"Some Great
Ideas For Window Coverings"
If you're looking
for a few good ideas for window coverings, then this wonderful
guest article about curtains gives you some suggestions for tie backs,
informal
vs. formal curtains, as well as some great background information
on
curtains and window coverings.
How Curtains Can Change the Look
of Your Home
By
Robert
Carlton
The roles of curtains have
changed. At one time they were used to retain heat, block cold
air, control sunlight and provide privacy. They still perform
these roles, but with the many advancements in window glass and
window design technology, they are often much more decorative than
functional. Decorators can be much more creative in their window
treatments with this shift to the decorative usage.
For many people, there is a
distinction between the terms curtains and drapes. Drapes are
usually floor length, lined and suspended from a traverse rod with
hooks that will allow them to be opened and closed by pulling a
cord. Draperies are usually very formal looking. Curtains are less
formal. They are usually those fabric window treatments that are
suspended by hooks or rings from a rod and opened and closed by
grasping the edge and pulling the fabric panel into position.
Often they are tied back to the window casing and are not opened
or closed at all. In these situations, they are frequently used in
conjunction with shades, or
blinds which can be closed to block sunlight or provide
privacy.
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Types of curtains
There are three basic types of
curtains. These are the panel, the cafe and tiered. Panel are
simply plain panels of fabric that are hemmed at the top and at
the bottom. They are suspended from the top of the window by rings
or hooks and hang in natural folds, giving the window a less
formal appearance. These are often used in bedrooms and dining
rooms and maybe used in combination with shades, blinds or sheers.
Cafe curtains are generally hung from the center of the window,
leaving the upper part of the window bare or exposed. Sometimes
the cafe styles will be hung one fourth or one third of the way
down from the top of the window, giving the window a much
different look. Either way, they are tied back. Cafe curtains are
often used in kitchens and in informal dining areas. The third
kind is the tiered. These are multiple panels with one or two
panels hanging over the top of the two base panels. The base
panels usually cover the bottom half of the window and the outer
panels cover the top half of the window and hang down to overlap
the base panels.
There are three basic lengths as
well. The sill length is either suspended from either the halfway
point or the top of the window. The bottom hem is not quite
touching the windowsill. The below the sill style is cut so the
bottom hem hangs just below the apron or trim board running across
the bottom of the window. The floor length style is cut so the
bottom hem is just above the floor.
There are also be lined or
unlined styles, depending upon the amount of natural light that is
to be admitted to the room. Similarly, there are interlined
styles, with a third layer sandwiched between the panel and the
lining. They are designed to provide protection from cold air that
is conducted from the outside to the inside through the glass, or
air seeping through cracks in the windowsill or between the sash
and the window frame.
Tie back styles
The appearance of a window can be
dramatically altered by the colour and fabric used. It can also be
altered in the manner the curtains are hung. One popular and
attractive arrangement is the tie back. Tie back options offer
decorators tremendous choices in creating unique and very
attractive windows.
The most popular tie back
positions are the high tie, the middle tie, the low tie, the
centre tie, the crisscrossed tie and the angled double tie.
1. The high tie is when one or
two panels are hung in the window. The tie pulls the panel back
above the centerline of the window.
2. The middle tie pulls the panel
back at a point near the middle of the curtain. It looks best if
it is not done at the exact centre, but either slightly above or
slightly below the centre.
3. The low tie pulls the curtain
back about three-fourths of the distance from the top to the
floor.
4. The centre tie gathers one or
two curtains and pulls them together in the vertical centre of the
window, about two thirds or three fourths of the distance from the
top to the bottom.
5. The crisscrossed tie starts
with two overlapping panels hanging the full width of the window.
The outer panel is pulled back to one side and the inner curtain
is pulled back to the opposite side.
6. The angled tie uses either one
or two curtains. The panel is pulled partially back in the high
tie position and pulled back more closely to the window casing in
the bottom tie position. The panel is tied back twice in such a
way that it is hung in a pleasing, billowing angle from one top
corner of the window to a point below the opposite side of the
window.
Formal and informal styles
Curtains can be as varied as the
individuals in whose homes they hang. Even with all of the variety
in fabrics, colors, lengths and methods of hanging, all curtain
styles can be classified as either formal or informal.
Formal window treatments are
usually called draperies and hang in layers. They are most often
found in formal parlors or sitting rooms, living rooms and formal
dining rooms. The window treatment is usually done in two or three
layers. The first layer is the sheer, which is often a single
panel of sheer linen or lace that admits diffused light into the
room. Sheers also tend to obscure visibility from the outside,
especially if the lighting in the room is subdued. The second
layer is usually the pleated floor length drapes. The drapes are
suspended from traverse if they are intended to be opened and
closed. Drapes are hung from above the window and cover the side
casing and trim of the window as they fall toward the floor. The
third layer is the curtain running across the window top and
covers the top of the window casing, trim and the heading of the
draperies. Draperies and valances are often lined. Draperies may
be below sill length although they are often floor length.
Everything else is informal
curtains, usually hung in one or two layers. They are seldom
lined, and are used to diffuse light, not to block it out.
Curtains are decorative, but have
other uses as well, aside from providing privacy. They are useful
in room darkening to protect room contents from the adverse
effects of the sun’s UV rays. Sunlight can fade the colors in
furniture and carpet fabrics. Lined curtains are especially good
for protecting furniture and carpeting near windows facing either
to the south or to the west.
About the author: Rob Carlton is a freelance writer
who enjoys writing about
window coverings and home decoration for his website
http://www.curtains-drapes-coverings.com.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/
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