You are probably aware of the aesthetic benefits of having curtains in your home. For most people, curtains are the finishing touches without which their interior decoration isn’t complete.
There’s this popular theory about how curtains can make a room look smaller or even bigger. We look into this theory in this article and provide you with a definite answer. So here we go.
Depending on the type and design of a curtain, a room may look bigger or smaller. Thin and light-colored curtains will make your room look bigger, while thick and dark-colored curtains will make your room look smaller.
You can experiment with curtains to make a room look bigger or smaller to suit your personal preferences.
Some people find the impression of a room looking larger, cozy, and comfortable, while for others, it’s when a room seems smaller. In this article, we’ll take you through how to use curtains to make your room look larger or smaller.
How do curtains make a room look smaller?
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Curtains can make a room smaller, and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, some people find their rooms more comfortable and cozier if it looks smaller.
To make a room appear smaller, you need to choose dark-colored and thick curtains which are able to absorb light and weigh a room down. And the overall effect of this is your room looking smaller.
Another way to use curtains to make a room look smaller is to hang the curtains low. High-hanging curtains create the illusion of height, while low-hanging curtains make your room look smaller by shortening wall height.
Floor-length curtains also give the impression of height and make a room look bigger, which means you shouldn’t use them if your goal is to make your room look smaller.
For curtain design, heavily colored horizontal patterns or large-flowered prints make a room look smaller, while bold vertical stripes make a room look bigger. Your curtain rods also play a part as adjustable, or long solid curtain rods can make a room look more spacious and thus bigger.
If your goal is to make your room look smaller or bigger, you now know how to use your curtains to achieve this effect.
What do curtains do to a room?
We mentioned at the beginning of this article that you are most likely aware of the aesthetic benefits of curtains. Well, we’ll like to remind you of those aesthetic and even practical benefits of having curtains in your home.
The overall theme and ambiance of a room are largely determined by the curtains used. Therefore it’s essential you choose curtains that match the theme you are looking for. Below are some things curtains can add to a room.
1. Curtains provide practical benefits
Forget about design or interior decoration. Curtains offer several practical benefits, like regulating the amount of light entering a room, providing insulation from heat and cold, protection from dust, as well as providing privacy. The aforementioned benefits are why people use curtains when we put aesthetic reasons aside.
2. Curtains can add charm to a small room
It’s all about the type of curtain you use. Using thin fabrics of earthly tones or pastel colors can make a small room more charming than you may expect. You can even make your room look more romantic by using light and lacy curtains. Once again, it’s about the type of curtain you use.
3. You can use curtains to add boldness to a room
Imagine someone aiming for minimalist interior decoration and has an all-white room. Then imagine this person using white curtains in this all-white room. Yes, it’s going to look plain and… boring. However, by using thick and dark-colored curtains, the person can inject life and add boldness to the room while still achieving the minimalist theme he/she desires.
What we are trying to tell you with the above illustration is that you can add boldness and inject life into any room by using the right curtains.
4. Curtains can make a room look bigger or smaller
We’ve talked about this above. Depending on the type and design of the curtains you use, you can always make a room look smaller or bigger than it is.
5. Curtains can make a room more elegant
Are you looking to make a room more elegant and sophisticated? All you need to do is to select suitable curtains. There are fabrics like velvet and silk that can help you achieve the level of elegance you are looking for. By choosing a particular fabric, thickness, and design, you can get almost any type of sophistication you desire.
Is it ok not to have curtains?
I imagine some of you cannot imagine your rooms or home without curtains. And rightly so since curtains play an important aspect in the overall design of a room while also providing practical benefits.
However, sometimes it’s ok not to have curtains. We’ll be discussing such instances below, and we think you’ll agree with our reasons.
1. When the view is too good to hide
Some views are just so great that it’s almost criminal to hide them. Imagine having a beautiful view of a lake, a breathtaking oceanfront, or an arresting landscape. We’ve seen views like this before, and ‘art’ is the best way to describe them.
In these situations, you may decide to forgo curtains, especially in the main rooms, and make the views the total focus of the room. You will still want curtains in your bedrooms for privacy.
However, for the main rooms without curtains, you can consider options like simple rockers and UV window film for light control.
2. Places with little natural light
Another instance where it’s ok to forgo curtains is in a space that gets little natural light especially if privacy isn’t an issue.
You can also forgo curtains in the main rooms and use them in your private rooms. As long as your windows are well-designed, your space will still be aesthetically pleasing.
3. Privacy and decorative windows
Woven woods, shutters, and roller shades are privacy window treatments that are also decorative. If you have any of this and curtains aren’t really your thing, then you may decide to forgo curtains.
There are many woven kinds of wood that are so decorative or aesthetically pleasing than using curtains will hide their glory. Roller shades have evolved over the years to become stylish thanks to splashy patterns and unique finishes. And shutters? They are as decorative as the privacy they provide.
So if your windows have decorative privacy treatments, there is no need for curtains…unless you want them.
4. Room architecture/ Modern design
The architecture of some rooms does not allow for curtains. An example is a condo with floor to ceiling and wall to wall windows. If such a condo also has stone walls on either side, then there is no need for a curtain.
There are some modern designs that thrive on windows being bare. There are lofts where the owner and designer agree to leave the window bare to achieve a clean, modern open feeling. Panel track blinds or solar roller shades are used if privacy is an issue.
Should curtains match the walls or couch?
Your curtains should match the color tone or style of your couch and walls to get the theme you are looking for. If your curtains don’t match your walls or couch, there’s going to be a style conflict that anyone entering your room will immediately detect.
But when we say your curtains should match your walls or couch, it doesn’t mean you should use the same color, design, or material throughout as this will create a boring and monitors effect. Instead, use a combination of designs and colors that compliment each other.
What types of curtains make a room larger?
We already discussed this earlier. However, we’ll quickly remind you here. Thin and light-colored curtains can make a room look larger. Also, curtains with bold vertical stripes make a room look bigger.
Your curtain rods also play a part as adjustable, or long solid curtain rods can make a room look more spacious and thus bigger.
How do you make a room look larger?
It’s possible to make a room with low square footage look larger with some clever interior design-inspired tricks. We’ve already talked about how you can use curtains to make a room look larger. However, there are other ways you can make a room appear larger.
One of such ways is to use contrast and light colors on the walls of the room. Light colors reflect light better and can make your room feel more open and larger.
Having large windows that let in a lot of natural light is another good way to make your room look larger. If your window isn’t large or natural lighting is limited, you can still use some lighting fixtures to achieve the effect you want.
Tidy up your room and ensure it’s organized. Nothing makes a room feel more cramped than having stuff lying around. Neatly arrange your stuff and keep some out of view. And you’ll find your room looking more spacious and larger.
