The interior of the house is made up of a large number of accessories that not only decorate, but also complement the overall design of the rooms. One of the required elements includes curtains located on the windows. When choosing products, you must adhere to several rules to create the right and competent environment.
Window decoration is an important stage in decorating any interior.
Room selection
The area in which the accessory will be located plays one of the key roles. For each room, a different length, material, color palette and pattern are selected. When purchasing, you should consider the size of the room and the height of the ceilings. The frequency of soiling and washing also plays an important role.
The wrong choice can visually reduce the space or overload it with heavy details.
Attention! It is necessary to pay special attention to the shape of the window openings for which the canvas is purchased.
Briefly about the main thing
The length of curtains is an important parameter that affects the overall perception of the room; the choice of length is given no less attention than the type and color of the fabric. Today, there are several standard sizes of window decoration.
Curtains can end above and below the window sill; the lower edge of the canvas can be at different distances from the floor, or fall onto it, forming a beautiful drapery. After choosing the length, the width of the model is calculated; it is determined using the assembly coefficient.
Before purchasing curtains or fabric for sewing them, take measurements from the window opening, not forgetting to take into account the type of fastening (rings and loops make their own adjustments). When calculating the required footage, unevenness of the floor and ceiling, allowances for hemming and shrinkage are taken into account. Fabrics with repeat require special attention and additional expense.
The length of curtains in different rooms may vary. If for the living room the only limitation is personal choice, then for the kitchen rational motives come first. In the bedroom and nursery, preference is often given to more practical options.
Bedroom placement
Bedroom decoration should create an atmosphere of relaxation. Curtains on the window perform not only a decorative, but also a protective function. They prevent the penetration of daylight, drafts or street noise. The best choice would be a canvas made of dense material. It can be velvet or brocade.
In order to soften the overall composition, soft flowing tulle is suitable.
The standard length of curtains from the floor largely depends on the location of the window opening. If the window sill is located above the head of the bed, you should choose the short option. A long product will be pressed against the back of the bed, which will lead to rapid deterioration of the material.
Advice. Roller curtains are suitable for this bedroom layout.
The size of the room can also be visually adjusted by choosing the right shade.
For a small space, curtains decorated in cold or pastel colors are suitable. The finished composition will expand the total area and lengthen the walls. It is better to choose cold colors for a large, spacious bedroom.
Note. The window can be decorated with one curtain measuring 300 by 300 cm.
Home and Garden
Stylish and comfortable home
Curtains lying on the floor. To be or not to be?
How long should curtains be? to the floor? to the windowsill? Why in the photos on the Internet are the curtains lying on the floor? Firstly, the most important rule is that your curtains, like your children, like you personally, don’t owe anyone anything. They have every right to be the length that is comfortable and visually pleasing to you. If you like curtains that lie on the floor in beautiful, spectacular folds, this is a reason to sew curtains this way. If instead of beautiful warehouses you see “dust collectors,” then you need to make curtains just above floor level. If you don’t yet know exactly how you need and what you want, the reasoning below may come in handy. These are not dogmas or laws, but practical observations.
There are two fundamentally different length options for curtains: 1. Curtains up to the window sill. Most often, this choice is dictated by the design features of the room: there is a sofa close to the window, and the lower part of the curtains will be behind it. The heating radiator is covered with a decorative grille; there is no need to hide such beauty behind curtains. The window sill goes into the tabletop, making curtains to the floor is not going to work. The room is small, it’s cramped, I want there to be as few curtains as possible. In all these cases we need to reconcile utilitarian necessity with aesthetics. It needs to be done so that it is both convenient and beautiful. But first of all, it’s still convenient. It is important to remember that the proportions of the window set are perceived not by the contours of the actual window opening, but by the outlines of the curtains themselves. Those. a curtain up to the window sill makes the window visually more “squat”.
In my opinion, Roman blinds would be a good solution for decorating such windows.
Austrian/French curtains
Cafe style curtains
2. Curtains to the floor The most common solution is curtains that do not reach the floor level by 0.5-1.5 cm. That is. almost touch the floor, create a slender silhouette of the window, but do not touch the floor
I once came across a discussion about a beautiful room with curtains that did not reach the floor by about the height of the baseboard. Proponents of this option believed that a beautiful baseboard should not be covered with curtains. As another advantage of this length, it is generally accepted that the curtains get dirty less and do not interfere with cleaning the floor. On the other hand, this length of the curtains may lead to thoughts that: the measurements were wrong, the curtains turned out to be short; these were ready-made curtains, standard size, and making an individual adjustment was a hassle; The curtains shrank after washing.
There was a discussion in interiors-ru, maybe someone still has the link? I would be grateful.
3. Curtains lying on the floor. The allowance for lying on the floor can be different, from 2-3 cm (if you only need to outline the silhouette) to 30-50 cm (if you need to form the volume of fabric on the floor) Why do they even lay curtains on the floor? What's the point of this? Firstly, many people think it is beautiful. a kind of slight negligence. A little “irregularity” reduces pretentiousness and at the same time takes the perception of the interior beyond the boundaries of strict utilitarianism. For interior owners, this is a way of easy, ironic communication: yes, these are just curtains. nothing that lies on the floor. but it's beautiful. Considerations of practicality are not in the first place for us. yes, we can afford it. If we draw analogies with clothing, it’s like women’s floor-length trousers/skirts. As opposed to short trousers, for which it is important not to get dirty.
Secondly, this length saves you from the need to accurately calculate the height of the curtains. Let me clarify that if you don’t like the curtains lying on the floor, then you should still take care of the correct sizes. It is not difficult. Exception for windows of complex shapes. Here the fabric can behave in an unpredictable way; it is often better to immediately lay the curtains on the floor
Thirdly, this length insures you against the fact that after dry cleaning the curtains will be “shot.” The permissible percentage of shrinkage for fabrics with a high content of natural fibers is approximately 3%, i.e. a curtain 2800 mm long has the right to become 8 cm shorter. If you do not want to lay the curtains on the floor, and the prospect of getting short curtains after dry cleaning is also not ok, just ask the studio to make a larger allowance for the curtain tape. This supply of fabric will allow (if necessary) to lengthen the curtains.
Kitchen area
The kitchen is one of the cozy places in every home. As a rule, the room is small in size and lacks light. When selecting, you must adhere to several rules at once.
The width of the curtains depends on the selected models.
Criterias of choice:
- Room dimensions;
- Ceiling height;
- The location of the window in relation to the food preparation area;
- Using a window sill as an additional work space.
In order to add light and freshness to the interior, it is recommended to choose calm pastel colors. They will help expand the space and make the atmosphere more comfortable and cozy.
The optimal size would be the length to the window sill. The length below the window sill will not be the best if the space is used to store household or cutlery, or flowers. The material quickly becomes dirty, and the edges begin to crumble.
When cleaning, such curtains can be easily removed with tiebacks.
An important point is the location of the working area. If the stove is close to a window, traces of grease and food particles will accumulate on the fabric. In this case, it is better to use roll options.
Many designers use long products when designing. This accessory would be appropriate if there is a balcony in the kitchen area. A short curtain covering the door will look repulsive and tasteless.
Addition: a long canvas is also suitable for decorating a window in the dining area.
We calculate wisely
How to calculate the fabric for curtains - such a task seems difficult to accomplish, but this is only at first glance. You just need to know that the required footage is determined by the sum of several terms:
- curtain length,
- width multiplied by the build factor,
- allowances for processing edges,
- allowance for possible shrinkage of the fabric,
- reserve for the symmetry of the pattern if the curtains have a large repeating pattern.
Measurements are more accurate when using a long metal tape measure rather than a flexible measuring tape.
Calculation of fabric length
First, find the distance from the cornice to the desired end point - the floor or window sill. This will be the finished length of the product. According to the wishes and ideas of the home owners, curtains can:
- reach the floor, 1-2 cm without touching it to avoid wear,
- reach the floor and lie on it with a “trail” of 5 to 10 cm,
- be the length of the window sill, without reaching the bottom edge of the curtain to its surface by 1 cm,
- fall below the window sill by 10-15 cm.
Then, for a more accurate calculation of the fabric, you need to know the method in which the curtain will be hung on the cornice. There are several types of fastening:
- A special curtain braid, the loops of which will catch the hooks of the curtain rod. Two strong threads are stretched along the ribbon for a neat and beautiful assembly of the fabric. If, for example, the braid is 7 cm, you will need 14 cm of fabric for a double hem. Plus 2-3 cm on the side at the top.
- Loops or ties sewn to the top finished edge of a curtain.
- Clothespins, clips, hooks. In this and the previous cases, a technological allowance of 2-3 cm is given to hem the top of the fabric.
- The drawstring is a kind of tunnel along the top of the product through which the rod of a round cornice or string line passes. To the total footage you will need to add the double width of the drawstring (it can be from 3 to 20 cm).
- Eyelets are plastic, wooden or metal rings driven into holes along the top of curtains. Then the width of the lining tape (from 10 to 20 cm) is added to the total number of meters, which is glued from the inside to seal the fabric and allow the eyelets to move along the rod.
Calculation of material by width
The fabric consumption for curtains by width is calculated taking into account three parameters:
- cornice length;
- fabric gathering factor;
- allowances for processing side seams.
First, the working length of the supporting rod of the cornice is measured. According to the rules, the cornice should protrude 20-25 cm from the window on both sides, so that the curtains can be freely moved apart to provide sufficient illumination of the room. The resulting value is multiplied by the gathering factor (folds). It is sometimes called the fluffiness factor. Uniform, beautiful drapery is associated with the density and texture of the fabric. The thinner and more airy the matter, the greater the amount will be permissible. So, for tulle and organza the gathering factor will be from 2 to 4, for heavy ones - 1.5-2.
For example, with a cornice length of 3 m, calculating the width of one curtain looks like this:
3 m: 2(number of panels) x 2(assembly ratio) = 3 m(width of one panel).
To the resulting figure, do not forget to add 2 cm on each side for processing the side edges. You also need to take into account a small allowance of 5-7 cm for the overlap at the “meeting” point of the drawn curtains.
The number of folds also depends on the presence of the pattern: the larger it is, the less the curtain needs folds, since they will only interfere with the perception of the texture of the material.
Shrinkage allowance
To hem the bottom edge of the curtain, add 5-8 cm to the length of the finished product, insuring yourself in case the canvas “shrinks,” that is, decreases in size both in length and width. This reserve depends on the type of fabric: natural fabrics made of cotton, wool, silk, linen shrink more, up to 10% of the original length. According to all the rules of sewing technology, before cutting any product (clothes or curtains), all fabrics must undergo decatification - soaking in water or steam treatment. This is done so that the fabric has time to “shrink” in advance and the inevitable washing does not deform the already sewn item.
Stock for curtains with large prints
A large (floral or geometric - it doesn’t matter) pattern on both curtains should be located symmetrically for an aesthetic appearance.
First, one canvas is cut. Then the remaining fabric is placed side by side, the pattern on both halves is combined, and only then the second curtain is cut out. The yardage of fabric for curtains with large patterns is always increased by the length of the repeating motif - the so-called rapport, and for each panel. The amount of rapport is determined by the boundaries beyond which the pattern is repeated.
For example, if two curtains have a length of 5, and the repeat length is 40 cm, then you will have to buy 5 m 80 cm (5 m + 40 cm + 40 cm). The larger the drawing, the greater the financial costs for additional centimeters.
Rules for tulle
The presence of tulle on the window depends on the preferences of the owner. The accessory is located in the middle, between the curtains, and performs several functions at once.
Rooms such as the bedroom, children's room and living room require the use of long curtains that will cover the entire window opening and fall to the floor.
Purpose:
- Additional decor;
- Protection from insects during warm periods;
- Comfortable light dispersion in sunny weather;
- Hiding imperfections and defects on frames, window sills, glass.
An important aspect is the question of how many cm from the floor the tulle should be. The size chart is similar to the curtain options. The accessory can be either up to the window sill or to the floor.
The final choice depends on the room and interior style.
Both canvases must be selected together. They should complement each other and create a common, complete composition. If the curtains have a bright pattern or palette, the tulle should be from a neutral range. In the case where the curtain is made without an ornament in a dark color, the curtain can be a rich shade, with additional patterns.
The shape of the window itself plays a big role. Modern designers prefer semicircular facades. This option looks unusual and increases the amount of light in the room.
Tulle and curtains should be placed along the entire perimeter of the opening, creating soft folds and waves along the entire length.
Advantages and disadvantages
When choosing the length of the curtain, you need to focus not only on personal preferences, but also take into account the design and functional purpose of the room. In addition, you need to consider the advantages and disadvantages of each model.
Standard models
This is the most common option, when the lower edge of the curtain is located a few centimeters higher. Its advantages include:
- the ability to visually increase the height of the room;
- the ability to hide wall imperfections;
- This option suits almost any style.
This type of curtains is suitable for any interior, you just need to carefully approach the choice of material for such canvases.
Their disadvantage is that they are not suitable for rooms with uneven floors. They are also not always appropriate in the kitchen or in an apartment where there are small children or pets.
Extended
Curtains lying on the floor are not that common. Designers use them for apartments and houses with large areas. A large curtain allowance helps create volume that looks beautiful and creates a sophisticated effect with a slight hint of casualness. The advantage of such models is:
- the ability to hide uneven floors or walls;
- suitable for irregularly shaped windows;
- create the illusion of a high ceiling.
As a rule, they are sewn from heavy, non-transparent types of fabric.
Their disadvantages:
- not suitable for all rooms;
- require ideal cleanliness in the room, as they are capable of accumulating a lot of dust;
- Contraindicated in homes with pets and small children.
Short
These are considered to be curtains that reach the line of the window sill, slightly below or above it. Among their advantages:
- ease of use and ease of maintenance;
- do not prevent the penetration of air from the street and heat from the battery;
- some models are able to protect well from bright sunlight;
- suitable for apartments with children and animals.
They can be made of tulle, veil or organza and are not able to fully protect the room from direct sunlight.
The disadvantages include:
- the inability to hide imperfections in the window sill, radiators, walls or other imperfections;
- It is not recommended to hang in a room with a ceiling height of less than 2.5-2.7 m or a narrow window opening.
The correct curtain length will bring harmony to the room. In this case, you need to pay attention to the general design of the room, other accessories and auxiliary elements.
Placing curtains of different lengths
Many interior design specialists actively use products of different sizes and lengths when designing window areas. This option is used in several cases.
If you want to sew curtains yourself and choose a fabric with a pattern, then you need to combine it correctly.
Accommodation:
- Windows of non-standard shape - arch, trapezoid;
- Decoration of the balcony exit area;
- Visual expansion of space;
- Giving the overall design more dynamics.
The choice of asymmetrical fabrics should be approached with special care. In small rooms, such curtains will spoil the overall interior and significantly reduce the area of the room. Also, those who like a large amount of additional decor should refuse this choice. Bright accessories in addition to asymmetry create an overloaded picture. When using curtains of different lengths in a classic or minimalist style, the overall concept is violated. It is better not to use it.
A suitable option would be the Art Nouveau style.
Advice. For classic sophistication, curtains with asymmetrical lambrequins located on the sides are suitable.
Asymmetry is different in that it can significantly change the entire design of the room. This product would be the best option for the kitchen. On the side of the cooking area there is a short edge that reaches the window sill, on the other side - to the floor. Similar use in rooms with a balcony. On the side of the door there is a long half that completely covers the exit.
Reference. Some users also use this type of curtain to decorate a doorway.
The length and width of curtains are important parameters for window decoration, which need to be given no less importance than fabric, pattern and color.
When choosing asymmetrical products, the question arises of how many centimeters from the floor the tulle should be. Some stick to matching the short edge of the curtain, while others choose the floor-length option. Designers recommend relying on the overall design picture, since the curtain serves as a complement to the curtain. Both short and long textures are suitable here.
Calculation of fabric for lambrequin
If you purchase a classic type of product, in which the folds run along the top edge, then we calculate the width using the standard system described above. Choose the length to suit your taste, adding seam allowances. Do not forget to take into account the direction of the material and the combination of the design of the product with the ornament and color of the curtains.
For a rigid lambrequin, calculation of the width is not required, it is equal to the width of the cornice itself, the length can be any you like, leave seam allowances.
If you choose a soft lambrequin with waves, then you should be very careful with the measurements. How to correctly calculate the length of such a lambrequin? Quite simple: make a pattern on paper, calculate the size of each part and their number.
Lambrequin is a chic decorative element; do not regret the time spent on calculations and creating patterns. You won't regret the effort when you see this magic on your window.
What types of folds are there?
Before you begin the operation itself, you need to find out what types of folds there are on curtains and understand which ones are better suited in this particular case. To get a good fold on the curtain, you can follow two paths:
- Do everything by hand;
- Use curtain tapes.
The second method is somewhat simpler, especially if a beginner has to do it. A curtain with braid will be convenient if the curtain fabric is thick and heavy. You just need to choose the right one so as not to make a mistake and spoil the main material. If the fabric is light, then the tape should also be thin and transparent. From this comes the proportion that thick tapes are for heavy fabrics, and thin ones for light ones.
When selecting braid, it is also worth considering the fabric consumption rate. That is, in order to fold the folds on the curtain correctly, you need to understand in advance how many meters of fabric it will take to close a certain window opening.
Types and options
Laying a side fold So, folds and methods for making them are as follows:
- Pencil type. In this case, the folds do not differ in size and run perpendicular to the length of the fabric;
- The folds on the curtains come out one-sided if you attach the bookmarks only on one side;
- Occurring folds are made only by folding in both directions;
- Bow-type folds also have an attractive appearance; it is obtained by sewing ribbon in opposite directions;
- The floccal type is also common. Thanks to it, you can sew folds on the curtains at the bottom, and the curtain gathers towards the bottom, looking exactly like a glass. Here you will need a special filler so that the folds do not wrinkle towards the bottom;
- Buff type. This concept includes many different folds combined into one group. The similarity factor lies in the fact that the folds are connected to each other in several places;
- You can make beautiful folds on tubular curtains by sewing on even long braid, the roundings here will be smoother;
- French folds are made using a cord that passes through special sewn-in inserts.
The tape and its width are attached in different ways. Thick braid is sometimes sewn on specifically so that hooks from the cornice can be hung on it. Well, drapery turns out better this way than other methods. Also, you should not save on laces that make folds - cheap ones are difficult to work with and in the process they can tear and become unusable. And even if you manage to sew them in, they can stretch out over time, and the curtain will become even.
What is a grommet
Before looking for master classes and figuring out how to put grommets on curtains with your own hands, you need to understand what it is all about. A grommet is a special fitting for sewing textiles, shaped like a ring and installed directly on the fabric. Such elements are in demand not only in sewing curtains. They are used in the manufacture of tents, sails, leather goods, shoes, and awnings. The ease of installation, functionality and durability of the fittings made the scope of its application almost unlimited.
Species diversity
Any step-by-step instructions on how to make curtains with grommets with your own hands begins with choosing accessories. Depending on the material used, eyelets can be:
- metal;
- plastic;
- wooden.
Plastic fasteners are considered the most practical. They are not afraid of corrosion, so the curtains can be washed without removing the fastening elements.
Plastic eyelets
Plastic eyelets slide along the curtain rod quietly, with a pleasant rustling sound.
With good quality plastic, the parts will last a long time and without incident.
Such an important question of how to install grommets on curtains with your own hands can also be resolved in no time.
Installing eyelets yourself is not difficult
The next category by which eyelets are selected is design. The fittings can be transparent, have a pattern or be plain, or be an imitation of natural textures and other materials. To make your own curtains with metal eyelets, you can choose bronze, gold-plated, or chrome-plated models. For greater decorativeness, products may contain rhinestones or other decorations.
Metal eyelets for curtains
If we talk about the form, then there is plenty to choose from. In addition to traditional round options, you can buy eyelets in the form of:
- triangles;
- squares;
- oval
Square eyelets
There are also figured accessories depicting, for example, a fish, a frog, a cloud, a flower, or a ship's wheel. Master classes offer hand-sewn curtains with such eyelets for children's rooms.
How to choose the right grommet
“Step-by-step instructions for installing grommets on curtains with your own hands focus attention on one more point - the role of details in interior design”
There are several indicators by which curtain fittings are selected. The first and main parameter is the diameter of the eyelet. The curtains should slide easily along the cornice, and this will be possible only if the diameter of the inner part of the grommet is at least a centimeter larger than the diameter of the cornice.
The second parameter that is taken into account when purchasing accessories for sewing curtains with eyelets with your own hands is the type of fabric. If it is light organza or tulle, then they will look organic on small fasteners; for heavy materials, massive holders will be needed.
Light organza or tulle looks organic on small fasteners
Usually, eyelets with a diametrical size of the inner ring of up to 5 cm are used for window decoration.
The color of the fasteners should be correlated with the design of the cornice, curtains or furniture available in the interior.
Step-by-step instructions for installing eyelets on curtains with your own hands focus on one more point - the role of details in interior design. If you want to draw attention to an unusual way to fasten curtains, you should use bright or curly eyelets
In thematic interiors it is worth using decorative models. Thus, in a room decorated in a nautical theme, curtain mounts in the shape of dolphins or anchors will be relevant, and in a nursery stylized as a green lawn, frog eyelets will be an excellent addition to the interior idea.
Eyelets for curtains in contrasting colors
What errors occur during measurement?
Even if you are confident that you know how to measure, sometimes it is impossible to avoid mistakes. To ensure that further installation does not cause difficulties, you need to try to provide for everything. If you do not want to install roller blinds that are too large or narrow, then you need to take measurements at several points.
For roller blinds, it is also important to take into account the dimensions of the roller shutters. The difference due to fastenings may differ by several millimeters
If you don’t take this into account, you can get too many that go beyond the frame. This option is primarily inconvenient because night can block access to the handles and touch other elements. In this case, there is a high risk of tearing it off during use.
Determining the dimensions required for installing roller blinds is not as difficult as it might seem at first glance
Since the height of most finished products is standard, experts advise paying more attention to the width. If you make a mistake with it, then there may be gaps in the window openings through which light will penetrate
For open type fastenings, the fabric can most often be cut, so the wide fabric can be adjusted to the desired size. Write down all the information you receive so you don't forget anything. And remember that individual double-glazed windows sometimes require rolls of different widths. Do not forget to measure each glass so as not to make a mistake with the size.
About the measurements and presented in the video:
