Curtains are of course indispensable when it comes to window treatments, but draped textiles can be utilised as a clever device to zone and soften a room, too. These projects from the ELLE Decoration archives are the inspiration you need to consider how a curtain could transform your space and alter the very fabric (ahem) of your home.
Uchronia put curtains centre stage in this Paris home
Daring ombre sheer curtains are the star of this jewel-box apartment in Paris’ fashionable Triangle d’Or on Avenue Montaigne. The fumoir becomes a stylish nook thanks to a delicate gradient sheer curtain, created by artist Justin Morin, and is paired with the ‘Bellini Camaleonda’ sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, which was reupholstered in a jade-coloured crushed velvet.
The conversation pit zoned by a blue curtain
This roomy conversation pit was part of the original architecture of this Melbourne home. Studio Doherty installed the modular ‘Tufty-Time’ sofa by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia and separated this poolside room from the study beyond with a blue curtain made using sheer ‘Rocket’ fabric from Kvadrat. The side table is from local store Dust Merchants and the vessel on it is a piece by Tara Shackell.
What's everyone reading?
A stylish curved curtain in Manhattan
Designer Lee Broom installed a curved rail with a bespoke pleated Dedar muslin curtain to separate the living room of his New York apartment from the kitchen beyond, while the monolithic ‘Tribeca’ coffee table is from the designer’s ‘Penthouse’ collection. Made from travertine and black silk marble, its brutalist form mirrors the silhouette of the AT&T Long Lines building designed by John Carl Warnecke that can be seen from a nearby window.
Tactile textiles define this stylish living room
Luxurious deep-green curtains made from Pierre Frey’s ‘Teddy’ mohair in ‘Mousse’ give this living space a serene, enveloping feel. More texture comes from the custom sofa covered in black velvet which faces Audo’s ‘The Tired Man’ chair in chocolate sheepskin. The ottoman is covered in Métaphores’ ‘Pampa’ fabric while the rug is a vintage Moroccan Tuareg design.
Curtains as art in a Lyon home
Draped textiles define the living room of designer Claude Cartier, from the undulations of the ‘Saint Germain’ velvet by Métaphores Paris to the silk installation by Justin Morin in the doorway. Tacchini furniture in this room includes the ‘Sesann’ sofa by Gianfranco Frattini, ‘Costela’ armchair by Martin Eisler and ‘Pluto’ coffee tables in walnut and pink cement by Studiopepe.
A wall-to-wall sheer curtain in London
Using a continual curtain across windows and walls can bring a soft, cocooning feel to a space. Designer Sam Buckley chose ‘Technicolour Flux’ sheer fabric by Peter Saville for Kvadrat, which is the perfect backdrop to this pastel-hued room, featuring Hay’s ‘Mags’ modular sofa.
The apartment where curtains divide and conquer
This loft in Reggio Emilia is a masterclass in using curtains to zone an open-plan home. After demolishing all the walls in her loft, homeowner Alessandra Guidetti used the fluidity of sound-absorbing curtains to reveal and conceal the various living spaces, which allow her to shift the layout as her needs require.
The home that’s cocooned by curtains
Johanna Rosén used curtains of various weights to zone and decorate her Copenhagen home. In the bedroom, a heavy pink velvet separates the sleeping area, whilst in the living room a pale blue sheer curtain from Arne Aksel covers the window and can also be pulled across to conceal the front door. ‘When we pull them across, we leave the world outside and get a feeling that nothing can disturb us,’ she says.
The lofty home studio softened by draped fabric
Curtains feature extensively in the home and office of design studio Masquespacio. Used to both soften and divide the large industrial spaces of the traditional Valencian building, they also diffuse light – a custom yellow curtain from Vescom separates the large courtyard from the hallway while creating a soft ambience.
The jazzy curtain that brings pattern to a bedroom
Designer Rhonda Drakeford used Darkroom’s ‘Split Shift’ fabric to create a curtain in this loft bedroom in a north London home. With its simple wooden form, the bed by Lozi (seen in the mirror’s reflection) is an ideal counterpoint to the more colourful elements in this room, such as the pair of yellow 1980s chairs.
