Need Help Choosing?

Depending on which rooms you’re going to treat to new curtains, here’s some basic, but useful advice on what to go for and how to get the right effect:

Bedroom

Most people want a dark, cocooning haven to sleep in, even when the sun is up, so, we suggest you either choose an interlined curtain or a curtain with a blackout lining, for total darkness.

If you want a roman blind for your bedroom, we advise a blackout lining for total darkness.

Kitchen

Kitchen curtains will get splashed and ruined easily if hung above a work surface or sink, so we recommend choosing a roman blind for these areas.

Sitting Room / Dining Room

There are no rules for a sitting room curtain except deciding what sort of overall look or effect you want. Most people choose an interlined curtain because they hang better, look smarter and stop the heat escaping. After all, these rooms need to be warm and inviting. If you want a relaxed look, then a lined curtain is probably enough, but you should consider a thermal lining if you want to keep the heat in.

Childrens' Bedroom

This is obvious…  blackout all the way!  Blackout lining keeps the little darlings sleeping as long as possible and let’s face it, this is every parent’s idea of bliss (and we believe the key to sanity!).  If you want a smarter look, choose a curtain with an interlining as well (please note: interlining is not available for roman blinds.)

Interlined & Lined

Interlining is a thick, wool-like cotton lining that hangs inside the curtain, sandwiched between the face fabric and the back lining. It makes your curtains hang beautifully, cuts out a lot of light and gives them a classic, fuller, more luxurious look. Interlining will also help your curtains insulate the room and contribute to lower energy bills.

You can use any of the linings in conjunction with an interlining. For the classic curtain, go for plain lining; for a completely dark room, choose a blackout lining; and for a warm room, we recommend a thermal lining.

Interlining cannot be sewn into our roman blinds.

Lined

Linings will make your curtain or roman blind hang better, last longer and protect your fabrics from sunlight damage or condensation. We offer 3 choices of lining: plain, blackout or thermal.

Plain Cotton lining
This is simple 100% cotton classic cream lining.  It will block a small amount of light but, most of all, it helps the curtain hang better and protects the fabric.  It will give the curtain a lightweight, relaxed look. We fit a white cotton lining onto white fabrics with plain lining to keep them whiter than white!

Thermal Insulating Lining
Thermal lining will keep rooms nice and snug by keeping the heat in and the cold out. It’s a simple, effective way to cut down your energy consumption during winter. Apart from being a little stiffer, this lining is similar in all respects to cream plain lining. There’s no white thermal lining alternative for white fabrics so white fabrics using thermal lining will appear slightly cream coloured in some sunny positions. 

Blackout lining
Blackout lining stops any light filtering through so it’s an obvious choice for bedrooms. Please note, it’s cream coloured not black!  Like thermal lining, it’s also slightly stiffer to handle than plain cotton lining, but otherwise similar.

Unlined

Roman blinds are not available unlined. For curtains, unlined is a simple look which lets light filter through the fabric.  It’s worth noting that an unlined curtain will fade faster because of exposure to sunlight. So, if you want to protect your fabric and allow some light to seep through your curtains, a plain cotton lining is recommended.

If you’re not sure what to choose, here’s a guide (you can also see them here). Our heading types fit into 3 broad categories: classic, modern and relaxed.

Classic - Triple Pleat, Double Pleat, Inverted Pleat
These are all more formal headings.  Triple pleat, a classic curtain heading, is the most formal. Inverted is the most modern heading. They all use more fabric than the eyelet and tab top curtains which adds bulk when drawn back.

Modern - Eyelet Curtains
Eyelets are an attractive, modern heading. They look unfussy and stack back neatly and so are ideal for windows with limited space on either side of the frame. (Please note: eyelet curtains will only fit on a curtain pole, not a track.)

Relaxed - Pencil Pleat, Gathered Pleat and Tab Top Curtains
Pencil pleat curtains are great, relaxed, general purpose heading.  They look good in any room and are always a popular choice.  Gathered curtains are classic, relaxed and country-style in appearance. A gathered heading is a great choice for children’s or kitchen curtains or for an overall simple, easy look. Tab top is a simple curtain heading, ideal for settings where a curtain is chosen more for decorative purposes. This is because tab top curtains don’t draw easily compared to other curtains. (Please note: tab top curtains can only be fitted to a curtain pole, not a track.)

Here’s some general advice if you don’t know where to start:

Floor-length curtains
Measure your curtains 1.5cm longer than floor length. If your floor is uneven, be sure to measure each side of the window and go with the longest measurement. Floor-length curtains look luxurious and keep you snug in winter. 

For sill length curtains
We recommend either 15cm below the sill or 1-2cm above it.