Curtains (curtains) on the doorway: how to choose and hang

The very first curtains on the doorway appeared among people in the Stone Age (and maybe even earlier). It was a skin that covered the entrance to the cave. For a while, the very idea of ​​covering the doorway with cloth or other materials was irrelevant and was considered an excess or a relic of the past. This “relic” lasted the longest in the villages or homes of “creative personalities”. Recently, a trend has reappeared – to decorate the doorway with curtains or curtains. This idea is not without meaning. Even taking into account the functionality of our homes.

How practical is it

There are two options for using curtains for a door. The first option is that they serve as an addition: in the doorway there is both a door leaf (or wings) and curtains. Why do we need curtains in this case? For coziness, to make the atmosphere more intimate, to close the light, if the doors are with glass, to reduce the penetration of noise. At the entrance to a private house or from a balcony – to reduce the number of insects, so that passers-by look less into the windows. There are many more reasons, including “because you want or like it that way.”

The second option is when there are only curtains and there is no door itself. In this case, it is more a demarcation of space, although all other reasons are also present.

Weigh the pros and cons

As for the practicality of using door curtains, everyone decides for himself. Here are a couple of notes so that you can decide whether this suits you.

• In families with children, many people prefer to have doors because they dampen noise well and do not interfere with the child’s sleep. On the other hand, dense fabric will additionally absorb noise. By closing the curtain, you can also cut off the light from another room / corridor. But children love to pull them or hide in the folds of fabric. And one more thing: with a child in your arms, it is not very convenient to make your way through doors with curtains, unless they themselves close the passage.
  

• Doors are optional for adults. Especially if the person lives alone or is a couple. In the apartment, only the doors to the bathroom are left, the rest of the space is delimited by curtains of a different plan.
• A curtain instead of a door is an excellent solution if the space is small or the doors are physically impossible to install. For example, the canvas can perfectly close the built-in wardrobe – this is a budget replacement for sliding doors.
• Exit to the terrace is often done using glass doors. They are not always completely glass, but, in any case, the glazing area is large. Few will agree to leave such a door without curtains.

The main advantages of curtains in the doorway are aesthetics, low price, and the possibility of quick replacement. By changing textiles and accessories, it is easy to change not just the color scheme, but even, to some extent, the style of the room.

Types of curtains in the doorway

In general, curtains are not the only name for fabrics (and not only) that close the doorway. They also say curtains and curtains. Names in use in different regions mean the same thing. First, let’s figure out what materials the curtains on the doorway are made of:

• From fabrics. The most common type with many variations.
  • Fabric curtains with varying degrees of drapery, with and without lambrequins, with tie-backs on the sides at different heights and freely hanging. Hung on any eaves.
    

  • Japanese curtains. They differ in that this is a straight canvas, at the bottom of which a rod is inserted – to avoid the appearance of wrinkles. Special guides are required, along which Japanese curtains travel without wrinkling or folding.
  • Filament curtains. This is a novelty that has mainly a decorative function. This is not a fabric, in the full sense of the word, only knitted strips of different thicknesses, more like threads. Hence the name. This also includes woven macrame curtains.
    

• Bamboo or wood pendants, beads, metal links. A rather exotic look with its drawbacks – noise when opening / closing. But the effect is interesting.
• Plastic. It is rather a solution for industrial premises. Strips of transparent flexible plastic separate rooms with different temperatures (usually) or rooms from the street. The strips are mounted with an overlap, which creates better insulation conditions and does not interfere with the passage or passage of equipment.
• Mesh on the door with magnets. This type of curtain has a practical purpose: it protects against the penetration of insects. The mosquito net along the edge has sewn-in magnetic strips. They do not prevent you from passing, but close behind your back again, remaining closed even in strong winds.

Only types of curtains on the door are at least six. In addition, there are also a variety of combinations. Roman blinds can also be hung on the door. In some interiors, they look great, but in order to get through, the door Roman blind must be raised. To do this, pull the chain / rope. And then lower it behind you – again pulling on another rope. How many times will you do this? It is very likely that, after a while, it remains raised for a long time. And it will go down only if increased privacy is required. Which is also, in principle, not bad.

How to decorate an opening without a door with curtains

Let’s talk a little about the selection of fabrics. If the aesthetic side is important to you, everything is clear here – choose from these criteria. If some practical component is required – shading, soundproofing – it is worth approaching the selection of fabric with practical measurements.

Ordinary fabrics for curtains are often called decorative. They can be smooth, textured, with different types of weave. They can be plain, embossed in the same color or with different patterns.

For dimming, there is another category – more dense, letting in little light or cutting it off almost completely. They are called “darkening” or maybe even the name BlackOut (Blackout). In the characteristics of such fabrics, in addition to the material from which it is made and the density of the weave, the degree of light transmission is indicated. The highest degree is 95-97% blackout. This means that such a curtain will practically exclude light from entering the room.

For a greater sound absorption or darkening effect, or so that the color of the curtains is different from different rooms, double curtains are made (an example is above in the photo in the center). In this case, the same opening will be decorated with red curtains on one side, and beige curtains on the other. Moreover, they do not have to be stitched around the perimeter. The two sheets can only be sewn/joined at the top.

It is not necessary to use plain fabrics for door curtains. They can also be with a pattern – a floral print or geometry, in a cage or a strip. Floral curtains fit perfectly into country interiors, shabby chic, Provence. Fabrics usually take light ones; in addition to pickups, there can also be ruffles.

Decorative curtains for the doorway

If the main function of the door curtains is decoration, you can choose any type of curtains. Literally anyone will do. It is important that they fit into the situation, match the style.

From soft flowing fabrics

If the choice falls on fabric curtains, you can choose any fabric that fits the interior. They may be more or less draped. If you want a lot of draperies, the fabric should be soft and flowing.

Curtains in the doorway are most often hung on ordinary tubular cornices. You can hang it on one of the sides of the opening (as in the photo below on the right and left) – this is what they do most often. There is another option. It is in the center of the photo – when the cornice is located in the very doorway – from one edge to the other.

Take a look at the photo above on the right. An interesting idea is presented here – two canvases overlap each other. Each of them will cover the width of the doorway, but they are hung in such a way that more than half of one goes onto another canvas. Tiebacks for door curtains should always be “in work”, otherwise you simply won’t get out of the folds. But the drapery looks very interesting.

Pendants made of wood, bamboo

Decorative door curtains include filament curtains and hangings. The latter can be wooden or bamboo, made of beads. There may be a variety of combinations of these materials.

It is often thought that wooden and bamboo or wooden pendants do not fit into all interiors. It is clear that they look most harmonious in a country-style setting. But in a modern style will be very handy. You just need to choose more “technological” link options and add at least one addition to the interior in the same color. Moreover, this “addition” does not have to be wooden. It is enough that the color is the same. An example is in the photo at the top right.

The curtain instead of the door to the kitchen should be resistant to pollution. And it’s definitely not fabric. Most of all, bamboo curtains will be appropriate here. They are not necessarily brown or with graphic patterns. They can be with different drawings, which are more like a picture or a graphic object.

Filament curtains and their options

Filament curtains in the doorway look good and they will not cost so much. Now they offer a variety of shapes and textures of threads / strands, and every day there are more and more of them. Still, this is a more stylish and more convenient alternative to the usual curtains that are often hung on front doors in the summer.

Hanging curtains made of metal links are not common with us. But they are best suited to modern styles, minimalism. Because of the weight of the links, they look different, even if it is the lightest of alloys. They look different (pictured below).

Even in a technocratic style, an iridescent curtain will look good. By the way, there are similar curtains made of beads. Beads – not necessarily pink or colored. If they are painted with mother-of-pearl, they are great for modern style. And if they are matte and neutral colors, they will look great in a loft.

Curtains on the interior arch

Doors are not placed in some openings, but the portal itself remains. It can be with sharp corners or rounded at the top. The shape of the opening has little effect on the choice of curtains. It’s more about the overall style of the interior. When are curtains needed? If we see two openings of different sizes, heights or shapes (photo below right). In this case, we remove the dissonance.

Also, with the help of curtains, zoning is emphasized. Modern interiors are increasingly being made in the form of a single space. In this case, the distinction makes the room more “homely”. Not everyone likes to live in a “theater” – comfort and draperies are added in the doorway.

Thick curtains between rooms will muffle the sounds a bit. Curtains, of course, will not replace doors, but the complexity of the installation, and the price, cannot be compared. In addition, doors are not always easy to put on. If the door portal starts immediately from the wall, you will suffer with the installation of the door. It’s generally a problem with arches – in addition to the fact that the doors will be made to order at a special price, the installation will also cost a pretty penny.

The photo above shows different types of draperies on the arches. What should be considered when choosing the type of drapery? Of course, the height and width of the arched opening. The option on the left – with pompous drapery – is only suitable for very high ceilings. With a standard height, you won’t lay the folds like that. The option on the right is more acceptable for low openings. And the cent is interesting in that the oncoming folds are sewn up. But this is only for those curtains that are stationary and cannot move along the eaves. Curtains between rooms should not be done this way – it is very impractical – you need to move the fabric every time. But you can completely cover the entrance to the dressing room.

Making an exit to the terrace or balcony

As mentioned above, the doors to the terrace often have a very large glass area. Some have only a frame made of wood, metal or plastic, the rest is glass. And not everyone has it mirrored or tinted. In this case, to preserve privacy, the glass must be covered with something. Usually this is one of the types of curtains.

Darkening fabrics will come in handy, although this is not necessary. It’s just that with their help you can make “almost night” even a bright day. What are the features? Here, of course, you can organize pickups (on racks / crossbeams in the glazing), but more often they simply make freely falling large folds that move to the side. And their height is from floor to ceiling. And no lambrequins and other pomposity, except that the style of the room obliges this.

As an alternative to folds, you can consider the option of Japanese curtains. There are no tails, just a flat canvas.

Japanese curtains require special guides that are attached to the ceiling. Canvases move along these guides. A metal or wooden rod is sewn into the bottom of the panels, which prevents the formation of wrinkles. Here, in fact, the whole device. The look of such curtains is more strict, suitable for modern laconic designs.

Cornices for doorways

To decorate a doorway without a door with curtains, use ordinary cornices. There are no features here. Just choose the length of the crossbar and the type of the cornice itself. It does not have to be tubular, but these are the ones most often used.

It is more difficult if you want to hang curtains on opening doors, in particular, entrance doors. In this case, it is necessary that the curtain move with the door or be hung from the side opposite to the direction of the door opening. There are several types of such door cornices. Movable, as in the photo below. One side of them is fixed on the wall next to the door or on the door jamb, the other side is fixed on the door leaf. When opening and closing, the cornice rotates with the door.

For French doors with large glazing, short curtain arms are available. They are mounted directly on the sash above the glass. They are only a few centimeters away from the door leaf. The bad thing is that you can’t make large folds here, only a small assembly.

In order not to spoil the door leaf, there are magnetic holders for curtains (photo on the right). Glue magnets to the canvas, and the tubular cornice has metal plates. The curtain is small in size, weighs a little and is perfectly held by magnets. Also, with the help of a magnetic cornice, you can hang curtains on a glass door. I mean, no frame at all – just glass. Attach the magnets to the glass with glue. Here is the solution to the problem.