Out of all the colors available to us, white is the one that holds the most symbolism, not only in western culture, but throughout the world, and indeed throughout the ages. The color white is symbolic of purity and cleanliness. Many people view it as being a symbol of extreme good, a polar opposite to black. In Asian culture, black and white are used in symbolism such as the yin yang symbol, to portray the opposite sides of the spectrum in life, and how they interact with each other to create an all encompassing whole.
In fashion and home design, white has always been a popular color to use. White curtains are one of the most popular colors out there, and because of that there is a huge range of different styles available in white. It is customary for a bride to wear white at her wedding, symbolising virginity and purity, and white is used in the bathroom to portray cleanliness and hygiene, this is the same reason the color is used so much in hospitals and doctor and nurses uniforms. In the home, white will blend into the background, allowing other items in your home to take the spotlight and stand out. This is the main reason why white curtains are so popular, particularly on windows that have a nice view, as the white will frame the view outside, drawing your eye out and creating a feeling of being at one with the view.
There are a multitude of styles of white curtains available.
The most effective are the softer materials such as light cotton and silk. White curtains with lace trimmings are the perfect solution if you are trying to achieve a country charm in your home, especially if you have a natural wooden background to put them up against. Sheer curtains are fantastic for rooms that don’t need a lot of privacy. If you just want to subdue the harsh lines of a window, a white sheer curtain will do so, adding a sense of softness and serenity to your room.
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Bedroom and living room windows aren’t the only place where white can be used effectively. The kitchen is a very popular place to use this color, as it will make the room feel larger and more inviting. When you get up in the morning and walk into a kitchen with white lace curtains hanging on the window, you can’t help but feel that you have started the day on the right foot. Yet another place that uses white predominately is the bathroom. For some people, a white shower curtain is too much on top of the white porcelain of the bathroom skin, toilet and bath, but if you have a few other colors to break it up, it can work wonders.
One thing to keep in mind about white curtains, they will show up every little speck of dirt. If you have small children, or an animal that can’t leave stuff alone, then you may find yourself constantly taking your curtains down and washing them. If this is the case, one thing you can do is have two layers of curtains. An absolutely classic look is to have black and white curtains together on the one window. You put the white underneath and the black on top. When the kids are home you close the black curtains over, and when you are alone during schooldays, you can open them up and enjoy the fresh crispness of your sheer white curtains.
Vegas Gold – So named because it is a color that is used predominately in hotels and casinos, the color being carefully selected as the one most likely to keep people comfortable, so that they stick around and spend more money.
This style of curtain is most popular for larger windows. If you have a feature window in your living room, or a big sliding door leading out to your patio, then these are great places to utilise the effect of a pinch pleated drape. Although some people use these for smaller windows, they really lend themselves to full length situations, where the pleat can travel all the way down to the floor of your room.
If a simple valance is still too expensive for you, you could actually look at making your own. Valances are usually a very simple design, and if you have a decent sized length of cardboard available, you can pick up some very cheap curtain, create some pleats in it, attach it to the cardboard and attach it behind your curtain rod. It can honestly look as good as the real thing, and will cost you next to nothing.
Thermal curtains seem to have a stigma of being unfashinable, dreary and drab. This is partly because people associate the word “thermal” with the thermal underwear their grnadmother wears, which, lets face it, is far from being attractive (sorry gran). This misconception is uinwarranted, however. Thermal backed curtains are in fact very stylish, and there are a huge range of styles available out there. In most cases, you woudn’t even know whether a curtain was thermal or not, until you look at it’s lining. Thermal curtain lining is usually made from either foam or acrylic, and in most cases these materials have been treated so that they are flame retardant. Some people think that they are hard to care for, but most can be washed in your washing machine just as well as a normal curtain could be. The fabric of the curtain itself is really up to you. The most popular fabrics are cotton and polyester, or a blend of the two, but the skys the limit as far as all the other materials available, it really comes down to your own personal choice.
Variety - Curtains & blinds have a whole lot of variety between them, and it would be hard to pick a clear winner. Blinds come in different slat sizes, different materials, and a wide range of colours and patterns. The same can be said for curtains. You have
Aesthetics - Aesthetics is impossible to judge, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, and all of that. Blinds certainly are a lot more versatile as far as fashion is concerned, and you can’t match the soft flowing curves of an eyelet curtain with blinds. A nice set of
It’s also a good idea for the babies nursery, as your bubs will be able to sleep in peace without the harsh sunlight shining through their window during their afternoon nap. Having the ability of blocking out the sun will also have the added benefit of protecting your carpets and furniture from harmful UV rays. These sunrays can fade your fabric over time, and these items can be very expensive to replace.
This is good news for the home owner, as it means that you no longer have to be a queen to enjoy the delicate feel of lace hanging on your windows. As a matter of fact, the place where lace is most used nowadays is in country settings. It is common to see an old style country farmhouse with a lace curtain billowing out in the spring breeze. This is proof that lace is a very versatile material indeed, as it can also be used to great effect in any modern style home that wants to add a bit of flair or charm to its walls.
If you are interested in getting a voile curtain in your home, then there are a few points that you will need to keep in mind before purchasing your curtains. For starters, measuring for a voile curtain is not as simple as just measuring the width and height of your window. To get the right effect, you need your curtain to gather a fair amount. Not only will this create a sense of fullness in your curtain, but it will also give you a little bit of added privacy. For this reason, when measuring the width of your window, you should multiply that number by two and a half.
The eyelets themselves actually come in a wide range of sizes. Generally speaking, the larger your window is, the bigger the hole should be. This is because for big heavy curtains you are going to need a more robust curtain rod, where as small light fabrics like
At this stage in a child’s development they are starting to learn about the alphabet and numbers, and you can stimulate this learning by having these symbols on your kids
If you are opening and closing tab top curtains on a regular basis, the loop of material will begin to wear out over time. The other downside to this style of curtain is the fact the loops will need to be even when the curtain is drawn closed, otherwise your curtain will look messy, and it will take away from the overall allure of your curtain.
The material that you end up choosing will largely depend on your decor and where you want to install the curtain. If you do want it to stand out a little more, then leather may be the best way to go, but most people use this style of curtain to soften their rooms.
Of course, the kitchen is not the only place that can utilise the country feel. Country curtains are usually considered to be of a light and frilly material, but in the case of living rooms and bedrooms something a bit more substantial is usually needed. In these cases, you can still achieve the country look by incorporating heavier materials that still have specific patterns on them.
If you need to go a step further and have complete cpverage at night to keeop out the cold, you can look at getting a full set of curtains installed over the top, that can be tied back during the day. If set up properly, with matching material, this can be a great look in your kitchen.
Apart from the luxuriousness that this material provides your room, there are other benefits to
This is a great shade to use in bathrooms that are fairly small, as they will give the illusion of more space in your room. Many people use particular scents in their bathroom that remind the senses of flowers and roses. The use of colors that represent these flowers, such as pinks and purples, can add to that effect even more.
Another example of when a blackout curtain in your home can be beneficial is if you or one of your family members are a shift worker. Shift workers get home after a hard nights work, and then have to cope with the fact that their body is telling them it’s daytime and not time to sleep. Having blackout curtain lining in your bedroom can trick your body into thinking it is night time, and help you get the sleep you need.
The benefits that a sheer curtain affords far outweigh this technicality. The translucent nature of these curtains soften those harmful sun rays so that you get a wonderful filtered light effect in your room. In the right situation, this can add a whole new character to your house.
As these changes sweep through our community, we develop an increased awareness of how we can use certain items in our home to modify our outlook on a very basic level.