Styling curtains for an open floor plan

Although not as exciting as choosing styles and colours, the practicality of your window coverings changes depending on the daily use of the space. For example, windows in kitchen areas are usually better with blinds that can withstand the heat and moisture that comes from cooking.

Is your open floor layout one big rectangle or are there more distinguishable ‘zones’? If the room is already visually broken up into different areas, it can be nice to vary the curtains throughout. You can still do this if the room is one big rectangle, but you’ll need to be careful to still coordinate the look and make sure it’s not too jarring.

If you have a specific area of the room you want to highlight, you can use much bolder curtains in that area to draw attention to it. For example, if you want to highlight the big windows at the end of a room or the beautiful built-in fireplace, choose a strong colour or pattern for the surrounding curtains and then a more neutral option for the rest of the room.

One approach is to use room dividers or shutters to break up a large room into what feels like smaller rooms. This is especially useful if multiple people will be using the space for different things simultaneously. Create a study nook or office space in a corner, a cosy reading area, a kid’s play space, or separate the kitchen and dining area from the living room.

If the style of the room is consistent throughout, it only makes sense that your curtains are as well. If you’re not sure about going with exactly the same curtains throughout, you can choose different shades of the same colour, a solid colour and a pattern that complement each other or two different patterns in the same colour palette. Just make sure the variations you choose complement each other well.

Large open areas are more difficult to keep at a specific temperature than smaller areas, so when it comes to an open floor plan, choose curtains that will help with insulating the room, especially if you have large windows. Thermal lined curtains will help keep the warm air inside through the winter and also keep the harsh glare of the sun (and its heat) out in the summer, making for a more comfortable space year-round. It also pays to have a heat pump professionally installed as they’ll be able to advise on proper placement for the most effective results.

Now that you’ve thought about some practical issues, here are a few ideas to inspire your new curtains.