When choosing curtains for your living room, there is a thought process that is essential before heading to the market. Keeping these basics in mind will ensure that you get a great looking living room without breaking the bank.

basic color scheme

Consider the basic color scheme of your living room before everything else.

Do you have sober or striking colors?

Does your living room have shades from a single color family, or do you prefer contrasts in each element that you place?

In the case of a single color family, you’d be wise to have your window shades reflect the same standard as well. Consequently, you could opt for a different shade of green, blue, or whatever color you used for the rest of the decor.

Contrasting colors are a different ball game. Keep in mind that contrasting colors look better in larger rooms, as they tend to make the room appear smaller than it really is.

Going for combinations like black and white, green and yellow, off-white and grey, etc., will give a very different and vibrant life to your room setup.

Fabric

The fabric available for window decoration in the case of living rooms comes in a wide variety of upholstery, colors and patterns. You can be well excused for getting confused when it comes to choosing the right fabric for your living room curtains.

Naturally, there’s also a huge variation in cost, depending on where your choice falls on the spectrum.

In general, the fabric of your drapes should match that of the other upholstery in the room.

You can choose rich fabrics like velvet and silk, or blended fabrics that are rich and elegant.

In case you want a more serious vibe, cotton drapery and drapery fabrics come in a wide variety of colors and patterns.

My personal favorite is the middle option offered by silk sari drapes. These are silk drapes that were basically designed as Sarees, the traditional six-yard dress of Indian women. These traditional fabrics have been beautifully modified to fit as excellent silk curtains and drapes. They offer the best of both worlds: the elegance and richness of silk at prices that don’t come close to the ultimate cost of silk upholstery.

Design

As a general rule, your curtains should complement your furniture. In the case of simple furniture, you can opt for patterned curtains. The print size can be large if you want to make a bold style statement. You can even go for contrasting prints of bold colours, such as flower ones etc. to brighten up the room.

If subtle elegance is your style, opt for smaller prints that blend with the fabric. By small I mean a couple of inches in size on the outside. You could even go for designs that are woven into the fabric as opposed to plain printing, as these have a longer life.

Enjoy the decoration of your living room!