How to Choose Living Room Draperies

Choose insulated draperies for efficiency.

If you worry about heat being lost through your living room windows or cold air seeping in during the winter, you’ll want to choose insulated draperies for your home. Lined with a thick fabric designed to block light and insulate your windows against heat loss, or absorption during the summer, these are perfect when you want extra privacy. They are also effective at absorbing sound waves, keeping outside noise out and noise inside the house in. They are available in a variety of materials, including faux leather and faux silk, microfiber, and jacquard, so you can choose the right style for your living room.

Buy draperies made of luxurious fabrics for an elegant look.

When you want your living room to be formal and dramatic, choose silk draperies to dress up your windows. With their beautiful sheen and smooth texture, these will instantly add classic style to your room. If you want more of a rustic elegant look, you can choose textured silk drapes. Silk can be a bit difficult to care for, so you may want to look for fabric that is blended with taffeta or cotton for a more hardy option. Be sure to read our guide on Choosing Curtain Fabrics. 

Pick sheer draperies to soften the look of heavy curtains.

While thick window draperies made of jacquard or velvet may fit the style of your living room, they can look too heavy during the spring and summer months. Lighten up your room by layering sheer draperies behind your colored curtains. On warm days, you may want to draw the heavy drapery panels back and expose only the pretty sheer panels to let light in. If you have a small paned window, consider showing off its unique design by hanging sheer embroidered drapery panels in a cream or taupe color.