7 Types of Curtains

Curtains, with their sheer volume, texture and ripple effect, add a dreamy edge to your interior décor. Our doors, windows and in some cases our closets would look incomplete and barren without them. Apart from giving our den their much-needed privacy, they shield us from loud noise, cold, dust, sun and other harsh elements of nature. The mammoth task of selecting the perfect curtains for your room would be easier if you know the various types available.

Different Types of Curtains

A. Depending On the Curtain Heading Styles

1. Rod Pocket

This style of curtains that are also known as cased heading curtains, features a pocket that is sewn to their top through which the curtain rod passes. Pair them with valances for a formal look and skip pairing them for a look more casual. This design that looks best in cotton and linen fabric can feature embellishments like ruching and embroidery on the pocket.

Pros: They sport a neat look and are moderately priced. They are easy to clean and maintain as they can be taken out easily from the curtain rods they are hung with.

Cons: Since the curtain rod fits into the curtains tightly, they might not be that easy to move about. So you can use it in rooms that are used less frequently, like formal sitting rooms.

2. Eyelet or Grommet

Made of light to medium weight fabric, this casual style of curtains has silver rings at the header through which the curtain rod is threaded. If you have sliding glass doors, pinch pleated grommet curtains would be your best bet.

Pros: The curtains hang easily and freely, making it ideal for kids’ bedrooms as they are easy to open and close. They are very easy to clean and maintain. If you are making them out of formal looking fabric (that are plain, devoid of ornamental patterns), they are an excellent option for modern lounge rooms and bedrooms due to their no-fuss contemporary looks. That they are reasonably priced comes as a plus.

Cons: They cannot be paired with a valance and hung from traverse rods.

3. Tab Top

They have fabric loops on the top to hang them from curtain rods. The informal style of curtains boasts of a repetitive folded appearance that is pleasing to the eyes. They can be embellished with buttons at the header. You can alter their basic look with tie tops, embellished loops and bows.

Pros: They hang evenly and suit all weights of fabrics. They can flaunt both a casual as well a dressed-up look and look good over French doors.

Cons: You might find it difficult to clean the fabric loops that tend to accumulate dirt. You would want to keep them stationary as they are quite difficult to move about. They can be put on windows that don’t need to be opened regularly.

Instead of the fabric strips, you can have the curtains hanging from rings that are attached with the help of hooks inserted into a header tape that sewn to the back of the curtain panels.

B. Depending On Types of Curtain Pleats

1. Box Pleated

The deep folds down the entire length of the curtains endow them with a tailored look. The formal, pleated appearance owes to the box shapes of the fabric that line up next to one another. So you can use them in formal rooms like the dining, lounge and study.

Pros: Sport a clean look with long and uninterrupted vertical lines.

Cons: The width of the fabric needs to be almost double that of the window or door. Since they are usually attached to the pole with clips to keep the pleats in position, they are challenging to clean and maintain. Their price is on the higher side.

2. Pinch Pleated

This style of pleating renders a decorative finish to the top of the curtains that suits formal settings. Here the folds are equally placed and pinched at the top. A pin hook or ring is attached to the top of each pleat to connect it to the rod.

Pros: Each pleat is sewn at a point that is a couple of inches below the top hem allowing the folds billow out from the pleats adding abundant fullness below and interesting detail above.

Cons: You can have groups of 2-5 pinch pleats. The more the number of pleats, the more the fabric required and the cost.

3. Pencil pleated

In this design, folds of fabric are gathered tightly to create a semi-cylindrical heading that looks like a line of pencils. Starting from the base of the close pleats of the header, the curtain fabric tumbles freely down. At the back of the heading, there are three rows of strings that run horizontally allowing the attachment of hooks to connect with the curtain rod. They are popular in dining rooms, living rooms and bedrooms.

Pros: The traditional looks of these curtains make it a perfect choice for classic interior décor styles, cottages and older properties.

Cons: They can burn a hole in your pocket, are difficult to take out for cleaning.

4. Goblet Pleated

The tops of these curtains have pleats in the shape of goblets. If you are looking for formal curtaining of a grand room in a traditional home with high ceilings, you can pick this one. You can shape them with wadding or interlining to make them look full and rounded.

Pros: Boast of an enviable look.

Cons: They are pricey.

C. Depending On Transparency, Length, and Material

Based on the amount of light that you want in your house, you can have blackout, sheer and semi-opaque curtains. The transparency, in its turn, depends on the material that you choose for your curtains. There is a bevy of fabrics available like lace and burlap for sheer, silk and satin for semi-opaque and cotton, linen and velvet for blackout.

For shower curtains, you would need fabric that has a waterproof lining. Choose curtains with a thermal lining to control the heat that flows into your room. Long curtains suit bay windows, large windows and doors while café curtains that cover only half of a window suit your kitchen.

Curtains never fail to delight you with their timeless charm and appeal. If you are thinking of redesigning your home, just changing the curtains would do a lot to achieve that end. Remember that how much ever beautiful the curtains may look, if they are not cleaned properly, they make your den look dirty and untidy. So always make it a point to take them out for a wash or vacuum clean them if they are difficult to remove.