4 Reasons to Embrace Seasonal Curtains
Our windows frame the world beyond, and one of the most rewarding things about dressing them is being able to complement those views with beautiful textiles in our curtains and window seat dressings.
Even the most familiar of views is changing all the time. Reflecting the seasons through your choice of curtain fabric is a rite of passage for anyone who finds something to love about each phase – from bare branches to blossom, oceans of colour to cool, crisp sepia.
1. A Quarterly Tradition
Most of us will feel a welcome sense of rejuvenation when we first throw open the windows after a long winter, or step outside without a coat, watch the linens flutter gently under the sun, or see colour bloom again in the garden.
We also know that warming, familiar sense of peace and slowness that comes from the first signs of drying leaves, morning frost, foggy voices, cold snaps, and rainy days.
There are so many small, commonplace traditions that mark the beginning of a new season, and the end of another, and changing the curtains – taking them down, bringing them to the dry cleaners, retrieving last year’s prints and rehanging them in front of a changing view is, for many people, one of them.
2 .A Sense of Renewal
A lot like opening the windows and airing the room – or, for that matter, having the rugs cleaned of dust and crumbs and the fireplace swept, or even just re-plumping the sofa cushions and clearing the coffee table of the clutter of a weekend spent at home – can be enough to change our perspectives, and to introduce a sense of a new chapter beginning within our homes.
These small moments go a long way. They introduce the first whispers of festivities, or the first feeling of warmth creeping back in through the windows.
Replacing a print that has been hanging over the windows for a few months already with something that reflects the world outside is much simpler than changing the wallpaper, the furnishings, or even the rugs. We love to build a room around a statement print, but it needn’t always be the same print.
3. More opportunities to explore print and texture
Practically speaking, embracing the tradition of the seasonal curtain simply offers more scope for experimentation, and finding a home for all the contrasting prints that grab your attention, and spark inspiration within you. There are only so many windows to dress but giving yourself the seasons as an excuse to ring in the changes frees you from the pressures of choosing one style to see you through many years, many changes, and many different moods.
Even the window seat – one of most coveted retreats in the home – will see a change of use throughout the year. While, in the summer, it represents the ideal place to sit with the window wide open – not quite all the way indoors, not quite all the way outdoors – the winter makes it the perfect spot to sit with a hot drink and a book, provided you bring a warm blanket and a thick pair of socks.
The solution? Explore these changing moods and uses through colour and print. You can start the wheels turning by taking a look at our full fabric collection.
4. A seasonal clean will keep them beautiful for longer
It may not be obvious just looking at them, but curtains are quite adept at trapping dust and odours within their tightly woven fibres. But, since they can stay looking good for long stretches of time, sending them off for a dry clean rarely sits high on the list of priorities.
Embracing the seasonal curtain and having that readymade excuse to bring them down every season or two and send them off for a refresh. It will help to bring about a sense of renewal throughout the entire room and keep your fabric as close to its original condition as possible, for much longer. This is also a great trick for households who are a little more vulnerable to mild allergens, and also an invaluable practice for older homes that are a little more prone to damp and mould around the windows.
Choosing curtains to match the seasons may not be one of the most obvious tricks of home decorating, but, even so, it is one of the best ways to let your creativity rein over a room, to bring about a sense of renewal throughout the rooms of your home, and to hit refresh just as the world beyond your windows is doing the same. Beyond that, it gives you more freedom to explore the wonderful world of textile, and to embrace all sides of your personality without limiting yourself to one, perennial look.
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