How to choose curtains: Size, Thickness, Colors

Curtains are always a big part of a house for so many reasons. Choosing the right color, thickness and size will make a tremendous difference on the outcome. So let's take things one by one to help you reach the right decision:

1. A thick curtain or a thin one?

 



That depends on a few things.

Ask yourself the following question:

Is there anything to block the sunlight?

Too much sunlight during the day can over heat the house or cause damage to the furniture. If the answer is no then definitely a thick curtain. Look for the ones which have a lining of a sun blocking fabric. If the answer is no then either thick or thin will work. If you have a rolling blind it would look nice to have a thin one with some design on so it will contrast the blinds behind it.

2. Size.

Width!

A. Measure your windows properly. This will help the sales person give you a better estimate on the cost of your curtains. Measure the height and width of the window/door including the frame. If you already have a rod or a rail from where it will be hanged include that as well and clarify it to the sales person.

B. If you are deciding on your own about the size then here is how it goes:

If for example the width of your window is 1.40 m you add extra 40 cm which will cover for the rods which are always wider. Therefore your total width is 1.80 m.

For a thick curtain you multiply by 1.5. We do this because we want the curtain to cover the width of the window and have some pleats. Too many will make it look over the top. Therefore you will need 2.70 meters.

For a thinner curtain you will multiply be 2.5. Thinner curtains need more pleats to look rich and full. Hence you will need 4.5 meters.

Height!

You will also need to be careful when looking for the height of the curtain. There are fabrics whose height is 1.40 meters. If you want a taller curtain then inevitably the seamstress will have to saw 2 pieces together and that doesn't always work out nice.  So, look for fabrics that are 2.80 or 3.00 m or more to cover not only the window's height but also the extra 5-10 cm needed for the hem at the bottom.

3. Color!

 There are so many fabrics to choose from that it can be confusing. Depending on your style  there are fabrics with classic designs or with none at all. So remember a few basic guidelines:

Firstly think of the other items in the space. Is the sofa / bed loaded with color and texture? If so then go for something simpler. The same goes if the other items are minimal or plain. Dare to do something extraordinary in the curtains. Also take into consideration if you want a more "heavy" classic design, a simple minimal or a bright monochrome.

Hope I helped!

How we renovated the Living Room

Oh the living room! There is hardly a place in my flat where I spend more time relaxing with the exception of the bedroom of course! I am mostly pleased on how we made it from a narrow and miserable place to an open and spacious one.

This is how we found it...

This is what the people would look at as soon as they entered the house. The tv was under the a/c and there was a 2 seater and a 1 seater squeezed.

What we did before we went out looking for a sofa was to ask the cable guy if the TV could be connected to the wall on the left of the photo, opposite from the balcony. His reply was that as long as there was a plug there would be no problem. Therefore we put the TV and the TV stand on the other wall....

The TV is 113 cm in length so we chose a 120 cm tv stand. Since the wall is long  (it goes on to become a corridor) we thought that a wall unit might make it look more full. So instead of buying a wall unit we customized one. We chose the 2 vertical cabinets which have a shelf so we can store various items. We also chose a green shelf to go in between them to give some color and make it look more complete. On top we put gifts from friends which include a cow, a photo frame, a butterfly and a silver carriage and bike.

Next there is the sofa. Our space although bigger than before was not suitable for a 3 seater and a 2 seater since we only have 2.5 meters on one side where the wall is and 2.5 meters on the other side where the balcony door is. Since the door is double there is no problem in blocking half of it so our sofa is relatively small but can surprisingly fit 7 people at once! We tried it!

For decoration I have 2 grey-black cushions one with Audrey Hepburn and the other one with Grace Kelly. On top to give some color is a glass painting of the bridge of San Francisco. On the right side a black and green blanket/throw since it gets cold at nights in front of the TV.

Our coffee table is a pleasant surprise for all of our guests who arrive. It is a pine coffee table by British furniture company Ducal from which we used to import a lot. This particular one must be at least 15 years old but it is so practical that everyone is jealous of us!

The reason is because the top pf the table lifts so you can use it while you eat, drink a coffee or even write a post on your blog like I am doing right now!

Not only that but there is enough space underneath for controls, magazines and anything else you might want to hide if you have unexpected guests to make everything look tidy in only 5 seconds!

Finally, we brought in a recliner armchair that is comfortable but doesn't take much space.

With this we can fit 8 people in our living room while at the same time make it look larger that the way it was when we first found it.

Hope you like it!