Curtain Styles

In the eighteenth century, windows were often left uncurtained, and waxed and printed linen was frequently used to make economical Roman blinds. Shutters gave warmth and privacy, and were designed as integral parts of the architecture. They were decorated with as much care as the walls and ceilings, and often carved and embellished with motifs and mouldings that were in keeping with the classical style. Occasionally, festoon blinds might also be used and, in grander homes, huge draperies would hang over the top of a window, with heavy curtains falling in elegant folds to the ground.

A Gothic look can be achieved with tab headings hung over a wooden or metal curtain pole. These can be plain, rich fabrics such as velvet or heavy, plain cotton with contrasting lining or borders, or in rich ecclesiastical-style patterns with heraldic devices such as ever-populated fleur-de-lis, Tudor roses, lions, griffins or a mille-fleurs tapestry material.

Victorian bedrooms used lots of lace draped casually from a simple rod over a sheer fabric or pretty, dimity-patterned cottons. Main rooms were heavily hung with velvets in a variety of styles, from Gothic to Neo-Classical. In the early days of colonial America, curtains were unpretentious, usually short and used primarily to retain heat in cold winters. They would be hung from curtain rings over a simple rod and were usually made of simple, printed cottons and lined, perhaps with a valance hanging over the top. Curtains were often combined with rattan blinds or louvered shutters.

In Scandinavian countries, curtains are usually left very simple in appearance to let in the maximum amount of daylight, and blinds are often the preferred choice. These colours are usually rather uninhibited, but patterns are restrained: simple stripes or checks, or bold, stylized prints. The eighteenth century Gustavian style might use white net curtains with matching, swathed pelmet mounted on a white or brass pole, or simple curtains, perhaps in blue-and-white checks.

Curtain fashions and styles during the twentieth century have been, for the most part, mainly simple (unless recreating a period look), relying on the strong colours and patterns of the fabrics to reflect the latest style; pure white or bold, jazz fabrics for the thirties, for example. A notable characteristic of the architecture of the fifties and sixties was the introduction of enormous 'picture' windows that took up a whole wall. These windows were not always easy to dress and curtains usually hung from track running right across the top of the window, from wall to wall and ceiling to floor, with a simple plywood pelmet covered in the same fabric. Pinch-pleat tapes were available on the market for the first time in 1958 and immediately became popular.