Curtains

Curtains come in many styles and serve different home needs. When most of us picture curtains, we imagine either long or short styles. Short curtains are perfect for covering smaller spaces such as windows or even the top or bottom half of a glass-paned door. Café styles, on the other hand, are perfectly suited as kitchen curtains. Medium-to-long curtains are suitable for picture windows, while extra-long options are designed to cover full-length windows or tall French doors. Standard lengths are 63', which reaches to the base of the window, and 84', which should hit the floor.

Aside from length, another issue is thickness. You've probably noticed curtains that are extremely thin and delicate, as well as ones that are thick and heavy. Thin, breezy curtains are perfect for rooms that you wish to receive a lot of light. Eyelet curtains are a common example. These are commonly found in bathrooms, kitchens, and bedrooms, but can be appropriate in other rooms as well.

Thick curtains are often found in more formal rooms, such as living rooms or formal dining rooms. They may be composed of cotton, velvet, velour, chenille, satin, jacquard, brocade, or other fabrics. These curtains are often fully lined, meaning they have two layers of fabric instead of one. Sometimes this lining is also called 'thermal lining' because it helps to control the temperature of the room.

Beyond the length and fabric, the style of curtain is the most important factor. The main distinguishing factor is how the curtains attach to the rod. Tab-top versions offer a clean, somewhat casual look while ring-top styles can be a bit more formal (depending entirely on the material of the ring). Unlike these two types, rod pocket curtains cover the rod entirely. For the full effect, you can add a valance to your window treatment or even a window scarf for an elegant touch.