Choosing curtains can be quite challenging for most first time owners due to the extensive range of curtains available in the market. This is why most people will make several mistakes before finally settling on the most ideal curtains for HDB. The mistakes are usually in the inability to understand some fundamental curtain guidelines. The principle guidelines which are usually broken or simply ignored include the following:
– Choosing the right curtain based on function
– Choosing the most durable curtains
The above guidelines help to describe the most common mistakes that people make when choosing curtains
1. Choosing the right curtain fabric and color based on function
The function of the curtain is determined by the room in which the curtain is to be used. Here is a list of the four common mistakes arising from ignoring or misinterpreting the curtain function guideline.
a. The kitchen
The curtain or curtains to be used for the kitchen have the function of allowing as much light into kitchen as well as allowing the kitchen to retain most of its privacy. This is why kitchen curtains don’t cover the window entirely. This has the advantage of allowing light to stream in from the space that remains uncovered below the curtain. The light is quite important in the kitchen because it is one place in the home that witnesses the most of activities. This takes the form of meal preparation and the constant cleaning to maintain sanitary conditions in the kitchens. This tends to imply that kitchen curtains will tend to be either half-lace or quarter- lace curtains.
The most common mistake that people make when it comes to kitchen curtains tends to take the form of choosing a curtain that covers the whole window. This means anyone who desires more light into the kitchen has to fold or part the window curtains. It is important to note that the kitchen is a place in which curtains tend to get dirty very quickly due to the presence of particulate matter in the form of un burnt carbon and vaporized fat globules. By having to tie and fold the window curtain frequently, the window curtain to require a similar frequent amount of washing. The situation is made worse if the curtains are made from an adsorbent material. The adsorbent nature of the material will make it remarkably difficult to wash the curtain.
b. The bedroom
The bedroom curtains have the function of keeping the bedroom private. This implies that the curtains have to be both thick and darkly colored to eliminate the possibility of any prying eyes from spying into the bedroom. The most common mistake people make concerning bedroom curtains usually involve the thickness and color of the fabric. For instance, choosing bedrooms curtains that exhibit a low thread density will make it possible for someone outside to get a brief look at the happenings in the bedroom. Furthermore, if the curtains are lightly colored, the silhouette of someone in the bedroom will be very distinct when it happens to fall on the curtain. Thick dark bedroom curtains would ensure that bedroom remains private during both the day and the night.
c. The living room
The living room is the one place in the home that requires ample sunlight during the day and similarly bright lighting during the night. This is why the curtains in the living room need to be light and also brightly colored. This allows maximum light to get into the living room and also helps to enhance the welcoming atmosphere of the room. The most common mistake concerning the choice of curtain in the living room involves choosing either thick curtains or the wrong color for the curtains.
The main downside to choosing thick curtains for the living room lies in the extra effort when parting the curtains in order to allow light into the living room. This increases the amount of handling required which means the curtains require a lot more frequent cleaning when compared to lighter curtains. The downslide of choosing darkly colored curtains for the living room takes the form of a less welcoming living room. It is important to note that there are indeed times when darker colored curtains might be necessary for the living room. This tends to occurs when hosting events such as rose-red themed romantic dinners, scary deep violets and black during Halloween parties and so forth.
d. The dining room
Apart from the living room no other place in the house does the entire family get together as it does when having dinner in the dining room. Therefore the dining room should be also a welcoming and tranquil room which implies that the curtains used in the room should be light colored. Thickness of the curtains is desirable in order to retain the rich aroma of food for far longer and mainly for the duration of the dinner. The most common mistake when it comes to the dining room is choosing dark colors for the curtains. The dark colors can have the effect of making the dining room a dull place or making the living room a foreboding room. Furthermore, choosing low density threaded curtains i.e. light curtains has the effect of removing the privacy of the family dinner time. Light colored thick curtains are the most ideal curtains for the dining room.
2. Choosing the quality of the curtain fabric
The characteristics of the fabric used to make a curtain in whichever part of the house is in a way influenced by the function of room. However, there are some fabric qualities that all curtains should posses regardless of the place in which they are used in the house. The two main qualities include are durability and low-photosensitivity. The durability of a curtain is determined by the thread density of the curtain. As a rule of thumb, the higher the thread density of a curtain, the greater the life span of the curtain. Photosensitivity refers to the ability of the curtain to withstand prolonged solar exposure without the colors fading. The rule of thumb when it comes to photosensitivity is that the natural fabrics tend to have less photosensitivity than synthetic fabrics. One should not make the mistake of purchasing low-durability, high-photosensitivity curtains.