Susan Elijas shows how to cosy up with radically revamped curtains that’ll keep heat in, chill out – and add a dramatic dash of style to any room
Susan Elijas shows how to cosy up with radically revamped curtains that’ll keep heat in, chill out – and add a dramatic dash of style to any room
Sewing Susan Elijas
Photography Amanda Reelick
With winter rapidly approaching, making sure your curtains are well insulated is one simple way of keeping your home snug – and saving money on heating. Minimise potential heat lost through windows by adding a thermal backed lining to your curtain – or update your existing curtain by sewing a completely new piece of fabric to the front and treating the original curtain as the liner. Either way, the more layers the better.
Frankly, three quarter curtains never look good and the longer the curtain, the better it’ll keep in the heat. The existing curtains in this room were woefully short and pitifully thin, so I turned the existing curtain into the lining by adding a layer of fabric. Check out fabric outlets and emporiums for material that won’t cost the earth. As a general rule, the heavier the fabric weight or the denser the weave, the more thermal the curtains will be. And the more effectively they’ll block out light – an extra bonus in bedrooms. Turn up the visual heat in your room with clever use of warm colours – reds and browns add instant warmth, especially when combined with rich textures and luxurious fabrics.
The fabric I chose was a bargain-priced remnant from a curtain shop. It wasn’t quite long enough to drop to the floor, so I turned this into a feature by adding another contrasting remnant as a border.
Add extra hooks to support the additional curtain weight and hang your curtains as close to the window as possible to help prevent warm air from escaping.
Say goodbye to winter draughts, snuggle up, and enjoy!
