One of the most difficult parts of choosing new curtains, after you have chosen the style and colour, is selecting the right curtain fabric. There are so many different curtain fabric types. We can help you with this as we have an extensive range of beautiful curtain fabrics to choose from. These are some things that you should consider before making a decision on your curtain fabric.
Types Of Fabric That Curtains Usually Made Of
Curtains and roman blinds can be made from a range of different fabrics, and with that different fabric compositions. These main curtain fabric types include – cotton, linen, wool, silk, nylon and polyester, or a combination of those. The more affordable fabrics tend to be the more synthetic ones like polyester and nylon, however this is not always the case, as you can now get some very affordable cottons and natural/synthetic fabric blends.
What To Think About When Choosing Your Curtain Fabric
When choosing your curtains and curtain fabric, there are a few things that are worth considering. This includes, curtain fabric weight, texture and light filtering or excluding properties. You also need to think about the durability of the curtain fabric and how easy it will be to keep your curtains clean. Some fabrics you can wash on a low temperature and others are dry clean only.
Which Fabric Type Is The Best For Your Curtains
Natural Fabrics
Cotton and Linen are really popular curtain fabric choices as they are light and breathable fabrics. Cotton and linen curtains are quite easy to care for, but can fade over time if in direct sunlight. However, you can protect your curtains from fading by having a lining fitted to them. This does make them a little less lightweight, but your curtains will last a lot longer.
Wool curtains are quite popular in traditional, classical period homes. Wool curtains are generally really thick and heavy (ideal for keeping your room warm in the winter). Therefore, wool curtains are brilliant for rooms where you need the insulation. They are also great at blocking out the light. Wool curtains are more suited to plain curtains, blocks of colour or patterns like plaid or tartan styles. One downside of wool curtains is they can be difficult to clean, but some dry cleaners can help.
Silk curtains can give you that really luxurious look. Silk is a lot thinner than most other curtain fabrics and it tends to allow more light into the room. However, silk has a beautiful light airy appearance. Although very stunning, they do come at a higher price and can be difficult to wash as silk cannot tolerate detergents very well. And silk curtains will fade rapidly if left unlined, however can last well when lined. Silk curtains look stunning when lined and still have that beautiful flowy glossy look to them.
Synthetic Fabrics
Polyester is one of the best synthetic fabrics for curtains, roman blinds and soft furnishings. This fabric is an excellent middle ground between nylon and thick natural fabrics. Polyester blends mixed with natural fabrics such as cotton and linen are wonderful. Polyester blends generally have tighter fabric weaves and are quite lightweight. The benefits of polyester curtains is that they do not tend to fade in the way that other more natural curtain fabrics do. They are also usually machine washable and are quite stain resistant also. Polyester curtains are fantastic when lined to make them heavier and to block out more light.
Nylon as a synthetic fabric can be very affordable, however with the low price, comes a compromise. It is a very thin and flimsy feeling fabric that doesn’t block out light very well. I would not really recommend just nylon curtains because although lightweight and machine washable, nylon is not particularly suitable as a curtain fabric.
Personally I really like a cotton, linen and polyester blend for curtains to give me the best of both worlds. But it’s all down to your personal taste, style and choice.
If you are looking for some new curtains Northamptonshire or roman blinds this year, we would love to help. We have a huge range of curtain fabric types to choose from, so we will find something perfect for you and your home.
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