Voile Curtains
Voile curtains are some of the nicest window curtains you can hang in your home, as they provide the lightest covering possible. Their main quality is that they are translucent, just opaque enough to give you some privacy during the day time, while letting in plenty of light to prevent your room becoming gloomy. They are useful for filtering out some sunlight, however on the sunniest side of your home during the summer. It is as if the sun shines through a slight light filter to give you some respite.
The word “voile” comes from the French words for veil and covering and just as a bride might wear a veil to signal elegance, beauty and grace as well as purity, voile net curtains can be used to imply those characteristics. They are generally used to give a romantic or intimate feeling to a room, at least that is the case with white voile curtains.
Colors
Although you might think of a veil as being always white or cream, voile curtain panels are sold in all colors of the rainbow.
The brighter shades such as hot pink, orange and purple voile curtains are ideal in rooms with a far eastern style especially from those cultures such as those of India where jewel-like colors are favored. The pastel shades and ice cream colors are great in the nursery. Try voile sheers with matching blue or pink gingham curtains.
Fabric
Plain cotton voile curtains are the most common style of voile panel, although your may find the most exquisite silk and embroidered voile curtains for sale too. Of course, you will have to pay more for a silk voile curtain panel and unfortunately, you will also find that fine silk curtains are easily damaged and subject to shredding over the years when exposed to strong sunlight, so you cannot expect them to last long.
Voile Curtain Headings
There is not such a variety of headings available for voile panels as you might find with normal curtain panels. You will find that they may be hung as usual from a rod using hooks however or have a casement heading through which you thread the rod. This gives voiles curtains a wonderful fullness which suits their character. However, in a more contemporary environment, these curtains also work well with tab tops, and delicate tie tops are fine for a romantic room. Although pencil pleats, pinch pleats or goblet headings also create a full gathered effect, you cannot use them with sheer voile curtains as the fabric is too flimsy to hold the design.
Voile Curtain Styles
Voile curtains are usually used as a layer under heavier curtains especially in winter so that the room is warm and remains private when illuminated in the evening. They may also be used alone however if the room is neither overlooked nor cold.
Although the gathered style is usually used with voile curtains, you may also find voile panel curtains where the fabric is used in a single or double layer and attached to wooden battens at the top and bottom of the window to create a smooth paneled look or where it is gathered top and bottom onto wires across a window or the glass in a door. Some curtains are gathered to one side in an asymmetric way and some in the center using a ribbon or tie back. Voile lends itself so well to styling as it is light to work with. You may also find a voile curtain used as a scarf valance across the top of a window. You simply drape the curtain artistically over a drapery rod fixed there for the purpose.
Voile is generally a smooth fabric however you can also buy crushed or crinkle voile curtains which have a beautiful textured effect. This is particularly effective with solid colored and non-embellished curtains which might otherwise appear a bit flat.
Although in most cases voile is used for its translucent qualities you may also find lined voile curtains. In this case the lining shines through the voile and can give a beautiful two tone effect and a more solid substantial feel to the curtains.
Layered voile curtains are another way to make voile drapes less translucent, this time while still keeping the floaty quality of the fabric intact. Simply hang several different voile curtains from multiple rods or wires one alongside the other using complementary curtain colors and styles. This is feasible because of the lack of bulkiness in voile and the thinness of rods or wires which can be used for hanging the curtains.
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Tagged With cotton voile curtains, crinkle voile curtains, lined voile curtains, sheer voile curtains, voile curtain, voile curtain panels, voile curtains, voile net curtains, voile panel, voile panel curtains, voile panels, voile sheers, voiles curtains
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