Centuries ago, curtains were adorned as curtains adorning doorways and niches in royal apartments. They also had practical significance - they provided sound insulation and hid from prying eyes the details of palace life.
Nowadays, this method of decoration is used extremely rarely. The term "curtain" now means a curtain for a window, mainly made of thick fabric.
Drapery fabrics - what is it?
Consider the types of fashionable curtain fabrics. Like a few years ago, a veil is popular . This smooth plain weave fabric is made from silk, polyester, woolen or cotton yarn. It can be printed, dyed or bleached. There is a veil with a luxurious embroidery of golden or silver threads.
Most often, a monophonic veil is taken for decoration, but in some cases - for example, in a children's room - a veil with a pattern (animals, funny characters) is suitable. To obtain a picture, etching with chemical compounds or printing on fabrics is used.
Organza
Another popular fabric of the curtain family is organza. It is thin and transparent, while quite tough. It was produced earlier from silk or viscose, now it is made mostly from polyester. The main advantages are durability, crease resistance, light fastness.
Organza can be matte or shiny, with or without a pattern. The pattern is obtained by etching, embroidery or printing. New items appeared - organza "rainbow" and organza "chameleon". The first has vertical stripes in different shades, creating a beautiful iridescent effect.
Organza "chameleon" changes hue depending on the angle at which light falls. This is the so-called "shantan" effect, it is achieved by interlacing warp and weft of different colors.
Jacquard
Drapery fabrics with a denser texture are called jacquard. It happens two-and single-layer, with small or large patterns. Jacquard can be either dense or very light. The heaviest jacquard variations resemble a tapestry.
Jacquard is considered the most beautiful and versatile fabric for curtains. Due to its interweaving, it looks two-layer, which allows you to create beautiful patterns like tapestry on its surface. Jacquard curtains with overflows of shiny and matte areas of the same color scheme look truly luxurious and make the room bright and elegant.
Jacquard is perfect for curtains with lambrequins, for sewing Roman, English and French curtains. In addition, pillows, bedspreads and tablecloths are sewn from it. Sometimes with the help of this fabric it is possible to create an ensemble in the same style for the entire interior of the living room.
Soft jacquard is a variety of the latter coated with fine pile spraying. Soft jacquard looks slightly different with the same quality. Spray elements create a muted matte finish. This is an option for those who do not like sharp color transitions.
Taffeta
Many designers like to work with taffeta - a thin smooth fabric with shiny tints, of which Persia is considered the birthplace. A variety of materials, including curtain fabrics, have long been brought from Europe to the East. Today Turkey is one of the main suppliers of such fabrics to Russia. Now taffeta is made from natural materials - cotton, silk, and from synthetic - polyester or acetate. Special treatment on this fabric can also achieve the effect of "chameleon".
Taffeta is created from twisted threads, which is the secret of its shiny surface. But when choosing it for curtains, it should be borne in mind that taffeta lays down in somewhat rigid folds. This effect is best suited to minimalist and hi-tech interiors. Taffeta-reaper has the appearance of "crumpled" material due to special processing. Graceful small folds are not destroyed by washing.
And also?
There are other curtain fabrics. Chenill - material with a pile surface. For a couple of centuries, it continues to serve as an excellent choice for decorating the living room. It consists of cotton, acrylic, viscose, polyester. Magnificent chenille curtains are amazing.
There is a drapery fabric for curtains called chanzelise. It is two-sided and quite dense. Its front side has a matte sheen with a small "rain", on the other hand, the fabric is smooth with tints. You can use any of the parties, which is an advantage if you are not sure about the choice of texture.
The combination of different textures in one fabric gives an amazing effect. Chanzelise is a soft fabric that can create voluminous folds and beautiful draperies. Due to its diverse texture, it is suitable for almost any room - an office, a nursery, even a kitchen - in the form of short curtains.
Other curtain fabrics are the so-called back-out fabrics. They are impregnated with a special composition, due to which they are fireproof and do not let in sunlight. Curtains made of such fabrics can darken a room even in bright sunlight. Such dimming is especially relevant for rooms with expensive furniture, which is afraid of sunlight. The fire resistance of the fabric backout reduces the risk of fire.
There is a cotton backing with a matte finish, Jacquard back-up - a luxurious material with an iridescent pattern, or a glossy back-out with a smooth shiny surface.
How to choose fabric for curtains
When choosing curtain fabrics, consider which room they are being bought into. The kitchen and the nursery require practical materials of calm colors, easy to care for. The most luxurious and expensive fabrics that will make a lasting impression on the guests are appropriate in the living room.
The color of the curtains must necessarily fit the overall design of the room. If the wallpaper on the walls with a bright pattern, it is better to let the curtains be plain, including tulle. If the drawing is present, it should be combined with the pattern on the wallpaper.
In the case of plain walls, when decorating windows with curtains, you can allow any of the most daring drawings that perfectly enliven the interior.