Draperies and curtains play such a big role in decorating a room. They are used to put some personality in the interior design. They affect the atmosphere. They help regulate the room’s temperature and they block outside light and sound.

Draperies, curtains, what’s the difference?

Curtains and draperies can be used for the same purpose: to decorate, block light, minimize outside sound or separate one part of the house from the other. Most of the time, people don’t seem to care much about which is which. Well, it’s really not that important. But just to help you distinguish between the two, here are some bits of information about the differences between curtains and draperies:

Curtains are usually lightweight and have decorative designs. They come in a variety of lengths, look casual and seem easy to make. On the other hand, draperies are those that completely close the windows when drawn across the length of a traverse rod.  They are pleated and are long enough to cover the top of the window down to the floor. Unlike curtains which you can open with bare hands, draperies sometimes make use of cords to draw the panels from side to center and back.

When used in room decoration, draperies are often used to create a more formal, elegant atmosphere. Curtains, on the other hand, would make a room lively, fresh and pretty. No matter in which room you use these two, they will both do a great job in beautifying the entire space. More importantly, you should know that most people nowadays really don’t fuss about terminologies anymore.

Different tricks you could do with draperies and curtains too achieve new, stylish designs

1. Hang a curtain panel alone on a stylish pole. This simple trick will make your room look fresh and elegant.
2. Cover only half of the window with any sheer curtain panel. This allows for more light and makes the room airy and simple.
3. Casually hang curtains of cotton, lace, silk or nylon fabric. Be bold and experiment with textures and shapes.
4. Hang a blind and place a decorative curtain over it.
5. Hang a pair of draw curtain panels over window shades or blinds.
6. Hang a light material curtain on your window. Then, layer it with a silk, velvet, chintz or linen draw drapery.
7. Hang a simple curtain panel and playfully cover it with decorative swags and jabots.
8. Top your curtain with a valance.
9. Use a set of heavy curtain panels which are long enough to touch the floor. This will make the room or hall elegant and formal.
10. Use different colors of recycled fabric as a valance over a plain curtain. You can do this by tying narrow pieces of cloth into a ribbon in a string. This will create a playful and casual atmosphere in the area.