Do think carefully about your drop length
Curtains that pool on the floor are stylish, but consider what kind of room they’re in, how often you are going to be opening and closing them, and what kind of fabric you’re using. For high traffic areas it’s best to leave a small gap between curtain and floor, roughly 0.5-1cm. For a light puddle effect build in an extra 3-5cm, and for a heavy puddle or pooling allow 10-20cm. When it comes to the fabric, ask yourself if it is soft enough to puddle or will it just lean and look messy? For everyday use heavy puddling is not recommended. The curtains will not open and close neatly nor will they return to their dressed nature every time. Light puddling is advised for bedrooms as it closes the light gap as the blackout lining sits slightly higher behind the finished hem.
Do pay attention to headings
Classic options include the double pinch pleat – the everyday timeless pinch pleat for a made-to-measure curtain – and triple pinch pleat, which is the perfect option for country houses and grand interiors, though be aware that they are bulky and require more stacking space at the sides. Goblet headings also have a formal, smart style and are not used enough.
For more modern interiors, I like to use a single pinch pleat, which is a sleek style that stacks nice and tightly. The wave heading is gaining traction in the UK: consider a 60mm or 80mm wave size for an impactful style. 80mm is better for larger windows or room dividers. Waves can be bulky in their stack position, as they use more runners or gliders. Reverse pleats are interesting and unusual for a modern room, while loose-gathered curtains suggest relaxed country house style.
Pencil pleats and eyelets are slightly more associated with off the shelf curtains. They are more economical and have their benefits: eyelets stack tightly, for example, but an upstand above the pole needs to be taken into account, so be cautious when fitting close to a ceiling.
Do allow the right amount of space above, to the sides and in front of the window
When you’re positioning hardware, think about the proportions of the room and look at other lines that might run around the walls such as picture rails. A minimum of 10cm should be allowed for the distance from the top of the window to the top of the curtain, but 15cm is always nicer as it plays on the pleat size and gives the curtain a bit of a kick.
Also consider the distance past the sides of the window for stackable space. Here a minimum of 15cm is required and 20-35cm is about the norm: this allows the curtain to be positioned nicely without taking up too much space. Usually we would be looking for the curtain to just cover the recess lip or architrave detail at the sides.
If you have deep window sills or radiators, you need to make sure the fixings allow the curtain to project out in front or at least in line with these. This will prevent any lean on the curtains and also helps them draw more smoothly. Beware of using the kind of hardware that involves pulling on a cord: you really need proper clearance with these otherwise the curtains will drag against the sill or radiator.
Do match your hardware to the style of your house
For older houses, think antique brass poles and beehive finials (I like the ‘Galleria’ range for this); for newbuilds, you can achieve a more modern look with the Silent Gliss Metropole. Other favourite suppliers include Cameron Fuller for wrought iron poles, Tilleys for traditional bespoke poles, and The Bradley Collection for bay poles and bespoke finishes in RAL colours.
Do consider a ceiling mount for your curtains
If you have cornices in a room, then a ceiling fix won’t work, but in a more modern interior, it can be a great idea. Ceiling fixes are especially good for bedrooms as they limit light creep compared to a pole. They can also lift the height of a room with low ceilings, giving a nice ceiling-to-floor finished look.
Do embrace door curtains
Door curtains are brilliant for ‘winterising’ your doors, especially now we’re all trying to save energy. Velvet is a great fabric for this purpose, and you can interline it to add even more warmth. Doors are high usage areas so use a dark fabric to prevent dirt from showing up too easily, and add puddling of 35mm for a light bounce to help block the draft without too much drag. Consider using a recess bracket to maximise stacking space for the curtain at the side.
Do add decorative trims to curtains and blinds
Pompoms, embroidered borders, or simply having the leading edge trimmed in a block colour can be great ways to add design flair to your windows. You end up with something totally unique and bespoke to you, and you can also jazz up cheaper plain fabrics with a decorative trim. As a practical consideration, these are great features to add to curtains on a hand-drawn track or pole as they can hide any smudge marks from hands that might appear on the edges.
Don’t use heavy hardware or heavy curtain materials on walls that can’t support them
When choosing fabrics and hardware, consider the nature of the building. Is it a newbuild that is likely to have cavity walls? Are they solid Victorian brick walls? If you’re going for heavy wrought iron products or heavy duty curtains, always check the suitability of the wall. Also check that the fixings you intend to use can carry the weight of the curtain you are having made. Do consider the fact that children like to play in and around curtains so they might occasionally have to carry more weight than you expect.
Don’t install a roman blind expecting to block out all the light
People often install roman blinds in bedrooms and nurseries because they’re pretty, and think they can put a blackout roller blind behind it and that will solve the problem of light getting in. It won’t: for reasonably effective blackout blinds you need a zip frame design which ensures that the sides of the blind stay within set channels. At the end of the day curtains will always work best for blocking light.
Don’t rely on sheer privacy blinds at night
Privacy blinds set within a window recess are a great addition for sunlight control, and are also ideal for bedrooms and bathrooms, allowing daylight to stream in without letting passers-by see inside. But whether they are sheer cotton or bamboo, do check the weave tightness! The more open the weave the more people can see past the fabric, and at night when the lights are on, suddenly their daytime effect is reversed: you can’t see out but passers-by can see in!
Don’t assume curtains are just for windows
Curtains are making more and more regular appearances all over interiors these days, not just on windows. Consider curtains instead of cabinet doors in your kitchen, for example, or curtains around the vanity in a downstairs loo. I also love canopy beds and four-poster beds with curtains, and wish I could do more of them.
Chris Tebay’s company The Curtain Consultancy is based in East Sheen, and offers curtain design, production and installation. @thecurtainconsultancy
