Windows without curtains look unkempt and lonely. Especially if they are in the living room among soft sofas, comfortable armchairs or festive tables, where you can have a cup of tea with friends or celebrate a special occasion with loved ones. A decorated window will become an interior addition to any style, provided that the curtains for the living room are selected correctly.
Content
- 1 Significant design element: curtains in the living room interior
- 2 Color variety and functionality of curtains for living rooms
- 3 Methods for decorating curtains in the living room: photo selection
- 4 Decoration of non-standard windows: curtains in the living room
- 5 Extra long curtains for the living room: photos of models in the interior
- 6 The importance of properly sized curtains for the living room
- 7 Fasteners as a complement to the design: curtains for the living room with eyelets
- 8 Color selectivity: curtains in a white living room
- 9 Design of curtains in the living room: modern fashion trends
- 10 How to choose curtains for the living room: the importance of psychological perception
Significant design element: curtains in the living room interior
Many consider curtains to be the finishing touch to interior design. We can agree with this, but with a small proviso. After the curtains are removed in the room, it becomes completely different, even the perception of the basic shades changes. Consequently, curtains are a very important touch, without which there is no overall finished interior composition.
Choosing curtains for the living room in a style that matches the overall design of the room can be quite difficult. They cannot be tried on as clothes. A theoretically suitable shade is unexpectedly not quite harmonious in the overall color scheme of the room. The option created by the imagination does not have a real embodiment, and the selected type of curtains may not satisfy certain characteristics.
The living room is a room that gravitates towards celebration, solemnity, even if it is made in the styles of loft, minimalism, hi-tech, etc., that is, in style directions where rationality, restrained lines and outlines dominate. In this room curtains can become one of the main design elements that create an atmosphere of comfort and hospitality.
A good help in choosing can be photos of curtains in the interior of the living room, posted on the Internet.They demonstrate the possible types of curtains and their application in a specific style, offer various design solutions for processing and decoration, color combinations and ways of hanging cloths.
Color variety and functionality of curtains for living rooms
In a modern interior, curtains for the living room can be made of any kind of fabric: cotton, linen, silk (both natural and synthetic), woolen, nylon, woven from threads, etc. It can be a plain canvas, curtains with a large print or monotonous pattern, with embossing and lurex.
The choice of color is largely determined by style, but not only. An important characteristic is the texture of the fabric. The surface can be smooth or corrugated, as well as with additional thread that gives shine or other color shade. When choosing the color of the curtains, you can follow the following algorithm:
- To understand what will complement the living room interior: brightness, shine, bringing to harmony of different shades, or lightness, transparency.
- Highlight the element in the interior with which the curtains will be combined. This can be furniture upholstery, walls, flooring, tablecloths or other textiles.
- Determine the possible texture of future curtains: smooth fabric, embossed fabric or, possibly, velvet.
Useful advice! When choosing curtains in the living room, excesses should not be allowed. A lot of shine erases comfort, heavy dark curtains crush, a variety of bright shades annoys, interferes with the feeling of liberation.
Way window decoration in the living room largely depends on the necessary functionality of the curtains, which may be as follows:
- Decorativeness. For this method, there are no restrictions on the choice of material or color.
- Barrier to the penetration of sunlight into the room - both light and heavy curtains can be used here. When using colored natural fabrics, it is better to hang products with external protective gluing. Otherwise, the fabric in direct sunlight will quickly lose its aesthetics.
- Protection of the premises from prying eyes. For such purposes, fabrics of medium and high density are suitable. They will provide a comfortable feeling of privacy.
The color, texture and purpose of the curtains are interdependent. Only with a triune correspondence can comfort and decorativeness be achieved in the living room.
Methods for decorating curtains in the living room: photo selection
You can create an interesting interior in the living room using various options for decorating curtains. Depending on the color, texture, density of the canvases, you can create various compositions. The most common ways to decorate curtains:
- Pickups. The curtain can be assembled in the center or offset against the wall. The pickup is carried out using a harness, tape, chain, etc., which also have a decorative design.
- Edging made of braid, plait, cord, fabric of a different color. The product is trimmed along the edge, which makes the canvas more expressive, makes the outlines clearer.
- Hanging double curtains. The canvases are arranged in parallel. For example, bright green curtains in the living room are covered with beige or light brown. For this composition, lightweight fabric is used, the curtains are lush.
- Frill. They can be made either from a fabric identical to the curtains, or from another.
Separately, it should be said about lambrequins. These are additional fabric elements located at the top of the curtains. They can be short cuts stored in warehouses, hanging down vertically. The assembled canvas can be thrown over the cornice. Volumetric lambrequins - puffs are quite popular for living rooms. The fabric is not collected in warehouses, but pulled together. Hard lambrequins are also used. In this case, the decoratively laid fabric is fixed to a dense base.
Turquoise curtains combined with gold or beige-brown frills at the bottom of the canvas will decorate the living room interior in an original way. Dark blue heavy curtains will become much more original with a short top frill made of the same fabric, trimmed with velvet or light braid.
Decoration of non-standard windows: curtains in the living room
In the dictionary, the word "curtain" is defined as a cloth used for hanging or fencing off, that is, these are the same curtains, curtains, etc. In this article, the word "curtains" will be used in a more familiar everyday meaning - short curtains. Most often, this method of window decoration is used in the kitchen or in closed verandas.
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If we talk about block apartments with standard sizes of window openings or about modern houses with panoramic windows, curtains for the living room will be a completely unacceptable option. However, in cottages, living rooms can be equipped on the attic floors, and the housing located on the basement level of a high-rise building has windows in the upper part of the walls. Non-standard rooms are distinguished by a special configuration of window openings, therefore, a different approach to their design is required.
Curtains are appropriate in living rooms with wide and low windows. If such openings are decorated with long curtains, they will significantly curtain the wall, which will give rise to a feeling of uselessness, inappropriateness of so many textiles.
The curtains in the living room (photos clearly demonstrate this) should be made of light transparent or translucent fabric. A large number of assemblies will make them more elegant, solemn. The bottom edges should not be highlighted with tape or other stripes that emphasize the outline. It is better to decorate the curtains at the top. It is inappropriate to use fabrics of bright colors; it is better to “dissolve” the canvas in natural light.
Useful advice! For sewing curtains in the living room, it is recommended to use soft flowing fabrics. The vertical lines of the folds of such a canvas contribute to a visual increase in the height of the windows.
Extra long curtains for the living room: photos of models in the interior
Extra charm and splendor to the living room interior is given by elongated curtains. They are appropriate in rooms of large dimensions, where the window openings are also different in size. For this type of curtain, careful selection of fabric is required. Monochromatic canvases of muted shades look more organic. These can be silk or velvet products with a soft structure. You should not use cotton and linen for sewing elongated curtains, as warehouses made of such fabric in the lower part will puff up sloppily.
The optimal additional length of curtains lying on the floor is 20–30 cm.Large allowances will take up a significant part of the floor area, which will be both unaesthetic and inconvenient to use.
When decorating the design of windows in the living room with long curtains, it is necessary to install the cornice at a height of at least 300 cm.If the length of the canvas without an additional part is less than 250 cm, the option of elongated curtains is unacceptable: you may get the feeling that they have sagged. The possibility of violation of decorativeness is also likely in the case when the allowance for lengthening is small (less than 20 cm): the curtains will seem simply long.
The importance of properly sized curtains for the living room
The size of the curtains is very important for the overall aesthetics of the window design. This is especially true for the living room. If the length of the canvas is 4-5 centimeters shorter than the required size, the curtains will look scanty and unattractive. In order to avoid mistakes and choose the optimal length and width of the curtains in the living room, you need to carry out a rather painstaking preliminary work. The following measurements are required:
- the width of the eaves (excluding the distance from the attachment to the edges, if it is not functional);
- heights from floor to eaves;
- the width of the window opening;
- the sizes of the mounts.
The results obtained will help to correctly determine the length of full-size curtains. If an elongated view is planned, this indicator must be increased by 20-30 cm. Short curtains (curtains) must be measured to the lower edge of the window sill. It is this option that is more acceptable for the living room. Curtains with a length of up to the windowsill are used for the kitchen.
Important! When buying a curtain fabric, it is necessary to add seam allowances to the size - 5-6 cm on each untreated side. When purchasing a linen fabric, it is worth increasing the allowances by another 7-10 cm, since this fabric can shrink during washing. Sewing linen curtains is best done after pre-soaking the fabric.
The width of the curtains most of all depends on the size of the window opening and the taste preferences of the owners. However, here you can also use some tips to make this element harmonious in the overall interior:
- lush curtains are not recommended for small rooms, especially those with a small height (less than 250 cm);
- curtains with a pronounced pattern should not be too densely folded;
- if the curtains in the living room for two windows are hung on one cornice, they should close when closed.
When determining the width of the curtains, it is also important to consider the density of the fabric. Thickly gathered blackout curtains will feel heavy. Thin curtains without folds are inorganic for many interior styles, with the exception of trends tending towards minimalism.
Velvet at the heart of the design of curtains for the living room (photo of interiors)
In the recent past, namely in the 50-60s of the twentieth century, a distinctive feature of living rooms was velvet curtains from more prosperous owners, from plush - in the houses of people of low income. They had, if not bright red, then its shades. Sometimes brown curtains could be found.
Velvet is a fabric with a dense base and soft pile. The material has a number of features that make it possible to actively use it for sewing curtains:
- density helps to protect the room from the scorching sun rays;
- forms beautiful folds when hung;
- easy to decorate by gathering and pulling;
- the texture features are conducive to creating a presentable appearance.
The modern industry produces velvet from both natural and synthetic materials.The most expensive fabric is silk. The variety of shades and colors of velvet allows you to choose an option that suits any interior. Velvet curtains are used to decorate the windows of rooms with a classic design.
The photo shows green curtains in the interior of the living room. They are in perfect harmony with wooden furniture and light pistachio-colored walls. Green color does not necessarily imply the presence of furniture or textiles of the same shade in the interior. Curtains can be combined with live plants. This neighborhood complements and at the same time highlights these design elements.
Velvet gray curtains can be a great option for classic design, where colored furniture upholstery is used. The interior of the living room, decorated in this style, will acquire a restrained rich decoration. Gray curtains are organically combined with fragments of patterns of the same color contained in the floor covering, upholstery fabrics, and with elements of furniture decoration that have a similar shade.
Lightweight window fabrics in the living room: tulle, organza, chiffon
When decorating windows in the living room, many prefer light fabrics. Tulle, chiffon and organza can be used as material for sewing curtains.
Tulle is a mesh fabric. It can have a pattern, it can be colored and monochromatic, translucent and transparent. Curtains are made from it. Referring to the dictionary, it is easy to see that the curtain is the same as the curtain. In this article, the word "curtain" will be used as the name of a transparent fabric used exclusively for decoration. The tulle curtain gives the window and the room as a whole lightness, airiness. It can be hung either separately or in combination with thicker curtains.
Light curtains for the living room are often made of chiffon - a translucent monochromatic fabric, the main features of which are:
- availability of staining. This fabric is distinguished by a wide variety of colors and shades;
- malleability to design. Easily assembled, laid, draped;
- transmits natural light. The degree of transparency depends on the density of the material;
- gives the room elegance, lightness.
Chiffon curtains can be both an independent window decoration and part of a decorative composition.
Useful advice! When decorating chiffon fabrics (collecting in warehouses, making lambrequins, especially voluminous ones), it is worth remembering that this fabric needs a thorough ironing after washing.
Another type of fabric that allows you to embody the most interesting interior ideas is organza - a material with a fairly high level of transparency, visually almost weightless. Organza is processed with a laser, embroidery is done on it, it is etched - as a result of this technical decoration, the canvas acquires interesting patterns, color effects and shapes.
The fabric has the following advantages:
- a high level of decorativeness (even laconic forms);
- preservation of aesthetics for a long time;
- strength;
- ease of care.
Organza can be used as an independent design, as well as combined with other curtains.
Inexpensive, stylish and simple: curtains for the living room from threads
Thread curtains are used exclusively for decorative purposes in window decoration. But this increases rather than diminishes their dignity. Among the main positive characteristics of these curtains are the following:
- do not impede the flow of fresh air through open windows;
- easy to decorate by collecting;
- differ in a variety of shades, including in one canvas;
- the required length is achieved by cutting without the need to process the ends;
- do not require ironing, can be washed in an automatic machine (tied in a knot or in a special bag);
- inexpensive;
- harmoniously combined with other types of curtains.
Living rooms with panoramic windows are beautifully decorated with filament curtains. The large glazing area emphasizes their originality, creates a feeling of flowing color. Against the background of a wall, even a plain one, such curtains look less presentable and original. The use of additional decorative elements for such products is not required. You can buy ready-made curtains for the living room, decorated with glass beads or lurex.
Useful advice! You should not decorate thread curtains with lambrequins from other fabrics or make tiered compositions. Both options will visually reduce the length of the threads, which will lead to the loss of the flowing effect.
Fasteners as a complement to the design: curtains for the living room with eyelets
Eyelets are rings that fix holes in the fabric, designed to thread a round cornice through them. Rings can be made of metal or plastic. Being a fastening element, they also add decorativeness to the design of curtains. Green curtains in the interior of the living room will be much more interesting if they are hung with white eyelets on a white cornice. You can use brown instead of white - this option is more organic for classic living rooms.
Useful advice! For the design of light curtains, which will often come into contact with water, it is better to use plastic eyelets, since metal ones are subject to corrosion.
Curtains with eyelets have the same folds, which significantly increases the aesthetics of the window. The distance between the rings is determined by the desired fold size. The optimal distance is considered to be 18 cm. Depending on your wishes, it can be reduced or increased, but not more than 22 cm. Otherwise, the folds will either protrude significantly (if the fabric is dense) or sag (with a soft cloth).
The main advantages of eyelets as fastening elements are:
- smooth sliding along the cornice;
- ease of installation;
- low price.
If it is necessary to close the window with heavy-weight curtains, eyelets can be the most suitable fastening and decoration element. For example, heavy brown curtains in the living room interior can be hung over gilded eyelets. Such a simple addition will make the curtains much more effective.
Color selectivity: curtains in a white living room
Despite the fact that white can be combined with any shades, it is quite difficult to decorate a living room in this style. To a large extent, this also applies to curtains: monochromatic ones can merge, colored ones can draw attention to themselves, protrude. Both will not contribute to the feeling of comfort and the creation of an atmosphere corresponding to the purpose of the room.
White has two shades - warm and cold. If you carefully look at the proposed photos of the design of curtains in the living room, made in white, it is easy to notice that the cold shade tends to similar tones, the warm one is in harmony with the warm ones.
Shallow gray, pale pistachio, pure blue shades will brighten the interior of living rooms with cool white.
From warm tones, designers recommend the following:
- beige;
- pink;
- lilac.
For a white living room, beige curtains in the interior are the most successful option, which does not require color support for other elements of the room.
You can use patterned products to decorate the windows of white living rooms. Curtains with golden ornaments, non-contrast stripes, soft prints will enhance the sense of style.
Useful advice! It is worth using the classic combination of black - white for curtains in a white living room only if the black elements of the pattern are small fragments or blotches.
Design of curtains in the living room: modern fashion trends
Any interior is influenced by fashion. Psychologists advise changing the situation in the house in case of changes in the inner world, pace of life, employment. A person should lead a balanced lifestyle. It is desirable that he has enough of everything, but without excess.
You should not radically change the interior for the sake of fashion. But to introduce new notes by replacing the curtains is quite affordable - and in this case, you can consult a capricious fashion. Photos of beautiful curtains in the living room will prompt a new, possibly more modern, window design option.
The main fashion trends are as follows:
- avoiding excesses, excessive pomp;
- preference is given to laconic and functional options;
- the trend is green and its shades;
- the presence of prints with floral ornaments.
If the room is replete with exquisite decorative elements, the window is decorated with bright or contrasting shades, it is worth purchasing light curtains in the living room. This classic version will soothe, bring lightness, extinguish obsession. The thickness and texture of the curtains should be selected in accordance with the goals and style.
How to choose curtains for the living room: the importance of psychological perception
Almost all of the content of this article contains answers to the question of how to choose curtains for the living room. It is not difficult to understand and even accept the rules and patterns. However, the interior should not be created for the sake of the interior. To prevent this from happening, when choosing these textiles, psychological aspects should also be taken into account:
- You should not decorate the window for the sake of style with bright curtains. Over time, they will not only annoy, but also annoy.
- If isolation from prying eyes is a prerequisite for comfort, you should choose thick, opaque curtains with good functionality. Decorativeness alone will not bring satisfaction.
- You should not be tempted by beautiful curtains for the living room that are not in harmony with the overall interior design. Gradually, inconsistencies will begin to dominate perception.
- When decorating curtains, you should definitely take into account the possibility of cleaning. If it is problematic, the desire to care for the curtains will be replaced by the necessity - and the window decoration will not please.
A cozy, interestingly furnished living room is the hallmark of the house. Temporary positions, unfinished zones or unkempt appearance are unacceptable in it. Random curtains will nullify design efforts, and properly selected and tidy ones will fill the room with beauty and contribute to creating a comfortable and pleasant interior.