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BUDGET
If you have a tight budget, try quick and easy unlined curtains. If there are existing fittings in place, plan to use them to cut the overall cost.
LIGHT
How much daylight are you prepared to lose? Curtains hung from poles or covered laths lose the least from the top, but all curtains will block out light where they extend over the glass. Try to make them pull back; the wall area they cover is the 'stack back'. Any sort of pelmet, swag or valance will block out some top light, but as with Roman and gathered blinds, they can be fitted in the dead space above the window frame. Roller blinds block out very little light, even when they are fitted inside the window.
FITTING
Blinds are usually the best solution where there is very little room at either side of the window. If there is stack back room on one side of the window only, go for a single curtain treatment. If there is very little dead space above the window it is sensible to use a pole or a fabric covered lath. You must also check for obstructions underneath the window (furniture? radiators? window seats?) that will need to be taken into account.
WINDOW SHAPE
If the window is tall and narrow you can choose almost any classic treatment. If it is very wide, a serpentined top treatment will soften the horizontal line. If it is small and needs to blend into the wall, keep the design simple. If the window is shaped at the top, the pelmet or top of the curtain can be shaped to match.
THE ROOM
Additions, extensions and alterations usually result in a muddle of windows in different shapes or sizes. If you want different treatments in the same room, link them by using the same fabric and decorative details.
STYLE AND DESIGN
For classic, formal rooms, you will probably think about swags or elegantly trimmed valances. Softer treatments seem suited to quiet bedrooms, creating pools of tranquillity in a busy life. Simple treatments suit everyday rooms and kitchens.
PROPORTIONS ON TOP
Correct proportions are vital. Mock up the finished valance, swag or pelmet in calico, and pin it up at the window. If it blocks out too much light don't compromise by making it shorter, or it will end up looking skimpy. Choose another design; a decorative heading on a pole is just one possibility.
FULL LENGTH VERSUS SILL LENGTH
If there isn't enough room for full length curtains we would normally advise using a blind instead. Sill length curtains rarely make enough impact in a decorative scheme. However, there are some exceptions, such as stairways, kitchens, hallways or bathrooms, where practical considerations mean that shorter curtains should be used. With attention to detail, they can look very attractive indeed.
OUTSIDE THE WINDOW
Blinds easily control the amount of light that comes into a room. If the window has an ugly outlook, keep an unlined blind permanently down, shutting off the view but letting the light filter through.
LIVING WITH YOUR CURTAINS
If you need to wash your curtains, they should be unlined and made up in a washable fabric. Lined and interlined curtains which are full and overlong will keep frosty night air at bay. If old doors fit badly, interlined door curtains made up in thick fabric will again keep out draughts.
TO SEW OR NOT TO SEW
If you want a temporary solution, or simply like changing your schemes regularly, do not choose time consuming, hand sewn, fully trimmed curtains. Concentrate on unlined designs which are easy to make and quick to install. Bear in mind though, that many are only for effect and won't open or close easily.
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