Curtains and drapes are important home accessories that not only emphasize your own style, but also create a harmonious spatial impression and significantly improve the acoustics. But how do you actually find the right curtains and drapes? How long do they need to be, which hanging system is best, and what should you definitely consider? Our guide will help.

1. Curtain or drape – what’s the difference?

Although the two words are often used synonymously, they refer to two different things: Curtains and drapes are not the same thing. While curtains are transparent and allow daylight into the room, drapes are usually opaque and effectively block out the sun's rays.

A classic curtain consists of two parts: the sheer and the decorative panel . The sheer is a semi-transparent, half-length or floor-length, usually white, under-curtain that can be drawn. It is designed to let daylight into the room while simultaneously providing privacy and, of course, creating a stunning visual effect. The accompanying decorative panel is also called an over-curtain and is usually attached to the side of the window. Curtains are typically made from airy, light fabrics such as batiste, voile, or linen.

In contrast, curtains are usually made of thick, heavy fabrics such as velvet or cotton. They can be combined with sheers and placed in front of the curtain, for example, as side panels. Curtains are usually floor-length and depending on the quality of the fabric used sometimes have blackout, heat-insulating, or sound-dampening properties.

2. How do I find the right curtains and drapes?

Whether for the living room or the bedroom , whether finely or tightly woven, translucent or opaque, plain or patterned—the selection of curtains and drapes is now so large that it's often difficult to decide. To find the right model for you, it's advisable to create a short checklist before purchasing . The questions: What room are the curtains and drapes intended for, and what function should they serve? Should the new purchase be particularly easy to care for or durable? Which colors and materials best suit the room concept?

To define more precisely which curtains and drapes are suitable, a mood board , a collection of fabric samples or advice from an interior designer or decorator can be helpful.

Choosing the right curtain or drapery depends on your personal taste and interior design style , including your preferred colors and materials. The room in which the curtains and drapes are hung also plays a major role. The room size and the amount of light are particularly important here: Small, dark rooms appear airy and welcoming with (semi-)transparent fabrics in light colors. Spacious rooms can be made more cozy with heavy or dark curtain fabrics. 

3. Which curtains and drapes are suitable for which room?

When it comes to curtains and drapes, a distinction is made between four different fabric properties that are suitable for different rooms or situations:

Transparent fabric: This is a light and translucent fabric.

Semi-transparent fabric: This quality dampens incoming light and offers slight privacy.

Opaque fabric: This quality makes it easy to darken a room and ward off prying eyes.

Blackout fabric: This is a heavy, opaque and light-blocking fabric that offers protection from external influences.

In the bedroom , opaque curtains are usually required to darken the room when needed. Dense cotton fabrics are suitable for this. Thicker and fluffy fabrics (such as chenille) provide additional soundproofing for peaceful nights and shield against the cold outside.

In the living room , curtains and drapes made of velvet and shimmering fabrics, used floor-length or as scarves, increase the coziness factor. Lightweight cotton or linen curtains are also popular, as they absorb sound and create a modern and bright atmosphere. Those seeking sun and heat protection should choose curtains with special coatings that effectively block out glare from sunlight.

In a child's room , colorful motifs, seasonal motifs, or curtains in the little ones' favorite colors are appealing. But opaque options for darkening the room can also be useful, especially for babies and toddlers.

4. The right format: ready-made or custom-made?

The selection of beautiful off-the-rack curtains and drapes is now remarkably large. They are generally available in standard sizes, relatively inexpensively, without the need for waiting or measuring, and can be easily ironed with a hem tape to fit many window sizes.

If you can't find what you're looking for in the store, consider buying custom-made curtains and drapes. Here, you can choose your favorite fabric by the meter and sew it yourself or have it sewn. Particularly large windows or windows under sloping ceilings, but also small kitchen or bathroom windows, sometimes require a custom-fit solution. Of course, you should measure the window size precisely before purchasing fabric.

Curtains typically require twice the amount of fabric needed for the window size. You should also add a few centimeters per side for the hem. Of course, you can also seek advice from a specialist retailer or an interior designer. 

5. What is the best way to hang curtains and drapes?

Once you've finally decided on the right curtains or drapes, the next step is hanging them. With a classic curtain rod, a track system, or a cable system, there are various options to choose from, each of which is suitable for different purposes depending on the room, window size, and personal preference.

curtain rod

Curtain rods are attached to the wall independently of the curtains or drapes, allowing for quick and easy fabric changes at any time. Once the rods are installed above the window, the curtains can be attached with rings, loops, eyelets, or a curtain tape and opened and closed as desired.

When choosing the correct length for your curtain rod, you should not only consider the width of the window, but also allow for an overhang of approximately 10 to 15 cm on both sides of the window.

For guidance : The rod should be installed at least 10 cm above the window frame.

Rail system

Track systems are particularly suitable for rooms with low or medium-high ceilings and large window fronts. Unlike curtain rods, they are mounted on the ceiling rather than on the wall above the window.

Curtain tracks are available in a variety of designs, ranging from simple single-track models to models with multiple parallel tracks. Curtains are hung on the track using rollers, panel carriers, loop or pleat gliders, where they move smoothly and can be easily opened and closed as needed.

Rail systems are particularly suitable for modern panel curtains, but can generally be combined with all types of curtains and drapes – except eyelet curtains.

rope system

Cable systems are increasingly replacing traditional curtain rods. A thin but robust steel cable is mounted to the wall or ceiling with a special bracket and tensioned.

It is important that the walls are strong enough to support the weight of the curtain, and that the screws and dowels are installed in such a way that they can support the weight of the curtain in the long term.

Cable systems are generally better suited for narrow windows and light curtains. The latter are then hung from the cable using small hooks or metal eyelets.

6. What dimensions should be considered?

The ideal size for a curtain depends primarily on the window size, the fabric and style of the curtain, and personal taste. However, a few guidelines may be helpful:

For example, if you choose floor-length curtains or drapes , the hem should end approximately 1 to 2 cm above the floor. This creates the impression that the fabric is floating above the floor. However, versions that touch the floor or even rest several centimeters above it are also possible.

Short curtains, on the other hand, should end approximately 5 to 10 cm below the window frame.

For the width , you should add 20 cm of overhang on the sides and a gathering factor of 1:2, or 1:2.5 for large patterns – that is, at least twice the fabric width per meter of window.

To determine the required fabric width, you can use either the length of the curtain rod or the width of the window as a guide. However, since the curtain fabric will wrinkle and crease when hung, you'll need to allow for more fabric.

As a guide, normally 2 to 3 meters of fabric are needed for one meter of window.

7. What is the best way to care for curtains and drapes?

It's usually sufficient to wash curtains and drapes twice a year, perhaps during spring and fall cleaning. However, if the household includes pets, smokers, or allergy sufferers, the curtains should be taken down and cleaned more often. Once every three months is a good guideline.

Most curtains and drapes are machine washable and therefore easy to care for. To avoid excessive wear and tear on the fabric and ensure a long lifespan, there are a few things to keep in mind when cleaning them:

Curtains and drapes should always be washed on a gentle or delicate cycle (without spinning) and never together with other items of laundry. Always wash them individually or with similar items. The washing machine should be filled to no more than one-third full so that the curtains can float loosely in the wash solution.