Curtain Ideas For Living Room India

A Guide to Choosing Curtains

Explore the different curtain styles that can beautify your windows as well as your decor

Rashmi Haralalka

Curtains are more than just window dressing for the living room. The right design choice not only transforms your decor, it also provides privacy and controls natural light. Be they sheer, cafe or even blackout curtains, here are some ideas on choosing the right curtain style for your living room.

Sheer curtains
As indicated by their name, sheer curtains are quite transparent and lend an airy and spacious feel to a room. You can control the level of sheerness by choosing thicker fabrics or deeper hues. They come in different fabrics like silk, net or even lace, plain or patterned. In this space, black self-embossed fabric has been used to cover the curved windows.

A full-length translucent fabric will not obstruct the view but will gently dim the harsh sunlight that streams into your room on a scorching summer day.

Blackout curtains
Blackout curtains are not black in colour but are called so because of their ability to stop any light from passing through. Made from foam-backed opaque materials, they can instantly transform day into night. And that's not all, they can also help control noise levels and work as insulators – keeping the heat trapped in winters and light out in summers. In this space, sheer curtains have been combined with blue blackout curtains.

Tip: Blackout curtains are great for bedrooms if you are finicky about the amount of sunlight you want to allow in early in the morning. They also work well for rooms with a television or for home theatres.

Flat panel curtains
Flat panel curtains are unlined curtains, usually patterned, with slight gathers. Made of cotton, linen or similar light-weight fabrics, they are low maintenance and and can be washed in your machine. In this space, a newspaper-print curtain in monochrome shades of black and grey has been used. And thanks to the solid digital print and the thick fabric, it blocks out light as well.

Also read which window blind is right for you

Cafe curtains
Cafe curtains (also called tier curtains) give you a bit of privacy while allowing in partial light, as they are hung only part way up the window. They are often used in traditional Indian homes, especially with slatted wooden window shutters and vertical iron grilles. But they fit in well in contemporary living spaces too. Take a cue from this room.

Eyelet curtains
Eyelet curtains fit right on to the curtain rod via large metal rings set into the curtains. This makes this type of curtain unfussy and super easy to install. These curtains even have pleats along their length, which gives the fabric a wave-like effect. You can opt for thicker materials and darker patterns to maximise light control.

Pinch-pleated curtains
If you want to up the decor a bit, go for French or pinch pleats. These kinds of curtains are made by gathering together the pleats in threes in the heading. As they are labour-intensive, they may work out to be slightly costlier than other usual options out there, but they impart a fine, tailored finish to a space. In this space, the designer also uses box-pleated valances (fabric sewn in a tubular form) with buttons.

Tip: Add a woven roller shade or pleated panels behind the curtains to completely block out light.

Tab-top curtains
These curtains have exposed loops or tabs of fabric, which go over the curtain rod or a pole. Like eyelet curtains, you don't need any separate rings for installation. Also, these don't have too many gathers, which saves space when they are pulled back. A set of pretty floral curtains adorns this bedroom and plays its sprightly colours against the nude decor. Pick materials like voile or even muslin to get a breezy, light look.

Tip: Intertwined loops like these add a 'knotty' touch to tab tops, taking them from simple to wow. These loops may appear texturally complex but are stitched into place so you don't have to worry about assembling them.

Mix and match curtains with drapes
We often confuse drapes with curtains. Curtains are not lined and you can play around with the length. Drapes on the other hand are always lined and cover the length from floor to the top. Here, sheer curtains have been paired with patterned and textured drapes. This gives you the flexibility to draw or pull back these layers as per your light requirements.

Read more:
6 Window Treatments That Will Change Your Perspective
9 Reasons to Bring Louvres Into Your Home

Tell us: Which curtain style works best for your living room? Write in Comments below.