Velvet Curtain Ideas to Tempt You Over to the Soft Side
Luxurious, cocooning, tactile: Fall for the window treatment that makes a statement in bedrooms and living spaces
A window treatment that turns up the dial on glamour? Velvet curtains are right there at the head of the pack. The soft drape of any curtain could balance a room’s hard surfaces, of course. But the special qualities of velvet make it a star: the reach-out-and-touch appeal, the light-catching nap, the way it emanates color. Use it for curtains and you can set a stage on which all these virtues shine.
Oh, and as traditional as velvet curtains may be, they also are at home in any contemporary room you would like to design. Here’s the proof.
Oh, and as traditional as velvet curtains may be, they also are at home in any contemporary room you would like to design. Here’s the proof.
Pick a worthy ally. When there’s a huge expanse of window to dress, the treatment needs to be its match — and these velvet curtains have the substance for the job. They’re neither billowy nor barely there; instead, the fabric’s weight, drape and color add up to a feature that demands attention. Besides holding their own against the expanse of glass, they temper the effect of a large area of hard flooring, ensuring that the big space feels homey.
The block of curtain color is part of a tonal blue-and-green palette incorporating both hard cabinetry and soft furnishings. Why repeat colors? Because it’s a trick that lets separate zones feel part of a whole.
The block of curtain color is part of a tonal blue-and-green palette incorporating both hard cabinetry and soft furnishings. Why repeat colors? Because it’s a trick that lets separate zones feel part of a whole.
Lighten up. Velvet curtains often sport dark shades, but this room features a punchier color as part of a design that showcases floral pattern and celebrates the hues of summer blooms and foliage.
To get the look, opt for a velvet with a deep pile, like this one, and allow curtains to pool on the floor — another way to bolster a room’s sumptuousness.
To get the look, opt for a velvet with a deep pile, like this one, and allow curtains to pool on the floor — another way to bolster a room’s sumptuousness.
Adopt tradition. Deep red velvet curtains are a classic and, in these period surroundings, they definitely look the part. How to pull off this room’s successful avoidance of quaintness? Let the curtains drape unfussily —pelmets and other formal top treatments are out.
Adding in areas of fresh, clean white, like this room’s bed linen and painted floorboards, also helps keep things modern. Check out the paintings too. Propping as well as hanging make for relaxed 21st-century style.
Adding in areas of fresh, clean white, like this room’s bed linen and painted floorboards, also helps keep things modern. Check out the paintings too. Propping as well as hanging make for relaxed 21st-century style.
Get the royal treatment. With its regal associations, purple is a natural choice when luxury is desired, and how better to introduce it than with velvet curtains? The luxe continues in this bedroom with a tall, wide upholstered headboard and a dark wood bed base that have hotel good looks.
If you’re investing in the beauty of velvet, it’s worth bearing in mind that it can be made from silk, cotton or polyester. Silk reigns supreme when it comes to shine. Cotton has a softer — and still beautiful — sheen, and artificial velvets promise a silk shine with stain resistance.
Read about decorating with purple
If you’re investing in the beauty of velvet, it’s worth bearing in mind that it can be made from silk, cotton or polyester. Silk reigns supreme when it comes to shine. Cotton has a softer — and still beautiful — sheen, and artificial velvets promise a silk shine with stain resistance.
Read about decorating with purple
Come to the table. The textural quality and gentle pleats of velvet curtains are a boon in a separate dining area, where unyielding surfaces and straight lines can otherwise hold sway. In this design, the curtains’ warm, dark tones — along with the dark wall color — add to the intimacy of the room.
There’s an acoustic benefit to velvet too. Its sound-dampening properties are welcome in spaces often filled with noises like cars zooming by outside, heels on hard flooring or the clatter of cutlery.
There’s an acoustic benefit to velvet too. Its sound-dampening properties are welcome in spaces often filled with noises like cars zooming by outside, heels on hard flooring or the clatter of cutlery.
Watch the waves. This bedroom is both cocooning and sophisticated, with jewel-like red velvet drapes at the window. The expanse of fabric is indulgent — just the ticket for a room that’s a sanctuary from the world.
To get the regular pleats of these curtains, try a wave heading tape. Be aware that it will need a compatible rod to work.
To get the regular pleats of these curtains, try a wave heading tape. Be aware that it will need a compatible rod to work.
Go peacock pretty. Here’s curtain inspiration straight from nature at its most showy — and bang on trend to boot. This velvet, in a peacock green, teams with pillows featuring a tail-feather motif that makes the link overt.
Look at how the puzzle of dressing the window is solved here. If the curtains had hung vertically, there would have been little space left alongside the bed. To avoid this, a clear rod toward the bottom of the window ensures that the fabric follows the wall contours.
Discover how to dress tricky windows
Look at how the puzzle of dressing the window is solved here. If the curtains had hung vertically, there would have been little space left alongside the bed. To avoid this, a clear rod toward the bottom of the window ensures that the fabric follows the wall contours.
Discover how to dress tricky windows
Stay dark. A good night’s shut-eye will not be yours if the window treatment doesn’t block light effectively. In this penthouse, early dawns and city lights aren’t a bother because of the velvet curtains. The fabric’s renowned for its efficiency in keeping an interior dark, so it’s a winner for the easily disturbed.
Make sure you measure accurately when buying curtains for a light-stopping fit. A metal tape measure is best, as fabric versions can stretch.
Make sure you measure accurately when buying curtains for a light-stopping fit. A metal tape measure is best, as fabric versions can stretch.
Get that five-star feeling. Velvet’s a favorite in hotels as well as homes. Here, the velvet curtains are part of the recipe used to evoke boutique-hotel style, along with a textured teal wallcovering.
For a rich finish in your own bedroom, be inspired by this room’s use of metallics, including the tone of the velvet fabric. It’s effective for layering on the luxe.
More
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Browse velvet curtains
For a rich finish in your own bedroom, be inspired by this room’s use of metallics, including the tone of the velvet fabric. It’s effective for layering on the luxe.
More
How to Hang Your Curtains Just Right
Fabric Focus: Decorating With Touchy-Feely Velvet
Green Velvet Shines in These Enviable Rooms
Browse velvet curtains
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If you like the idea of upping velvet’s impact, you could follow this room’s lead by lighting curtains from above to exploit the fabric’s reflective nature. It’s a worthwhile addition in a room that’s largely used after dark.