Curtains in the living room and bedroom are an important design element and determine the final interior design. Which curtains to choose for a house with small windows, which ones for a spacious room - these questions concern every person who is faced with renovations and home improvement.
Light and thin curtains for small windows in the bedroom and living room will add lightness to the interior. Inconsistent, poorly selected fabrics, on the contrary, can greatly harm the interior. We will recommend how to choose the right decorative element.
Decoration of small windows
Decorating windows in the bedroom and living room is a real art. Although many pay little attention to this issue, without the design of a window opening it is impossible to design a thoughtful, balanced interior. How to choose beautiful curtains, what is the best fabric - light, airy or heavy, massive? Is it necessary to completely hide the window opening under the fabric or is it better to leave it open? Where to start designing window openings, what should you pay attention to when choosing fabrics?
Curtain design for small windows, photo
Hourglass
Most often, this solution is used for narrow windows. For sewing, a single piece of light but durable fabric (organza or tulle) is used, which is attached to small cornices or strings at the top and bottom. The material, as a rule, is chosen in light colors - beige, white, the color of baked milk, light brown or gray. All kinds of bows, braid, and longitudinal lines look great.
In the middle, the canvas is intercepted with a ribbon, which can have the color that was used to sew the curtain itself, or another shade that can emphasize the overall interior of the room, the color of the window frame or furniture. Thanks to this element, this style resembles a huge hourglass, hence the name.
This is an ideal solution for small windows, since thanks to the interception of the canvas in the middle, space is created on the sides for the passage of daylight.
How to visually enlarge a small window?
The question of how to decorate small window openings requires special attention. The decor should be quite modest, not overwhelming the small surface. The window is the most important element in any room; it allows access to daylight. The larger the window opening, the visually wider the space of the room looks. A small window will require different design tricks to help make it impressive.
Decorators use a number of simple techniques to transform a disproportionate space. With the help of a few tricks, you can make a metamorphosis of the interior, changing the style, improving the aesthetic value of the room. You don't always need to hire a professional to enjoy an impressive interior. You will need basic knowledge of basic principles and tricks. Below are some ideas on how to visually enlarge a window opening, what to do, and what to avoid.
- Use of lightweight fabrics. If you like heavy baroque fabrics, you will have to give them up. Heavy fabrics create the impression of chic and attract attention. For small window openings, light, airy, translucent curtains are better suited, creating a subtle, delicate decoration. Ideal - veil, organza.
- Only light colors - white, various shades of beige, muted pastels are perfect. Intense, strong colors will visually take away several centimeters.
- Lack of patterns . For small window openings, it is better to choose smooth, plain fabrics - all types of patterns are not recommended, they will visually make the interior smaller. Patterns can be successfully used on large window openings; on small ones they will give the impression of crampedness and chaos. Only horizontal stripes can show themselves well; they visually expand the space.
- Empty window sills . No need to clutter the window sill. Tall flowers, lamps, books will not look beautiful - they will visually reduce the window opening and limit the amount of incoming natural light.
Classic curtains
Despite its centuries-old origins, the classic style of interior design remains relevant and in demand. With their charm they can transform any room beyond recognition, giving it rigor and elegance. A significant advantage in favor of choosing the classic style is the possibility of using it under almost any wallpaper and furniture, while maintaining clear and strict proportionality.
Read about: Greek curtains: harmony in simplicity and grandeur.
If you decide to turn to classic curtains, then you should pay attention to light, soft, discreet colors. These include beige, white, light yellow, soft brown and even honey. It is these colors that will allow your curtains not to stand out from the overall interior, but only to emphasize it, while letting a huge amount of daylight into the room.
You should not choose satin or silk fabric - they are quite difficult to process. The best solution for a classic style would be velvet, linen or cotton.
Curtains - threads
Traditionally, the classic design of window openings is usually chosen for the bedroom and living room. Recently, original thread curtains are often chosen, dazzling with sophistication.
Small windows in the bedroom can be decorated with small crystals on a string or fishing line attached to the cornice. Crystals sparkling in the light will create the feeling of simple, light curtains on both halves of the window.
It’s not difficult to sew curtains for a country house with your own hands from scraps:
First of all, you should measure the size of the window, and then determine the parameters of the curtains. Only after this can you begin to make a pattern of parts.
Measuring a window for sewing curtains
It is important to give preference to large pieces. Otherwise, the curtains may turn out to be somewhat overloaded and look sloppy and unattractive. The method of sewing with small, varied patches involves cutting them into the shape of geometric shapes.
Patchwork style curtains made from small elements
Isosceles triangles and squares are often used. The combination of dark and light pieces in the curtain looks quite unusual and creative.
Patchwork curtains for a summer house made from patches of contrasting colors
We begin by cutting out the parts from cardboard, without seam allowances, do not forget to number them (otherwise we may get confused when joining). Then, not on the front side, but on the back side, you should attach the patterns and outline them with chalk or a special marker. After this, we cut out the elements, but taking into account the seam allowances - about 5 mm. To ensure that the seam is not on the front side, the parts should be connected to each other with the outer sides.
Scheme of a patchwork curtain pattern for a summer residence
After you machine stitch or hand sew the seams, you need to iron them. The edges of the curtain can be decorated with various ribbons and braid.
Before sewing, arrange all the parts in the right order.
It is worth noting that curtains, which are made in the Russian-village style, are often used to zone rooms. For example, they use them to divide one room into two, designate a sleeping area in a special way, or simply create a light door between rooms.
Roman blinds, roller blinds
Roman blinds or blinds made from decorative material are becoming popular. Usually raised by a special mechanism controlled by a decorative chain, the blinds will suit a variety of interior designs - classic and modern. Style largely depends on the material.
Japanese curtains
This style is the ideal solution for lovers of minimalism. It has absorbed centuries-old Japanese traditions, combining simplicity, elegance and lightness.
Read about: fabrics for roller blinds: textiles to guard coolness and privacy.
The design of the curtains consists of lightweight fabric panels that let in a lot of light - so they are an ideal option when decorating small windows. The fabric can be used plain or with patterns, but the overall background should still be light.
For installation, special fasteners are used that allow the curtains to be moved manually or electrically to the left, right or up, which ensures ease of installation and use.
Curtains for the bedroom - photo
Often, for interiors decorated in a modern style, they choose a somewhat extravagant approach to decorating window openings - refusing any decor, including curtains. By leaving the window completely open, you can visually increase its area and create a feeling of spaciousness. This solution takes away the comfort of home, slightly disturbs the home climate, and adds austerity to the atmosphere.
If you want to create a truly warm atmosphere in the interior, you should choose subtle decorations, hanging at least light curtains. When deciding on a thin ethereal fabric for the living room, bedroom, you can try using long options that hang from floor to ceiling. If you need to take care of an individual window design, you can give free rein to your imagination, creatively select and pin up the material.
Curtains can completely change the character of the interior. Correctly chosen curtains and tulle look great in modern interiors and will be a simple, effective way to warm up the strict ascetic atmosphere in a minimalist or futuristic interior. Interesting decorations will bring a feeling of warmth and coziness to modern rooms. Short colorful veils look beautiful in the small attic window of the bedroom. It’s good if the design of the window decor matches the colors and patterns with the design of the bed linen.
The design of curtains for small bedroom windows should create coziness. Curtains can reach the ceiling and cascade to the floor. This option looks impressive.
An interesting idea is to use 3 types of fabric:
- smooth,
- patterned,
- shaded in various shades of the main color of the bedroom, combined with bed textiles and wallpaper colors.
Particular difficulties arise when decorating the balcony door with curtains. A beautifully selected fabric that harmonizes in color and design with the color of adjacent furniture will help decorate the door. As you can see in the photo below, the right fabric can completely change the character of a metal-plastic double-glazed window.
For a small window and an interior decorated in a minimalist style, you should choose a delicate decoration. In such a room there is a problem of lack of natural light, so it is necessary to ensure good lighting of the room and let as much sunlight into the room as possible. It is advisable to use fabrics in light colors that filter light, giving the interior a unique climate, making the room lighter and more spacious. A curtain that is much wider than the window optically improves its proportions.
Color spectrum
An important factor is the correct selection of the color of the curtains, which should be in harmony with the overall style of the room. It is better to choose light colors, and the curtain itself should transmit sunlight well. Universal shades of kitchen curtains for a small window are white, beige, sand and cream. Despite this, you can also create your own color ensembles.
If the choice fell on curtains with a pattern, then the picture should be small or with geometric shapes.
Curtains for country windows
Thin ethereal curtains will add lightness and sophistication to a modern arrangement. Lace curtains are ideal for a small window in a rustic or country style interior. An interesting choice is small checkered curtains up to the windowsill in the English style.
Tulle with embroidery
To fit lace fabrics into the interior of a modern apartment requires special skill and style. What to do with old tulle curtains? Tulle looks most harmonious in settings with a Provence, country and shabby chic slant, and such curtains seem to be created for a country house.
Tulle fabric with embroidery adds romance to the room, looks slightly naive, but at the same time very elegant.
Glamorous curtains
An interior in glamor style would not be complete without decorative curtains made of velvet and satin. Smooth fabric topped with a cord with tassels will become a real decoration for the windows of different rooms:
- in the living room in glamor style, will emphasize the elegant, sophisticated character of the interior,
- in the bedroom will give the interior a boudoir climate.
For the living room
When choosing curtains for small windows in the living room, it is better to avoid curtains of deep and saturated colors, and opt for cool, light shades that will visually enlarge the space. It is necessary to avoid sagging and multi-layering as much as possible; a good option is single-layer curtains with garters, in combination with translucent curtains and lambrequins.
Curtains for small kitchen windows
To decorate kitchen window openings, you should use fabrics that are easy to wash and do not quickly lose their appearance due to frequent washing. For kitchen decor, you can choose short curtains that reach the window sill or even shorter ones, allowing maximum natural light into the room.
Light curtains
In a country house where there are rooms with large windows, you often want to maintain a feeling of air and spaciousness. At the same time, if the sun illuminates the room too brightly, fabric is needed to diffuse the rays. Refuse thick massive curtains in favor of light and light curtains: they will give the room lightness, but will not shade it too much.
At the dacha, textiles with ornaments are especially appropriate, adding coziness to the interior. Give preference to unobtrusive patterns without contrasting transitions from dark to light, so as not to visually overload the decor.
What to do before buying fabric
In order to be well prepared for the purchase, you should look through several options for design samples of rooms where lining is present. Photos with a variety of views will help. In addition, the window is studied. The opening of the valves is checked, the height and width of the block is measured, and the height from the ceiling to the finished floor is determined.
If you have to live at your dacha in summer and winter, you can take two types of curtains. Light and dense.
A few additional guidelines to help you make the right choice:
- Orientation to the cardinal points. The south side of the window should be covered with thick curtains. Choose cool tones from paints. On the north side, light curtains in light warm shades will look good.
- Purpose of curtains. Products are often used not only for windows. They decorate doorways. In the rooms of a country house, wide openings for double-leaf doors can be arranged. It is necessary to measure the dimensions of the opening.
Conclusion
Despite the abundance of prohibitions and wishes, choosing the best option for decorating a window in a room with a shortage of space is not so difficult. The main thing is to adhere to the principle of minimalism, not be afraid of experiments, use your own imagination and not neglect the experience of professionals.
According to experts, a room does not seem so small if its design is constantly changing. You can buy two options for curtains and two options for tulle for one room (it is advisable that all pieces of fabric match each other). This will allow you to change the design of the window as the desire arises and use the free space in a new way.
Internal shutters
To some, wooden shutters in a country house seem outdated, but they are actively used in design projects and add originality to the room. The products reliably protect from the sun and can completely darken the room - useful for families with small children who need to sleep during the day or go to bed before dark.
Shutters painted in bright colors become the main accent of the interior. But if you want to “hide” them, choose paint to match the walls.
