Catching up With Curtain Trends

Time to add flowing and flowery touch to your windows. Curtains give an air of comfort and privacy to your rooms. Window curtains, draperies and valances are available in different styles and share a long history of innovation and trends since 1840s.

Window Curtains add comfort and trendy look to any room, whether it gives an open view of the garden or a simple wall only. If you wish your window to be large then the curtain display should be such that it should not obstruct the light.

A fully draped window consisted of a cornice, a valance and one or more curtains. In 1840 the cornice was decorated with a painted, gilded or stained pole. The era saw the production of window curtains, draperies, and valances in variety and different kinds of fabrics linen, silk, cotton and wool were used.

The trend at that time was on proper lining and interlining. The interlining was a layer of flannel that furnished extra protection from the elements, and contributed to the proper ‘hang’ of the curtains.

In the 1850s the trend of gilded wood or metal cornices etc were replaced by the architectural cornices and poles. By the 1880s looping was no longer fashionable, nor was the curtain to touch the floor. Material used for most of the curtains included cotton, linen, and wool. The richest possible trend was achieved by using silk brocade, damask, satin, taffeta, plush and velvet. Still cotton remained the top trend for bedrooms, with chintzes and calicoes.

When it comes to choosing the colors of the window curtains, mid-century carried a harmonious contrast in furnishing public rooms. For bedrooms similarity of shades of dark and light shades tones were contrasted in the selection of window curtains.

In the summer a room might employ only lace curtains and a lace lambrequin, but other seasons required a more substantial treatment. The doorway curtain became very popular during the last quarter of the century.

Nowadays, designer curtains are made of organza, art silk, tanchoi etc. Organza in silk curtains has smooth, flat finish and is strong and durable. Similarly, yarn dyed curtains are voile- slim and thin quality of fabric with the highlighting feature adds transparency. The trend of shower curtains is also in. You can make your bathroom a place of comfort and luxury with different array of design and bold colors. There are also curtains made of Dupion silk which is a lustrous silk often woven from two different colors of threads as it changes colors with the passage of time.

You can also add flowing touch to your windows with the beaded curtains. The glitz and glitter of glass beads, organza, dupion silk, pure silk, yarn dyed cotton and others give curtains a very trendy look. Embroidered curtains, with graceful embroidery also carry an impression of subcontinent embroidery.