European Contemporary Curtain Designs 2024
July 12, 2024
by Erin Kong
I don’t think people realise how important the choice of curtains within a space is. As someone who is constantly updated about the latest trends and looks in the interior scene, I’ve gotten my fair share of looking at homes and how curtains can transform or add to a space.
More often than not, we tend to opt for simple, “no-brainer” designs like stark white or off-white curtains that are cheap because it is simply easier. One would think, “they’re just curtains…” am I right? While I too, like clean and timeless designs, I will say that there are more ways on how you can level-up your space with options other than what you usually go for. Living in Europe the past 2 years as an architecture student, I have also been able to pick up on some interesting curtain trends that I thought would be helpful if you’re looking for contemporary, but non-boring elements to add to your space. So, let’s get into it.
Understanding the trends.
Today more than ever, people have been experimenting with personal expression and personalization within their own rooms, and curtains are no exception. I have been picking up on more articles and videos about my favourite interior designers and recent home projects to know that today, with the trend of thrift and vintage furniture, or some would call retro-styled furniture, people are opting their usual white curtains for something of a more bold, and rich hue, and even bold patterns… which I LOVE.
But let’s start slow here with a curtain design that could never go wrong, the minimalist and clean look. With this, the trick is to select the right fabric, and a texture that would instantly transform the curtains from looking cheap, to something more expensive and high-quality.
Sheer Wonders / Collection
1. For the minimalists - clean and elegant softness.
Linen is a fan favourite and my personal favourite in spaces to achieve a more light, airy and relaxed atmosphere while being able to maintain a touch of sophistication. My suggestion is instead of something with too smooth of a texture, opt for linen or more natural material compositions that not only are able to filter some light through but adds a touch of depth, warmth and character to the room. With its lightweight and breathable qualities, linen and natural compositions in soft, more muted tones can create a more calm and relaxed environment.
Pure Linen / Collection
If you want to take it to the next level, experiment with light touches of colour and subtle patterns that are of the same tone and hue as it would also add a layer of complexity whilst achieving that minimalist, contemporary look. For a room with neutral tones and organic textures, the curtains would be a great backdrop to the room and subtly add a touch of softness and cozy sophistication to the space.
Zeal / Collection
With the trend of minimalist homes, the trick is to also add a touch of quirkiness by accessorising. With natural wood and stone textures in the space, accentuated by soft, draped curtains, you can spice up the room with some fun pillows, plants and carpets that would add elements of interest within the space, without the need of committing to more permanent solutions such as wallpapers.
2. Bold and Vibrant Quirkiness
Now, let’s jump to the contrasting, and what many would find intimidating, COLOURS. This is THE trend that is totally the “new now” today, and you should be doing it, because I too, personally love it. However, I understand the intimidation and how going bold might be scary, especially if you are unsure about what palette or what colours to pick. Well, there are a few ways of doing this, and I’ll guide you through how I see this trend being executed today, to achieve a fun, interesting pop whilst still being timeless.
Raider / Collection
Now, let’s start with a bold room. Coloured walls, textures and with this, an added layer of colour only makes sense, right? While it might sound like it could be “too much”, the trick is maintaining the same theme and colours within the room, with complementary hues or shades of the same colour, then dispersing it throughout your room to create a visually, balanced and comfortable composition.
While I would recommend more rough and textured fabrics for the minimalist and neutral look, for this bold approach, feel free to experiment on different textures and fabric materials that would best suit your space. Have fun with it! For example, this shiny-smooth curtain choice would compliment this room by offsetting the rougher surfaces found on the other furniture and textures in the space, giving the room a little bit of visual breather even though it is of the shade of a bold pine green.
Billlion / Collection
On the contrary, if you have lighter shades of paints on your walls such as creams, greys or white tones, a pop of colour achieved with curtains could be an element of feature within the room. The trick to this is identifying and setting a tone for your space. If you are going for a more cool-toned space, go with cool toned colours and vice versa, if you have a warmer room, go with warmer shades of colours.
Twirler / Collection
If you still want pops of colour without it being too overly bold, coloured sheers work too. Here, complementary colours would be a good tip for this. In a space of soft brown wooden furnishing, blue tones would work best because brown and blue are on opposite ends of the colour wheel, hence, visually, they tend to compliment each other very well. Imagine this space with stark white sheers instead of this shade of soft blue, isn’t this a much more fun approach whilst still maintaining the sophistication and contemporary feel of the space? You can be the judge of that ;)
3. Prints and patterns are back - actually, they never left.
Incorporating curtains with patterns or prints brings a harmony of comfort and chic to a space, one that gently compliments, and not overdone.
Marmont /Collection
Prints like these such as the peppering of blue on an off-white fabric brings an element of interest to the room, without overpowering it. Accompanied by solid tones in the furnishings and walls, the curtains add a soft rustic touch yet as a whole, still achieves a contemporary overall look to the room.
Personally, some of my favourite room designs and compositions always have a moment of unexpected touch, in many cases today, printed curtains add an extra layer of sophistication to any room. Whether it is an eclectic interior design with vintage rugs and furnishings to modern minimalistic interiors as shown in the attached image, prints most definitely work. Often, you might think they don’t really match a space, but with the right choices, or unexpected choice, it works unexpectedly… which I think is what’s happening lately with not only how interiors today are decorated but also with these window treatments. Unexpected… but so, so nice! Definitely a conversation starter if you have guests over as well.
Merit / Collection
Even for a room’s functionality and visual aid, stripes are also a great choice as it not only adds an element of complexity and sophistication to a room, but with vertical stripes, it is able to also give a visual illusion of a room with higher ceilings.
Cleopatra / Collection
A little tip on how you can introduce patterns through curtains in a space, is to stick to a strict colour palette. For example, the image consists of neutral cream and cool grey tones. Different textures of the same tone and hue such as the smooth polished cement, and lush green from the outside brings a hue of cool quiet hues of greens with solid grey tones. With this palette, the subtle peppering of pale greyish green on the curtains add an eye-catching focal point to the room, which is also then offsetted with a bolder muted statement piece - the stark white furniture to play off the balance in the room.
Tropico / Collection
The trick is also in the layering. Just like how you would layer on jewellery to accessorise your outfit, think of it in your space. Layer on patterns throughout the room on different fabric surfaces on not only your curtains but also on upholsteries, cushions or carpets. Through layering, the pattern is distributed hence increasing cohesiveness throughout the space.
4. Playing with Textures - Mixing and Matching.
With these trends, we are able to see more and more curtains that are not your typical smooth fabrics anymore. Today, the experimentation of fabrics that adds a hint of glossiness or roughness adds so much more to a space.
Joker / Collection
Whether you are incorporating bolder colours into your space, or more muted, neutral tones, once again, this is the year for expression and personalisation. Make your space unique, fun, and full of character - and textures are a way of subtly achieving this layer of complexity.
Aspen / Collection
At Acacia Fabrics, we offer a wide range of textured fabrics from more plush, velvet looks to fabrics that even have a hint of shimmer to add subtle character to any room. If you’re going for a more luxurious look, velvets are a great option to also add a touch of softness to a room.
Luxe / Collection
Meanwhile, you could also explore the wide ranges of fabric types such as ones that carry slight hints of reflective quality, which could also bounce some light across your space. Exploration is key here!
5. Smart curtains
We have heard of smart homes by now, and what once was considered to be luxury or expensive gadgets found in high-end homes are more affordable and accessible than ever. Automated curtains, blinds and shades might sound pretentious, but do offer practical benefits. Smart curtains such as motorised curtains and blinds give homeowners the ease of opening up their curtains through a touch of a button, with some also allowing automation to open and close during specific times of the day automatically, which helps to conserve light and regulate internal room temperatures throughout the day.
6. Concluding Tips
I hope these trends help to inspire your decision when picking out your unique choice of curtains for your home or space. However, trends come and go, but here are a few tips on how you can utilise and make these trends stick.
Nortica / Collection
Minimalist designs such as textured neutrals are definitely a safe option, however if you are hesitant about patterns and think that they would go “out-of-style”, go for these classics. Patterns such as checks, plaid, stripes or small scale prints as well as florals are timeless options. They have been around for ages and will continue to be for a reason. Whether it is incorporated as cute cafe curtains in your kitchen, or subtly enhancing your living room space, I am sure you will be able to find the right, timeless design.
At Acacia Fabrics, we offer a wide range of patterns and shades that would definitely suit any space. With the variety of different collections, you can also look and touch the fabric at any of our nearest showroom. Here, we also have our in-house fabric and curtain consultants who can advise you on which type of fabric and curtain design would best suit your space and your personal unique style. So don’t hesitate to pop by and explore our range yourself!
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