Every house needs some sort of curtain or blind for privacy, security, and limiting daylight or just to make a house a home. But the question is which curtains are best for you.
Measuring for a perfect fit. Also see our measuring guide.
The easiest way to measure for curtains is to start with the width, a good curtain pole or rail should extend about 6-8 inches either side of the window, this give space for the curtains to be pulled back from the window which helps prevent fading and lets more light into the room. Measure the width between each end hooks or rings. You can measure in centimetres or inches but remember to use the same scale with all measurements! Remember each curtain must be at least the width of the window before gathering, (for double gather) or even better an extra half a window wider, for triple gather, anything less looks terrible!
Next the finished drop. This depends on your personal taste. It should be from the hooks/rings (where the top of the curtains will start) of the pole or rail down to below the window sill, how far below is up to you and depends on your personal taste but I would recommend a minimum of 4 inches below, generally 6-8 inches is best for shorter curtains. For full length curtains many people allow the curtains to be 1/2 inch above the floor as fabric can drop in time and floors and not always straight. For a real luxurious look try adding an extra 12 inches length and allow the curtain to pool or puddle at the bottom, this look is great for a glamorous finish but not that practical for a busy family home!
Once you’ve decided on the size of your curtains the next question is the style?
The most common style of curtain is the pencil pleat curtain. These curtains generally have a 3” heading allowing 3 options for the hooks and when given enough gather the top will look straight and crisp. These curtains pull back easily and can easily be resized to fit a different window should you move.
The next style is pinch pleat (also known as triple or French pleat). These curtains look stunning and are again easy to pull back. They are more expensive as they are hand finished rather than produced with a tape and are also specific to the window they are made for.
Another popular option is to go for an eyelet heading. These curtains give a modern look and hang well but tend to be a harder to pull back and often require dressing.
Have a look at our styles page to see more suggestions
Pelmets
A pelmet goes across the top of the window above the curtain and can be can be gathered, straight, or pleated Roman blind.
A roman blind is a flat folding lined blind that is pulled up and down by cords on its back. It is sometimes blackout lined and if so ideal for nightworkers and little ones, looks great when combined with curtains.
Tie backs.
Sometimes fancy cords with tassel sometimes shaped stiffened fabric the tie backs are designed to hold your curtains back in an attractive drape. Metal or wooden hold backs do a similar job.
Below are the descriptions of some useful phrases often used with regards to curtain making.
Face Fabric.
The main fabric that faces the interior of the room. The “good” side of the fabric.
Return.
Part of the curtain that goes around the side of a cornice, valance, drape to allow the curtain to sit flush and at right angles with the wall.
Head / Heading.
The very top of the curtain. It often gets called heading because of the heading tape that is used to make curtain decorative designs, i.e. pinch pleat, pencil pleat
Stack back.
This is the area required and used by pleated curtains when they are open on either side of the window. You need to allow for this when you measure for your curtain track.
Padded Edge.
This is a roll of padding along the leading edge of a curtain.
Leading Edge.
This is the inner vertical edges of the curtain that meets its pair at the centre of the window, the edge that is not fixed when you draw back curtains. It can be used to decorate the curtain with braid, contrasting fabric or tasselled braid.
Hem.
The base of the curtain which has the fabric turned back up the curtain to make a neat finish to the bottom edge. It also adds natural weight which helps the curtain hang neatly. Weights can also be added into the hem to help achieve this
