Room Divider & Partition curtains: Top Tips & Ideas

 

Expansive rooms feel bright, airy and inviting, and their spaciousness comes in handy to serve multiple purposes simultaneously. However, sometimes, large open spaces also make it harder to create an environment favourable to undisturbed concentration and a sense of cosiness. So it becomes necessary to adopt some measures to create visual separation and acoustic insulation. 

Erecting walls may cause permanent separation, completely cancelling the marvellous benefits of a wide-open room, and retractable partitions can wipe off your precious savings. Here, room divider curtains and partition drapes come in as heroes, separating the room into zones without putting the room's versatility at stake or requiring financially draining structural changes. 

However, partition curtains are not confined to this clever functional role, they also soften the space and double up as decor accessories capable of adding colour and interest. So, a curtain separating the home office unit from the sleeping area of a large bedroom not only ensures privacy for the bed but also acts as a chic background screen for your video conferences which can make your meetings slightly less boring if the decor opportunity is seized.

Room divider curtains come packed with functional and aesthetic potential but capitalising on them requires thoughtful design decisions. If you’re in the middle of a shopping spree for room divider curtains, pause for a brief interlude. This blog post is an array of tips and ideas from The White Window’s drapery experts, for achieving your desired functional goals and reaping the most of the decorative presence of partitioning curtains. Let’s dive in –

Consider the Visual Appeal of the Drapery on Both Sides

 

 

Unlike standard window drapes, whose rear side is only visible from the house’s exterior, room divider curtains perform their aesthetic feat in the home’s interior on both sides. They have to align with the décor on both sides of the room that they are dividing. So, careful consideration is advised concerning all design decisions regarding this drapery.

When choosing the fabric, look for options that appear the same on both sides or at least have a presentable rear side. For this reason, it is advisable to avoid embroidered fabrics, one-sided printed fabrics, and fabrics that look too plain or ‘obviously off’ on their reverse side. 

Further, despite the attractive perks that come with lining the drapes, it may be best to avoid lining your room divider curtains to make the drapery fabric visible. Besides, since the drapes don’t need protection from sun damage in case of room dividers, you can rest assured that you’re not missing out on much by not lining the drapes.

Or, you can make the reverse side of the drapery truly special by opting for double-sided curtains. This would essentially mean that you get your curtains sewn with two drapery fabrics, preempting the requirement for lining or the worry about the curtains not looking their best on the rear side. In turn, it becomes an opportunity to mix colours and patterns. 

For example, you can pair the botanical print drapery ‘Faith’ and plain drapery ‘Pale Ale’, both featuring the same beige but each scripting a unique design story - one with its pattern and lustre, the other with its rich texture. Or, if you like a more vibrant approach, pair a floral curtain like ‘Aqua Electra’ with a plain velvet such as ‘Naval Club’ that accents its blues. Although double-sided curtains are slightly pricier, they let you create a different mood in the separated zones besides making it's bespoke-making a loud and clear statement.

Regardless of whether you choose double-sided curtains or take the conventional route, the third aspect of room divider curtains that requires forethought is the selection of its heading style. Some heading styles like the pinch pleats look decorative on the front side with their sculptural pleats and flowery folds, but look less appealing on their back. But, other styles like grommet tops, rod pockets, flat panel tops, tab tops and tie tops look largely the same on the back as on the front. So, pick a style that looks neat and more or less similar on both sides.

Although the visibility of hems cannot be avoided, they largely go unnoticed when stitched of fabrics that look similar on both sides or when double-sided. With The White Window, all the factors that can affect the visual appeal of the drapery, such as heading style and lining, can be customised to meet the requirement of uniformity and presentability on both sides. So, don’t worry about the aesthetic aspect, just invest some keen consideration.

Make the Important Hardware Decisions

 

The type of hardware you choose can influence major design decisions regarding the room dividing drapery. So, before venturing into what curtains to hang, it is advisable to spare a moment to plan how to hang your room dividing curtains.

The first consideration to be made is related to the position for affixing the hardware. Start by observing the ceiling and the walls where you wish to make the partition. Is there a cased opening, a beam or a bulkhead where you wish to hang the curtains?

If yes, it may serve you as a viable surface to mount the hardware. The curtains can cascade over the frame on one side of the room, and on the other, they will appear neatly tucked within the frame.

If there is no such cased opening or support structure, you can mount the hardware onto the ceiling. In this case, the curtains will appear the same from both sides as there is no visual barrier at the top blocking the view of the drapery.

The second decision is regarding the choice of hardware. You can choose between curtain tracks and poles, both functionally effective but different in their visual appeal.

Drapery poles are the conventional method of hanging room divider curtains and can be installed easily in a DIY drive, onto the wall or the ceiling. Drapery poles are more visible than tracks, and therefore, can be used as a decorative detail with contrasting colours, lustrous finishes and ornamental finials. If your décor style can be aired better by bringing such attractive features to the mix, keep drapery poles as your topline choice.

Curtain tracks are relatively more modern and often require professional help for installation. Since the tracks are typically screwed to the ceiling and feature a sleek profile, the curtains almost touch the ceiling, offering seamless coverage from floor to ceiling. This look aligns best with modern minimalist homes that strive for flush finishes and minimal details.

Depending on your décor style, preference for style of coverage, budget and access to professional aid, you can make your choice. Note that this decision will also influence the choice of heading style which we will explain in detail ahead in the blog.

Decide on the Opacity Level of the Fabric

 

The curtain fabric’s opacity level must facilitate the purpose for which the curtains are being hung. So, discern whether you’re looking for a very strict separator that visually disconnects you from the other side of the room. Or, perhaps, you only want to define the zones but keep the visual connection intact. Accordingly, there are several alternatives you can consider, including:

• SHEER CURTAINS: When you want to demark the zones of the room but don’t mind keeping the spaces visually connected, consider sheer curtains. Also, if you want to draw in natural light from a window across to the other side of the room, sheer curtains are most helpful. However, it has to be noted that they are not the best if you are aiming to create privacy.
• SEMI-SHEER CURTAINS: When you want to create more visual separation than sheer curtains can render, consider semi-sheer curtains. They maintain the airiness of the space but provide slightly more privacy than sheers.
• NON-SHEER CURTAINS: If the goal is full-fledged separation, non-sheer curtains are your best friends. They will cut off the visual connection between the two zones and also block light inflow to a great extent. If you want complete blockage of light for a sleeping nook, for example, non-sheer, blackout curtains would be suitable candidates. 

Pick the Heading Style with Careful Consideration

 

Curtains heavily depend on their heading style for their operational ease and visual appeal. The heading style refers to the design of the header of the curtain, that is, the top portion of the drapery that latches to the drapery pole/ track. It may have a header tape behind it hosting the rings/ pins or feature eyelets, fabric loops or pockets through which the drapery pole can pass. On the front, the header may feature pre-stitched pleats, as in the case of pinch pleat curtains. To discern the most suitable heading style for your settings, consider the following aspects -

• AESTHETIC CONSIDERATION: Make sure that the heading style vouches to your decor style besides being presentable on both sides as mentioned earlier. If your design style borders on bohemian or farmhouse that incorporates homespun elements, styles like tab tops and tie tops are ideal. For a simpler, less detailed decor style, flat panel tops and grommet tops might strike a chord. In a rustic setting, rod pocket tops look more at home with their shirred pleats. Do refer to our Drapery Headings Guide and look for the curtain headers that can rhyme with your decor goals.
• OPERABILITY: Curtains with headers that use drapery hooks/ clips/ grommets glide easily on the pole. These are best for rooms where you envision operating the drapes often to meet the varied requirements of the room. These include flat panel tops, grommet tops, pencil pleats, and so on. Curtains with fabric pockets and tabs, on the other hand, don’t glide on the pole too easily. They are best for scenarios where you don’t want to operate the curtains often. Say, if you want to give a rigid sense of separation to a sleeping area from a home-office space, in a more permanent sense, styles like rod pocket tops and back tab tops are more reliable as they don’t gather to the sides on their own. From an aesthetic point of view, these styles are also the least intrusive on their rear side. 
• LIGHT CONTROL: Another functional aspect to be considered is regarding the type of light control. Some heading styles are better at blocking light than others. The rod pockets, back tab tops, flat panel tops and pinch pleats are some styles that offer full coverage at the header, ensuring better light control. These are ideal for sleeping areas. But, in the scenario where light control is not a high priority, styles like tab tops and tie tops are equally compelling.
• COMPATIBILITY WITH HARDWARE: The choice of heading style should also factor in the hardware that has been installed. Styles like pinch pleats and flat panel tops can be hung on both tracks and poles. But tab tops, grommet tops and rod pockets can only go on poles. To check whether your preferred header style is compatible with your hardware, refer to our drapery headings guide.

So, choose the curtain style depending on the hardware installed, the area that you’re enclosing and the level of operation that you anticipate. Also bear in mind that the curtain header must look presentable on the rear side, especially when not installed in a casing frame, as mentioned earlier in this blog.

Make Aesthetic Considerations

 

Being made of fabric, curtains come with a big promise. They render a visual softness with their wavy contours, a feature that can make a monumental difference to a room dominated by hard surfaces and neutral colours. In addition, curtains come with an unlimited capacity to bring colour, pattern and texture to your decor. And that leaves you with endless possibilities to appease your aesthetic vision. 

Plain neutral or tone-on-tone soft-toned printed curtains can lend a quiet allure without being too invasive on the space, leaving plenty of room for other elements in the room to shine. Curtains that match the colour of the walls will appear to be an extension of the architecture, making them ideal for a minimalist setting, while curtains with a graphic grand-scaled pattern or a striking colour that pulls the eye like a magnet can serve as a focal point for a room that lacks one. The possibilities are simply endless. 

As you browse our collection, you will find pieces that inspire you. So even if you are a bit hazy right now regarding the design approach to be taken, you will find a clear path when you get to the shopping part.

Be Careful with the Length

 

Another of the key decisions to be taken is regarding the length of the room divider drapes. Although it is obvious that they have to be floor-to-ceiling curtains to be full-fledged room separators, ‘What exactly is floor-length?’ may find varied answers. Do they stand above the floor, touch the ground or puddle? This is what our experts recommend -

For those who are looking to make an aesthetic statement more than a functional one, puddled curtains are quite the way to go. Their pooled fabric trails depict glamour and drama effortlessly. Be cautioned, however, that they are not the best if you’re also simultaneously looking for maximum functionality as they will not glide easily.

For maximum convenience and easy operability, choose the ‘float’ or ‘kiss’ length. ‘Floating’ curtains stand a tad short of touching the floor, making them the smoothest for operation and easiest for upkeep. Curtains at ‘kiss’ length lightly brush the floor, a feat that can be pulled off only with precise measurements that, when achieved, look very tailored.

For those who cannot give up the idea of puddling or find it hard to achieve the ‘kiss’ position due to uneven floors, there’s an intermediary drop point for consideration. It is the ‘break-puddle’ length in which the curtains touch the floor and then extend by about an inch. At this length, curtains maintain their ability to operate smoothly and the possibility of stumbling is cut to a minimum compared to puddled curtains.

Depending on the anticipated level of operation and your taste, choose a drop-point that best suits your home. ‘Functionality first’ is a good principle for room divider curtains that will be predominantly functional by character. So, strike a balance between functional ease and aesthetic goals when fixing the drop point of your drapery.

Decide on the Number of Panels

 

The functional ease and aesthetic appeal of your room divider drapes depends, to some extent, also on their width and the number of panels. There are multiple ways of going about with this design decision, and which one is suitable to your specific situation requires discernment. Your options include:

• SINGLE PANEL: For a narrow opening, a single panel coverage is ideal. It is proportionately justified as the span for coverage is too little to require two panels. A single-panel curtain pinched and gathered to the wall on a hold-back with a cascading swag is a statement of luxury that you may not want to miss, especially if you follow a classical decor style.
• DOUBLE PANELS: Wider openings look well-dressed in double-panel curtains. They also enforce symmetry and balance in the design, a point that needs deeper consideration when the curtains contrast the walls with a striking colour or pattern. As their weight gets distributed, this arrangement also increases their ease of operation.

Winding Up

 

That’s the long and short of all the design considerations regarding room divider curtains. We hope you’ve found the answers to your doubts, but should there be a niggling question yet, find us only an email away. The White Window has had the pleasure of assisting scores of homeowners in decorating their homes with made-to-measure drapes and we welcome you to join the clientele. So, whether you want extra-long or over-wide curtains to divide your room or appease a rare decor taste, find yourself in safe hands as you commence your design expedition. Browse our exquisite collection of curated drapery fabrics and pick the veils most befitting for your home. On to the shopping spree!