If you are thinking about fitting new curtains in your home, the chances are that you are a bit overwhelmed by the choices available.  Why not think outside the square a little and use panel curtains?  Here’s what you need to know.

About Panel Curtains

A panel curtain is a curtain that hangs down from the curtain rail like a sheet and that is raised and lowered by folding it up or down.  They have both top and bottom rails in order to ensure that the panel hangs correctly. In fact, the bottom rail is actually somewhat weighted so that the panel stays in place and does not move around.  Panel curtains can be one solid piece of material, or they can have battens installed at regular intervals down the panel.  Fabric options range from semi sheer materials, through to heavy opaque materials that have block out capabilities.

Why Use Panel Curtains?

There are several reasons why panel curtains are an excellent option.  The first is that they provide a unique look to any room. They are elegant and simple, and go with a range of decors from casual, through to beach or modern styles.  They are a great choice if you need to protect your windows but don’t want to use the same types of curtains that everyone else is.  You can also choose from a wide range of colours, from clean whites right through to dark blacks and anywhere in between.

Panel curtains are also surprisingly versatile.  You can use them on any window of course but you can also use them for other purposes, such as hiding storage shelves, or as a room divider.  They are cheap yet effective alternative in these cases.  Panel curtains will fit on any size window that you can think of, from small bathroom windows, through to large glass expanses. In fact, they are absolutely perfect for those large expanses or floor to ceiling windows as you can choose exactly which area you want raised or lowered at any one time.

Panel curtains are also a great choice for people that are looking to cut the transmission of glare and light into a room.  Glare can be quite annoying when it is bouncing off bright surfaces or when you are trying to watch TV but panel curtains can eliminate this problem altogether.  As well, you can choose if you want light streaming into the room or if you want to block the light altogether.  This is excellent in terms of energy efficiency as you can use the curtains to control your natural heating and cooling – lower them to keep the heat in or out, and raise them to let the sun’s heat in.

For more information, see curtains.