I have always been fascinated by curtains in homes as it is one of the easily visible spots that tell you a lot about the home owner. The type of material chosen for the drape and the way in which it is hung, whether curtains are drawn or even the absence of curtains speak volumes. Most of the other features in a home come in shapes and sizes that are standard; and there is less scope for differences in choices (of course, this is debatable).
Given below are some of the ways in which curtains can be hung and used as interior decoration. The pictures are all from alternative-windows.
Café Curtains
Hourglass Curtains
Valence Curtains
Lined Curtain
Tabtop Curtain
And the styles shown above are just the tip of the iceberg. The sheer variety of choices that are actually out there is mind boggling - sunburst, eyelet, envelope, smocked, Jardiniere, Italian are among the dozens of other curtain styles that are available.
By the way, curtains are not just used for windows; they are also hung over doorways sometimes. For the trivia inclined, these door curtains are called portieres. Here the materials used are chosen not for its light blocking properties but more for interior decoration. Hence, we are more likely to see some artificial artifacts being strung together to form a semi separation between rooms; the traditional cloth curtain seems almost passé in this space.
Honestly Williams, I did not know that so many curtain styles exist. While we are at curtains, I would like to point out to our readers that curtain holders also have to be carefully thought of in one’s home. In my experience it is better to have curtains with cloth based loops instead of plastic based loops.
Yeah.. in most middle class Indian homes, we are happy with just stringing up a cloth as a cover and we call it a curtain.. The fact is that just as in clothes there are so many different ways to treat the item that it’s a subect in itself..
Why so you think the cloth based loops are better.. less chance of breakage and loss, is it..
@ anonymous (would have been nice to know your name
)
One of our believes is that with the right information, middle class families will rise with respect to their life style. Today a typical middle class family is aware of many appliances and are willing to purchase the same given the prices are tumbling. But your observation is valid. Although some choose more than just “any cloth” for their curtains, the amount of care and maintenance required to keep it glowing is missing.
Cloth based loops are easier to remove and re-insert. Current we use plastic loops and every time we try putting the curtain back on after cleaning we end up messing the whole thing.
One disadvantage of a cloth based loop is that, if not done cleverly, they look really ugly. The plastic loops can be hidden from view and look more aesthetically appealing.
[…] 1st October - A few curtain styles […]
i would love to see the hourglass curtains in some older homes. it would look very nice