What you need to know before choosing the fabric of your curtains.

16 february 2023

The curtains do more than filter the light and protect from view, they enhance and harmonize your decor. But deciding between a thin fabric like the voile or a more obscuring, between natural or synthetic materials, between a plain fabric or another patterned is not always very obvious. It’s a field filled with technical vocabulary. Read this guide to find your way around and don’t hesitate to contact our specialists for advice!

The choice of the material

There are two main categories of materials, whose properties and uses are quite distinct.

Synthetic fiber fabrics: Polyester and Acrylic

Easy to maintain and do not crease easily, they do not deform under the effect of heat and humidity. They are also very resistant to UV, so they are well suited to areas with strong sun exposure such as verandas and bay windows facing south.
As with any synthetic material, it is important not to iron them with a hot iron.

Some manufacturers of polyester fabrics offer fire retardant treatments and others make them from recycled PET bottles. Others offer mould resistant acrylic fabrics, ideal for your patio cushions, or if you are lucky enough to have a spa at home.

Natural fiber fabrics

Cotton, linen and wool have similar characteristics:

• Unlike synthetic fibers, natural fibers are subject to the effects of moisture and heat, so they can undergo slight deformation;
• Because of this risk of deformation, these textiles are less suitable than synthetic ones for roman blinds and panel curtains;
• They can fade because their UV resistance is lower;
• They are more easily creased (especially linen);
• They are more suitable for country or rustic interiors, but they will bring a nice feeling of contrast in a modern environment.

Silk, with its very elegant and chic look, is suitable for rather classic interiors. It is a fragile fiber and extremely sensitive to UV rays. It must be lined, otherwise it will be sunburned and tear like paper after only a few years.

There are not only plain or printed fabrics, some manufacturers offer models with embroideries that bring a very personal touch to your decoration, as you can see below.

The criteria of choice are not limited to the material!

Some fabrics have technical characteristics that allow them to meet specific needs.

Acoustic improvement: these curtains are designed to improve acoustics, whether in modern homes with large open rooms, public spaces such as auditoriums, to create an island of calm or to create a discreet meeting space in a large open space, as shown in this image.

Thermal insulation: Thermal curtains provide effective protection against winter cold and summer heat. Specially designed to strengthen the heat and sound insulation, they can reduce heating costs.

Fire protection: these curtains are mandatory in places like hotels, nursing homes and hospitals. They are designed to prevent large flames from developing in the event of a fire and thus reduce the risk of a fire spreading.

With anti-bacterial treatment: These fabrics are suitable for medical environments such as hospitals and possibly nursing homes.

Blackout curtains: They are suitable for bedrooms and home cinema rooms. By definition these fabrics do not let light through, but a 100% blackout is not always possible, indeed the seams between the strips let light through.

Recycled fabrics: If you are environmentally conscious, you may be happy to know that some fabrics are made from recycled materials such as PET bottles or old fishing nets.

Calculate the need for fabric for your curtains.

Imagine, after taking the measurements, our specialist gives you a quote for a curtain that will be 3 meters wide, but for which he estimated that it takes 15 meters of fabric. You’ll probably wonder why it takes so much fabric? And yet it is quite normal. Indeed, the calculation in need of fabric is complex and depends on several factors:

• the length of the rod, track or poleon which the curtain will be fixed, which determines the final width of the curtain;
• the fullness, i.e. the effect of volume that you want to obtain. Depending on whether you choose “flemish” heads with 1, 2 or 3 pleats or “Wave” curtains it will multiply the length of the rod by a coefficient of 1.5 to 3 to determine the need for fabric that you will need to obtain the desired effect. You don’t know what a Flemish head or a “Wave” finish is? Then we invite you to start by reading this article from our blog;
• the size of the fabric, there are three different sizes. We explain the difference below;
• and, of course, the height of your rooms or the height to which your curtain rod will be attached.

Don’t worry, you don’t need to take out your tape measure or your calculator. Our specialists will come to your home to take measurements and they will advise you according to your tastes and your interior.

Fabrics in great height or great width: but what does it mean?

It is important to know that cut fabrics are sold in three different sizes and that they are sold by the linear meter and not by the square meter.

Width of 140 cm

This width is very common among patterned fabrics.
It is an ideal size for older homes with a ceiling height of over 270 cm.
To obtain the desired size, several strips will be sewn together. The only drawback with this method is that the seams between the strips may be visible.

Large width 280-300 cm

This width is often proposed for plain fabrics, whether they are transparent or opaque.
This format is also recommended for old houses with a ceiling height of more than 270 cm.
The advantage of this width is that there are less vertical seams visible, which is why we recommend using this width of strips to create blackout drapes, because fewer seams = less light that can pass.

On the other hand, for very large windows and/or if you want to avoid vertical seams, we advise you to use fabrics of great height.

Great height 280-320 cm

In general, fabrics of this size are plain fabrics (transparent or opaque).

The great advantage of this size is that there are no strips to sew together and therefore there will be no vertical seams.
These fabrics are therefore ideal for:

• blackout/darkout curtains;
• large windows, as the seams are limited to the hems

As its name suggests, this fabric has a maximum height of 320cm (from which we must deduct several centimeters to make the head and hem finish at the bottom), so these fabrics are not suitable for rooms higher than 300cm.

Entrust the realization of your curtains to specialists! (us 😉)

The interest of entrusting your curtains to pros, is that in addition to taking measurements (which avoids making mistakes in the calculation of dimensions), we advise you on the choice of materials and style of fabric to choose according to your decoration and your tastes. The making of your curtains will then be carried out by expert seamstresses who master this craft perfectly.
In the showroom, we offer a wide range of fabrics (in terms of style and price). Come and take a look!