French curtains

French curtains or, as they are called differently, "marquises", are truly luxurious textile interior items. They will be able to add any room notes of grace, nobility and high prices. And all because even in ancient times such curtains could only be afforded by very wealthy persons living in estates or palaces. And therefore such curtains were made exclusively from expensive and high-quality materials. In this article you will learn a lot of new and interesting information on French curtains, their features and interesting uses in the interior.

Famous French curtains appeared, or rather came into fashion supposedly from the XIV to the XVII century, and as the name implies, their appearance occurred in France. In those days, the local nobility always tried to decorate their estates in a special way, with a certain chic and pomp, which could easily be done with the help of curtains with luxurious pleats that perfectly emphasized the styles of Baroque and Rococo of those times.

For several centuries, "marquise" curtains can revive any room, be it small or, conversely, huge.

The features of these curtains can also include:

• Versatility. Such curtains look equally good in houses, apartments, country cottages and various public institutions, such as restaurants, cafes, theaters, wedding palaces and so on. French curtains always create a feeling of pomp and celebration around. They give their special atmosphere to any room.
• Expensive performance. Despite such a simple design with frills, French curtains can cost a decent amount, especially if you want them to look really like a king, because for this it is worth buying expensive fabrics. In general, often the curtains in this style are made to order by individual measurements, because the ready-made options are not always ideal for one or another window.
• Form. French curtains can be given a variety of forms and decorate them with a bedroom, living room or any other room. And these curtains are very friendly with lambrequins,which may be their graceful addition.

This type of curtain belongs to the cascade-lifting due to the fact that their individual parts (sections) are assembled in wrinkles. The number of so-called sections may be different, and they are called festoons. The folds on the French curtains are made in the form of a kind of arcs. All sizes and parameters should be combined with future folds, but all this is calculated based on the size of the window on which this textile decoration will be displayed.

The important point is also the fact that this type of curtains does not move apart to the sides, but rises upwards, and when the curtains go up, the folds will become clearer. To create such curtains, light fabrics are mainly used, which are easily draped, while heavy fabrics most often do not work.

French curtains are easily attached, and raised with a special mechanism that can be installed on the eaves. It cannot be said that this type of curtains is unpretentious in care, since at home they are most often not cleaned, but dry-cleaned.

Options for French curtains can be very diverse. If the designer is working on them, they can easily be magnificent, but even if you decide to develop your own sketch of future curtains and select a fabric for them, then Do not be afraid to include fantasy and implement the most daring ideas in life:

• The length of the French curtains may be different. Such curtains can close the window opening, reach the window sill, or be very long, down to the floor.
• All types of curtains of this type are made according to the same principle, in which a special decorative band for assembly is used to produce folds. With the help of this braid in the future and get flounders, or rather, festoons. According to their functionality, they can be light or dense, everything will depend on the fabric and on the screed. According to the mechanism, such curtains are static and lifting.
• Static-based curtains are most often used as tulle, they are perfect, for example, for the kitchen.Such options usually cover the entire width of the window and do not require extra lifting mechanisms. For them, you can use translucent fabrics that easily transmit sunlight into the room.
• Lifting French curtains, on the other hand, have a special mechanism, a lift controller, which helps control the length of a textile product. It is very important for lifting curtains to choose the appropriate eaves, which will be perfectly combined not only with curtains, but also with the interior as a whole.
• Some options can move apart on the sides of the windows, but in the classic version of French curtains this is not expected. Nevertheless, modern options offer a lot of upgrades in the techniques of execution.

Some people very often confuse the French and Austrian curtains. Although they are similar to each other, the important difference with them is that the Austrian models have folds only at the bottom of the curtains, while the French themselves have curtains made entirely of folds.

To make the curtains bulky, lush, festive and easily decorated any apartment, you should pay attention to light fabrics.The veil, organza, batiste, tulle, silk and velvet are perfectly drapable. In general, the choice of fabrics for the manufacture of curtains of this type is quite extensive, but for the folds on the curtains to be airy and flowing, it is better not to choose heavy fabrics.

With a great desire You can diversify the curtains with the help of a beautiful fringe or lace along the edges of the curtains. Different tassels and ruffles always add a special highlight to any curtains. If the French curtains are made of luxurious fabric with a pattern or patterns, try not to overdo it with the decor and do everything in moderation.

In order to choose not only the colors, but also the curtains themselves, it is very important to pay attention to their future combination with the interior, and also to decide on their purpose. If you look after the curtains exclusively for decoration and they will not protect the room from sunlight,then choose light translucent options of light shades, there may be pastel colors and nude options, as well as fabrics with light patterns, but it is best to give preference to monochromatic options. Particularly good translucent fabrics for kitchens, dining rooms and bathrooms.

Bright, deep and rich French curtains will become a luxurious decoration of any bedroom, hall, living room or office. Often, bright options are hung in children's rooms. Do not forget that dark colors are suitable only for large rooms, because you can make small ones rather gloomy with the help of such colors. Therefore, it is better to decorate small rooms with dim curtains.

Try not to choose curtains in the color of the color of the walls in the room, often this technique does not always look advantageous, it is better to buy a fabric a few tones darker or lighter than the wallpaper.

The biggest problem for the French curtains, as well as for other textile accessories in the house is dust. It settles in the folds, and it is difficult to do anything with it. If the fabric is more dense, then it can be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner at the lowest speed, but since French curtains are most often made of very light materials, then there is no way to do it without washing.

Of course, so that the curtains take the desired shape and do not lose their original appearance it is best to dry clean them. At home you can wash small curtains, for example, from the kitchen, which, if you have a steam generator, you will bring into shape yourself. A very important point is also the fact that such curtains do not wash with other linen and use in this delicate or gentle mode.

French curtains require special attention, so before choosing such textiles for the windows of a particular room, it is very important to make sure that they fit the interior and the whole atmosphere to the maximum.

In general, many experts claim that such curtains are classic. They will successfully fit into any interior, however at the same time it is worth considering all their features:

• For the bedroom Designers recommend giving preference to the calm colors of curtains, for example, cream, beige, powdery and others from a delicate and muted palette of shades. Such light colors create a sense of calm and harmony around.Therefore, for a room where a person spends at least eight hours of rest, they will be very helpful. It is preferable for the bedrooms to choose natural and eco-friendly materials, which are not only considered safe, but also practical.

• Kitchens are often decorated with French curtains made of light organza.. They do not make the atmosphere of the room heavier and at the same time always bring a touch of grace into it. Some even decorate balconies with such curtains. It looks good, if the situation is consistent.

• Highlight the high price of the interior and add pomp to the living room You can easily with the help of luxurious French curtains, especially if they are embroidered. And lambrequins and curtains will be a great addition to them. With the help of such curtains you can make a special contrast in the room, which will delight not only all households, but also guests. Also such curtains will perfectly fit into the bay windows.

• Children's room You can also add elegant curtains with frill, on which you can "sit down" decorative butterflies or place miniature bows. Especially this beauty will appreciate the young princesses.

• Also very often with the help of such curtains decorate bathrooms. With their help, you can hide all unnecessary from the extra eyes and at the same time make the room more comfortable and quiet.

• Recently, it is very popular to make out offices and other meeting rooms with such window textiles. French curtains in dark or contrasting shades will help to create a feeling of severity and seriousness, while they perfectly emphasize the modern design of the room.

"Marquises" - this is French elegance, which today is available to all. Placing such curtains in a particular room, be careful with them, despite their versatility, and they can ruin the interior. It is difficult to believe in it, but sometimes designers also think about whether to decorate windows with curtains with frills or to prefer the most ordinary curtains. In order not to be mistaken with the choice, try to compare several types of curtains for the room. Also do not forget about styles. French curtains most of all love classical interiors, English style, Baroque and Modern.

You can see more of the French curtains in the next video.