Drapery fabrics - types, description, choice

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Several centuries ago, curtains were called curtains, decorating doorways and niches in royal apartments. They also had practical significance - they provided sound insulation and hid the details of palace life from prying eyes.

Today, this method of decoration is used extremely rarely, The concept of "curtain" now means a curtain for a window, mainly made of dense fabric.

Drapery fabrics - what is it?

Consider the types of fashionable curtain fabrics. Like a few years ago, the veil is popular. This plain weave fabric is made from silk, polyester, wool or cotton yarn. Can be printed, dyed or bleached. There is a veil with luxurious embroidery of golden or silver threads.

Most often, a plain 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 pattern, chemical etching or printing on fabric is used.

Organza

Another popular fabric of the curtain family is organza. It is thin and transparent, while quite rigid. Previously developed fromsilk or viscose, now it is made mostly of polyester. The main advantages are strength, wrinkle 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 shade depending on the angle at which the light falls. This is the so-called "chantan" effect, it is achieved by interweaving warp and weft threads of different colors.

Jacquard

Drapery fabrics with a denser texture are called jacquard. It can be two- and one-layer, with small or large patterns. Jacquard can be both dense and very light. The heaviest versions of jacquard resemble tapestry.

Jacquard is considered the most beautiful and versatile curtain fabric. Due to its weave, it looks like a two-layer, which allows you to create beautiful patterns on its surface, like tapestry. Jacquard curtains with iridescent shimmery and matte areas of the same color 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 - a kind of the latter with a fine pile coating. Soft jacquard looks slightly different with the same quality. Powder-coated elements create a subdued 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 brilliant shimmers, which is considered to be the birthplace of Persia. From the countries of the East, for a long time, various materials were brought to Europe, including curtain fabrics. Turkey today is one of the main suppliers of such fabrics to Russia. Now taffeta is made from natural materials - cotton, silk, and from synthetic materials - polyester or acetate. A chameleon effect can also be achieved by special processing on this fabric.

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 hard folds. This effect is best suited to minimalist and high-tech interiors. The taffeta header has the appearance of a "crumpled" material due to special processing. Graceful small folds are not destroyed by washing.

And what else?

There are other curtain fabrics. Chenille is a 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. Gorgeous chenille curtains are amazing.

There is a curtain fabric called chanzelize. She isbilateral and quite dense. Its front side has a matte sheen with a small "rain", on the other side the fabric is smooth with overflows. You can use either side, which is an advantage if you are not sure about the texture choice.

The combination of different textures in one fabric gives a stunning effect. Chanzelize is a soft fabric capable of creating voluminous folds and beautiful draperies. Thanks to its varied texture, it is suitable for almost any room - an office, a children's room, even a kitchen - in the form of short curtains.

Other curtain fabrics - the so-called backout fabrics. They are impregnated with a special composition, due to which they are fire resistant and do not let in sunlight. Curtains made of such fabrics can darken the room even in bright sunlight. Such dimming is especially relevant for rooms with expensive furniture that is afraid of sunlight. Flame retardant backout fabrics reduce the risk of fire.

There is a cotton backout with a matte surface, a jacquard backout - a luxurious material with an iridescent pattern, or a glossy backout with a smooth shiny surface.

How to choose fabric for curtains

When choosing curtain fabrics, consider which room they are bought for. The kitchen and nursery require practical materials in soothing colors that are easy to care for. The most luxurious and expensive fabrics are appropriate in the living room, which will make a lasting impression on guests.

The color of the curtains must necessarily match the overall design of the room. If the wallpaper on the walls with brightpattern, it is better to let the curtains be plain, including tulle. If the pattern is present, it must 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 patterns that will perfectly enliven the interior.