to many window sizes.

If you can’t find what you’re looking for in stores, consider buying custom-made curtains and drapes. Here, you can choose your favorite fabric by the meter and sew your own version, or have it sewn for you. Especially large windows or windows under a sloping roof, as well as small kitchen or bathroom windows, sometimes require a perfectly fitting, individual solution. Before buying fabric, you should, of course, measure the window dimensions precisely.

As a rule, you’ll need twice the amount of fabric for curtains, as required by the window size. You should also add a few centimeters to each side for the hem. Of course, you can also seek advice from a specialist retailer or interior designer. You can also find experts and products at trade fairs such as My Home Decor.

5. What is the best way to hang curtains and drapes?

Once you’ve chosen the perfect curtains or drapes, the next step is hanging them. With a classic curtain rod, a track system, or a wire system, there are various options to choose from, each suited differently depending on the room, window size, and personal preference.

curtain rod

Curtain rods are mounted to the wall independently of the curtains or drapes, allowing for quick and easy fabric changes. Once the rods are installed above the window, the curtains can be attached using rings, loops, eyelets, or a curtain tape and opened and closed as desired.

When choosing the correct length for your curtain rod, you should not only consider the width of the window, but also plan for an overhang of approximately 10 to 15 cm on both sides of the window.

As a guideline : The rod should be mounted at least 10 cm above the window frame.

Rail system

Track systems are particularly suitable for rooms with low or medium-height ceilings and for large window fronts. Unlike curtain rods, they are not mounted on the wall above the window, but on the ceiling.

Curtain tracks are available in various designs, ranging from simple single-track models to those with multiple parallel tracks. The curtains are hung in the track using curtain rollers, panel carriers, loop gliders, or pleat gliders, allowing them to move smoothly and be easily opened and closed as needed.

Rail systems are particularly suitable for modern panel curtains, but can generally be combined with all types of curtains and drapes – except eyelet curtains.

cable system

Cable systems are increasingly replacing the classic curtain rod these days. A thin but robust steel cable is mounted to the wall or ceiling with a special bracket and tensioned.

Important: The walls must be able to bear weight, and the sturdy screws and dowels must be installed in such a way that they can support the weight of the curtain in the long term.

Cable systems are generally better suited for narrow windows and lightweight curtains and drapes. The latter are then hung on the wire cable using small hooks or metal eyelets.

6. What dimensions need to be considered?

The ideal size of a curtain depends primarily on the window size, the fabric and style of the curtain, as well as personal taste. However, a few guidelines can be helpful:

For example, if you opt for floor-length curtains or drapes , the hem should end approximately 1 to 2 cm above the floor. This creates the impression that the fabric is floating above the floor. However, there are also options that rest on the floor or even extend several centimeters above it.

Short curtains, on the other hand, should end approximately 5 to 10 cm below the window frame.

For the width , a 20 cm overlap should be added on the sides, as well as a rifling factor of 1:2, for large patterns 1:2.5 – that means at least twice the fabric width per meter of window.

To determine the required fabric width, you can use either the length of the curtain rod or the width of the window as a guide. However, since curtain or drapery fabric gathers and folds when hung, you need to allow for more fabric.

As a guideline: Normally, 2 to 3 meters of fabric are needed for one meter of window.

7. What is the best way to care for curtains and drapes?

Normally, it’s sufficient to wash curtains and drapes twice a year, for example, as part of spring and autumn cleaning. However, if there are pets, smokers, or allergy sufferers in the household, the curtains should be taken down and cleaned more often. Once a quarter is a good guideline.

Most curtains and drapes are machine washable and therefore easy to care for. However, to avoid putting too much strain on the fabric and to ensure a long lifespan, there are a few things to keep in mind when cleaning them:

Curtains and drapes should always be washed on a gentle or delicate cycle (without spinning) and never together with other laundry items, but always individually or with similar items. The washing machine should be filled to a maximum of one-third capacity so that the curtains can move freely in the wash water.

Which curtains and drapes create a cozy atmosphere in your home?