Everyone has seen ugly entry doors. You know— the ones that were covered with old blankets, bed spreads, paper, cardboard, aluminum foil, or articles of clothing.
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A Home’s Entry Door Sends A Message
The overall appearance of a house is usually the first thing a person sees from the sidewalk or the street. Noticed next are the windows and the door — along with the first impression of the occupants.
In countless U.S. homes and around the globe are unique, solid-wood doors or metal ones with etched glass. Many have large ornate windows. Some are architecturally captivating. Still, others are flanked with glass windows. Whether the entry door is partially glass, mostly glass, or plexiglass, it begs for beautiful and functional curtains.
STYLE
Why not choose the message you want to project? Highlight the entrance with curtains!
Curtains come in many styles:
– Straight
– Billowing
– Flowing
– Tailored
– Hourglass, and more
Curtains complete all decor ranging from country, old country, western, colonial, contemporary, to formal, even extravagant. Whether tied back, tied high, low, in the middle, or left free, curtains give a personal touch to the room. Curtains are hung depending upon the way they are sewn to hang: by rings; buttons; rod pockets; grommets; tab tops; and tie-tabs. Some curtains have pinch pleats, ruffles, and trims or edging. Most curtains fall into the categories of panels, sliders, or tiers.
CURTAINS ALLOW PRIVACY
Door curtains are usually chosen with privacy in mind. Most allow for privacy, either by fabric, style, or both. Yet, from inside the house, the outdoors, being backlit, is quite visible through most curtains. The windows to the side of many doors are usually covered with sheers to let the light through, but still maintain privacy.
LEVEL OF LIGHT AND FABRIC PREFERENCE
Curtains, depending on the fabric, allow various levels of light into the room. Sheers and lace curtains filter but, do not block the light. Dense or heavy material is more apt to block the light, causing the room to appear heavy, oppressing. The mood of the room changes by daylight, and again at night, when lights illuminate the furnishings and curtains.
COLORS
The room is complemented by door curtains. White contrasts sharply with the decor of the room and reflects light. Attention is drawn to the window. On the other hand, natural colors like beige, tan, and other browns, carry a soft, warm look and tend to blend with the decor. Greens and blues bring the outdoors into the room, while red is a warm-up to a cool, white room. Some colors or combination of colors affects us psychologically, good or bad.
HARDWARE AND CURTAINS
Curtains are hung with a wide variety of hardware. Rings allow the curtains to be pulled; Rods are intended for curtains with pockets; Some rods are meant to have the curtain draped over and down; Traverse rods allow pulls to move the curtains across the window; and many more. Check your hardware store or wherever window treatments are sold to find complimentary curtain hardware.
PATTERNS
While style describes the type of curtain, pattern describes the designs and motifs on the curtains. Some patterns include plain; colored; plaid; floral; mixed; lines; prints and more. Patterns lend depth to a room. The room can be as soft and homey, or sophisticated and exquisite, as you want.
SEASONAL DOOR CURTAINS
Curtains can be layered to protect the room from drafts or excess sunshine. Another thought is to try insulated, or thermal, curtains. Keeping the heat in/out or the cold in/ out is a bit trying nowadays, the weather being in a snit and all. Lined curtains may be enough to suit the purpose. Regardless, be aware that the lining is visible from the street, so select curtains with linings that compliment the room, when eyes see into the house! Enough said about entry door curtains. Now let’s look at . . .
INSIDE DOOR CURTAINS
Many builders today are leaving doors off some of the inside rooms of houses, or the owners are taking them off. A large market is opening up for door treatments of beads, and bamboo curtains. For instance, beaded door treatments have been used in the Orient for hundreds of years. They allow easy access to the rooms, and are beautiful in appearance. The rattle or tinkling sounds add to their charm. Beads are also imported from India.
Hand-painted, bamboo curtains from Vietnam add individuality and ethnic style to the room. Most are hand-painted on both sides and are offered in a multitude of breathtaking scenes.
In bygone years it was said that a house did not become a home until the curtains were put up. For visual advice on how to measure for curtains watch the video below:
Door curtains can be found in most department stores, like JC Penny or from Target.
