Wednesday

Kitchen Curtains - How To Choose Them?

Kitchen curtains have more of decorative value than a functional utility. For giving your kitchen that right look it’s important to choose the curtains carefully so as not to spoil the décor of the rest of the place. It will be a good decision to go online to view the available options and to narrow down your choice. You need to consider a lot of factors while deciding on these curtains. You will certainly be minimizing your chances of making a wrong decision by spending sometime on going through the check list provided here.

1. Fabric

There is a large variety of fabrics available for curtains. You may have thick cottons or a fine net, lace or voile. Don’t overlook the fact that thinner materials may not offer as much privacy. Another deciding factor for fabric would be washing and up keeping. Be prepared to hand wash the finer fabrics.

2. Color

Though there is an endless choice of colors, you wouldn’t like to create a mismatch of colors. The basic choice is fixed before hand by the shade and color of tiles already installed in the kitchen. In case the tiles have a neutral color, you might have a wider choice! Warm neutral colors include terracotta, beige or cream whereas cool neutral tile colors imply black, cool grey or white and silver.

3. Design

There is a very vast variety of designs here. You may have floral, striped, plaid or an abstract design. Keep in mind the overall style and effect that you might like to impart. Do you want to get a modern-day look or be happier with a retro? Should it project a country cottage look or that of a city apartment? Need it be colorful or monochromatic?

4. Type of Curtain

Curtains for the kitchen may be full length, window length or even café type. They may have different types of headings and various valances as well as tie backs. Follow the thumb rule: The more contemporary the look, the simpler the curtains should be with plain headings or tab tops. Visualize a country look. That would go well with frills and valances. On the other hand a simpler look facilitates an easy washing and re-hanging. You may indulge in some browsing to view the type of curtains to choose from. Use your imagination and visualize how your kitchen, with its present color-scheme, would look in different types of drapes.


5. Price

Do check the pricing to confirm if it suits your budget and the worthiness of its quality.

kitchen drapes

6. Maintenance

You may already be aware that the atmosphere in the kitchen is far different than the rest of your home. It causes kitchen curtains to get dirty fast and that calls for frequent washing. Wouldn’t it be more convenient to have draperies that can be machine washed? The finer materials may necessarily demand hand washing. Depending on the fabric, some curtains may shrink on washing. Check before hand if the fabric has already been pre-shrunk; else keep a slight margin for shrinkage while taking measurements.

7. Decorative or Functional

Do you want the curtains just to get an added decorative look by framing the window or you would like open and close them very often. That would primarily decide the type and size of curtains you should have. If you economize on the fabric you could have better fabric or some extraordinary designs within the same budget.

8. Right Size

Make sure to have right sized curtains. Short window length curtains are desirable for cooking or food preparation area. This goes well with the informal looks of the kitchens.

To have more of light in your work-area, while still framing your windows, you could extend the curtain rods, rails or poles slightly beyond the edge of the window. That lets in more light when the curtains are drawn back.

9. Safety

You just can’t afford to neglect safety in kitchen for the sake of aesthetics. Choose the right fabric and ensure to keep the curtains away from flame or cooker. Make use of simple or roman blinds to create a partition for windows near a cooker.

10. Ready-made or Custom

If the size of your window permits using readymade curtains you’ll save some money as the ready made ones are cut to standard window sizes. Else, you have to get them made to suit your specifications. There are quite a few online stores, which offer the services of making the curtains as per your measurements.

Saturday

Your Curtains Deserve Professional Look

Most of the householders love taking care of the house. There are many ways and materials available for improving upon the looks of any room to give it a warm personalized look to welcome visitors. Inclusion of certain accessories not only imparts good looks to the room, but also reflects on the style and taste of the occupant.

One of the most basic and common accessory that goes a long way to give an impressive look to your room would be the addition of curtains. Though essentially needed for maintaining privacy, they serve other purposes too. There is an almost endless variety of colors for curtains and a very vast variety of materials used for making them. Venetian blinds can also be classified as curtains and offer a variety of colors and styles.

professional curtains

Variety Of Hangings Are Available:

Curtains definitely add an altogether different grace to the surroundings. They may be styled and used as track curtains or layered ones. Track curtains impart a more formal look to the room and can be drawn by a draw cord. Track curtains also offer a Bay option that keeps them flowing between adjacent windows. However, removing and fixing back of such curtains is a bit tedious and requires you to make a note of the position of their hooks.

Curtains are usefully employed to control the amount of incoming sunlight, and thus avoid glares while sleeping during the day or when you are watching an interesting program of your choice on the tube.

Curtains are also used for improving the aesthetics of a room. An elegant curtain gives a sense of dimension and richness to the room. Conversely, a disheveled dirty or ill matched curtain imparts a very gloomy look to the room. You have to be extra careful if the window of you room overlooks a street, for in such cases the curtains would be observed by the passers by. The underside of such curtains needs a better consideration.

Rooms which get insufficient sunlight can be made to look brighter by suitably choosing the fabric of the curtains. On the other hand, if you get too much of sunlight thru your windows, you should have a fabric that can retain its colors and doesn’t get faded too soon. It is important to block excessive sunlight as prolonged exposure to sunlight may damage your interiors that include the carpets and the furniture.

Color is a very dominating factor in deciding the choice and application any curtain. As they swing the mood of the surroundings, one has to choose of the color of a curtain according to the location of a window or a door in a room to be adorned with a curtain. As you may perhaps visualize that a children’s room or any other place associated with fun would look a lot lively if colorful bright curtains are used therein. On the other hand a study room or a place earmarked for relaxation should be provided with curtains in a color scheme that enhances the relaxation or sets the mood for study. You couldn’t have colorful or bright curtains here. The fabric should also be decided, keeping in mind the activity associated with the room. There is a mind-blowing variety of colors, fabrics and designs to suit different moods like fun, serious or serene.

Curtains made with panels that are shirred on rods or poles at both the ends offer another choice. As this style of curtains restricts their frequent opening or closing, they are more suited for places that need privacy. Curtain styles would include the tiers, embroidery, swags or scalloped edges. You may opt for French country toile, gingham or lace. Then, we have curtain panels that facilitate changing over of curtains as per the season.


Before making a final choice, you should be able to visualize the ultimate effect, keeping in mind the feel you would like to give to any room.