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Ideas for curtains (with all the terminology you need to recreate them)
In his book Elements of Style, the American interior designer Michael S Smith makes an excellent point about curtains: ‘They should enhance the room not overwhelm it.’ There have been many fads and fashions for dressing windows over the centuries, from ornate swags and tails to pared-back minimalism.
‘The triple pleat, which is both classic and contemporary, is our most popular heading now,’ says Sheri Downer of London-based specialists Downers Design, which makes curtains for designers including Max Rollitt and Carden Cunietti. Our advice is not to worry too much about so-called rules and take your lead from the architecture – as interior designer Veere Grenney says, ‘Absolutes don’t matter so much any more. Sill-length curtains were once thought of as ugly, but I just did some with a scalloped edge and they looked divine.’
Start with our pictorial guide to curtain headings (thanks to The Shade Store), move on to our indispensable guide to window dressing, according to curtain consultant Chris Tebay, and then scroll down for our selection of design ideas.
The House & Garden archive is curtain heaven: scroll down for some of our favourite options by leading interior designers – from elegantly tailored pelmets to elaborate Italian strung curtains. And, once you've determined your style and fabric, find out how to measure curtains via our all-encompassing guide.
Boz Gagovski1/35Curtains are beautiful, practical textiles to block light and keep in the warmth, but they're also very useful door substitutes. In the sitting room of Daniel Slowik and Benedict Foley's Hackney flat, a large opening into the bedroom can be niftily screened off with curtains. “They offer a certain amount of flexibility in the space and don't take up as much space as doors,” the pair note. If you're in the bedroom you can see the pair of pinch pleat curtains on a curtain pole, whereas from the living room the doorway blocks the curtain pole and creates a neat, formal finish.
Boz Gagovski2/35In the same bijou Hackney flat, the living room curtains are made of antique hand loomed Ewe Kente cloth, with all the strips slip-stitched together. They've used wooden Venetian blinds underneath the curtains to give an array of options during the day.
Boz Gagovski3/35The wave curtains in this ex-local authority flat in south London have a retro feel which fits with its modernist design. The owner and designer Sarah Walter opted for a wave curtain in a lightweight fabric because they could be fully drawn back, allowing light to rush in through the large windows. The curtains are ‘Oxford Stripe’ in red from the Cloth Shop, with a contrasting lining that can be seen when you're sitting on the balcony: a small but satisfying detail.
Simon Brown4/35The curtains in ‘Susani Red’ linen from Robert Kime add rich colour and pattern to the cosy sitting room of this Wealden hall house in Kent. The luxurious textile stretches up almost to the top of the ceiling, making the low ceilings feel higher, and creating a totally enveloping feel when they're drawn in the evening. The tones in the fabric pick up on the browns and reds throughout the room, from the exposed brick fireplace, to the wooden beams.
Boz Gagovski5/35A big, statement curtain can tie a scheme together with confidence, like the bold, geometric curtains in Sasha Sarokin's London house made from a fabric hand-dyed in Mali. The monochromatic, 60s-esque print is picked up throughout the room, in the black and white rug, black leather chairs and monochrome artwork above the marble fireplace.
Paul Massey6/35Curtains can provide a satisfying counterpoint to a wall colour. In Philip Hooper's Georgian house in Somerset, for example, Papers and Paints’ ‘Imperial Chinese Yellow’ on the walls sets off curtains in ‘Carriage Cloth’ in petrol and a sofa in ‘Palma Damask’ in blue, both from Claremont, and floral cushions in Le Manach’s ‘Mortefontaine’ in gris.
Christopher Horwood7/35A repetition of pleated textiles can create a romantic feel in the bedroom. In this charming cottage in the South Downs, for example, Studio Squire designed a contemporary bed tester for the primary bedroom using fabrics from Guy Goodfellow, Marvic and Claremont. The rod gathered curtain around the bed echoes the pinch pleated curtains on the windows, whilst also creating a decorative feature that makes you feel cosy and protected when you're sleeping.
Photography: Read McKendree | Styling: Mieke ten Have8/35Curtains have long been used to hide less attractive features of a room and create an informal partition. In this Connecticut house, the lively curtains (from Serena and Lily) are a design feature in themselves, whilst concealing the utility space from the larger ‘mud room’ and entryway.
Ben Pentreath9/35The cascading pelmet of the pale pink curtains in Charlotte Dellal's living room by Ben Pentreath are a deeply romantic addition to the room. The feminine colour and shape adds an elevated, romantic feel to this comfortable living room, perfectly complementing the Howard & Sons sofas, which are upholstered in a Charles Burger chintz, ‘Fleurs de Pommiers’.
10/35Everything in this shepherd's hut by Molly Mahon feels cute and cosy, like a child's Wendy house. Whilst many designers lament the use of very short curtains, they work well (and are a necessity) in this tiny space. Molly’s lively fabrics and products are to be found throughout the hut, including the ‘Dash’ and ‘Bindi’ cottons on the curtains and bedding.
Christopher Horwood11/35In the ground floor sitting room of this Huguenot house by Rachel Allen, the curtains are made from antique Anatolian fabrics – a look that Rachel says she has borrowed from Robert Kime. The deep, red colour is repeated throughout the room in all the soft furnishings. If you're stuck for what colours to use in a scheme, why not turn to some particularly beautiful curtains as your guide.
Ben Tindall12/35Ben Tindall's blue Scottish cabin by the sea features colours and forms reminiscent of seaweed, including kelp and bladder wrack shaped cut-outs in the boxed-in bedrooms. The curtains are the same colour as the surrounding wall, which also acts as a kind of pelmet. It's an unusual and striking look, but a very successful one.
James McDonald13/35If you feel a room is lacking in interest or texture, an extravagant curtain could resuscitate the scheme. Travels in the Cyclades influenced the decoration of Rebecca Körner’s house on Mykonos. The main bedroom features Indian textiles on the headboard and curtains, which drastically contrasts with the otherwise calm, mid-century feel of the room.
Christopher Horwood14/35The traditional formality of these bedroom curtains suits the contemporary country feel of this handsome Georgian rectory in Hampshire. The owner specified that she wanted total darkness at night, so the designer Tamsyn Mason used very high pelmets which totally block out any light. The curtains and pelmet are both Rose Uniacke wool in ‘Macaron’. Wool is a wonderful material for bedroom curtains, because they absorb sound and light, creating a warm and cosy feel at night.
Christopher Horwood15/35In the same Hampshire rectory, Tamsyn has ingeniously added curtains to a moving pole, in a kind of rod gathered/pinch pleat hybrid. When the pole is flush to the wall, the curtains allow light to flow in throw the window with no blockage. It's a clever way to get around dressing a tricky dormer window.
Boz Gagovski16/35In the study of the Max Hurd's flamboyant London house, floral curtains (passed on by a friend of the designer Benedict Foley) completes the ‘chintzy frenzy’, a look that would have been recently been considered old-fashioned, but now feels kitsch and cool. The choice of Farrow & Ball’s sunny ‘Babouche’ paint for the walls and french doors was inspired by Nancy Lancaster’s Yellow Room in her Mayfair flat. When considering the print and colour of your curtain fabric, don't forget your window treatment. The yellow here glows off the curtains creating a wonderfully sunny effect.
Boz Gagovski17/35Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler’s ‘Squiggle’ linen in aqua was chosen for the curtains and bed canopy in Max's bedroom, which cascades from a plaster scallop shell Max bought in Italy. The matching pattern and traditional style of the curtains feel classically English, but also quite playful and subversive.
Mark Anthony Fox18/35One of the most delightful elements in this London house by Veere Grenney is the pair of tiered, bell-embellished, pagoda-inspired pelmets in the drawing room. The French pleated curtains and chinoiserie style pelmets are made in Lilies & Geranium by Colefax & Fowler.
Paul Massey19/35This previously awkward space in Sophie Edwards' house in Malta, that leads to the lightwell has been transformed by new floor tiles, Cole & Son’s ‘Parterre’ wallpaper border and a selection of vintage and inherited upholstered furniture. The curtain divides the space between the room and the lightwell.
Simon Brown20/35In the study of this house in Kent designed by Sarah Vanrenen, a wall in Edward Bulmer Natural Paint’s ‘Invisible Green’ and curtains in Templeton Fabric’s ‘Darby Rose’ linen in green from Michael S Smith contrast with the limewashed beamed wall (the exterior of the original building) behind a desk from William Yeoward.
DAVIDE LOVATTI21/35In this farmhouse in Umbria designed by Maria Speake of Retrouvius, a curtain made from a suzani from the owners’ collection backed with antique linen is set off by terracotta pianelle floor tiles. Sustainable and original, antique textiles should always be considered when creating curtains.
Dean Hearne22/35Olympia and Ariadne Irving made the reversible curtain from a Carolina Irving & Daughters ‘Pink Tulip’ tablecloth stuck together with double sided tape. Above hang a collection of plates the girls have designed over the years which are ‘impermanent while still adding colour’.
Mark Fox23/35Rixo co-founder Orlagh McCloskey has hung a curtain in ‘Bandana’ from Lewis and Wood across the window seat in the master bedroom. The pulled back style is an elegant addition to the room, which also creates a quiet reading nook.
Mark Anthony Fox24/35In gallerist Thomas Dane's 18th century farmhouse, he has hung a bright orange curtain across the front door. Not only does this act as a stylish draught excluder but it also adds a burst of colour to the otherwise neutral, bright space.
ALEXANDER JAMES25/35Sarah Peake of Studio Peake has ingeniously extended the curtains across the wall of this house in Chelsea. The continuation of the pattern has a bold impact and helps to create a cohesive scheme. When closed, the room feels like a bubble of pattern.
© Rachael Smith Photography Ltd26/35Anna Haines has hung a curtain over the stairs of this Norfolk house. When closed, the sitting room feels cosy thanks to the layers of textiles. In an old house, adding curtains to doorways or the bottom of stairs also prevents drafts and creates intimate, separate spaces without having to add an awkward or ugly door.
Martin Morrell27/35Don't be afraid of matchy-matchy fabrics - they can look great in small spaces like a spare room that isn't used every day. Remy Renzullo was inspired to create the feel of an ocean-liner cabin in this small space in his Chelsea house, where he has teamed an antique brass bed with a vintage floral bedcover and curtains from Michele Aragon in Paris. A tiny three-legged bobbin-leg table holds an Arts and Crafts lamp designed by WAS Benson.
Michael Sinclair28/35In the window of this sitting room in a house by Shalini Misra, new cornicing sits away from the frame, serving as an integrated architectural pelmet. The effect is clean and contemporary. Lewis & Wood ‘Rooksmoor Velvet’ in inca would pack a similar punch.
Simon Brown29/35Chester Jones and his son Toby came up with a charming idea for the bay window in this room in an Oxfordshire country house they designed together.The flouncy pelmet from the window on the back wall is continued over the bay window, unifying the space and adding a sense of playfulness. The fabric is Claremont's 'Daisy' pattern.
Natalie Dinham30/35When Victoria Stainow's London flat needed a revamp, the furniture and lighting specialist called on the expertise of interior designer Tara Craig. The wallpaper is Pierre Frey’s ‘Sans Papillons’, with a bedcover, blind and Ensemblier ‘Selton’ sofa in the matching cotton/viscose fabric. A plain curtain fabric, by O Ecotextiles from MM Design, offsets the pattern.
31/35For a modern take on classic country-house style, Christopher Howe has used the same pattern in two different scales for the box pelmet and walls in the bedroom of this higgledy-piggledy house in Bray. The pelmet, covered in Howe’s ‘Mr Men’ linen has been contrasted with curtains made from antique mangle cloth. Behind the mangle cloth, a panel of ‘Mr Men’ linen peeks out, which ties the look together.
Michael Sinclair32/35In this imaginative London house by Rachel Chudley, the red hand-dyed velvet curtains by Lucy Bathurst of Nest Design, which hang from a bespoke copper rail picks up on colours in the ‘Verdure’ wallpaper in tapestry green by Melissa White for Zoffany.
33/35If you want to create something elegant and slightly contemporary a hard pelmet is invaluable,’ says Veere Grenney who designed a scallop-edged one for this bathroom. The scallop detail on this pelmet, trimmed with Rose Tarlow’s ‘Glacis’ glazed linen in the bartlett colourway is repeated on the leading edge and bottom of the white linen curtains. ‘I love the clean lines of hard pelmets. They have a contemporary feel and are a nice way to frame the window. Make a paper mock-up so you get the proportions right. I could never make a pelmet and pair of curtains without trying it out first.’
Elsa Young34/35In an Edinburgh flat designed by Susan Deliss, the bedroom curtains are in Robert Kime's 'Susani Red' linen. Says Susan: 'I like curtains to just brush the floor, especially if they are made from heavier weaves or silks. Softer fabrics look super puddled, but they pick up dirt and can get stuck in the vacuum cleaner. It’s often better to be practical than have something that looks nice but is hard to maintain.’ Susan is also known for her decorative linings: 'It pushes up the cost quite significantly, but it’s worth it – especially when the curtains are very obvious from the outside of the house.’
David Oliver35/35Lush yellow curtains with box pelmets match not only the walls but also the four poster fabric in a pretty layering of colour. The room is one of a glorious honeycomb of bedrooms in a country house designed by Veere Grenney.
