Modern Curtains

Modern drapes and curtains work well to block sound and light, as well as heat and cold. They are also quite decorative and can add a unique personality to your rooms. Sash curtains work well to filter light, and draw curtains block out more light. An over-drapery is now known as a modern drapery, and it is mainly added for decoration. In more formal rooms with high ceilings, a valance or cornice can be added to hide the hardware from the curtain rods.

In more modern curtains designs, we tend to think of draperies curtains as sash curtains, which are usually unlined, and come in a variety of lengths. Draperies are the term often used to refer to drapes that draw, and close off the entire window when they are closed. In modern styles, fabrics can be used to swag and drape loosely over a pole or rod, in a look that mimics conventional swags and valances. Swags sometimes serve no purpose other than to look dramatic.

You can use curtains and draperies in many different ways, especially with the loosely designed styles of today. You may hang curtains of silk, nylon or lace, place a blind underneath a curtain, or hang curtains behind linen, velvet or silk draperies. You can hang modern drapery over shades, hang them alone on a pole, or use top curtains with decorative over-drapes called swags. You can also top almost any window treatment with a valance or cornice. The variations of use for modern drapes and curtains are nearly endless, and you can combine many elements with contemporary blinds.

If you wish to design your home's window treatments yourself, don't be hesitant about using country style fabrics in a three-curtain plus valance window treatment in a country styled room that is more formal. You can also use silky fabrics for simple curtains that tie back in country rooms, if the silk has a country theme to it as well.

The proper lengths of draperies curtains are up to the homeowner, and dependent upon the size of the window being covered. As a rule, if the drapery or curtain is longer, it means that the look will be more dignified and formal. Shorter lengths generally imply a more informal, casual mood. You can make the decisions, based on what you want your rooms to look like.

In a formal room, the curtains often touch the floor just barely. In a romantic room, you may want extra long curtains for elegance, as they puddle on the floor. Kitchens may be done with curtains that only fall to the length of the sill, and family rooms or dens may gain some dignity from curtains or draw style drapes that reach the floor. Curtains that end at the beginning of floor moldings tend to look odd, and you may want to lower the poles or rods so that the modern drapes touch the floor.

If you have a window that is too short for the style of the room, you can attach rods below the molding by the ceiling, and the drapes and curtains can hang all the way to the floor. This will make the window look more elegant.