Correctly selected design and decor elements create a sense of coziness in the house. Curtains are an integral part of a successful interior that will delight all households and guests. In this article, I would like to pay special attention to Austrian curtains, which are very highly valued in the design of a wide variety of rooms, it can be ordinary rooms of apartments, and luxurious halls of mansions, and, of course, country apartments. Austrian curtains can be easily called universal due to the fact that they are suitable for a variety of stylistic trends.
What are they?
Austrian curtains are a very successful combination of Roman and French curtains in a single shape, which has developed a long time ago, despite the opposite design. From the famous French curtains, their fellow Austrians have luxurious folds and splendor, and from the Roman ones - they have a special mechanism and rise.
When the curtains completely cover the window, that is, they are straightened out, their appearance resembles a uniform canvas, and when they are raised, folds and assemblies immediately begin to appear. When raising Austrian curtains, decorative and heavy cords are often used, which not only make them lush and allow folds to appear, but also serve as original decorative elements and perfectly complement the curtains.
If it is important for you that the Austrian curtain in all its splendor with folds covers most of the window, make sure that when unfolded it is longer than the window sill.
A bit of history
Elegant and pompous Austrian curtains, as their name implies, originated in Austria and mainly adorned prestigious houses in Europe, palaces of various nobility and apartments of the local elite. They were invented in the 18th century, their distinctive feature at that time was the use of heavy and dense fabrics, which always attracted the attention of guests. In addition, dense fabrics perfectly protected windows from sunlight and prying eyes, and luxurious assemblies caused a storm of delight.
Since then, this type of curtain began to spread widely beyond Europe, thanks to which today we can decorate the windows of any room with them and give it a certain zest, chic and sophistication.
Features of the
At first glance, it may seem that Austrian curtains are not very troublesome to operate, you just have to buy and put them on, however, there are also some nuances that cannot be ignored:
- Austrian curtains require a special cornice with a special lifting mechanism, which is needed so that they show off the intended folds.
- Equally important is the presence of tight and rigid cords, which are attached from the inside out for uniformity of fabric and folds.
- For this type of curtain, it is best to select not very rigid materials so that they can be easily draped. We recommend paying attention to tulle fabric, silk, satin, organza or cambric options.
- Austrian curtains go well with fringe, decorative tassels, lace and ruffles around their edges. There are a huge number of options for decoration.
- It is important to know that this type of curtain does not move apart along the edges of the window, since the “canvas” with assemblies is one-piece, it can only be lifted up or down.
- This type of curtain can be used as an independent decorative element for windows or supplemented with lambrequins or curtains. It always looks very expensive and elegant.
We select the fabric
In order to successfully choose the fabric for creating these amazing curtains, first you need to decide on their purpose. If the Austrian curtains will function as a translucent tulle, for example, for the kitchen, then you should give preference to light and airy fabrics, moreover, as mentioned above, such materials are very easy to drape.
If you want the curtains to fully cover the window, for example, in the bedroom, then you can choose a slightly denser fabric. It is recommended to choose very rigid materials for offices, living rooms and offices, they are difficult to drape, sometimes they look rude and broken, but a few decorative accessories can quite make them look more graceful, and Austrian curtains will always set the tone for the interior, give it notes of elegance, aristocracy and grace …
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We care properly
To make the curtains less covered with dust, although this is an inevitable process, do not forget to regularly ventilate the room and do wet cleaning. However, these methods only save your window decorations for a while, then they still have to be erased. Austrian curtains made of lightweight fabrics can be machine cleaned at home using delicate powders and gentle temperature conditions, but it is preferable to give them to dry cleaning.
Of course, thick curtain fabrics will be harder to clean at home, so you definitely can't do without specialists
You should very carefully iron the curtains after washing, for this it is best to use a steam generator, which will gently smooth the curtains not only in their usual state, but also when they are already tied.
Proper care will not only update the curtains, but also allow them to last even longer and delight you with their appearance.
Where to place?
It is believed that Austrian curtains should be placed on large windows in spacious rooms such as halls, dining rooms or living rooms, as well as bedrooms. Despite these criteria, which were relevant in the old days, today many designers choose this type of curtain for apartments and small private houses. The main thing is to do everything skillfully so that the curtains are ideally combined with the interior and decor of a particular room.
If the room you have chosen for placing Austrian curtains is not very large, then it is best to choose curtains not for the entire length of the window, but only for part of it. This is done so that more light enters the room, but at the same time the curtains themselves do not "eat up" the overall space of the room, but, on the contrary, visually make it larger. Also, for small rooms, it is recommended to choose light shades of fabrics for future curtains, and decorative tassels or fringes can be used as a contrast to them.
Also, do not forget about the presence of a special cornice. It is best if it is made of wood, because such material is always harmoniously combined with this type of curtain. Next, let's talk about some rooms where Austrian curtains will come in handy:
Curtains for the kitchen. Most often, kitchens have not a very large area, however, even there you want to place something unusual to achieve even greater comfort. Austrian curtains will be a very interesting solution for decorating windows. It is very important for this room to choose such curtains that will not make it smaller and will not visually "weigh down". Many girls choose this type of curtain as a light tulle, because they do not take up much space and can be placed so that the window sill is open. Many design experts pay attention to the fact that for the kitchen, both plain curtains and translucent options with various patterns, patterns, flowers, stripes, and so on are equally well suited
For bedroom… Austrian curtains for the bedroom are the most popular in window decoration. This design looks especially advantageous if the windows are large and wide. Delicate and soft flounces and folds of Austrian curtains will easily take care of creating a cozy atmosphere in the relaxation room during the day and, of course, will provide an obstacle to the penetration of light at night for the most comfortable sleep. This type of curtain is perfect for a young man's bedroom - it is best to use dense fabric of dark colors for this, but lightweight options with large flounces will come in handy for young girls
For the bedroom of a married couple, unobtrusive shades of curtains with small folds are suitable, perhaps in a nude or pastel color scheme to match the rest of the interior.
In the living room. This room is most often meant to be very spacious, so you can choose the most different Austrian curtains on the windows in the living room and decorate them as soon as your soul desires, and in general, you can safely give free rein to your imagination. This is especially true if your living room is designed in a classic style, Baroque or English, which always require luxurious details on the windows
In the children's room it is best to use non-coarse and non-rigid fabrics when choosing Austrian curtains. This type of curtain is especially popular with girls, whose rooms are decorated in a fairy-tale style; huge flounces of light fabric always attract the attention of children, and they also make the room more spacious
Other options. Very often, Austrian curtains in a wide variety of styles are used to decorate the windows of offices, spacious corridors and even bathrooms. Viennese curtains in the bay window look very beautiful
Whichever room you choose to place the Viennese curtains, do not forget that they must be appropriately combined with the entire interior and its style of execution. For example, you can't just take and put Austrian curtains into a high-tech living room, because it would be very inappropriate.
If you doubt your ability to select the right type and design of curtains, then it is best to give preference to the services of specialists.
For information on how to sew a romantic Austrian curtain with your own hands, see the next video.