Can you see stars during the daytime? One of the most popular modern curtain designs for contemporary homes in Malaysia allows homeowners to “catch a falling star” of light in their hands or on their interior design through clever curtains with star-shaped apertures for sunlight or gentle evening lighting.

Are you a fan of The Great Gatsby? Design maven Wei Ling says that the big statement, art-deco inspired elements of design in the 1920s and 1930s are making a comeback in 2021. Sheers and valances for daytime use will accompany drapes in bold, dark tones to complement the inlaid wood, marble, lacquer, leather, stainless steel, glass and mirrors borrowed from 100 years ago.

And do you love nature? Wei Ling also says that rustic materials such as brick and stone and wooden furniture will be popular as many Malaysians seek to bring the natural world into their homes. Curtains can redirect the eye back to interior décor inspired by the natural world.

In this article, we will discuss the emerging trends in latest curtain designs. We will consider simple curtain designs that are making a comeback and kitchen curtain designs that never really went away. We also will consider curtain design for living room luxury, and we will present modern curtain designs for your home remodeling projects. But let’s start with a little review of the basic elements of modern curtain designs with some notes about curtains in tropical climates.

Choices Homeowners in Malaysia Make to Choose the Perfect Curtains

Curtains and drapes have a tremendous impact on home décor. Curtains and window treatments take up more space than furnishings and artwork, and so they have greater influence on the decorating scheme than furniture and art pieces. The ambiance of the room is captured in its window treatments, whether they are sheer valances or traditional pinch-pleated draperies, with an astonishing range of choices in between.

Redecoration budgets often devote more money to curtains than to new furniture. So, what are the principal considerations in choosing curtains that add beauty to your home while keeping it cool and clean?

Function

The first consideration in choosing the perfect curtains for your home is what you intend for them to do. Sometimes the primary purpose of curtains, drapes, and other window treatments is to block light. When this is the primary goal, homeowners choose fabrics that block the blazing heat of the sun.

Sometimes the primary purpose of curtains is to ensure privacy. In these cases, there may be a trade-off between the gentle breezes admitted by, for example, bamboo fabric, and the failure of the fabric to conceal the outlines of the people in the room at night. For any kind of fabric, there is a decision of whether the curtain needs to move back and forth on a rod or if it should remain stationary to protect the room from Equatorial climate conditions.

Sometimes curtains are purely decorative. Then decisions are on the lines of whether the curtain hangs over the window, is to be drawn back to the side, or hang over the sides of the window frame.

Curtains can be lined or unlined. Lining gives body to the fabric. It protects the curtain fabric from sun damage. But it may interfere with easy ventilation for moist, warm days and nights. Of course, if your choice is sheer or semi-sheer curtains, they should not be lined.

Form

Curtains are a reflection of your personality and your decorating style. Curtains and draperies can complement or capture any kind of home décor and any kind of mood: fun, formal, casual, classic, traditional, upbeat or trendy. There are also hundreds of choices of fabrics, trim, and curtain rods to add nuance and detail that make your selection uniquely your own.

Another important consideration in choosing the form of your curtains is their length. Curtains that end at the window sill are suitable for kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms. Curtains that reach the floor, perhaps with puddling, are more formal, and more appropriate for rooms used to impress and entertain. Floor-length curtains are more common for the living room, dining room, and master bedroom. If you intend for your curtains to open and close, you will need to avoid puddles.

Moving Beyond Function and Form to Style

Once you have made basic decisions about the function of your curtains and their basic form, your next choice is style. We’ll discuss twenty styles of curtains for Malaysian homes. Some of these styles have withstood the test of time, and work well in homes with a historical heritage. Others of these styles are more modern and trendy. We’ll discuss how leading interior decorators have appropriated these styles to common window shapes and locations, and how some styles are more compatible with life in the tropics. Different styles, of course, favour different fabrics. If your choice in window treatments must help control heat and humidity or block out haze, you may want to start with your fabric selection and work back to style.

We have described curtain styles that make it easier to communicate with the person who actually sews them. We have focused on obvious physical characteristics of the different styles so you can be sure you get what you want.

Flat Panel Curtains

Flat panel curtains can be designed as simple, casual panels that extend only down to the window sill. Or they can be designed as semi-formal floor-length draperies. Or they can become thick, elegant draperies that spill onto the floor.

The spacing of the curtain rings controls the mood flat panel curtains give a room. Grommets that are placed close together create a carefully engineered, controlled look. Fewer rings with more space between them makes flat panel curtains look softer. A minimum of rings, spaced even farther apart, gives the fabric a swooping, dramatic look that can accent bold choices in wood, glass, and stainless steel décor.

Overly Long, Puddled Curtains

Puddled curtains hang a bit longer, usually about 2.5 cm longer, than the distance from the curtain rod to the floor. They convey luxury and excess, and they offer added protection from haze and heavy precipitation. Lightweight, slinky fabric gives the room a relaxed feel even when the curtains are drawn. Heavier fabrics denote elegance and security.

Grommet Curtains

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Grommet curtains are flat panel curtains with grommets in the top hem. The grommets make it possible to add a second, sheer layer to filter sunlight, cleanse the air, and allow for later starts in the morning when they are used in the bedroom. Grommet curtains with puddling and printed fabric add to a carefree attitude.

Curtains with Cuffs

Curtains with cuffs can be feminine and pretty. Their tops can be laced with ribbon for a delicate finish. They can be mounted with fringe for a dramatic design. Tied up with scarves at their sides, they can let in just enough sun to make a room cheerful and bright.

Tab Curtains

Tab curtains are mounted on their rod with straps of cloth. They draw the eye upward so unique fabric or curtain design can be fully appreciated. Tab curtains are a good choice when the curtains themselves are a key element of the room’s design. This style also works well with traditional Malaysian designs.

Scalloped Curtains

Scallops are exaggerated droops of fabric dropping down from the curtain rod. This style is compatible with curtains that reach the floor. Deep and dramatic scallops against a background of a sheer fabric are ideal for a room where natural light is necessary, but privacy is, too.

Styling Tape Curtains

This clever design uses cords woven into the fabric to create pleats, folds, and unique gatherings of cloth. Some create tiny pleats of pencil width. Others pinch the fabric into hand-sized bunches. The texture of the curtain changes with the pull of a cord.

Classic Rod and Pocket Curtains

Rod and pocket curtains create a stable design that is easy to sew. They can be adorned with ruffles or given a shorter heading for a more modern look. Either way, they soften the hard lines of smaller windows.

Rod and pocket curtains are a good choice for floral patterns. Also, rod and pocket curtains with headings give a room a more feminine feel. Making the heading extra-long and giving it a point in the centre evokes the feeling of a waterfall. This style is not very appropriate, however, to extreme heat or haze.

Relaxed Rod and Pocket Curtains

Modern relaxed rod and pocket curtains have no ruffling above the curtain rod. They do not have a heading. Their pockets are deep and loose rather than narrow and snug.

Paired with wooden rods, relaxed rod and pocket curtains can give a room a natural vibe. Lined with silk and puddled on the floor, they impart a feeling of casual elegance. Or with sleek, elegant lines and colours to match dark woods and metallic tones in furniture, they convey a sense of contemporary refinement and class.

Stretched Curtains

Stretched curtains are pulled taut over the entire window. They provide privacy and filter sunlight through sheer fabric. Stretched curtains are an excellent solution for French doors and for windows that do not open. Stretched curtains can be added to the lower halves of windows to admit maximum light while maintaining privacy.

Hourglass Curtains

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Graceful hourglass curtains are “pinched at the waist” at the centre of the window. They can be cinched to let in light or relaxed for night-time privacy or protection from air pollution, but they are best suited to windows that are rarely opened.

Tent Flap Curtains

Tent flap curtains open at the side to admit air and light, or they can be let down for privacy and protection. The fabric can be printed with different designs on its two sides so opening the tent flap reveals an interesting contrast in shapes and colours.

Some Unique Considerations for Choosing Curtains in Malaysia

Once you have a clear vision of the style that best suits your decorating scheme, you can then work with the company that will make your curtains to choose the colours, fabrics, and hardware that exactly suit your décor. But there are still a few considerations that are unique to living in Malaysia.

The principles of feng shui apply to curtains. You may want to consult an expert, but the general considerations of feng shui in choosing curtains include:

• Curtains should make the most of greenery. However, the latest design trend in Malaysia, vertical plant walls, may also satisfy this requirement.
• Curtains should frame your view of the natural world around your home, not block it. Letting in natural light is essential for maintaining healthy energetics in your dwelling.
• The colour of curtains affects your mood. Voluminous research from colour psychology confirms this feng shui principle. However, feng shui principles maintain that the colour of curtains also relates to the direction to which the window opens. For instance, green is the colour for the east and red is the colour for the south while earthy tones and yellows are best for passages and hallways. It may be possible to use these colours in curtain accents.
• Curtain materials like rings and rods made from wood impart a natural vibe to your home.
• Cleanliness is next to godliness. It’s important to choose fabrics that can be professionally laundered or dry-cleaned to avoid the accumulation of dirt.

Modern science has confirmed some of the ideas of feng shui as they apply to window treatments of rooms used for computer work. Arranging furniture in a triangular configuration pointing toward curtains or drapes, researchers reported in Health Environments Research and Design Journal, encourages online interaction and sharing of information, while arranging furniture in a straight line “against” the curtains discourages it.

Soft surfaces attract bacteria and fungal spores. Homes of families who have a member with sensitive health issues can consider antibacterial and antifungal fabrics that admit air and light but keep microbes out.

Acacia Fabrics has the latest and most elegant window treatments for every home. Let us help you find the perfect curtains for every room in your home.