Extra Wide Curtains for Large Windows & Doors: Top Styling Tips & Tricks
Whether it is the extensive picture windows of modern bungalows, the elegant curtain walls of high-rise condos or the charming French doors of traditional homes and country cottages, these architectural gems frame breathtaking views that double up as live artwork to muse on. Facilitating a seamless transition between indoors and outdoors, these oversized windows and doors make way for the golden sunlight and fresh air to flood in. But while these gifts can never run out of our admiration, managing them effectively is key to maintaining comfort, privacy and ambience round-the-clock.
That’s where extra wide curtains come in - offering both function and aesthetics by curbing unwanted daylight, safeguarding privacy, enhancing insulation and adding a touch of sophistication to the interiors. Further, they present design opportunities and challenges that spur from their scale, expanding the scope for careful consideration and deeper exploration while shopping. So, if you’re looking to furnish your grand portieres and large window banks with the perfect curtains, you’re in the right place. In this blog, we’ll share styling tips to make the most of your extra-wide curtains and ensure maximum functional ease.
Avoid Abrupt Cuts and Ensure Seamless Joins
Made-to-measure curtains lends you the ultimate luxury of dressing your grandiose windows with well-fitting sumptuous drapes. However, when it comes to extra-wide curtains, a subtle yet unavoidable detail comes into play - the fabric joins. This is because drapery fabrics are typically 137 centimetres wide, making it inevitable to join multiple panels to achieve the desired expanse. Fortunately, these joins remain invisible as they are tucked away in the ripples of the curtains. However, for certain patterned drapes, particularly those with horizontal stripes and intricate plaids, perfect alignment can present a challenge.
Our team of skilful seamstresses take meticulous care to ensure a seamless flow of the pattern. However, even with the finest craftsmanship, minor mismatches may occasionally occur due to subtle irregularities inherent in these patterns. While these nuances might go unnoticed on standard-width drapes, they may become more apparent when multiple panels are combined for extra-wide curtains.
So, while we can assure you an impeccably matched join for all patterned drapes, slight variations may be expected in striped and checked curtains. For a design style that prides itself in slight imperfections and likes to flaunt its bespoke appeal with these unique shortfalls, there is nothing to fret about. But, if flawless perfection is the goal, you may avoid these patterns. If you have any more doubts regarding joins and seams, refer to our blog post on Joins & Pattern Matching in Made-to-Measure Curtains.
Mind the Overall Weight
Curtains gain weight in proportion to their width. Therefore, extra-wide curtains are bound to be heavier than standard-sized curtains. This calls for well-considered design decisions to ensure the smooth functionality of the curtains.
Firstly, invest in high-quality hardware that is certified as fit for heavy drapery. Check their load-bearing capacity before you shop them. If installing drapery poles, take care to invest in an adequate number of supporting brackets to enhance the sturdiness of the poles. Avoid tension rods, lightweight drapery poles and low-quality tracks as they will not hold long with extra-wide drapes.
Secondly, opt for light and medium-weight fabrics if you anticipate frequent operation so that drawing your curtains open and close does not become a tedious task. Also, consider investing in automated systems, especially if you’re going for floor-to-ceiling coverage that further adds to the weight of the drapery.
Plan for the Stacking Room
Curtains are reduced to almost 25% of their width when stacked to the sides. The more wide the curtains, the more stacking room you can expect them to take. If this aspect is not factored in when installing the drapery pole, chances are high that the curtains will partially block the doorway/opening of the window when stacked away, compromising light, air, views and the practical convenience of the window’s usage.
So, extend the drapery pole about 6-12 inches on both sides of the window/door’s trim. So, the curtains will move past the trims and clear the opening, leaving the entire window/door free for use.
Further, if you don’t have enough space on the surround to make this extension, take extra care to choose lightweight materials and sleek heading styles to minimise the stacking room as much as possible.
Choose a Heading style that Complements the Desired Functionality
A design decision that has both aesthetic and functional outcomes in drapery is the choice of the heading style, that is, the design of the header. Its construction impacts how the way the curtains form their pleats and glide on the pole.
If your extra-wide curtains are envisioned to be operated often, it is wiser to go with styles that incorporate rings/grommets/pins in their headers to facilitate easy movement on the pole. Curtain styles such as grommet tops, pinch pleats, flat panel tops and pencil pleats fall into this category.
Where you want your sheer curtains to hug your windows tight all day to ensure maximum privacy, it is better to go for styles that incorporate fabric loops or pockets as they don’t gather to the sides easily. These include rod pocket tops, back tab tops and tab tops.
Over and above this functional aspect, your overarching decor style and the mood of the room also have to be accounted for when selecting the heading style. So, for example, a triple pinch pleat curtain suits right for a classical-style period home but a flat panel top curtain can match the clean-lined aesthetic of modern interiors best. Read more about the over-dozen heading styles available at The White Window in our Drapery Headings Guide.
Make a Compelling Focal Point with Oversized Patterns
When choosing patterned curtains, it is essential to consider how the scale of the pattern interacts with the size of the room. A minuscule pattern might fade into the background in a spacious room - the perfect choice if subtlety is the goal. But, if you want your window drapery to make a bold statement, large-scale patterns are the way to go. The beauty of extra-wide curtains is that lend you the perfect canvas for grandiose patterns ensuring a seamless uninterrupted flow whereas narrower panels would have presented the pattern with abrupt cuts.
So, to summarise, if your extra-wide curtains are destined to be focal points in an expansive space, opt for large-scale eye-catching patterns. On the other hand, if you want the curtains to blend into the space, go for small or medium-scaled patterns with a soft presence. Note that scale is not the only factor at play, the colours and the level of contrasts also affect how much visual impact a pattern has. So, always order fabric swatches so you can check the scale and palette of the pattern before you make up your mind.
Tap into the Illusory Power of Striped Curtains
Patterns do more than just garner visual interest - they inject energy, depth and personality into the design. But, beyond that, they also have a fascinating ability to influence our perception of the scale of the room. And no pattern works as effectively as stripes at executing this illusionary feat.
Striped curtains draw the eye along their lines. So, vertical stripes take your gaze upward and make the ceiling ‘appear’ higher. Horizontal stripes guide the eye sideward, giving the perception of a wider room. This simple yet clever design trick can dramatically enhance a space’s proportions, making it feel more expansive than it is.
The generous scale of extra-wide curtains amplifies this illusive effect, making them the perfect tools to influence how the scale of the room is perceived. So, make use of the opportunity for low-ceiling and space-constricted rooms.
Shop Extra-Wide Curtains at The White Window
Extra-wide curtains come with a unique design potential that narrow panels cannot bestow. Equally, they require special design considerations to ensure maximum functionality. We hope you can make use of the insights shared in this blog to optimise their aesthetic potential in your design and ensure the highest operational ease. Whether your vision entails the use of a bold colour or overscaled pattern to carve out the focal point or a light-diffusing sheer to paint your interiors with warm golden daylight, you will not be left wanting for choice here at The White Window. But, don’t take our word for it. Explore our catalogue and believe for yourself. Shop an extra-wide drapery that captures your imagination today.