How to pick the best materials and fabrics for curtains and drapes

Choosing the right fabric for your curtaining can prove quite challenging, especially since there are literally thousands of types of materials. Each fabric type carries its own particular benefits and shortcomings. 

Your choices will depend on the specific room in your home you are curtaining and your interior lighting needs. Then comes your own individual tastes and preferences, and interior decorating ideas.

Yet at the same time there are still several important points to consider based on the fabrics themselves which will be of key interest to you. Therefore here is a practical guide you can use to help narrow down your curtain fabric choices.

Curtain Fabric Opacity, Density and Weight

A good rule of thumb is to select the strongest most durable curtain fabric you can afford. However depending on your particular requirements your choice will be determined by the amount of light you are prepared to let in your room.

If you want the room darker when your curtains are drawn then a thicker more robust type of curtain fabric will work best. This will serve your privacy needs and also allow for a better sleeping experience. On the other hand if you prefer lighter fabrics, it would mean you enjoy a fair amount of light to filter through your curtain.

Some curtain fabrics are meant to cover both purposes – that of shielding you for better privacy while still enhancing the effects of natural light entering the room. Heavier more opaque curtain materials are meant to block out as much light as possible, especially when a room tends to receive abundant sunlight.

Usually the thickness and weight of a curtain fabric is shown in grams per square metre or GSM. While it’s not absolutely necessary to know the exact weight of the material, it does help by giving you a good idea of the degree of privacy, opacity, and light filtering you are buying.

When opting for heavier curtain materials make sure that your curtain hanging equipment is up to the task. You wouldn’t want your curtain rails to bend over time due to the extra weight of thicker curtain fabrics. So always ask for the stronger more durable variety when buying curtain rails and accessories.

Types of Curtain Fabrics and their benefits

Now that you have established your curtain fabric needs you can start to look at the various types of materials available. Then it’s just a matter of judging the quality you prefer against your actual budget. Below you will find information on the most popular fabrics used for curtaining these days.

Curtain materials made out of Cotton

Among the most affordable of fabrics, cotton is the go to choice for people who favour natural fabrics as opposed to man-made materials. It’s also known to be cooler in summer and typically very easy to clean. Cotton curtains fall under the category of lightweight materials while still being very versatile and a pleasure to work with. Just remember though that cotton has a tendency to absorb odours and can become permanently stained by certain oils and pigments. This is one of the key reasons why you would avoid using Cotton for your kitchen curtaining.

What about Silk and Lace for curtaining?

Silk is known for its exclusivity and incredibly soft texture. But it usually comes with a price and should only be considered for rooms where you don’t have too much sunlight coming in. This is so because silk is very susceptible to sun damage and you want to protect your investment. So while silk is very attractive it is used mostly for special curtaining projects and occasions.

Lace can be described as both the lightest in colour and the thinnest in texture among the various types of curtain fabric. In a particular room where privacy may not be much of a concern, and you want the brightest atmosphere possible, a Lace Curtain will be the best option.

Due to the lighter weight, Lace curtaining is more likely to be affected by gusts of wind, and the lighter colour tends to soil easily. So you can expect they will need washing more often than thicker darker curtain variations. Fortunately they are easy to maintain and can be washed and dried easily. Most people who like to use lace curtains always have an extra set or two available so they can quickly swap them out when spring cleaning.

Using Velvet for your Curtain Fabric

Curtains and drapes made with velvet material are often used in the most exclusive of venues including hotels and restaurants. You are also likely to find them in theatres and up market homes.

Velvet definitely evokes the feeling of prosperity as it looks and can be rather expensive. If you’re planning on using velvet for your curtains, be sure to accompany them with a classy pelmet design.

Velvet curtains are also good as Blockout curtains and offer tremendous thermal insulation.

Linen Curtain Fabrics

Another natural fabric that is becoming increasingly popular is Linen. It works wonders for stylish drapery and curtains of many styles. Linen is also a lightweight material and people appreciate its authentic look and amazing texture. Curtains made out of linen are suitable for those rooms where you would like to soften the harshness of too much sunlight. They are quite good at diffusing light while setting a natural warmth and glow to your home’s interior.

When opting for Linen curtains you need to know that they wrinkle easily when you wash them. This is why many people are of the habit of hanging semi dry Linen curtains directly on their rails immediately after taking them out of the washing machine.

Also keep in mind that Linen curtains wear out faster than other fabrics, can fade from extended exposure to the sun, and are known to shrink due to humidity.

Polyester fabrics and other synthetic blends of material

You will find various grades of polyester material usually blended together with other fabrics. For instance it not uncommon to see curtains which are made up of varying percentages of Polyester, Cotton and Wool.

It’s also possible to find fabrics which are made up of a combination of both polyester and linen. These offer the beautiful appearance of Linen but have the advantage of being more hard wearing.

Another variation of polyester curtain material features a ‘slub’ texture making it look very similar to silk. Yet at the same time it is quite durable over the long term.

Polyester based curtain fabrics are very easy to maintain, are resistant to sun damage, and hardly ever give in to shrinking or tearing.

We have covered but a few of the fabric types you can use to craft your curtains. There are still many more and we haven’t even touched on choosing the right colour yet. It’s good to know the pros and cons of the various types of fabrics so you can make smart decisions when you’re shopping for custom made curtains.