Image by Arent & Pyke

Has there ever been a choice as popular as monochromes in drapery? Elegant, restrained, gentle to the eye – and yet, not everyone desires a set of curtains that sports one single color – not least because such a look can often recede into the background. Caught in the middle, clients who desire the pared back elegance of monochrome, and yet worry about their drapery blending into the backdrop, often ask us for two tone curtains. 

Two tone drapes take inspiration from the bohemic adulation of colors while diligently avoiding its over-occupation with patterns. If you love the classic appeal of plains but want a stimulating mix of colors without seeming to gild the lily, this blog post is for you. Join our stylists as they walk you through the most popular ways to achieve a dual-tone palette for your curtains without an over-dependance on patterns.  

Two Tone Curtains: One Destination, Many Ways

Custom drapes are a tell-all sign of your home-doting, and patterns remain the most popular way to evoke a look that comfortably meets a room’s palette. But if you’re not quite ready to give up on your love for plains, or if your room already has a pattern overload, here are the options to get two tone curtains.

Color-Blocked Curtains

Image by Sand Snow Linen

In this style, two different fabrics – often two solids – are stitched together in a single drapery panel resulting in two separate blocks of colors in the panel. The exact proportions of blocks are largely a personal choice, and at Spiffy Spools, you’ll find four versatile options covering a range of color-block looks. This opens up endless possibilities because you can mix fabrics, colors and patterns of your choice and decide their proportionate visibility as well. 

No matter which heading style you choose, a decorative contrast of color or texture can only add to the delight. A border band of Light Ochre ornamenting Szar can add such splendid character to the room. Add plush velvets like our Tanager to the bottom of a feather-light sheer such as Krema to enhance the drapery’s opulence and weight. Or team it with the plush Sahara Sands to etch out a classic statement decor. Whatever the mix, be assured that your two tone curtains in this style will have no duplicate anywhere in the world –  a marvelous way to make your home unique and special!

Ombre Curtains

For a rainbow recipe for your drapery, ombre’s gradational progression from one color to another is ideal. Here, the entire gamut of hues that lie between the lightest and the darkest extremes are displayed. The colors are neither sectioned nor number-bound, nor is there any reliance on patterns here.  What makes this style interesting is that the two extreme shades bracket a wide range of colors with clever restraint that steers clear of overdramatizing. 

Our two tone curtains in ombre style are a prized assortment of various hues gliding out of ivory whites, ready embellishments for neutral and vibrant interiors alike. Our Finish Blue grommet drapes can bring the dreamy tranquility of a waterfall to your patio. Prairie grass with its lively orange-yellow tang can elevate even a cold room to a sunny retreat zone. This kaleidoscopic adventure adds visual interest to your room and offers a delightful escape from single-tone plains as well as cluttered patterns.

Styling Tips for Two Tone Drapes

Beyond patterns, color-block and ombre are the two most popular styles to attain dual tones for your drapery. If we’ve convinced you to explore these for your windows, the following styling tips are worth bearing in mind before you shop them.

• ENSURE UNHINDERED VIEW: The drape’s ability to generate visual interest lies in its entirety. If either the top view is hindered by a deep swag valance or the bottom by a piece of furniture, the thoughtfully achieved designer look will be to no avail.
• SELECTION OF COLORS: Match the darker shade to the accent elements of the room. In case you introduce patterned fabric in your color-block, let its accent color match perfectly with the plain fabric. Let the neutral color of the drape either match the adjacent wall exactly or complement it.
• GO RIGHT TO THE FLOOR: Both the two-toning methods look great on tall windows; if you aren’t lucky enough with the window size itself, we recommend draping from ceiling to floor.
• LAYER WITH SHEERS: Layer the drapes with plain sheers for additional light-blockage and to add depth and dimension to the room. 

PLAIN ON PLAIN: Layering plain on plain, you can keep the matter-of-fact approach while adding vibrance and variety. You can layer the front drapery in one color with sheers of another color at back. Or layer curtains with roman shades at back. Our prussian blue Neer – for example – can bring in the seashore vibe when coupled with the airy sheer curtain Dazzle Me. Or for a more streamlined option, couple it with a pristine white roman shade with Heavrth.

You can also place two plain curtains side by side or enclose one plain panel with two same-colored panels on both sides. Pairing a neutral and a bold is a balanced approach – like our Ruya and Brick Facade will steal the show. Or if you want to say goodbye to neutrals altogether, pair two complementary colors that will both enhance as well as set off each other. Try a Boho approach with our awesome Cheerful and Rare Wine or Tuscan Clay sheer with Dark Cloro.

PLAIN WITH TRIM: Trims, ribbons, pom-poms, and tassels usually cherry-top a lovely drape, but in this case, they will do still more by providing the second tone to a plain drape, thereby making them two tone curtains. 

Soft Apricot velvet drapes bordered with super-cute white pom poms are as soft as a lullaby for a tiny tot’s nursery. For a plush treat, pair a fabric like the classic Jeledon with Pied Piper red wine tassels and complete with a burgundy magnetic rope tie-back. To stay true to your Scandinavian leanings, try something like our White Pepper with light beige Grosgrain ribbon trim. 

In Closing…

A home brimming with varied hues is not aspiring towards aesthetics alone; it seeks to affect its members with energy and cheer. Adding color to your home just makes it more cozy and homely and getting to do it your way is the ultimate gain from custom drapery. Your windows can don two tone curtains by employing color-block or ombre – two zingy alternatives to simplistic plains – or explore options like layering and trimming – all making for a visually absorbing, vivacious set of drapes that can not just define the color palette of the room but also make a statement decor of itself.

ALSO READ: HOW TO CHOOSE CURTAIN COLORS