Curtains for Sliding Glass Doors & Bifold Doors: Top Tips & Ideas

 

Once a novelty and now a staple, glass doors have the unique ability to maintain a seamless visual connection while creating physical separation between two spaces. Dressing them with curtains lends the wonderful opportunity to incorporate colour, softness and grandeur besides fulfilling the responsibilities of providing light control, privacy and insulation. If you’ve stopped by The White Window while shopping for drapes and curtains for sliding glass doors or bifold doors, pause for a brief moment here as our drapery experts share their top recommendations and styling advice in this blog. If you are looking to dress French doors, you might benefit from our blog on French patio door curtains, but, if it is sliding doors or bifold doors, on the patio or in the interiors of the home, stick on, we’ve got plenty of ideas and tips for you here - 

Factors to be Considered When Dressing Sliding Glass Doors & Bifold Doors with Curtains

Glass doors bring about the scope for extra-long, often floor-to-ceiling curtains that can make a monumental difference to the decor as curtains command significant optical estate. But, while the aesthetic opportunity is tempting, the functional challenges are also real. As, unlike windows, doors are used for passage, so there are several considerations to be made for keeping up with the functional aspects of doorways. Further, selecting drapes and curtains for sliding glass doors and bifold doors present unique challenges that require well-considered design decisions. 

So, before even getting to the styling tips or the designing part, our stylists point to the factors to be considered when choosing curtains for sliding glass doors/ bifold doors. Ask yourself these questions and the answers will prompt a direction for your décor project:

Where are the Doors Placed? 

 

Are they on the internal walls separating rooms or on the external walls connecting the indoors to the outdoors? Accordingly, the requirements for light control, privacy and insulation will vary. Even aesthetic considerations like fabric, palette and pattern will largely be influenced by the placement of the doors. For internal doors, the rear view of the drapes will also have to be factored in as they add to the aesthetic of the two rooms. Similarly, for external doors, the rear view may have to be coordinated with the patio’s décor.

What is the Span of Your Doorway?

 

Are you dressing a single panel door on a narrow passageway? Or an area of a much larger span? Depending on the width of your doorway and the amount of space available for passage, you may want to carefully consider the number of panels, their width and fullness levels so that the functionality of the doors is not hindered.

What is the Functional Goal?

 

External doorways may require curtains to provide light control, privacy and insulation of the highest order. Whereas, internal doorways may prioritise the aesthetic elements over the functional aspects. Where there are no functional goals at all, but the visual appeal of flowing drapes is compelling, you may consider hanging decorative stationary panels framing the doors rather than full-coverage curtains. The goal will influence the choice of fabric, lining, width, and so on.

The best part of going for made-to-measure drapery is that you can tailor the curtains to your specific taste and intentions. So, being aware of these factors puts you in a better place to optimise the visual appeal and functionality of your curtains. Now, let us get to the design details on hand for choosing drapes and curtains for sliding glass doors and bifold doors.

Top Tips to Meet Functional & Aesthetic Goals of Sliding & Bifold Glass Door Curtains

Glass doors, be they internal or external, sliding or bifold, present a wonderful opportunity to dress the vertical span of the home. They make the space look veritably grandiose and luxurious besides enriching it with visual texture. But over and above this aesthetic performance, curtains compensate for the transparency of glass and make the rooms more functional and private than they would be without curtains. So, drapes and curtains for sliding glass doors and bifold glass doors must carefully strike a balance between their functional role and visual allure. In this regard, our stylists make the following recommendations -

Let Functional Requirements Inform the Choice of Fabric & Lining

 

Sliding glass doors and bifold doors help you to maximise daylight so that it becomes easier to nail a bright airy look, but sometimes, you may want a break from all that glorious light and enjoy a cosy darkened spot or just cancel the glare on your screens. Depending on your goal, the choice of fabric and lining will vary.

For a living room that is looking for semi-privacy and diffused light, sheer and semi-sheer curtains are ideal. They tone down the brightness of the incoming light and make the view of the indoors hazy from the outside.

In case you’re looking for more light control, say for a glass door capturing the noon’s strongest sunrays, non-sheer curtains will do the job. You can also line them to enhance their performance. Whether lined or unlined, they will guarantee privacy during the day as well as at night, making them a good choice for the private rooms of the home.

For the highest level of performance on light control and privacy, blackout curtains are the go-to, comprising of blackout drapery fabrics or blackout lining or both. In addition, these curtains also offer thermal insulation so that you’ll be saving energy on heating/ cooling the home. They also muffle sounds, so that they provide considerable acoustic privacy too. Blackout curtains are, therefore, highly recommended for the glass doors of bedrooms and nurseries. 

Factor in the Rear-View Appeal

 

Drapes and curtains for sliding glass doors or bifold doors have to enhance the aesthetic appeal of both the spaces they connect, unlike the case of windows where only one side truly counts visually. This aspect will influence certain decisions such as the choice of fabric, lining and heading style.

• DRAPERY FABRIC: The drapery fabric has to be presentable on both sides if you’re planning to leave the curtains unlined. So, look out for fabrics that look almost the same on both sides. Embroidered fabrics and one-sided printed fabrics, among others, call for second thoughts.
• LINING: For lined curtains, the colour of the lining requires deep consideration because it has to align with the décor on the other side of the glass doors. Our linings come in neutral hues such as white, beige and grey that can easily mingle with any colour scheme. However, that the lining, and not the drapery, is visible on the other side has to be borne in mind when designing the spaces. The other way to go about it is to skip the lining and opt for another drapery fabric on the rear side, forming ‘double-sided curtains’. Although costlier, they are worth the price as they are the clearest giveaway of their bespoke making. They lend an opportunity to create a totally different look on both sides of the doors, thus expanding your scope to embrace different palettes and moods in the two spaces that the doors connect.
• HEADING STYLE: The heading style, that is the design of the header, also must be presentable on the rear side. The pinch pleats, for example, feature lovely uniform pleats on the front side but the unsightly scene of rings and header tape on the rear side make them not the best choice for glass doors. Instead, tab tops, rod pocket tops, flat panel tops, and so on, are a better choice as they look almost similar on both sides. If you’re wondering which of these styles might suit better for your home and want a deeper dig, visit our Drapery Headings Guide where we have explained each heading style in detail.

Voice Your Décor Style

 

Curtains for bifold doors and glass doors take up a significant optical estate, making them prospective mouthpieces of your décor style. So, pay attention to all the details of the drapery so they can underscore the overall theme of the room.

White flat panel linen curtains ground the light-loving aesthetic of a Scandinavian home whereas rod pocket gingham curtains suit right for a country home’s bucolic themes. A modern striped grommet top curtain befits a contemporary home while a traditional pinch pleat damask drapery with golden tassels fine-finishes classical décor. Tab top patterned drapery with fringe trims defines the creative and airy vibe of a bohemian home while a back tab top plain curtain underscores the simplicity of a minimalist home.

So, factor in your décor style when choosing the palette, pattern, accessories and heading style of the curtains.

Position Hardware with a View for Stacking Room

 

Making the most of your sliding/ bifold glass doors requires that the curtains don’t come in the way. Drapery should not compromise on the passageway space, light, air and the views you get to access through your huge doorway. For this, careful consideration is required when mounting the hardware.

Extending the drapery pole/ track a few inches on both sides of the doors does the trick. So, when you gather the curtains to the sides, they will go past the door trims and rest on the wall. Instead, if the drapery pole/ track does not extend in this manner, the curtains will stack on the doorway, blocking at least some of the space and view.

For sliding doors that are not pocket doors, the doorway is blocked permanently by the width of one fixed door panel, however, they still let in light. So, if the curtains stack on the fixed panel, they don’t block the passageway but still compromise on incoming light. In the case of bifold doors, if the curtains stack on the doorway, they will not only block the view and the light but also the way for passage. 

The bottom line is this. Whether you have bifold doors or sliding doors, it is advisable to extend the hardware beyond the door trims to maximise the use of the doors. However, if you don’t have a wall surround to extend the drapery pole/ track in this manner, the goal shifts to reducing the stack as much as possible, and we’ve got you ideas to achieve this sleek look ahead in the blog.

Decide on the Number of Panels

 

Whether you should opt for a single panel that stacks to either side or double panels that stack to both sides is a matter to be considered when ordering drapes and curtains for glass sliding and bifold doors. The decision is primarily driven by three factors - the aesthetic appeal you’re aiming to create, size of doorway, and the style of operation of the doors.

For a narrow doorway, you can consider a single panel that will always be stacked on one side of the doors. This is practically convenient as the curtain will leave one side of the doorway free for passage. A single-panel curtain cascading down in a swag onto one side and held together with a decorative hold-back is an aesthetic statement well-suited to luxurious traditional design schemes. They convert your glass door curtains into a compelling feature of your home’s design.

For a wider doorway, consider double panels to frame the doorway. This arrangement serves to maintain balance and symmetry in the design. It also helps to minimise the stacking room required on each side as opposed to single panels that take up a bulk of the space when gathered to one side.

If you have been able to provide stacking room on the wall, as explained in the previous section, the curtains will move out of the way totally when stacked, far from coming between busy feet.

It must be noted that tie-backs and hold-backs can play a significant role in ensuring safety for passage. They hold the curtains in their place, out of the way and causing minimum risks of tripping accidents, especially during windy days when the curtains can get billowy. Besides fulfilling an important functional role, these small accessories also double up as the ornaments of your drapery, providing an excuse to bring colour contrast and rich detail.

Determine the Suitable Fullness Factor

 

Curtains stand out among all window treatments for their lush pleats that not only proffer a sense of sumptuousness but also make them highly insulative. Hence, light-filtering curtains are generally stitched with low gather, whereas curtains meant to block light, darken the room or reduce energy loss are sewn with dense deep pleats. Based on the desired density of pleats, the width of the curtains is increased or decreased. This is what we refer to in drapery terminology as the ‘fullness factor’. It is a ratio that indicates the width of the drapery in relation to the width of the window.

Curtains are typically stitched with 2x-3x fullness for a lush gather, that is, their width is double or triple the width of the doorway. However, if you’re aiming for a light-bodied drapery that maximises incoming light, you can notch the fullness factor down to 1.5x. Lowering it anymore is not recommended as you will then have curtains that almost hang like a flat sheet, not quite the aesthetic expected of curtains. To get a detailed explanation with illustrations, please do visit our Drapery Measurement Guide that will simplify the method of calculation, so don’t worry about cracking the math. 

Apart from affecting the aesthetic appeal and the insulative capacity, the fullness factor is one of the elements that determines the amount of stacking room required for the drapery. Curtains with higher fullness will naturally require more stacking room, and if you are not able to extend the hardware beyond the door’s trims to accommodate the stacking room outside the doorway, the curtains will potentially occupy some space in the doorway, blocking the light. While the stacking room typically amounts to only 10-20% of the curtain’s volume, leaving most of the doorway free for access, if you want to maximise the incoming light, it is advisable to watch the fullness factor to reduce the required stacking room.

Select a Suitable Heading Style

 

The heading style, as mentioned earlier, refers to the design of the top portion of the curtains. Curtain headers come in a wide range of construction style and designs - including pre-sewn pinch pleats, fabric tabs, eyelets or fabric pockets, each proffering a unique configuration of aesthetic appeal and functionality. At The White Window, clients can choose from over a dozen heading styles that cater to various décor styles and functional requirements.

For bifold and sliding glass door curtains, we recommend styles that glide smoothly on the pole/ track so that you can stack back the curtains easily to savour the golden light and the picturesque views. For this, look out for curtains that hang on rings or grommets, such as eyelet tops, flat panel tops, pinch pleat styles, and so on. For sheer curtains, however, that you do not anticipate moving often, styles like rod pockets and back tab tops are ideal as they stay taut on the pole.

Another aspect to be considered is regarding light control. Styles like grommet tops, tab tops and tie tops let in more light through their tabs and eyelets. Whereas, styles like rod pockets, flat panel tops and back tab tops have full coverage headers that complement light-blocking curtains most aptly.

Also, note that the heading style is one of the factors that determines the amount of stacking room the curtains need. Certain heading styles like flat panel tops, grommet tops and tab tops require less stacking room than others. So, if you’re aiming to minimise the stacking room, look out for curtains with sleek headers.

Decide on the Drop Point of the Curtains

 

That doorway curtains have to be floor-length is a given, but what exactly should be the drop point requires thoughtful consideration. Curtains may stop just above the floor in the ‘float’ position, gently touch the floor in the ‘graze’ position, or pool on the floor in the ‘puddle’ position. Each of these drop points offers a different type of visual appeal and level of operational ease.

Floating curtains operate smoothly and gather minimum dust as they don’t touch the floor. However, they let light seep in from the bottom, making them not the perfect ones for light-blocking curtains.

Grazing curtains also operate smoothly and minimise light leaks from the bottom as they make seamless contact with the floors. They look very tailored as they lightly touch the floor and that necessitates flawless specification of measurements and even floors.

Puddled curtains pose some restriction on movement but cancel all light leaks from the bottom. These are best used as decorative drapes for doorways as they can be hard to operate frequently due to their long, flowy trails. If you’re choosing curtains for bifold doors/ sliding glass doors to make an aesthetic statement, this drop-point is ideal.

For those who love the curtains grazing the floor but find it hard to pull the look because of uneven floors, we recommend the ‘break-puddle’ drop point which is an intermediary between ‘graze’ and ‘puddle’. At this drop point, the curtains touch the floor and then extend to about an inch – just the bit of excess needed to mask any unevenness of the floors.

Shop Drapes & Curtains for Sliding Glass Doors & Bifold Doors at The White Window

 

We hope that this blog, a comprehensive guide for choosing drapes and curtains for sliding glass doors and bifold doors, will prove a handy reference for you to carry out your décor project. If, however, you need more assistance, find us just an email away. And now, it is time to treat your eyes to our copious collection of premium drapery fabrics that bring you everything from the lustre of delicate silks to the texture of slubby linens. We are sure that you will find the curtains that will perfectly dress your bifold/ sliding doors at The White Window today!