Co-ordinating Curtains With Other Home Accents: 5 Top Tips
Designing a room doesn’t just mean thinking of the right paint or wallpaper; it involves giving plenty of thought and consideration to all the fabrics and furnishings, so that the whole aesthetic comes together in a seamless and beautiful way.
That’s why it’s important to spend time choosing the perfect curtains for your home, as this can mean the difference between a dull living space and one that is full of love and life.
Here are our tips on how to complement your curtains with other features in your home.
1) Choose the mood
The first thing to do before you settle on a paint or start designing bespoke blinds is decide what mood you want to create in the room.
Do you want to make your bedroom peaceful and relaxing? In this case, opt for pale colours or cool shades, such as greens, blues and purples.
On the other hand, in entertainment areas of the house, you might want stimulating colours, such as dark, warm shades like red, yellow or orange.
You can’t pick the right curtain if you don’t know what impression you want to create in the room, and it’s not something you will want to change later on down the road. So avoid bright, bold shades for the bedroom, and be braver in areas such as the lounge or kitchen.
2) Complement, not match, the walls
You don’t want to match the curtains or blinds to your walls, as this will give a ‘flat’ monotone appearance.
This makes the space look one-dimensional, with some designers even calling this style “boring” or “bland”.
It can also make rooms appear smaller, as there is no distinction between the window and the wall without something in a different colour or shade framing them.
Another reason why designers aren’t big fans of having the same colour curtains as the walls is because it looks as though the homeowner hasn’t given much thought, effort or interest to their interiors.
3) Golden ratio of colour application
Instead, you can make a better impression by simply choosing a shade darker or lighter than the walls. This complements the colour of the room and avoids having any monotony.
The general guidance when it comes to colour application in a room is known as the ‘golden ratio’. This involves making 60 per cent of the room one colour, 30 per cent in a secondary shade, and ten per cent in an accent tone.
For instance, the primary colour would be the walls or large pieces of furniture, such as the sofa. The secondary one would be the curtains, rugs or cushions, and the remaining proportion would be additional decor that brings all the tones together.
4) Contrast with a colour wheel
An alternative to choosing the same colour in a different hue for your secondary shade is to go for a contrasting one.
You might want to create a focal point out of your furnishings by choosing a completely distinct colour to your walls or sofa, which will add some energy and life to the room.
If you have a neutral-coloured couch or walls, such as grey or cream, opting for a bolder colour with your furnishings often works really well.
On the other hand, if you already have really bright walls or settee, you may want to choose curtains and rugs that are more subtle.
Whether you go eye-catching on the curtains or the walls might depend on the number of windows you have. For a room with few windows, you may wish to make your walls stand out. However, if you have lots of windows, and therefore, will need lots of curtains, opting for daring blinds could be the answer
For maximalistic homeowners, you may want to have bold tones on both your curtains and walls. In this case, it is a good idea to use a colour wheel to find out what contrasting colours work together.
Blues and oranges go brilliantly, purples and yellows really bring out each other, and greens and reds are a match made in heaven. It might feel strong on the eye at first, but your brave choice could really pay off when you have a truly exciting room that nobody will forget!
5) Don’t forget the other furnishings and hardware
A rule of thumb is to make sure the curtains either match or complement the rugs, as these are both focal points in the room.
But it is wise not to forget all the other fixtures and furnishings as well. This includes throws and cushions, lampshades, armchairs, wall hangings, and even placemats.
The hardware is important too and you’ll want your curtain rods and rings to match things like door handles, light switches, and drawer knobs.
Make sure the furniture also goes well, enabling all the elements of the room to come together effortlessly in one perfect design.