HOME HINTS

Few skills are more valuable in your home than the ability to make your own curtains. Almost every room needs them, and then has a critical influence on its appearance. In general, a window’s position and proportion in relation to the whole room can be enhanced or disguised appropriately. If you choose a fabric which is in harmony with the other decorations and furnishings in the room, the curtains will have a calming influence. You might even consider having wallpaper and curtain fabric matching other items in the room. Or, for a dramatic effect, choose a fabric with a bold design. The type of fabric itself can have a great influence on the character and style of a room. The subtle light and shade effect of plain velvet can generate a feeling of opulence. A colorful cotton print will cheer up an otherwise dingy space.

When choosing the fabric bear in mind that it may need to be hard wearing and easy to clean. Toweling and plastic coated fabrics would be practical choices for a kitchen or bathroom. Some upholstery fabrics are too heave and don’t drape well, and even those heavy fabrics that are suitable might have to be rejected if their bulk will cut down light when they are drawn back. If the room is quite dark, don’t cut out more light than you need. If there is a radiator beneath the window, floor-length curtains may prevent the heat coming into the room efficiently when they are closed.