French curtains, or “marquises,” became fashionable for palace interiors in the 17th century, during the reign of the Sun King Louis XIV. The then dominant Baroque style implied the illusion of expanding space; this task in window decoration was performed by curtains made of light white fabric gathered in scallops. The Rococo style that replaced Baroque created a chamber room facing inward; this effect was achieved by French curtains made of thick colored fabrics. Rational classicism logically organizes the interior using a combination of thin and thick French curtains.
French curtains emphasize the luxury of the interior
For centuries, French curtains in the interior have created a special atmosphere of royal luxury, solemnity and wealth, which leads to their use in theaters, restaurants, and wedding palaces. French curtains will add sophisticated style and aristocratic chic to the interior of an apartment or country house.
Purple French curtains in the nursery
French curtains with lambrequin in the office
Types of curtains
There are main types of French curtains.
Lifting
The most common type. The canvases rise to the top, forming waves and lush voluminous folds.
Fixed
They close the window constantly, are in a static position, do not move to the side and do not rise up.
Curtain sizes
French curtains are divided into two types of sizes.
Long
A classic and quite popular design option. They will be an excellent solution for a spacious room. Beautifully draped fabrics add special softness and sophistication to the space.
The photo shows a living room and long French curtains on the windows.
Short
They choose based on the design features of the room, for example, when there is a sofa near the window, the window sill turns into a tabletop, or the room itself is simply too small. It is in these cases that elegant and comfortable short models are used.
Materials
Awnings are made from well-draped materials in order to fully reveal their aesthetic capabilities.
Linen
Linen curtains look great, are pleasant to the touch, easily withstand numerous washes and do not lose their original presentable appearance for a long time.
Velvet
A material with a unique depth of color. It is covered with dense pile, which has an elegant play of chiaroscuro.
Veil
It will add tenderness and airiness to any room and will become a magnificent window decoration. The veil looks great either on its own or in combination with thicker or lighter fabrics.
Silk
Shiny durable and soft. It has the ability to be painted in various shades. Silk awnings shimmer very beautifully in the light.
Organza
Products made from organza will make the interior light and sophisticated, highlight any style and charm with its elegance.
Satin fabric
Very dense, beautifully draping fabric with a flawlessly smooth surface. Satin awnings give a radiant shine that occurs due to the reflection of light.
Photos in the interior of the rooms
This type of curtain will be the secret of real attractiveness.
French curtains in the kitchen
Both short curtains up to the window sill and long options will look appropriate here. Awnings, with their lush and luxurious folds, will perfectly complement any kitchen interior and add charm, wealth and pomp to it.
The photo shows short French curtains in the kitchen interior.
Children's
Awnings will become an original, characteristic decoration and set the tone for the entire room. However, from a practicality point of view, French curtains are not the best option for decorating a children's room, since due to the large number of folds they collect a lot of dust.
Living room or hall
They bring a touch of romance and sophistication to this room. Today, French curtains decorate both elaborate and simple living room interiors.
Bedroom
Such curtains will add chic, prestige and solidity to the bedroom. With their lyrical and delicate design, they create a special atmosphere and emphasize good taste.
The photo shows the interior of the bedroom and the window opening with French curtains.
Balcony
French curtains will be an excellent decor for large balconies and loggias. They will fill the space with warmth and comfort, and turn the room into a romantic nest for a pleasant pastime.
Cabinet
It is better to use curtains without accessories, made of transparent fabrics in calm, classic colors.
On the stairs
Awnings are perfect for decorating a tall window, and it doesn’t matter what material they are made of. Both curtains made of heavy satin and airy veil will look great. Such products will give the window opening even more chic and shine.
How to calculate the amount of fabric
Measure the window, more precisely the part (or more) of it that the curtain will cover.
Multiply the width by 1.5 (if you want a deeper ruffle than the standard one, you may need more fabric). As a rule, the length of the fabric laid is twice the height of the curtain.
blockquote>Calculate the number of festoons to know the amount of awning tape required. The step for a small window is from 25 to 30 cm, for a large wide one - from 50 to 60 cm. The tape will also gather in the process, so it is important to take it with a reserve.
Examples of design in various styles
Awnings with their exclusivity will add a picturesque image to the interior of a certain style.
Classic
French curtains are the embodiment of classics. Graceful flowing accordion draperies will fit perfectly into the interior in this style and add celebration, style, sophistication, elegance and splendor to it.
The photo shows a classic-style bathroom with French curtains on the window.
Provence
The elegant design of French curtains goes perfectly with the simple and laconic interior of Provence.
The photo shows white awning curtains in a Provence style living room.
Modern
Awnings will especially emphasize the freedom of style, create real comfort and add soft diffused lighting to the entire room.
The photo shows a modern-style dining room and a window opening with French curtains.
Baroque
To decorate this solemn and pompous style, long French curtains are suitable. They are especially in harmony and are associated with the luxury and elegance of palaces.
Basic sewing tips
Before work, you should familiarize yourself with the secrets and important tips of experts:
- if the window is wide, you should try to choose fabrics with less weight to reduce the load on the cornices;
- with a width of less than 1.5 m, any fabric can be used;
- and if the width reaches 3 m, silk, cotton or thin linen materials are preferable;
- wider openings are usually decorated with organza and the scallops are made wider.
If you take into account all the factors and “tricks”, you can achieve excellent results, and the room will sparkle in a new way with its unusualness, comfort and sophistication.
Color palette
French curtains have a fairly rich range of colors.
White
It is a symbol of purity, harmony, peace and inner peace. A window decorated with white curtains will create a feeling of airiness and softness and give the room a special lightness, weightlessness and tenderness.
Red
A bright and emotional color associated with energy and strength. French red curtains will simply be impossible not to notice in the interior. They will attract attention and become a great accent in the room.
Beige
Curtains of this color are suitable for decorating any room. The light passing through the beige curtains warms up, making the room cozier and more pleasant.
The photo shows beige curtains in the kitchen interior.
Pink
A gentle shade of dawn, freshness, charm, romance and love. Pink awnings will be a rather original solution and will add charisma to the interior.
Violet
Sensual, mysterious and deep color. The presence of purple decor on the windows in the room stimulates inspiration and creative thinking.
The photo shows purple French curtains in the kitchen interior.
Green
Creates a fresh atmosphere in the room. A wide selection of shades makes it possible to choose a product for any style and type of room.
Awning curtain design
A well-chosen design will make the window in each room original and interesting.
Flowers and vegetation
They will give you comfort and joy. Colorful floral awnings will set the interior a special mood, make the atmosphere more playful and fill the room with energy.
Monograms
Such an ornament on curtains will easily satisfy even the most refined taste. After all, with its help you can turn an ordinary room into a real royal apartment.
Combination with other types of curtains
Awnings can also be perfectly combined with other types of curtains.
Curtains
This combination will create a harmonious and stylish image in the room. To accompany the exquisite French curtains, both smooth and light curtains with a classic design and more laconic options, sewn from denser fabric, such as blackout, are suitable.
The photo shows the living room and awning curtains in combination with drapes.
Roller blinds
They fit perfectly together. Roller blinds give the window design a modern touch, while awnings add pomp and significance.
Operating principles of cornices
Cornices for French curtains come in several types:
- open type;
- closed type;
- with chain drive;
- with cord drive;
- with electric drive.
Construction and operation of open cornices
The cornice body is attached to the wall or ceiling through additional brackets. Carriages with blocks for winding cords are attached to the lower part of the body. A square-section metal rod passes through the holes in the blocks of all carriages, the ends of which are fixed in the final bushing and the chain drive bushing. To raise the canvas, you need to pull the chain with a weight attached to the bottom. The chain rotates the chain drive bushing and the rod attached to it. Rotation is transmitted through the bar to carriages and blocks. When the blocks rotate, the cords are wound and retracted, and, as a result, the curtain fabric rises and lowers.
Open cornice
Construction and operation of closed cornices
The device is a cassette made of aluminum or plastic profile with end caps, which is attached to the wall or ceiling using additional brackets. Inside the cassette there is a metal rod with cord winding drums attached to it with screws. The ends of the rod are secured in an end cap on one side and in a chain-driven bushing on the other side of the cassette.
To raise or lower the curtain, you need to pull the chain, which rotates the chain mechanism bushing and the cassette rod.
Closed cornice
Construction and operation of curtain rods with cord drive
The device is a housing made of a metal or plastic profile, mounted on a wall or ceiling. with cords passed through them are inserted into the lower longitudinal slot Some ends of the cords, passed through the vertical drawstrings on the curtain, are fixed to the lower edge of the canvas, the other ends, passing through the holes in the brackets, are collected into a single bundle of cords in the block. The movement of the bundle of cords under the influence of the weight of the curtain is restrained by a limiter that regulates the amount of rise and fall of the curtain fabric.
Curtain rod with cord drive
Decorating curtains
A well-decorated window opening will add a bright accent to any interior.
Lambrequin
Soft, beautifully draped fabrics are especially suitable for each other, thereby creating an original window image.
Tassels
With their help, you can achieve visual highlighting of the curtain structure and give it an even more beautiful and elegant look.
Fringe
It looks playful and light and gives the beautiful awnings a special charm.
Bugle beads
Reminds me of precious stones. Using glass beads you can create a truly sophisticated look for curtains.
Device Features
An awning is a series of elements that create a holistic composition:
- The fabric itself. The more elastic it is, the more elegant the curtain will look. Decorating window openings with such curtains is more of a decorative than a practical process. Most often, multi-layer window interiors are created on the basis of canvases, so you need to choose the appropriate fabric - light and giving splendor.
- Textile braid is a vertical decoration in the form of scallops and flounces. The tighter it is, the more folds there will be in the curtain.
- Balancing elements help keep the curtain straight so it hangs beautifully.
- Additional decorations in the form of fringe, lace, beads or tassels can decorate the canvas on the lower edges.
Examples of non-standard windows
When decorating such window openings, you should not adhere to certain standards and do not be afraid to add something individual to their decor.
Bay window
They will highlight the design and help highlight it. To decorate bay windows, you should choose French curtains in light shades, made of light fabrics.
The photo shows bay windows decorated with French curtains.
Window with balcony door
Elegant awnings, thanks to their drapery, easily emphasize the aesthetics of a window with a balcony door.
Arch
For an arched window, both short and long versions of curtains placed on the eaves in a semicircle are suitable. Such decor will attract attention and help to correctly highlight the unusually shaped window opening.
Uncover
One of the most important points when cutting is to prevent the fabric from skewing. In order to ensure this, it is necessary to lay out the fabric on a large, flat, horizontal surface. Next, the cutting of the curtain is as follows:
- drawing a rectangle with the required parameters, taking into account all coefficients and leaving allowances on each side of at least 5 cm;
- marking the width of the fold step, which is best done by pulling the thread from the fabric, which ensures the appearance of a visible stripe on the fabric. This strip will subsequently serve as a guide for stitching the braid.
