Curtains are more than just functional necessities for any house. Sure, they provide privacy and allow you to control how much natural light you want filtering into a room. But more than that, they are also an interior décor choice.
As such, they serve an essential purpose in any home, cohesively bringing together a rooms' aesthetic while ensuring your essential privacy needs are met. Everybody should carefully consider what kind of curtains they want in their house. Indeed, you have to consider a plethora of things to finally find the perfect set of drapes for your living space. This is especially true if you are a brand new homeowner.
How Could First-Time Homeowners Get The Perfect Curtains?
Finally, millions of Americans dream of buying their own house. In our current housing market, achieving that goal is no easy feat. As a result, many new homeowners have a profound emotional attachment to their first property. They want to treat it special, converting it into that ideal living space they could never have with rentals.
This sentiment is more than understandable. If you want to spruce up your new place in anticipation of moving in, you must get suitable curtains. However, while managing the countless tasks that purchasing a new property likely entails, you should not overlook curtains. The wrong pair of drapes can make the rest of your effort go down the drain. So to help you figure this out, check out six tips.
1. Style Choice
Color Choice
At their bare minimum, this is the most crucial aspect of your curtain choice - what do you want them to look like? For a start, color choice is not as simple as you think. If the window or door you want to hang a curtain over is exposed to a lot of sunlight year-round, you might want to avoid bright colors.
Sunlight will fade any fabric's dye over time, so you should ideally get something with duller shades so the difference is not noticeable. Furthermore, curtains with complex textures with lifted patterns tend to be more challenging to maintain. Even though they look pretty, they might not be the perfect fit for every person.
Fabric Choice
Think about what fabric you want. Heavier curtains might not fold neatly when drawn open, whereas lighter curtains might not fall as beautifully. Of course, this is entirely dependent upon the material in question and the quality of its lining. This will also determine whether they are washer-friendly or dry-clean only. The latter option can be quite expensive and tedious, so only get them for the rooms that matter (more on that with the third tip).
Moreover, your curtain has to feel comfortable and luxurious, too. Indeed, the quality of a pair of drapes can be assessed by how its fabric feels to the touch. Luckily, at Curtarra, we offer free swatches to our customers so you can see the color and fabric of the potential materials you want to use for your custom curtains. We know you are likely excited about getting bespoke curtains for your brand new home. So, fortunately, we will deliver up to ten free samples to you within five business days in the US so you can see precisely what you want to get.
Linen and silk are usually excellent choices. Faux silk, in particular, is great because of its durability.
Some people living in colder climates might even want curtains that help them keep a room warm. Velvet and suede can be difficult to maintain, but they make up for that with the warmth they can provide during winters. So consider all these features before deciding what fabric you want your drapes to be made of.
2. Stick With The Theme
Buying a new house can fill you with giddy energy that can propel you to design each room in the place exactly as you want it to. Instead of every room feeling a little different and disconnected from one another, you might want to bring all of them together as part of one house by adopting a typical interior design theme. If that is the case, as it is with many first-time homeowners, it is essential to consider what drapes you would get to fit the theme.
Of course, everyone wants a pair of curtains that look pretty. But the big question is - do they go along with the room's general design aesthetic or not? To answer that, you must consider what the rest of the room's furnishing and décor looks like.
For a start, if most of the furniture consists of solid colors, you should break that up with patterned curtains. Otherwise, the room will look too monotonous. Conversely, if the room already has plenty of contrasting patterns and colors, block curtains might be your best choice. Their color could either be completely neutral, blending with the rest of the room, complement a recurring color, or contrast with the rest of the theme to bring it out.
You could also get something that looks designed to be in your house. Are you going for a minimalist, contemporary interior design? In that case, you should opt for neutral block colors that at most repeat a tint already presents elsewhere in the room. If your house has a bohemian vibe, go for eclectic patterns. You could always refer to the internet for more ideas on what exactly would suit your brand new house's aesthetic.
3. What Room Are You In?
This is an important question: What room are you in to begin with? Many people mistake buying curtains for bathroom windows that get easily ruined in that humid and wet setting. You should ideally get polyester curtains for them.
Conversely, you should avoid getting drapes made of difficult-to-clean fabrics for children's bedrooms. Children are naturally messier. Instead of dealing with impossible-to-clean marker ink on silk curtains, opt for easier-to-maintain materials.
Lastly, as a first-time homeowner, it is easy to get carried away and spend money on getting nothing short of the best, most expensive curtains for each room. But that can be a terrible decision in the long term. On the one hand, you could consider splurging a little extra money for your living room's curtains so you can create that lasting impression on your guests. Or perhaps you want to treat yourself and get an extravagant set of drapes for your bedroom. Any windows or doors that are highly visible and frequented by visitors deserve additional attention, so you get the perfect set of curtains for them.
On the other hand, it does not make sense to get expensive curtains for your bathroom or attic windows. We have already explained why you need to emphasize utility when getting bathroom curtains, but in the case of attics, it simply does not make sense to get pricey curtains for any place that is not frequented by you or visitors. In fact, think about all those windows in your house that are tucked away in corners that nobody will pay attention to. Regular curtains are usually sufficient for them.
4. Precise Measurements
To get the right pair of curtains, your measurements must be precise to the inch. So before purchasing any, fetch the measuring tape and see how high you hang them. When you hang them high, you will add a sense of height to the room. Designers recommend that you ideally hang them about six to eight inches above the windows.
Moreover, you should consider how you want the curtains to fall to the floor. For a more chic, contemporary look, you would like the curtains to end a few inches above the floor. However, some people prefer a more classic vibe by letting them drape along the bottom. This also has the added benefit of blocking all sunlight - so if you want to black out the room completely, then these are the way to go.
Since you are in your new house, you must take unique measurements for curtains. So take those precise measurements you need for your curtains, and be sure to record them somewhere so you can refer to them whenever you need to purchase a new pair of drapes over the years. This is also an excellent opportunity to familiarize yourself with this brand-new property that symbolizes your success.
Recognizing the importance of precise measurements, we developed an advanced Measurement Tool that you can use to determine exactly what lengths would work well for all the windows in your house. The tool will also assist you with deciding on the right kind of curtain design. Best of all, this tool is available for everyone to use free of cost!
5. What is Outside?
They say your window is the canvas with a painting of your view. Following that logic, your curtains are the painting's frame. Whether you see rolling hills, a city's skyline, or the beach - your curtains have to complement the picture, too, since they will form the frame around.
Light or aquatic colors such as semi-sheer curtains are your best bet if you have a window that looks out to a beautiful waterfront. White, greys, blues, and turquoises will complement the view. Other shades, especially darker ones, will feel too heavy compared to the soothing view of the water.
Conversely, if you have a sleek, urban view of a skyline or city block, go for darker tints such as blackout curtains. Intricate prints can also work. The cosmopolitan view has to be matched with similarly glamorous drapes.
Views overlooking parks, hills, forests, and other green spaces work well with earth shades. Greens, browns, and ochre are what you are looking for. Prints and pattern curtains are also suitable for them.
If your house is in an older neighborhood and its windows open to a view of buildings with fancy masonry, arches, and stonework, then you have to get matching patterned curtains. And not just simple designs, either. Rather, go for something with a classier design.
However, not every view is worthwhile. In fact, some apartment dwellers might be greeted with a view into their neighbor's house. In that case, your priority is privacy. Therefore, you might opt for curtains made of light fabric such as solid sheer curtains that allow natural light in but do not compromise your privacy.
6. Off-The-Shelf Or Custom Work?
Now that you know exactly what kind of curtains you want, you might be preparing to buy some. But curtain-shopping can itself be a significant hurdle. As a first-time home buyer that wants to make sure their own house looks and feels precisely as you want it to, off-the-shelf curtains can be pretty disappointing.
They come in a minimal range of colors, fabrics, and sizes. Often, their size is off when you find a pair with the right color and material. Or, if you see something in the fabric you are looking for, it cannot be of the size you prefer. Often, these cheap off-the-shelf curtains also tend to be of lower quality.
As a first-time homeowner, you should celebrate! You are living the American Dream, and you should not have to compromise your desires and aspirations. That is why you should consider getting customized curtains that meet your criteria. Custom curtains allow you to get the precise color, fabric, and size you want. You might want to know the difference between ready-made curtains and bespoke curtains, click here to learn more.
Nor are these as expensive as you might be led to believe. Online retail stores like Curtarra allow you to customize and order bespoke curtains from the internet easily. Not only will you receive precisely the sort of drapes you are looking for at your home, but you also will not have to go through the hassle of visiting brick-and-mortar stores looking for curtains through their inventories - only to make a compromise.
At Curtarra, we have cultivated a reputation for reliance and craftsmanship. Our bespoke products are handmade and customized precisely to our customers specifications. Plus, we only use the highest quality fabrics sourced from suppliers with stringent quality control standards of their own. The exceptional quality of our curtains speaks for itself.
Get in touch if you want to learn more about our services. Our online customer service will answer all of your queries within twelve hours, so you can quickly get down to ordering your set of custom curtains. We even offer a free consultation to anybody who needs professional guidance. You can rest assured that with our expert help, you will be able to order curtains that will look stunning in your new house.
Moreover, you will likely be eager to hang up that perfect set of curtains that you painstakingly customized in your house. Luckily, you will not have to wait long for them to be delivered to your doorstep if you are ordering within the US, you will get your drapes within five business days. That, too, is free of cost!