The first type is static curtains. They are also called stationary. They are not always convenient to use, as they hang motionless. Their design does not allow for upward or sideways movement. Typically, such curtains are made of light translucent fabrics and perform the function of tulle.
The second type is lifting curtains. They are more common than stationary ones. Using a special lock, you can adjust their type and length. You can lift the curtains up, then even more folds will form, and they will be more magnificent.
French curtains in the interior
These curtains are best suited for spacious rooms. So that they look good in small room, it is important that they are not very fluffy and there are not too many folds.If the room is decorated in Art Nouveau style, such curtains will become an integral part of it. If the bedroom is decorated in this style, curtains of different lengths will look good. This will give the room a casual and romantic feel.
Also, French curtains will look good in a room decorated in classic style. Especially if you have classic or antique furniture, then such curtains will only add solemnity to the interior.
DIY French curtains
Of course, it won’t be difficult to find and buy French curtains. But if a person has some sewing skills, you can make them yourself.First you need to decide on the fabric. It can be thin cotton or linen, silk or satin. The next thing to do is calculate the fabric consumption. To do this, measurements are taken of the window and, based on the results obtained, it is calculated how much fabric is required. To do this, use the following: the width of the window must be multiplied by one and a half, and the height by two.
When sewing curtains, it is important to adhere to a certain order:
1. Before starting work, the fabric is processed and the decating procedure is carried out.
Decatting is a wet-heat treatment of fabric to shrink it.
2. Afterwards the cloth is on the floor. Folds are made on the sides twice, 1-1.5 cm wide, and hemmed.
3. At the bottom of the fabric, a hem 2 cm wide is made and also hemmed.
4. The cords are threaded through the hemmed seams.
5. Then draping is done. Markings are made along the width of the fabric every 45-50 cm, and then a piece of fabric 3 cm wide is sewn vertically, folding the edges inward. Thus, the drawstrings are formed. Cords are threaded through them and fixed at the top. The ends at the bottom remain free.
6. A ribbon is sewn at the top of the fabric to secure the curtain to the curtain rod.
In addition to their luxury and pomp, French curtains add calm and comfort to the room. And they always unobtrusively pay attention to the wealth and success that reign in the house.
Usually the fabric for French curtains choose a plain one, but in exceptional cases you can use fabric with a light, unobtrusive pattern.
Typically, the fabric for French curtains is chosen to be plain, but in exceptional cases, fabric with a light, unobtrusive pattern can be used.
They are lush, flowing draperies formed from even semicircular folds of fabric (festoons) laid along the entire height. French curtains will perfectly decorate a window opening, which together with them will be distinguished by sophistication and luxury. Traditionally, French curtains are used to give the room greater solemnity and splendor, both in public and private interiors. French curtains originated in the 18th century, when solemnity, luxury and pomp were in fashion. Much time has passed since then, but these curtains continue to fit well into almost any interior.
French curtains, together with are classified as lifting curtains. The basic principle by which they are used is a lifting mechanism that allows you not to move the canvas apart to the sides, but to lift it at the top of the window. At the same time, beautiful wavy folds are preserved along the entire length. The main difference between these two types of curtains is that French curtains always retain folds along their entire length, whether they are raised or lowered, and Austrian curtains retain soft folds only on the bottom edge of the curtain.
Typically, when making French curtains, thin and light curtains are used. fabrics– cambric, silk, other pastel and light colors. Also, some use transparent tulle of any colors and shades, veil, organza. At the same time, the main requirement for fabrics is elasticity, which provides drapery with soft folds. Recently, when sewing French curtains, they use modern fabrics, for example, polyester, which is superior to silk in practicality, is easy to wash, does not fade, does not shrink, but at the same time it gives the appearance of rigidity and creates lush folds.
French curtains are often combined with classic curtains with tassels and lambrequins.
Application
Since their introduction, French curtains have been used to drape the windows of royal banquet and ballrooms, reception rooms and bedrooms. Very often, when sewing them, they used the same fabric that was used to cover the walls of the room. Also, many people associate French curtains with theaters, offices, restaurants, and assembly halls. Nowadays, French curtains have found their use not only for decorating the interiors of the Kremlin, but also for luxurious mansions and stylish apartments.
If you hang such a curtain in the hall, then at the entrance to the house an elegant atmosphere will be created.
At the same time, French curtains can be used to decorate a window opening in the bedroom, giving a casual and romantic look to the interior, and at the same time a kind of privacy. In a room with wide windows, you can use the simplest option for placing French curtains in the interior. To do this, hang 2-3 narrow French curtains of varying lengths on the window (for example, to the middle of the window, to the windowsill, to the floor). This option looks good on its own, without additional curtains.
There is a classification of French curtains, according to which they are divided into two categories:
- decorative– when the folds on the curtains are fixed and cannot be changed. In this case, the curtains can only be raised manually.
- workers– free control of the curtain, you can already use it here modern systems And lifting mechanisms, which easily allow you to open and close the window opening.
You can make French strength on your own, because the method of sewing them is very simple. The fabric consumption for these curtains is one and a half times more in width and 2 times more in height than the size of the finished product. Maximum width and length allows for rich and luxurious assemblies. The panel of the future curtain is divided by cords into symmetrical vertical sections. Maximum area finished French curtains - 8 sq.m. With a larger area, difficulties may arise during installation and operation.
So, French curtains are a classic, noble, luxurious beauty that will fill your home with an atmosphere of warmth and comfort, and, in addition, will enliven and ennoble it.
French curtains first appeared in the mid-18th century in the living rooms of the European nobility, when the Rococo style prevailed in the interiors, and since then they have never gone out of fashion. In the Soviet Union, most of the population of which lived in small-sized Khrushchev buildings, they were mainly used to decorate the windows of theaters, restaurants and large government agencies. IN modern Russia spacious apartments and private cottages are no longer rare, and French classics are experiencing a rebirth.
What interiors are French curtains suitable for?
The photo shows French curtains in combination with drapes in the interior of a classic living room.
The distinctive features of “French women” are fabric with a shiny smooth surface, pomp, a huge number of horizontal folds cascading along the entire length, many accessories in the form of frills, braid, fringe, ribbons and ruffles. Such pompous curtains look only in spacious rooms, with high ceilings for which they were once created.
Refined and romantic interiors, filled with household items in the style of the 18th-19th centuries and furnished with elaborate furniture without clearly defined straight lines. Such as:
- Baroque,
- Rococo,
- Classicism,
- Empire style,
- Colonial,
- Neoclassical.
Of course, French curtains are also used to decorate small, romantic, but less pretentious interiors. But in this case, they use simplified versions, adapted to modern living conditions.
Living rooms in the Rococo and Baroque styles are classic examples of the use of French curtains.
French curtains in modern living rooms
There are static and lifting ones. Static curtains hang motionless, completely covering the window and part of the wall below it. They are sewn from translucent fabric and used as curtains - a soft transparent curtain that protects interior space from prying eyes.
Stationary curtains made of translucent fabric, combined with elegant curtains made of golden brocade, look great in an interior with elements of classicism.
The height of French lifting curtains can be adjusted, making them long (to the floor), medium (to the window sill) and relatively short (like a lambrequin).
To sew them, you can use fabrics of any density.
French curtains with a lifting mechanism fit perfectly into the living room window in the style of Russian salons of the 19th century.
In interiors modern apartments French curtains are mainly used as curtains.
Fabric selection
For this type of curtain, fabric with a smooth, shiny or matte surface: satin, brocade, chiffon, silk, organza. The main requirement is that it should drape well. Its density depends on the quality in which the curtains are planned to be used (curtains or drapes).
The colors can also be any, but preferably monochromatic. Fabrics with patterns should be selected with care. Even the smallest floral print can get lost in numerous folds and ruin appearance already overflowing with “highlights” of French curtains.
Long curtains are not suitable for windows above flights of stairs, and short curtains They look unpresentable. The perfect solution- hang a short transparent French curtain on such a window.
The bottom of transparent French curtains with the length of the window sill can be supplemented with a strip of thick fabric in the color of the upholstery on the furniture. It will add severity to the curtains and make them fit into a not-too-romantic interior.
To visually increase the height of the window opening, make the festoons on the French curtains as narrow as possible.
Narrow translucent French curtains can be attached to the sashes of multi-section windows, like blinds.
The higher the curtains are raised, the more folds they form and the more magnificent they look.
Despite all their inherent pomp, sophisticated and sophisticated French curtains can make the atmosphere in the living room cozy and calm. The main thing that should not be forgotten when choosing them is that they must correspond to the general concept of the interior.
It’s very easy to add some flair to a room, because the variety of modern decorative and functional elements allows you to implement any design solutions in your apartment or house. For example, French curtains are ideal for setting accents and protecting a room from bright light, making it more cozy and comfortable.
A little history
A French curtain or, as it is also called, an awning, consists of several separate sections that have many lush folds of fabric falling down. Such curtains will allow you to decorate window openings with chic and luxury, because the folds of the fabric are distributed over the entire height of the canvases. By the way, these features are characteristic of awnings not by chance, because such curtains were invented in the era of classicism. As a result, they are distinguished by pomp, emphasized by luxury, and therefore you can safely decorate a living room in the style of a royal apartment of the 18th century.
In the photo there are French curtains in classic interior spacious living room.
In those days, reception rooms and state rooms were decorated with such curtains to give them even greater solemnity. These qualities were achieved through rich decoration with lace and ruffles, while today they have been replaced by transparent elastic fabrics that fit well into draperies. Moreover, they were popular both in huge palaces and in the private interiors of aristocratic houses. Today, when designers often return to the traditions of the past and recall retro style, French curtains can become decorative element for apartments and country houses.
Device Features
An awning is a series of elements that create a holistic composition:
- The fabric itself. The more elastic it is, the more elegant the curtain will look. Registration window openings such curtains are more decorative than practical process. Most often, multi-layer window interiors are created on the basis of canvases, so you need to choose the appropriate fabric - light and giving splendor.
- Textile braid is a vertical decoration in the form of scallops and flounces. The tighter it is, the more folds there will be in the curtain.
- Balancing elements help keep the curtain in place upright position so that it hangs beautifully.
- Additional decorations in the form of fringe, lace, beads or tassels can decorate the canvas on the lower edges.
Mechanism and principle of operation
French curtains are easy-to-use fabrics that are decorated with airy, flowing folds. At the bottom of the canvases, cords are threaded through rows of loops, which are pulled together to form scallops. The peculiarity of these products is that the folds are preserved along the entire length in any position - raised or lowered. Curtains can be lifting or in a static position. In the second case, it will be impossible to move them to the side or lift them. Static awnings are sewn from light translucent fabrics, for example, chiffon, organza, and can be used as tulle.
The photo shows exquisite French curtains made of light translucent organza.
More common are lifting curtains that have a lifting rotor-chain mechanism: it is this that allows you to regulate the level of light entering the room. The canvases are simply lifted to the top of the window and secured with a special fixing element. If you lift the curtain up, more folds will form, and the curtains will look more voluminous in the form of beautiful clusters. The length of the canvas can be different - up to the floor or only to the height of the window opening.
The assembly technology is a cascade reminiscent of flowing water. Accordingly, the folds look picturesque, bright, beautiful, giving the room an aristocratic and romantic spirit. But it is worth remembering that this option is not the most convenient for opening windows, because it is unlikely that you will be able to raise the curtains completely.
Fabrics and patterns: what to choose?
The awning is sewn from silk, polyester and translucent tulle; cambric, wool, moiré, satin, and muslin are often used. The main requirement is that the curtains be translucent in light pastel shades. Thanks to this combination, curtains look harmonious both as an independent attribute of the room and in combination with curtains and lambrequins.
The illusion of volume is achieved through the use of frills, ruffles and ribbons, which also create an atmosphere of comfort and elegance. All these decorations are ideal for rooms decorated in classic or Empire style, baroque or neoclassicism.
These curtains are ideal for decorating a living room or where they will look stylish, appropriate, presentable, but they are luxurious. When choosing curtains for individual rooms, pay attention to the choice of fabric.
