Curtain Design Ideas

Curtains serve many purposes in the house. They help control the amount of light coming in. They help create an ambiance, based on the color you choose and the fabric you use. Light colored curtains can make a small room look bigger and more spacious, while dark ones can make you feel warm and cozy even in a big room. You are going to spend different times of the day doing all sorts of activities in different rooms of the house. Hence, the points to keep in mind while doing curtains of each of the rooms would be different.

Two Main Considerations

Light
The amount of light streaming into a room should be your top-most consideration while buying curtains for that room. A brightly lit window means your curtains are going to be subject to direct sunlight for quite some time of the day. Hence the fabric cannot be too delicate, or else it would be worn out because of the sun. The fabric has to stand the heat. If the window in question is rather brightly lit, you would also have to choose a fabric that is thick and in a dark color. At the same time, the color of the curtain should not be so dark that it will fade because of the strong light streaming in through the window. If your window has bars, they would create a pattern on your curtain as the color fades! Now a dark color does not mean one that will totally block the light out (unless, of course, you prefer it that way). Go for a color that will still allow some light to stream in.

Size
The size matters because sometimes certain curtain patterns or colors may not look good on too big or too small windows. A huge floor-to-ceiling french window does not look good adorned with a lace curtain. Though this is only a personal opinion. If the french window is located in a room in the house where too much of direct sunlight does not reach, lace curtains could in fact add the surprise factor to your room and make it appear more interesting and unique. At the same time, a small bay window calls for light colored, light-weight, floating curtains rather than heavy and heavy-colored drapes. The size of your window will also determine the cost of the curtain! This may be quite an important factor if you are going in for an expensive material. However, if you are willing to splurge, this is hardly a matter of concern.

Curtains for...

... the Living Room
The living room should have a cheerful and welcoming feel to it. It should be airy, and should have enough light streaming in through the windows to NOT let it look gloomy or dull even on a rainy day. This is for the simple reason that you are going to spend quite some time in the living room, and you do not want to be in a place that makes you feel low while watching a sad movie, for example - you would be ultra depressed by the end! Also the living room is where you are going to welcome your guests into. Hence it should feel right. Spend a little extra time and thought on picking curtains and drapes for your living room. If you have a big french window in the living room (thou I envy the most!), it would be a good idea to use layered curtains. You can have a tri-layered curtain - the outer most layer (right next to the window) can be of a simple plain light colored cloth, the middle one can be a lace curtain, and the inner one can be a thick drape. That way you are prepared for every season!