If you want your room to exude these qualities, then white curtains will complement your decor, leaving other decorative elements, shapes and form take the center stage.

White curtains are often found in a country home interior, either plain or with decorative lace. White curtain panels with clean, sleek lines also work quite well in a modern home interior. They even work well in a Victorian decor, often with more ornate draperies or swags in patterns and colours to complement the room.

Whether you are decorating a room with white furniture for a monotone or just looking for a window covering that doesn’t compete with the rest of the interior, you can put up white curtains in many styles and textures; sheer and luminous, opaque and rich, or shiny and bright.

Dark draperies keep out the light, but white lets the light in, making your space bright, open and airy. White curtains truly open up a space, making a small room feel much larger and less crowded.

Soft and romantic, layered white curtains and sheer fabric canopy work nicely together in this bedroom decor.

Sheer white curtains are a good choice in rooms where privacy is not a concern. For bedrooms and bathrooms, where privacy is paramount, an opaque white fabric is desirable or you can use layers of sheer white fabric and lace to add depth and flexible control over privacy and light entering the room.

You can also use white lace or sheer curtains under fabric panels that can be closed at night for additional privacy.

For an informal room, use white curtains that are about the same length and width as your window opening. For a more formal room, hang full length white curtains, letting the fabric gather a little on the floor, with tie-backs to keep them open.

Fabric choice should match your room decor as well, with heavier fabric or layers of sheer white fabric giving a formal look, while a single white curtain makes for an informal window covering. White linen curtains will give your room a very clean look, perhaps with embroidery to give a bit of added texture.

If you prefer to add colour to your window treatment, you can add a swag or valance in a fabric colour that matches your wall color, furniture or other decorative elements. Beads, lace, embroidery, piping, curtain tie backs with decorative tassels, curtain rods and finials and scallops or other design patterns can also add interest to your white curtains.

Whenever the weather allows, open your windows and let the breeze billow your white curtains, transforming your room into a romantic scene from the movies. And in winter, when sunlight is sparse, your white curtains will keep your home feeling bright, with a fire in the fireplace to add some warmth.

Traditional and classic, white curtains remain an excellent alternative to the hard lines and surfaces of most window blinds. Whether you use them alone or to enhance your blinds, white curtains will surely complete your window treatment and make your space feel clean, simple and inviting.

In a modern home interior, white curtains offer clean lines and do not distract from other visual elements.

Characterized by ruffles and white or off-white neutral fabric, Priscilla curtains are often made with a sheer or semi-sheer fabric, but can also be found in heavier, more opaque fabrics and many other colours and floral printed fabrics as well.

Widely available in home decorating stores and through online window fashions retailers, Priscilla curtains are inexpensive and easy to install and look especially nice as either a kitchen or bathroom window treatment. They will also add style and comfort to your guest bedroom.

Whether you use them alone or with blinds or shades underneath, Priscilla curtains are a wonderful way to decorate your windows with a feminine, soft feeling.

The Priscilla curtains are normally hung on double rods, allowing one to overlap the other. Oftentimes, the front layer is tied back. Top treatments can include using a balloon valance in matching fabric.

Priscilla window curtains can have wide ruffles adorning the inside and bottom edges of the panels. The ruffled Priscilla curtains are often pulled back to the sides of a window with a pair of matching tie backs.

Some styles of Priscilla curtains will have a ruffle that is stitched to the top of the panels, eliminating the need for a separate top treatment such as a valance.

Tiebacks add to the nostalgic look of Priscilla curtains, which have been popular in many decorating styles, from Colonial revival to 1950s Retro decor themes.

For the more contemporary look, use Priscilla curtains with straight edges decorated with a contrasting ribbon of accent colour, forgoing the wide ruffles of more traditional country style Priscilla curtains.

Since they leave the rods and hardware more exposed than some window treatments, you can add decorative style by using brass, wrought iron or other decorative rods and hardware.

One of the main attractions of Priscilla curtains is how cheap they are to purchase. Shop online at discount prices and you can find a complete set, with sewn in ruffled valance, matching panels and privacy tiers for under £40.

Hanging your Priscilla curtains typically involves mounting hardware and shirring them over the rod according to your manufacturer’s instructions but should typically take less than an hour and require only a few tools such as a cordless drill and screwdriver.

For easy care and washing, choose curtains made with easy care machine wash and dry polyester that requires little or no ironing. Cotton and other fabrics will be easy to clean and maintain also, but may require pressing the panels before you re-hang them.

Classic and timeless, Priscilla curtains are an affordable window treatment option always worth considering!

Hung from the center of a window, cafe curtains cover only the lower half of the window, which means they still let a lot of light into your room.

In terms of hardware, the most convenient way to hang a cafe curtain is to use a spring-loaded curtain rod that fits inside the window frame and is hardly visible, since it runs through a pocket sewn into the curtain.

Whether you want to dress up your kitchen or eating nook window or you need a bit of privacy in a sitting room or enclosed porch like this one, cafe curtains make an affordable window covering you can make yourself!

Alternatively, you can also use a rod attached by small brackets on either side of the window frame, although in this case the brackets and rod will be somewhat more visible, so you’ll want to pick something decorative. You can also make your cafe curtains with tab tops and scallops with fringe or lace at the bottom to give them a more decorative look.

While traditional cafe curtains are simply panels of fabric covering the lower portion of a window, you can create a more modern look and enhanced privacy by hanging the rod at the top of the window.

For added privacy, you can also hang full length curtain panels over the traditional half-length cafe curtains, which can be closed or left open as required. If desired, you can also complete your window treatment with a matching valance, cornice or topper at the top of your window opening, leaving just enough room to peak out the window.

As an alternative to sewing a pocket to run the rod through your cafe curtain, you can instead insert grommets along the top and use a long metal bead chain to attach it to the rod or use S-hooks. Or, you can sew fabric loops to hang your curtain by as described in our directions below.

While you can purchase cafe curtains from your local retailer or online window fashion dealer, if you are handy with a sewing machine it’s more fun to make your own with our simple instructions below.

So called for their original use in European cafes, cafe curtains are easy to make yourself with the fabric colour and design of your choosing.

What you will need:

• Curtain rod
• Curtain fabric and matching thread
• Ironing board and iron
• Sewing machine
• Measuring tape and scissors

Cafe curtain instructions:

1. Height – Measure the height of your window opening from the bottom casing to the point you want your Cafe curtain to reach; typically this would be anywhere from one third to one half of the window height, but optionally you could even cover the entire opening for a contemporary look. Include the height of your window casing if you want to cover that as well. Also add six inches for the bottom hem and another four inches for the heading. Now you have the height measurement for your curtain panel.
2. Width – Measure the width of your window opening. The fullness should be between two and three times the width of the window, depending on the weight of your fabric; for something sheer and lightweight, you want to make them fuller, whereas for heavier you would want them to have less fullness. Also add four inches for the side hems. Now you have the width measurement for your curtain panel.
3. Cutting – Once you have selected your fabric and have enough to fit the measurements as described in steps one and two, you are ready to cut your curtain panel. You will also need to allow for two additional strips of fabric to make the heading and loops to hang your Cafe curtain. Cut the strip for your heading to be four inches high and the same width as your curtain panel. Cut the strip for your loops to be three inches high and the same width as your curtain panel.
4. Loops – To make the loops, use the three inch strip you have cut and press one long edge under one-quarter inch. Then fold the edge you have pressed over the opposite edge and stitch along the entire length. Center the seam in the middle of your strip, press it well, and then cut it into six inch pieces.
5. Side Hems – To sew your side hems, press under one inch on both sides of the curtain panel. Turn and press another one inch. Then, press and stitch along the length of the fabric to complete the side hem. Do this for both sides of your curtain panel.
6. Heading – To make your curtain heading, follow the same process as in step five, using the four inch strip of fabric.
7. Attach Heading and Loops – To make your curtain loops and heading, fold the six inch strips in half widthwise, keeping the seam on the underside. Position a loop at each of the top edge of your curtain panel. Determine how you want to space the loops between the two ends. Place the rough edges of the loops even with the rough edge of the curtain panel and pin the loops into place. With the right sides together, pin the heading on top of the panel and loops. Then, sew across the heading strip and loops with a one-half inch seam allowance. Flip the heading to back side of the panel and stitch down both sides and along the bottom edge.
8. Bottom Hem – Turn up bottom hem three inches and press, keeping the hemline as straight as possible. Turn again the same width as the first turn and then stitch down to complete the bottom hem.

You are ready to hang your Cafe curtain in place! This is a simple project for anyone with basic sewing skills and one that can be completed quickly and will liven up your kitchen or breakfast nook window!

We’ve been told, after all, that using too many patterns will overwhelm a room and make it look too busy.

So if you have an upholstered plaid sofa or a pair of flowered armchairs, curtain patterns are a no-no, correct?

Not necessarily.

The keys to making curtain patterns work are right at your fingertips.

Read on to learn more about choosing curtain patterns.

Curtain Design Tips

In order to create a cohesive room, you need each element to tie into the overall theme. Every piece of furniture, fabric, and accessory should fit in with the color and/or style of the room.

So if your room is done in blue and white French country, then every element should have blue or white in it OR should be French country.

For example, you might find a set of red plates in the French country style. Hanging them on one wall as a decorative statement would really make them pop against the blue and white room. Of course, every rule is meant to be broken, but this is a good starting point design-wise.

When it comes to making custom curtains, the idea is the same. Your curtains should tie into the overall scheme but not necessarily duplicate it. Actually, a room with a sofa, armchairs, and curtains all in the same fabric pattern would either be boring or overwhelming depending on the pattern.

What you want is to pick up one or two of the colors found throughout the room and make sure that they are a part of your curtain pattern.

One of the most attractive window treatments out there, which really makes for cohesive rooms, is to use exactly the same colors in the window treatments and upholstery fabrics.

For example, the upholstery could be white, turquoise, and coral plaid, whereas the curtain fabrics could pick up the same colors in a floral print. This ties them together and adds visual interest.

Curtain Pattern Options

So once you’ve decided that patterned curtains are the way to go, how do you decide what fabrics to use? Fabric patterns generally lend themselves to various styles like formal or modern rooms. Consider the following options:

• Brocade – Brocade is often found in formal dining rooms or living areas. It has a raised design woven into cotton, silk, or wool. Depending on the base material, the brocade will be either medium or heavy weight. Most brocades are floral-patterned, although other options such as fleur de lis do exist.
• Calico – If you’re looking for a more inexpensive and casual curtain pattern, calico might be the right choice for you. Calico is characterized by a small pattern of printed florals on cotton, and it makes a great choice for café style curtains.
• Chintz – If you’re looking for a patterned fabric for a formal room that isn’t as heavy as brocade or damask, try chintz. Chintz is a smooth, shiny fabric printed with multicolored patterns on a lighter background.
• Damask – Damask is one of the most popular curtain fabrics, with a raised pattern like brocade. However, it’s a little thinner. It comes in a variety of patterns including floral and fleur de lis.
• Gingham – Gingham is another casual fabric pattern and is often found in kitchens. It’s characterized by a check pattern, usually light in color, and made out of cotton or synthetics.
• Matelasse – Another heavy fabric with a raised design like brocade and damask, matelasse is generally less formal than the other two. Because of the weaving process, the design of matelasse is less even and more unfinished looking than in the other two fabric types.
• Natural Weaves – In a natural weave, the fibers themselves are rough and uneven, resulting in a bumpy, textured fabric that may have some small gaps. Fabrics may be stiff like canvas or may be even more textured and almost nubby. Natural weaves look great in rooms with wilderness themes or pared-down modern vibes.
• Tapestry – Tapestries depict very deeply textured designs or scenes and usually work best in formal rooms. They also tend to be expensive.
• Ticking – One additional casual option is ticking, a pattern of alternating dark and light vertical strips. Ticking is a vertically striped fabric incorporating a pattern of darker stripes on a light background. Ticking is named after the printed fabric traditionally used to cover mattresses.

You want your bedroom windows to be as large as possible, to let light in and open up the space when desired.

But, you also need privacy and the ability to shut out the light in your master bedroom, guest or children’s bedrooms.

If you are redecorating a bedroom, then it’s the perfect time to add new window coverings, and you have a lot of options to consider!

Bedroom Theme Sets Style for Window Coverings

Are you trying to make your bedroom look modern or perhaps Art Nouveau; with flowing curves and floral patterns? Or, maybe you prefer something more traditional, like English Country, with a plain and natural feel or Victorian, with rich, dark colours and more ornamentation and drama in your bedroom?

Regardless what theme you pick for your bedroom, the window coverings should be well matched both in style as well as colour considerations. If you plan the type of window covering you want in advance by looking at photographs online or in books and magazines, it will make your job that much easier when you’re shopping. And if you shop online you may well save yourself a bit of money as well.

A large part of designing and selecting bedroom window treatments must be based on more practical considerations. Do you work night shifts and need to block out light in order to sleep well during the day? Then you might want to consider blackout shades.

Lovely draperies and arched windows give a feeling of romance and elegance to this bedroom design.

Bedroom Privacy and Light Control

If privacy is a concern, which is typically the case unless your bedroom looks out onto a private courtyard or other private area outdoors, then you probably don’t want to use sheer curtains unless you plan to install shades or liners underneath, or your neighbors may be in for a bit of evening entertainment!

Layered window coverings are often the right choice for the bedroom, giving you the best of both worlds; open the shades or curtain liners when you want to let in the light and close them when you need more privacy or less light entering the room.

With this layering approach, you can use a sheer fabric for your curtains to give the bedroom more ambiance and colour, adding finials, eyelets, tiebacks or other curtain accessories to add to the style.

Curtains also help enhance your bedroom decor by filtering light to cast glowing color and romantic patterns of light and shadow into the interior. Choices for bedroom curtain fabrics will typically include silk, velvet and linen. Plain white or off white will look nice in a country style or modern room, while prints or other textures may give you a more formal look.

Bedroom Window Treatment Alternatives

With so many choices, how do you select the right window covering or combination of shades, blinds and curtains to complement your bedroom design?

Here is a run down on the pros and cons of each bedroom window covering alternative:

Wooden Blinds

Pros – wood blinds offer great light and privacy control, since you can raise or lower them completely or partially and also rotate the slats to let in more or less light. The look of Venetian blinds in either real or faux wood is clean, simple and masculine.

Cons – with hard surfaces, wood blinds can look too sterile and typically need a valance or other decoration to add some spice to your bedroom decor. Dusting slats is a bit of a chore and real wood blinds are more costly than other options.

Wood Shutters or Plantation Shutters

Pros – wood plantation shutters offer a romantic and intimate feeling to any bedroom. With the ability to rotate slats and open or close shutter, you have good control over light and privacy.

Cons – must have room on either side of the bedroom window to open and close wood shutters. It is also impractical to add a cornice or valance above plantation shutters since this impedes your ability to open and close them. Shutters can also be one of the most expensive bedroom window covering options.

Blackout Shades or Blinds

Pros – blackout shades or blinds are a good option if you work nights and need to sleep during the daytime. They also work well in a nursery or young child’s room for better afternoon nap time. Be careful of any blinds in children’s rooms as the pull cords may present a choking hazard.

Cons – generally less attractive than other options, any type of roller shade or blackout shade usually comes in monochromatic colours and styles are more limited. Cost is also higher than other types of shades and blinds.

Roman Shades

Pros – with a soft, romantic look, roman shades are a great bedroom window covering option. Available in a wide variety of colours, fabrics and patterns, the folds add depth and style versus straight panels or shades.

Cons – hanging open on the sides, roman shades tend to let in more sunlight than other options in the bedroom. If you don’t mind a bit of sunshine waking you in the morning, roman shades may the right solution, or you can add roller blinds or pleated shades underneath for more light control.

Bedroom Curtains

Pros – curtains are readily available online or at your local retailer and are very easy to mount. You can enhance curtains with a nice curtain rod and some finials, or add tiebacks for a more stylish look. If you are handy with a sewing machine, pick a fabric and make your own bedroom curtains! If you add a plain roller shade or pleated shade underneath makes, you’ll have a practical and stylish bedroom window treatment.

Cons – can look out of date if not done properly. Also, unless you use a heavy enough fabric, you won’t get the privacy and light control most bedroom windows need.

Top Tips for Bedroom Window Coverings

• If your bedroom design is somewhat cluttered or decorated ornately, select a simple fabric, which will complement your bedroom decor with out taking it over the top.
• Roman blinds, roller blinds and pleated blinds are probably the best options if you want blinds in the bedroom. Any of these can be enhanced by adding simple sheer fabric curtains with tiebacks for a more complete window covering.
• Personalised blinds in your bedroom will give the decor a more unique look and the optimal control over light and privacy you desire.
• Remember that natural light is important to making your bedroom look open and airy. You don’t want your bedroom to feel dark and confined by too many layers of curtain fabric, which will make the room feel smaller.

The days of the plain and functional white rods are over, and now we have many options available to compliment our window treatments and add dramatic flair to our drapes and curtains.

Many window treatments now include decorative curtain rods as a part of their overall design, and the rods are intentionally exposed to highlight their visual appeal.

Consider the following tips and tricks when selecting and installing drapery rods in your home.

Curtain Rod Basics

Curtain rods and hardware will help add style to your window curtains and shades.

When it comes to selecting the right curtain rods, you have a few factors to consider. You want a material and style that are attractive and hold up well under the weight of your window treatment, you want decorative elements that enhance the overall effect, and you want to hang the rod in a way that will attractively showcase your windows.

Silver eyelets and matching curtain rod give these curtains a modern look.

Make sure that the material you select will hold up well under the weight of your curtains, particularly if you plan to hang floor length panels or heavier weight fabrics. The last thing you want is a sagging window treatment.

You can slightly compensate for weight problems by buying a larger diameter rod, but really, you should consider a heavier rod made with a strong supporting material like graphite, and then add supporting brackets to help hold the weight.

Once you have a basic rod, you can select decorative elements to give it the right look and feel. Many wooden rods don’t need a lot of embellishment, since you can get carved versions that look attractive all on their own.

But for plain metal versions, look at decorative finials to adorn the exposed ends, or hang the rod in a decorative wall sconce to add formal drama.

Elements like these can help to make your window treatments look finished.

Curtain rods and enhancements like these buff leather on Milan aubergine curtains and modern finials are sure to make your window treatments unique and stylish!

Where and how you hang your drapery rods can make all of the difference. Follow these steps to get the best result possible:

1. Decide where you want to hang your curtains. Generally, you want to attach the rod slightly above and beyond the sides of the casing. Another possibility is to install a rod for long panels right above the ceiling. Again, the rod should extend slightly beyond the edges of the windows to insure full coverage and a balanced look.
2. Measure the height of the window or the height to the floor to insure that your curtains will fall slightly below the casing or pool on the floor as desired.
3. Whenever possible, attach support brackets to the wall studs. If your home doesn’t have studs in the right positions, you’ll need to use toggle bolts for extra support. Use a level to install the other bracket even with the first.
4. If your rod requires a little extra support, use your level to install a center bracket to help support the weight. The easiest way to determine where it should be installed is to clip the rod into the brackets you’ve already installed, and then attach the center support to the rod. Slide it to the middle of the rod, mark off its position, and attach it there. It’s probably easier to get the rod out of the way first.
5. Slide the curtains or drapery onto the rod, and clip it back onto the brackets.

They may take any form but rarely would you find a home without window coverings.

Not only do they help in protecting the residents from heat and light, they also make sure that your prying neighbors are kept at bay as far as possible.

Curtains are one of the finest and oldest modes of covering the windows.

Cheap, versatile and stylish, curtains are available in different varieties. But the trick is to choose best curtains for your purposes.

A modern home interior lends itself well to curtains in neutral tones with sleek, clean lines.

Read these great tips on how to choose curtains for your home windows:

• The purpose of curtains is paramount consideration in choosing the curtains. If privacy is what you are looking for, then buy a heavier curtain with opaque style and a lining to boot. Heavier curtains will also keep maximum sunlight out of reach from the room.
• You can also ornate the heavier curtain from inside with different add-ons. However, if you just want the curtains to show your stylish streak, then silky and satin fabric with carefully done decorative work should be your choice. You can use either tieback option or just let loose the curtains.
• 
  Elegant draperies and curtains can incorporate tie backs like these do to give your room an open, airy feeling. Colours and patterns should match throughout your room decor.
  The length of curtains is also a mighty decision. There can be varied length of curtains used under different circumstances.
• For instance, sill-length curtains are ideal in cottage-style rooms with recessed windows, or with horizontal windows. Similarly, floor-length curtains are just about perfect on sash windows, on bays and bows, and on French or picture windows.
• Curtain rods should be ideal and match with the overall style of your room as well as the curtains. Nothing looks as bad in a room as negligently selected curtain rods that look out-of-place in the otherwise well-decorated room.
• The rods with a brass or metallic look gives out a formal finishing. Similarly, wooden or plastic rods give out an informal finishing.
• Hanging of curtains on rods can also make a big difference to the overall look and feel of the room. They should be hung in such a way as to just about touching the floor – the height should neither be too high nor too low.
• Tacks, headings, valances, swags, tails, linings, and other accessories all play an important role in enhancing the looks of curtains. You can experiment with the style or follow some fixed designs from a good guidebook or Internet.

Perfect for making in any weight of fabric from the finest sheers to heavyweights such as velvet and brocade.

Tab Top Curtains

are basically straight curtains that are more casual in their effect; they are fitted onto the rod with tabs.

Café Curtains

are a very inexpensive way of creating privacy in the room by screening off the lower portion of the window.

Café Curtains

Rods, decorative poles or curtain wires can be used to hang cafe curtains and they are positioned inside the window recess halfway down the window.

Tiers

Straight curtains, usually with a high header that ruffles, they are perfect for any room in the house.

Priscilla Curtains

Priscilla Curtains

Drawn back at the center of the curtain to make a draping effect, they are essentially floor length tier curtains.

Valances

Curtains which cover only the upper portion of the window, are usually used with blinds or tiers beneath them of fabric.

HourGlass Curtains

Are a straight curtain fitted onto a rod at both top and bottom, then tied in the center.

Window Scarf

A very long strip of fabric that usually does not have rod pockets but instead is wound on the rod and draped for effect.