Traditional Curtain Design
Till the industrial revolution took place, only the rich could afford to buy curtains. These curtains were usually plain and coloured, and were made from silk or linen. In some homes, winter curtains were made from wool. The purpose of curtains has not changed over the ages; curtains are placed inside over windows to keep prying eyes from looking in to a home and to keep the interior of the house warm in winters. Curtains also blocked out exterior light.
After the advent of the textile industry and weaving of fabrics, curtains became more common as more people could afford to buy curtains. To add to the beauty of curtains, different ways of hanging curtains were introduced. Curtains became much more elaborate and a number of new fabrics were introduced as curtain cloth. Curtains with floral designs were preferred in traditional curtain designs as they added some design and broke the monotony of plain walls. The different curtain hanging designs that were introduced in traditional curtains were again introduced to break the monotony of the curtains and to make the curtains look elegant and elaborate.
Cotton was the main fabric used in traditional blinds, as it could be easily dyed in different colours, and designs could be woven in the fabric or printed on them. Lace blinds, with different designs woven in them, were also an extensive and essential part of traditional shades. In fact, lace curtains are quite popular even today.
Some families used to have two sets of blinds, one for summers and the other for winters. The summer curtains usually consisted of two sets of blinds. Net blinds would be drawn during the day to let the sunlight in, and a heavier set of shades mounted on a separate rail would be used to cover the windows at night.
The richer class of women preferred silk, velvet and linen traditional curtains. A lot of thought and craftsmanship used to go into hanging the blinds in the most elaborate way. Blinds with pencil points and French pleats, with sashes to tie them, were considered to be the height of fashion in traditional curtains. Lace and embroidered edging was added to make traditional curtains look more unique. Some traditional curtains were lined to protect them from fading from sunlight.
Women have always spent many hours in selecting curtains for each room of the house. The curtains in the living room or where guests are received and the dining room are planned meticulously. Silk and linen blinds with elaborate designs either woven or embroidered were valued by households that could afford such curtains.
Even today, there are a number of women who prefer heavy traditional curtains over contemporary shades. It makes them feel proud to decorate their homes with heavy and expensive curtains. There are shade makers that specialize in making traditional curtains. Not only was the blind material and design of utter importance, even the blinds rods that these blinds were to be hung on got special attention. Blinds rods were made from wood, iron and bronze. The ends of the shade rods were also specially made to match the traditional curtain that was to be hung from it.