Can Voile Curtains Bring Elegant Minimalism To Your Home?
Choosing a sheer fabric for your curtains may seem counterintuitive. After all, curtains are designed for privacy and warmth, aren’t they?
However, a voile curtain’s simple, flowing lines and the ability to bring a soft, diffused light can truly transform a room.
Here is what you need to know about the contemporary minimalist credentials of this traditional fabric.
What is voile?
Known for its sheer qualities, voile is a soft, lightweight woven fabric. It can be made from 100 per cent linen, 100 per cent cotton weave or polyester.
When hung as a curtain, it allows light through while providing a level of privacy.
It is used not only for window treatments but also for clothing and wedding veils. In fact, the name ‘voile’ comes from the French word for ‘veil’, a reference to its semi-transparent appearance.
A short history of voile curtains
Voile, as a fabric, has been woven since the Middle Ages. Previously used for religious ceremonies, it began being used as a window dressing during the Renaissance.
The rise of modernism in high-end interior design in the early 20th century left behind dark, heavily-patterned and brocade fabrics in favour of a lighter, more informal approach.
However, the reputation of sheer window treatments was damaged by synthetic net curtains mass-produced after World War II. The polyester replacement for handmade Victorian lace was an unofficial neighbourhood watch favourite of 1970s suburbia.
Voile made a comeback as a sophisticated window dressing and became more mainstream in the 1990s as a modern alternative to the net curtains.
Voile has since shrugged off its old reputation as simply an updated net curtain and found a permanent position in stylish and contemporary home décor.
How can voile curtains bring sophistication to your living space?
Full-length or café-length voiles can provide a balanced combination of privacy and light.
While perfect for providing privacy for bathrooms and bedrooms, they can make living spaces seem more light and airy than heavier fabrics.
The delicateness of the fabric and the soft folds of the hanging mean it lends itself to simplicity and elegance. Like a soft filter effect with a camera lens, it diffuses the natural light, elevating the whole room.
Layering curtains is a continuing trend, and voile can provide the daytime counterpart to luxurious texture and warmth for the evenings.
Choosing a plain material in natural colours means it can complement or highlight your colour scheme.
For those who prefer a full-length window treatment, a set of made-to-measure voile curtains can provide a flowing, barely-there texture which is minimalist without the hard edges.
Voile can also be used to decorate ceilings, doorways, central light fixtures, and around bedframes. The effect is to soften the room in a neutral way.
A word of warning: Be sure to pair your voile with deliberate design choices that show you aren’t just going for a modern take on grandma’s decorating.
How to choose your made-to-measure voile curtains
When considering voile as a fabric choice, there are important questions to ask.
The first is about the type of room and how you will use it. A living space that looks onto a dark courtyard might need a lighter-weight fabric for full-length curtains or even a half-window treatment.
In contrast, a window overlooking your London neighbours may need multiple layers of fabric or a heavier voile for privacy at night.
Preference for lighter or darker spaces will also need to be considered, as will any need for insulating the window with lined curtains.
If you are considering only updating the window treatment, ask yourself if the voile suits your current décor. Or do you need to make changes to the whole room?
You might find that in choosing a voile curtain, you want to reconsider the entire interior design to fit around the new light-infused look.
Voile does not have to be a traditional fabric; with the right accent pieces and attitude in design, it can create an enviable and sophisticated minimalist vibe.