Spiffy Speak

Decorating with Neutral Curtains: Top Ideas & Tips

Neutral curtains may look minimal – but make no mistake – they can have a maximal effect even on neutral interiors. They can effortlessly fill any void in your decor, whether that is warmth, simplicity, elegance, or just some good-old, eye-pleasing, heart-soothing neutral charm.

If you’re currently considering dressing windows with neutral-hued drapery, today’s blog post from our stylists should serve as a handy reference in guiding your search for the perfect pair of drapes.

While choosing neutral curtains for a space, here are two ways to go: neutral on neutral, i.e. pleasant on pleasant, or a pinch of contrast for some excitement and interest. But that’s not all, a lot more goes behind finding the right neutral drapes and decorating them as per your neutral callings. Hence, allow Spiffy Spools to be your decor guide regardless of which of the two options you’ve decided to go with for your home.

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White: The ‘Super’ Neutral

Image by Chango

White is quite simply the easiest choice for neutral curtains. White curtains do not take anything away from the other neutral hues in your décor, yet – brighten it up considerably. On a bright airy day, the gently filtering sunlight coming from your sheer white curtains can instantly lift the calm aesthetics of your room. But what when you want the pretty white, but not the outside daylight? Add blackout lining. Or layer your sheer drapes with non-sheer drapery in a different hue of white for tone-on-tone depth.

Colorblock the Neutrals

Colorblock neutral curtains

Two neutral hues, when color-blocked on your window treatments, can effortlessly bring visual interest without relying on a pattern. The key here is to pick the right neutral hues that complement your existing palette. For instance, grey and beige color block curtains in the featured image above, going on with other decor elements in grey, white and tan; oh so pretty!

Textural Depth

Image by Room for Tuesday

If you worry your neutral curtains might fall flat, bring on some textural depth. Take linen in this gorgeous room above. This lightweight fabric is doing a fantastic job of retaining the casual and airy vibe alongside giving the neutral bedroom a whole lot of textural depth. As for a sumptuous display in a formal setup, neutral velvet drapes can do the trick. A velvet fabric, especially in pale shades, can prove to be an inspired choice in a neutral room.

Neutrals & Undertones

Image by Beth Webb Interiors

Let the undertones of your walls guide your curtains search. For instance, think of a pale-yellow wall in warm undertones complemented by ivory-hued window treatments; pretty, isn’t it? Or consider the deeper beige drapes in the room above, cleverly taking their cue from the cream walls. If your walls flaunt cooler undertones, lean towards maybe a soft gray or a bright white fabric.

Pro tip: Bring home physical fabric samples first so you can match the tint, tone, and shades of your curtain material with the color of your walls.

Tone-on-Tone

Opt for fabrics with tone-on-tone patterns to evoke understated monochromatic charm in your neutral space. Take into consideration the ‘Trani’ fabric from Spiffy Spools’ collection of neutral curtains. In soft beige and champagne gold, featuring an elegant and sophisticated damask pattern, ‘Trani’ can bring just the confidence to your neutral home.

Pattern Play

Just because you’ve decided to go with a neutral palette, is neutral, doesn’t mean everything has to blend into neutrality. Because at times, what your neutral decor truly needs is a facelift, and that’s when patterns come to play. So embrace patterned drapes against solid walls – in neutral or a contrasting (but complementing) palette. Our ‘Ameraldo’ sheer fabric – with its floral embroidered vines – is a perfect example of a neutral-hued fabric that would stand out against a solid beige or white wall.

If your windows are set against a neutral-palette wallpapered wall, sporting simply solid curtains in a complementing neutral color is another way of giving some statement lift to your decor. The texture of the fabrics plays an important role here in absence of a pattern on drapes; for instance, in a room with vintage damask-patterned wallpaper, flaunt your solids in opulent silk to match the character of damask.

Layer Your Windows

Layering your window treatments is a great choice if you want to bring dimension, depth and versatility to your window treatments. Let your windows brim with dual personality by pairing a set of neutral curtains with a contrasting set of non-neutral roman shades at the back. Statement and subtlety – why not have both? The layering of curtains and blinds can create visual depth, and when you mix and match a vibrant pattern with a neutral color like in our houndstooth curtains, you are bringing a truly eclectic element to your space.

Pick Your Palette Wisely

Whether your neutral curtains are blending or working to make a statement, it is important for any neutral decor that the color and shade of your curtains are in line with the overall palette and decor of the rest of your room. Colors are more than visual magic; they can make or break any space. So pick your color palette wisely – in coordination with the vibe, essence, and eye-appeal of your room!

In Closing

When the color schemes are reduced to muted flavors, the plot heavily relies on textures, tones, patterns, and layers for an entertaining twist. Therein also lies the scope for the designer’s deftness to effectively invoke visual interest through subtle creative interventions that play beyond color. Drapes can either continue that neutralized theme or break the monotony with gentle hueful elegance.

Our top suggestions for neutral curtains were briefed in this blog based on the basic styling principles, but our catalogs can inspire more ideas for out-of-the-box thinkers. So, you must definitely browse through our esteemed collections to find more inspiration to drape your windows with neutral curtains.