If you are in the market for a new set of curtains, the variety available can bring a smile to your face. Mass-produced curtains have seriously upped the ante and now offer an amazing choice of colours, shades, textures, and materials. When you add that to their traditional strengths of low cost and convenience, the debate over ready-made vs. made-to-measure curtains seems like a non-starter. However, it hasn’t quite panned out like that as drapery and curtains are growing as fast, if not faster, as their ready-made counterparts in terms of sales and popularity. So why is that the case? Here we look at five reasons why made-to-measure curtains are here to stay and why they are an apt choice for your home.
Advantages of Bespoke Curtains
1) More VFM in the long-term
Like anything that is handmade, bespoke curtains too cost on the higher side. Also contributing to the higher cost is the fabric. Since no two orders for bespoke curtains are the same, the amount and type of fabric required for each tend to vary as well. So the end product uses smaller amounts of different fabrics, which pushes up the final cost. On the upside, the higher price also buys you the kind of craftsmanship, quality, longevity and satisfaction that no ready-made curtain can match. In the long term, bespoke curtains clearly offer more value for money than ready-made ones.
2) Specialised curtain headings
A heading refers to the manner in which a curtain is hung from the rod. There are various styles of headings available and each is unique when it comes to style and function. Some of the most popular types of headings include double pinch pleats, eyelets, triple pinch pleats, pencil pleats, tab top, wave etc. When you go the bespoke way, you can choose any heading you like for your window curtains. This is unlike ready-made curtains where certain types of pleated headings are not available because of their more complex design that is unsuitable for mass production. Moreover, a custom-made heading is symbolic of the degree of thought you’ve put into your overall home décor and is sure to be appreciated by one and all.
3) Personalised home interior
The essence of personalisation is nuance. For instance, traditional interior home décor is known for its intricate details like heavier curtain fabrics, pleated headings and evergreen fabric designs like damask and floral. Luxury Curtains allow you to personalise every aspect of the fabric design, which is an impossibility with ready-made curtains.
Because of this nature, made-to-measure curtains are not bound by any style considerations. Consider modern interior home décor for example, where less is more and the emphasis is on understated elegance. By going bespoke, you can choose fabrics across a variety of silhouettes and colour palettes and have them stitched with the utmost care for a truly wonderful and modern interior décor.
The flexibility that bespoke curtains offer, as such, is unrivalled.
4) Better functionality
When it comes to the curtain’s functions, we all have our own needs. Some might want the curtains to block out light completely or partially? Might others need them to make the home equally comfortable during winter as well as summer? It’s the lining of your curtain that determines these functions. The usual lining varieties include standard, interlining, blackout, acoustic and thermal.
While ready-made curtains do offer these lining options, it’s not always easy to find a set that offers the fabric style you like and the lining type you need together. More often than not, one has to either trade in functionality for fabric style or vice versa. You can say goodbye to these compromises with bespoke curtains.
5) Accessories
Handmade curtains are also compatible with a greater variety of accessories than ready-made curtains. If you want to include accessories like curtain valance, curtain pelmet or curtain swags, they go best with made-to-measure curtains whose quality has an enhancing effect on the rest of the soft furnishings you’ve chosen for your window décor.
Of late, more and more people are going for bespoke curtains. It also helps that these curtains are available at every price point, much like their ready-made brethren. Once you’ve zeroed in on your budget, needs and preferences, you can clad your windows in curtains that reflect your individuality in the most stylish manner. Whether you go for bespoke luxury curtains or cheap made-to-measure curtains, the control that you have over the eventual outcome is perhaps the biggest benefit of handmade curtains.
