Choosing curtains involves more decisions than most people expect. Heading style, lining, fabric weight, track or pole, and how far the curtains should fall all change the look, the cost and how well the curtains work. Get those choices right and a room feels finished, warm and quiet. Get them wrong and you end up with curtains that let in light, sag on the pole, or never quite close properly.
This guide is for Edinburgh homeowners deciding what curtains to order, whether for a period tenement, a Georgian townhouse or a new-build flat. It walks through each decision in the order we make it with customers, so you know what to think about before you book a home visit. It does not cover prices, because every curtain is quoted after we measure the windows.
The quick version: how to choose curtains
To choose curtains for a room, work through five decisions in this order:
- Heading style sets the look. Pencil pleat is the traditional, versatile choice; eyelet is casual and modern; pinch pleat and wave are the smartest, most tailored options.
- Lining sets how the curtains perform. Blackout and thermal linings cut light and reduce heat loss; a standard cotton lining protects the fabric and improves the drape.
- Fabric sets the feel. Heavier fabrics hang better and insulate more; lighter fabrics suit smaller windows and softer looks.
- Track or pole depends on the window and the style. Poles suit eyelet and pencil pleat; discreet tracks suit bay windows and wave headings.
- Length and fullness finish the job. Curtains should be generously gathered, and the drop should suit the window and the room.
The rest of this guide explains each decision in turn.
Step 1: Choose your heading style
The heading is the way the top of the curtain is gathered, and it is the first thing anyone notices. It affects the fullness, the drape and how formal the curtains look.
| Heading style | Look | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Pencil pleat | Traditional, tight gathers | Almost any room; works on a track or a pole |
| Eyelet | Casual, even folds, modern | Living rooms and bedrooms with a pole |
| Pinch pleat (French pleat) | Tailored, structured, formal | Period rooms, bay windows, statement windows |
| Wave | Clean, soft S-shaped folds | Modern flats, tracks, floor-to-ceiling windows |
Pencil pleat is the most flexible and the most common. Wave and pinch pleat use more fabric and more hand finishing, so they sit at the higher end, but they give the neatest, most tailored result. If you are unsure, we bring header samples to your home so you can see the difference in your own room.
Step 2: Choose your lining
Lining is where curtains earn their keep. An unlined curtain is light and sheer; a lined curtain hangs better, lasts longer and controls light and heat far more effectively.
- Standard cotton lining improves the drape, protects the face fabric from sunlight, and adds a little insulation. It is the sensible default for most rooms.
- Blackout lining blocks the vast majority of daylight. Paired with a generous width and a good overlap in the middle, blackout-lined curtains are one of the most effective ways to darken a bedroom.
- Thermal lining adds an insulating layer that reduces heat loss through the window in winter, which matters in Edinburgh’s older, single-glazed and sash-windowed properties.
- Interlining is a soft layer sewn between the face fabric and the lining. It gives curtains a luxurious, heavyweight drape and strong insulation, and it is popular in period rooms with high ceilings.
For bedrooms, we usually recommend a blackout or thermal lining. For living rooms, a standard or thermal lining with an interlining on a statement window gives the richest result.
Step 3: Pick a fabric that suits the room
Fabric changes both the look and the performance of a curtain. A few principles help:
- Weight matters. Heavier fabrics hang in deeper, more even folds and insulate better. Lightweight fabrics suit smaller windows and a softer, more informal look.
- Pattern needs space. Large patterns look best on wide windows where the full repeat is visible. On a narrow window, a large pattern gets lost in the gathers.
- Light affects colour. North-facing Edinburgh rooms can make cool colours feel colder. We bring fabric samples to your home so you can see them in your own light before you commit.
We make every curtain from fabrics supplied by Louvolite and other trade suppliers, so there are hundreds of colours, weights and finishes to choose from.
Step 4: Measure up (track, pole and drop)
Measuring is the step most people get wrong when they try to buy curtains online, and it is the step that decides whether curtains look tailored or homemade.
- Track or pole. A pole is a feature in its own right and suits eyelet and pencil pleat headings. A track is more discreet, bends around bay windows, and is the usual choice for wave and pinch pleat headings.
- Width and fullness. Curtains should be much wider than the window so they gather properly. As a rule, the total flat width of the fabric, before it is gathered, should be around two to two-and-a-half times the track or pole width, depending on the heading.
- Drop. Curtains can finish at the sill, just below the sill, or at the floor. Floor-length curtains suit living rooms and formal rooms; sill-length suits kitchens and windows above radiators or worktops.
Because we measure every window in person and manufacture to those exact dimensions in our family-run workshop in Leith, you are not relying on your own measurements or a standard size that almost fits.
Curtains for Edinburgh homes
Edinburgh’s housing stock asks more of curtains than a modern box room does. The choices that work here are shaped by the buildings.
- Tenement and period flats. Tall sash windows, deep bays and high ceilings suit full-length, generously lined curtains that make the most of the proportions. We have dressed these windows across the city for over 50 years, in neighbourhoods like Morningside, Bruntsfield and Stockbridge.
- Bay windows. Bays need a curved track and careful measuring so the curtains draw cleanly around the return. This is difficult to get right from an online order and straightforward when it is measured in person.
- New-build and modern flats. Floor-to-ceiling windows suit wave headings on a discreet track. We recently made floor-to-ceiling curtains for a flat at Western Harbour in Leith, where the clean wave drape suited the modern glass.
Curtains or blinds?
You do not always have to choose. Many Edinburgh homes use both: a blind for daytime light control and privacy, and curtains for warmth, softness and a finished look at night. If you are weighing the two, we have compared blinds and curtains in more detail, including cost, insulation and which suits each room. For the curtains themselves, our made-to-measure curtains are handmade in Leith, and our roman blinds and roller blinds pair well with them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best curtain heading for a bay window?
Pinch pleat or wave headings work best on bay windows because they draw neatly and hold their shape around the curve. Both need a curved track rather than a pole. We measure and shape the track to the exact angle of your bay so the curtains close cleanly.
Do I need blackout curtains or thermal curtains?
Blackout lining blocks light for better sleep, while thermal lining reduces heat loss in winter. Many customers want both, and a good blackout lining already adds useful insulation. For an Edinburgh bedroom with a north-facing or single-glazed window, a combined approach gives the best result.
How much fabric do curtains need?
The flat width of the fabric should be roughly two to two-and-a-half times the width of the track or pole, before the curtain is gathered, depending on the heading style. That fullness is what makes curtains look tailored rather than flat. We calculate the exact fabric quantity when we measure, so nothing is guessed.
Are made-to-measure curtains better than ready-made?
Made-to-measure curtains are cut to your exact window size, lined to your needs and finished by hand, so they hang correctly and close fully. Ready-made curtains come in fixed sizes that rarely match a period window, and they often use lighter linings. For non-standard Edinburgh windows, made-to-measure is usually the best way to get a proper fit.
Can you fit curtains and a blind on the same window?
Yes. Layering a blind with curtains is common and practical: the blind handles daytime privacy and light, and the curtains add warmth and a soft finish. We fit both, and we can advise on the order of installation so the two work together.
Ready to choose your curtains?
The easiest way to decide is to see the options in your own room. Get in touch for a free home visit and we will bring heading, lining and fabric samples, measure your windows, and give you honest advice with no pressure to buy. Everything is handmade in our Leith workshop and fitted by our own team, with a 3-year guarantee on every product.