Velvet Curtains

Velvet falls in deep, rounded folds that stay put. The pile gives the fabric body, so the folds run straight from the heading to the floor. Modern curtain velvets are mostly polyester or cotton blends that resist crushing. Because velvet is heavy, the track or rod needs solid fixing and the heading needs to hold the weight.

Velvet on its own blocks a lot of light because the pile is dense. With a blockout lining it makes a bedroom properly dark, and the lining protects the pile from sun fading. The same density helps with sound: a heavy lined velvet softens echo in a room with hard floors and absorbs some noise through the glass. It will not silence a busy road, but the room sounds quieter.

Blockout curtains

Velvet is where deep colour works best. Forest green, navy, rust, charcoal and burgundy all show the shift in tone across the pile that makes velvet worth choosing. Soft neutrals give the same depth in a lighter room. Velvet changes with the light and the direction of the pile, so order free samples and look at them morning and evening.

Order free fabric samples

Pinch pleat is the classic heading for velvet. A triple pinch pleat uses the weight of the fabric to hold crisp pleats and gives the formal look velvet is usually chosen for. S-fold is the modern alternative: on a slim track the velvet makes deep, even waves and the track can take a motor.

Pinch pleat curtains

Vacuum the pile now and then with a soft brush head, working in the direction of the pile. Spot clean marks with a damp cloth without rubbing. Most velvets, and all lined curtains, are dry clean only. Creases from packing drop out once the curtain has hung.

In a bedroom, a blockout lined velvet gives darkness, warmth and quiet in one curtain. In a living or dining room, velvet makes a large window feel dressed and brings colour into a neutral room. On a double track, a sheer in front keeps daytime light.

All curtain styles