Any interior designer can tell you how essential it is to choose the right curtains for all your rooms; however, if you are planning to make a choice by yourself, then you must know what factors to consider before making the purchase.
The phrase, “one size fits all”, does not play well when it comes to curtains because you cannot buy the same design and size for all the rooms in your house. Will these curtains be needed for the study or bathroom, or perhaps you are specifically looking for kids curtains? Be sure to establish your need for the curtains, to avoid the wrong selection. Read ahead to identify the essential elements that will facilitate your decision-making process:
Fabric
The fabric is one of the most significant factors when it comes to choosing curtains. Unlike your clothes, the choice of the right fabric is essential not for the feel of the cloth, but for the durability and function that are desired from the curtains. Suede, velvet, silk, linen and many other types of fabric can be chosen depending on the room as well as your requirements, i.e. is it for the bedroom or the living room and do you want to keep out cold or want the natural light to enter the room? All you can do is choose a high-quality material to make sure that you get what you have hoped for.
Style: colours and patterns
How do curtains make the room? The colour and pattern of the curtains shall match the paint of the room perfectly to make sure that they complement each other. Another reason why you must not buy the same colour or paint for all the rooms in your house. The colour will also dictate the function of the curtain a little, i.e. to allow or prevent natural light from entering the room. Similarly, a matching pattern is essential to make sure that it highlights the interior decor of the room, rather than being an odd element in the room. An example of the correct style of the curtain: a heavy curtain will look good on a large door while will look hideous on small windows.
Furniture
Wondering why you should consider the furniture of the room while choosing curtains for your place? As already mentioned above, the curtains must complement the interior decor of the room. So, apart from matching the paint perfectly, the curtains should match the colour and style of furniture as well.
Budget
The ultimate factor that must be taken care of is your comfortable budget for the item. You can spend a fortune on buying curtains, and you also cannot be worried about pennies & buy cheap quality curtains. Yes, it is an evil situation; however, there is still a thin line of hope where you don’t have to compromise with your budget or the quality of the curtains. You need to identify that line and stick strictly to it when you are out buying stuff for your house. If you are redecorating the entire place, then it is advisable to keep a fixed amount aside for curtains, while you choose the paint as well as the furniture. Don’t go overboard; be smart and stay within your budget boundaries.
Maintenance and repair
Two of the most overlooked factor are maintenance and repair of the curtains. Even though, the above factors specify the significance of choosing a high-quality material; however, you need to know what the maintenance or repair costs would be before you take the final decision. You may be able to get a low-cost material, but that may have high annual repair and maintenance costs. E.g. if you have to hire professional dry cleaners every month to keep the curtains clean or if the threads come out after every few weeks, then the costs would go through the roof. So, before you finalise on a particular fabric, make sure that you have taken into consideration all these costs, and then accordingly, purchase the curtains. Your budget should include such costs as well to avoid problems in the future.
Now, you know what needs to be considered before you spend your money on curtains. You’d be surprised to see the difference that curtains can make.
Be smart! Purchase right! Hang ‘em pretty!