How to Select the Most Suitable Curtains for Your Dream Home In Bangkok, Thailand
Curtains Purpose and Style: Curtains make a significant difference to the overall appearance of your room. They can be used to balance the colors in interior design, create a homely atmosphere, and send out colorful energy to transform a bland, boring space into a vibrant home of your dreams. In Bangkok Thailand, curtains are mainly used as decorative pieces as well as serve as a function to protect residents from heat, sun glare, and UV radiation. In addition, curtains are employed for creating privacy by preventing strangers and outside onlookers from peering into the house.
Picking Out the Best Curtains for Your Dream Home: There are several elements to selecting the right curtains for your perfect window dressing purposes. These factors include the type of curtain fabric, color, design, and the type of window dressing that best fit the interior design concept of your home. Some colors and designs are selected for being easy on the eye, while others are preferred for their energy and color vibes. Some designs offer an elegant feel (damask prints), while others help create a beautiful natural environment in the room (floral designs).
Colors of Curtains Influence Tone and Mood: There is no doubt that the colors of the curtain fabrics used in home decor play a major role in dictating the mood and ambience of the room. Vibrant, invigorating colors such as red, yellow, and orange are able to inject energy and livelihood into a room. They are often used to stimulate creativity and energy. These colors are more suitable in rooms used for holding fun activities and games in the house, such as living rooms and playrooms. The colors pink, purple, and magenta colors are universally used for creating a feminine, romantic atmosphere.
Cool and Contemporary Color Curtains: Green, sky blue, and navy blue and other “cool” colors are most frequently used for bedrooms and other locations that serve as places of rest and relaxation. These colors are refreshing and rejuvenating, and so are commonly used to help restore and revitalize energy at home. In many modern Thai homes, light colored curtains are increasingly becoming more popular, as they fit the concept of contemporary design. In addition, light colors such as cream and off-white tones help create an airy atmosphere and give the illusion of having more space inside the house.
#1 Best Curtains Seller in Thailand: In Bangkok and many other provinces in the kingdom, the curtains that are most popular are eyelet curtains or “grommet curtains”. These curtains are well-renowned for their modern, simplistic style. They are relatively easy to use as they do not require curtain rods or strings to operate, and they offer an additional selection of eyelet rings to complement the fabric. The color of the rings and the fabrics can be used to contrast or complement each other, creating a juxtaposition of style and liveliness.
UV-Protective Curtain Fabrics: Thailand is a country located in the tropical zone, and so has a relatively hot and humid climate throughout the year. The type of curtain fabric most often used is UV-protective fabrics. These particular kinds of fabrics are woven with high density black yarn to block out the UV radiation from the sun. They are superior to typical curtain fabrics in terms of ability to block out the heat, the radiation, and the sunlight.
UV-Protective Curtains Popularity in Thailand: In Bangkok and in many other regions, the weather is hot throughout the day and the night. UV blocking curtain fabrics are not only useful for protecting against radiation, but they are also useful in maintaining the cool temperature inside the house, making them an Eco-friendly version of standard curtains. The high density black yarn woven into the fabric helps to insulate the room and prevent cool air from the AC from evaporating outdoors.
Types of UV-Protective Curtain Fabrics: There are several varieties of UV-blocking curtain fabrics sold in Bangkok. Some of them are design printed, many of them have designs woven into the fabric, while others have a simple, plain appearance. The curtain fabric designs include contemporary geometric shapes, floral prints, damask forms, stripes, wave patterns, and many more stylish designs.
Picking Out the Best Curtains Style: Choosing the style of curtain headings is also important in terms of concept and should reflect the function or purpose for the curtains. Some curtains are used to block out sunlight during the hot afternoons, while some are used to compartmentalize rooms into different sections or zones. The curtain functions play a role in determining which type of curtain headings are optimal for achieving our target. For example, if the purpose is to completely block out sunlight from entering the room, then pinch pleated curtains may be the superior option to eyelet curtains.
Choose the Most Fashionable Curtain Poles: In contrast to the European preference for round shape curtain finials, in Thailand, the spiky Thai style finials are the number one favorite. This may be due to the fact that this particular shape resembles Buddhism and Thai high-society. Buddhist monasteries and Siam ancient palaces often use spike shapes in their architecture, and so this carries on to modern day interior design. The curtain poles may have a contrasting color to the curtains, or they can have matching colors. Both concepts can work seamlessly as long as they fit the overall tone and mood of the room atmosphere. In many cases, the eyelet rings are used as the contrast to the curtains and to the curtain poles.
Add Layering to the Curtains: One common way of adding a softer touch to window dressing is to opt for an additional layer of curtain sheers or laces behind the drape fabrics. Curtain sheers and laces help provide a graceful, delicate feel to the room and helps bring out a homely atmosphere that make houses look more cozy and comfortable. In addition, these sheers are also useful for creating privacy and light control when the drapes are opened during the day time when letting sunlight in.
Off-White Color Sheers are Most Common in Thailand: Sheers come in many styles and fashionable designs, some are famous for the country look while others are more suitable for a luxurious feel. The off-white sheers interwoven with silver and gold threads are especially popular in Thailand, as their appearance exudes elegance and makes window-dressing look classy. Gold and silver colors are considered as lucky according to Thai folklore and are therefore favorably perceived in the kingdom.
The Popularity of Floral Design Curtains: One of the most popular designs in Thailand are the floral prints and these include the UV-protective and non UV-protective varieties. These floral prints help to exude personality and are a favorite for nature lovers and those who enjoy a naturalistic, flower garden ambience.
Choose Pleated Curtains for the Elegant Touch: In Thailand, the second most popular curtain headings are pleated curtains, right behind eyelet curtains. Pinch pleated curtains are popular for their elegant look, and they also block out sunlight better than eyelet curtains because they do not have an gaps in the fabric for sunlight to pour through. With eyelet designs, sunlight is able to shine through rings in the curtains. Nevertheless, not everyone wants their rooms to be completely dark. Many do want a moderate amount of sunlight to enter their homes during the afternoon and evening times.
Roman Curtains Use and Benefits: A common curtain style that is used for dressing up small windows is Roman curtains. These “Roman blinds” are flat and so take up less space than the other curtain styles. They are popular in minimalistic interior design concepts, as they free up space and can be pulled up and cleared from using up space near the windows. Roman blinds have a disadvantage in terms of its curtain rod strength. The rods are not as strong as typical curtain rails and poles, and so it would be advisable to only use them for curtains with small widths. The heights can go up to 2 or 3 meters, but the width of the curtains should not exceed 1.30 meters maximum.
Most Popular Curtain Fabric Color in Thailand: The color gray is the number one best selling color for curtain fabrics in the Siam kingdom. This may be due to the “Modern Concept Design” that is a big hit with the local interior designers in the country. Gray is a safe, post-modern color that resembles security, elegance, and luxury. Another advantage in using gray curtains is that it can be mixed and matched with many combinations of furniture colors. Gray can be used with cream, white, off-white, blue, green, and even vibrant colors like red and pink!
Different Varieties of “Blackout Curtains”: Typical UV-protective curtain fabrics sold in Bangkok are mainly used for air insulation and keeping out the heat and radiation from the sun. Their function is not to completely block out the sunlight. For those who wish to use a 100% blackout option to block out the sunlight and UV radiation completely, there are curtain fabrics designed especially for those purposes available. In Thailand, the options of blackout curtains including buying ready made curtains with silicone lining. These curtains are a bit stiff but they get the job done. They completely block out sunlight and are useful for keeping homes dark and cool.
Advantage of Using 100% Fabric Blackout Curtains: The silicone lining options have a disadvantage in that the silicone may crack and fall off in bits and pieces, and the sunlight may be able to enter through the cracks and holes where the lining falls off. A better option would be to purchase 100% blackout curtain fabrics that are entirely composed of fabric yarn. The yarn does not fall off so do not get ruined easily, and the curtains stay strong and fully protective for the long term.
Silver Backing/Lining Blackout Curtains: Another popular option in Thailand to create Do-It-Yourself 100% blackout curtains is to add blackout silver backing to the original curtain fabric. This is another highly useful way to completely block out the sunlight and ensure that the room is completely dark during the day time.
Curtains Cushions Contrast: A prevalent concept in interior design to stimulate vibrant energy in the room is to use contrasting colors. A commonly recognized technique is to combine the use of colors of cushion pillows and curtain fabrics. Pillows are usually the bright colors that contrast with the softer, soothing tones of the curtains. This yin and yang contrast helps to create a balance between the soft graceful atmosphere with the flamboyant, dashing colors. This balance makes the room look more interesting and lively.
Integration of Curtain and Sofa Selections: Many homeowners choose to use similar color palette for sofas and curtains in order to create matching vibes from the two most stylish pieces of furniture in the house. To make life easier and home decor more cohesive, there are several selections of thick curtain fabrics that are able to be used to make sofas as well. In Thailand, burlap fabrics of the ultra-thick variety are often used to make both curtains and sofas.
Ready Made or Custom Made Curtains: One has the option to buy ready made curtains or to order custom tailored curtains. Getting curtains made in Bangkok is actually a common option in Thailand as many homes have large windows that come in non-standard sizes. Moreover, the advantage of buying curtains in Bangkok are that tailoring services in Thailand are relatively lower priced than other countries. Custom tailored curtains fit windows better, and they also provide a fuller look and feel to the window dressing style than typical ready-made curtains.
Fabrics Center of Thailand: In the kingdom of Thailand, the market for selling and buying curtains is in Phahurat, Bangkok. Phahurat is considered as the “Best Fabric Market in Bangkok”, and so offers a wide selection of fabrics from clothing fabrics right up to home decor textiles. When visiting Bangkok, please don’t forget to visit Phahurat simply to see all the kinds of fabrics on offer. The market offers one of the most varieties of fabrics and textiles in the world, with fabric materials coming from factories within the country and imported from other countries.
Photo Credit: Fabric Plus Co Ltd & Pinterest