People don’t realise that having your curtains custom made is often not that much more expensive – and sometimes cheaper – than buying them from a retailer. The benefits of having them made for you are numerous – you get a perfect fit for your window, you can chose your own fabric and curtain type, and they are made to a higher standard, making sure they will last a lifetime.

There are lots of types of curtains to choose from and the terminology can be a bit confusing. I’m going to break it down for you here so you can make the best choice for your interior. The type of property, style of the interior and personal taste will influence the curtains you choose. You can have your curtains lined, which hides all those seams, adds weight and drape and can also prolong the life of your curtains, helping to protect them from sunlight and fading. You can choose from a traditional light cotton lining, have a coloured lining or opt for a blackout lining. So first up we have the most popular curtain of the moment….

Eyelet curtains are very popular right now and we make up more of this type of curtain than any other. The eyelets, or rings, thread directly onto a curtain pole and have a modern, clean look. The main advantage to this curtain type is that they fold right back when open and are much less bulky. The eyelets themselves come in a variety of colours and finishes, making them highly customisable. When measuring for eyelet curtains you start around an inch or so above the curtain pole, allowing room for the eyelets to be fitted. These curtains are also more economical as they require less fabric than other gathered curtain types.

Pencil pleats are a traditional, no fuss curtain header that you will all be familiar with. A tape is sewn onto the top of the curtains with threads that can be pulled to create gathers, and holes for curtain hooks. These curtains can be used on a track or pole and add a timeless, no fuss look to any room. Typically you would use double the width of the window in fabric to create a ‘full’ look with plenty of gathers. Pencil pleat curtains are probably the most common, and economical, type available.

Pinch pleat curtains can be fitted to all types of poles and tracks. They offer the benefits of both pencil pleat and eyelet curtains, as they offer a gathered, decorative look but also fold back neatly due to the spaces between the pleats. They tend to use more fabric than the options already mentioned but they do look beautiful!

Tab top curtains are perhaps the oldest style available – they were invented long before other gathered or rail-hung curtains. They are probably the most economical of all too, as they use far less fabric than gathered curtain styles. This curtain header needs a pole or rod to hang from, and are very customisable, with buttons to fix the tabs, contrast tabs, the choices are endless! Tab too curtains in a very light, sheer fabric look beautiful on a sunny window and offer a more modern approach to privacy than the net curtain.

So that rounds up this blog on the most popular types of curtain headers. There are many more that I haven’t covered here, as well as other window dressings – I’ll save those for another day! I’ll also come back to curtains soon with a post on how to measure your windows and work out how much fabric you need for your chosen curtain type.