Selecting a curtain or drape style for an interior room can be rather challenging for a diverse number of reasons. Unless you’re an interior designer by trade or have a keen eye for decorating, choosing a window covering for an indoor space can leave you guessing which style is best suited for your home’s unique character. Many of us seem to give in to current styles we see in magazines or online sources without first considering all of the details related to a given space and adequately planning the “before” process. Not planning accordingly can leave you with an “after” design catastrophe that simply doesn’t work with your room. For this reason, try considering the following key design elements for transforming your interior space with custom-tailored window draperies.
1) Architectural Style
To balance current architectural style and existing room furnishings with custom drapes or curtains, first consider your material preferences. You will need to determine the existing room style or new style that the room will portray. If the room will be newly furnished or not, you can easily create a “style board” with pictures, colors, and textures of your personal preferences complete with fabric samples to define how you want the room to be expressed. Of course, taking the architectural features of your home into consideration is fundamental to the design of any room. It’s essential to think about the function of the room (i.e., dining room, bedroom, living room) and decide whether you want the room to present a formal or informal look. This is important because curtains are usually unlined and used for creating a semi-formal or casual appearance while drapes are usually lined and designed for a more formal look.
2) Perception of Space
Depending on the purpose of the room, the main focal points in the room are what will draw one’s attention. This is especially true for windows. That is why window treatments should be thoughtfully planned and properly assessed during a room makeover. If the room is a bit small, curtains and drapes can be tailored much longer and then hung higher than the window frames – to give the effect that the room is larger. Given this action, keep in mind when planning for curtain or drape installation that vertical lines draw the eyes upward while horizontal lines draw them across a room. This will better influence the proportions of the room in your favor and will help you determine the right size of window treatments needed for a given space. Generally, drapery that has a longer length is considered more formal whereas curtains that are shorter suggest a casual or relaxed mood.
3) Lighting Scheme
You will need to take into account the natural lighting a room receives before decorating with curtains and drapes. The right window treatment can not only enhance a window’s size, shape or trim details but the way it filters light into the room. Typically, north and east-facing windows aren’t positioned where too much light will enter the room, unlike south or west-facing windows that can benefit from controlled light. This is a very important design element in selecting the right custom curtains because some rooms (i.e. bedrooms) will benefit from curtains made from thicker, heavier, or lined fabrics that will block out any unwanted light, while other rooms (i.e. sun room) welcome incoming light.
4) Texture and Color
The existing color scheme of a room or the color of the selected fabric will “set the stage” for decorating with suitable curtains and drapery. Depending on the room’s functional attributes, colors represented on the wall, fireplace mantel or furnishings can determine the color and texture of curtain fabric to choose for custom-made curtains or drapes. Likewise, the color and texture of curtain fabric can determine an overall room’s scheme. For example, in rooms that are busy or cluttered, you can calm the space down a bit by minimizing the contrast between the overall room’s color and the color of window treatments by selecting a lighter hue for the curtains. Two key points when determining fabric and/or room color is – 1) the darker the color, the more it will stand out; and 2) the lighter the color, the more it will recede. The texture and patterns of chosen fabrics also play a crucial role in transforming a room by the tendency to bring all of the elements of a room together.
Now that you’ve considered these basic design elements and how each plays a major role in window treatment ideas for your room, complete your perfect room by choosing custom made curtains or drapes from Cushion Source. From indoor drapes and outdoor curtains to traditional styles and contemporary designs, the assortment of curtain and drape fabrics is remarkable. Tailored to exact customer specifications, you simply provide the measurements needed and select the fabric you love. Speaking of fabrics, choose from the exquisite line of Robert Allen® or Highland Taylor brand fabrics for indoor customization or the Sunbrella® line for outdoor drape customization. Not only is Cushion Source known for the variety of textiles that are hand-fabricated, creating sophisticated elegance and detailed privacy with fine draperies is second-to-none. So you’ve planned the room you want… well, what are you waiting for? Transform that mediocre space into an astonishing one by creating custom curtains and drapes with the leading online source for made to order interior design solutions.
View Cushion Source’s selection of drapery styles and fabrics to get inspired!