How to Choose Curtains: Fabric, Lining, Length and Hanging

Furnishing & design · 17 October 2026

Decide what the curtain must do before how it looks

In Gulf homes curtains do several jobs: blocking strong sun, protecting privacy, reducing heat and completing the décor. Ask for each room:

• Do I need full darkness, as in bedrooms?
• Is privacy with daylight the priority, as in living rooms facing the street?
• Is the curtain a formal part of the décor, as in the majlis and dining room?

The answers decide the number of layers, the fabric and the lining.

Fabrics and where they belong

• Chiffon and voile: a light sheer layer that softens light and gives daytime privacy. It does not block views at night with indoor lights on.
• Linen and linen blends: a calm natural look that suits modern rooms; pure linen creases easily, blends with polyester hold their shape better.
• Velvet: heavy and rich, blocks light and dampens sound, ideal for classic majlis rooms and bedrooms.
• Jacquard and damask: patterns woven into the fabric, suited to formal classic rooms.
• Good-quality polyester: practical and fade-resistant, good for rooms with direct sun.

On west- and south-facing windows coloured natural fabrics fade faster, so lining is essential to protect them.

Lining and blackout

Lining is not an extra; it protects the fabric and controls how the curtain falls.

• Standard lining: adds weight for a better drape and shields the fabric from sun.
• Thermal lining: reduces heat transfer, useful on windows that take afternoon sun.
• Blackout: blocks almost all light, best for bedrooms and TV rooms.
• The most practical setup: two layers on two tracks, a sheer for the day and a lined curtain for the evening.

Blackout shows its lining colour from outside, so keep one lining colour across the whole façade.

Height and length: the secret of a refined look

• Fix the track or rod as close to the ceiling as possible, or at least 15–25 cm above the window frame, so the ceiling reads taller.
• Extend 15–30 cm beyond the window on each side so the glass is fully clear when the curtains are open.
• The cleanest length just touches the floor or sits about 1 cm above it, which is practical in dusty areas.
• A few centimetres of puddling on the floor suits formal classic rooms but collects dust and needs care.
• Order fabric width of two to two and a half times the track width for full folds.
• Measure after the final flooring is installed, not before.

Track or rod?

• A concealed ceiling track or one recessed in gypsum: clean, suited to modern rooms and dropped ceilings, easily takes two or three layers and can be motorised.
• A visible rod with decorative finials: suits classic rooms; match its colour to the furniture metal, such as antique gold or champagne.
• A long rod needs a central support roughly every 1.5 m so it does not bow under heavy fabric.
• If the ceiling has a concealed lighting recess, coordinate its position with the track before construction.

Coordinating with sofa and majlis fabrics

• If the sofa fabric is patterned, choose a plain curtain in a colour taken from the pattern.
• If the sofa is plain, the curtain can carry a light pattern or a strong texture.
• Do not use exactly the same fabric for curtains and sofa in a small room; it flattens the space.
• Repeat the curtain colour in a small touch on cushions or throw edges.
• In classic majlis rooms tassels, tiebacks and pelmets add richness, as long as they do not compete with the furniture's gilding.

Common mistakes

• Short curtains hung right above the window frame, making the room look smaller.
• Too little fabric width, so the curtain looks stretched with no folds.
• Choosing curtains before sofa and rug colours are settled.
• Skipping lining on windows that take western sun.
• Heavy drapes on a small window in a narrow room, taking more space than they give.
• Forgetting washability: heavy and embroidered fabrics need specialist cleaning, so factor that in for children's rooms and everyday living areas.
• Different lining colours from room to room, which makes the façade look untidy from outside.

Choosing fabric together with furniture

The easiest way to avoid clashes is to see the curtain fabric beside the sofa fabric and the wood tone at the same time. At Arti Design fabrics and colours are approved with samples before production, and a free survey visit can be booked to take measurements on site.