Use Outdoor Curtains to Create New
Living Space

Outdoor living takes on new appeal with outdoor curtains. Whether you have a cozy patio or a vast landscape, curtains offer a dramatic, often simple way to alter the environment. Fabric works on so many levels. It has color, texture, line, and movement, and you are free to mix these elements in endless variations to achieve the right combination. Here are some helpful tips that will make decorating with outdoor drapes a breeze.

Define—or Re-define—Your Space

If you long for a new way to use your outdoor space but don’t want to invest in costly renovations, use outdoor curtains to redefine and recreate the patio or backyard living area. Think of them as moveable architecture. A closed curtain makes a perfectly positioned wall, while a drawn open curtain tied back creates an architectural pillar.

In a large backyard or poolside, create a series of “cabana rooms” that can be loosely defined by tied back curtains. Draw some curtains closed for partially closed-off spaces, where smaller groups can gather in a feeling of intimacy and privacy. Draw them all open and imagine a festive dinner party with a table centered inside this new space, illuminated with banks of flickering votive candles.

Let the flexibility of fabric inspire you to invent novel ways of using outdoor space, as in the photo below.

Change Your Outlook—Alter the View

The view from your outdoor space can be very different from one viewpoint to the next—even when sitting still! Outdoor drapes create focus by outlining what you see and blocking out the rest.

Use this trick to highlight special landscaping features. You are never stuck with one view, as simply tying back the drapes opens everything up to a more panoramic feel.

In a smaller yard with limited or even unsightly views, curtains can be a low-cost, instant camouflage to cover up undesirable vistas, or create the backdrop for a small, well-chosen arrangement of patio furniture.

Low-Tech Climate Control

Control climate the old-fashioned way. Drapes can block the sun or filter it, cooling temperatures even on a hot day. A backyard breeze is delightful, but wind can drive everyone indoors in a hurry. No worries—just pull curtains closed to create a very effective wind block.

Choose the Right Fabric

We’re talking about outdoor curtains, so the first qualification is, what? That’s right-- choose outdoor fabric! Consider your local climate, wind conditions, and degree of sun exposure, and make a selection that has enough weight to hang properly and not be constantly blowing skyward at the slightest breeze.

Hint: Small counterweights used in the hems of indoor drapes to ensure a good line will work just as well outdoors. Order from a reputable supplier that specializes in durable indoor/outdoor fabric, and be sure to check for a limited warranty.

Color

Besides weave and fabrication, give some thought to color. Use outdoor sheers for a clean, simple, uncluttered effect. Consider contrasting colors to add a bold accent against neutral furnishings, or coordinate a neutral palette, as displayed in the 2-tone stripes below, that reflect furniture colors. Color is powerful, and together with the other elements described, can change the feel of the space it helps define.

Ready-made Standard or Custom Drapes

Thanks to the proliferation of do-it-yourself and home decorating retailers, ready-made curtains are easily available for quick and easy purchase. Reputable online sources often have a wider selection of fabrics and colors in standard sizes.

Custom drapes open up even more choices, including higher quality fabrics not usually found at typical retail sources. Custom ordering allows you to determine length, finishing, and other details that make your curtains a perfect fit for your needs. You can even select waterproof fabric for wet climates or year-round use where appropriate.

Everything Depends on the Hardware

Not the virtual kind...the real thing. Hardware selection is important for a number of reasons, and there’s nothing virtual about it. The look and impact of your new curtains will depend on choosing the type of hardware to make it hang perfectly.

If you are working with a professional installer or interior designer, be sure to maintain frequent communication so that you are on the same page. Consult ahead of time, and take a good look at your space to decide where you will attach hardware.

If you’re undertaking it as a DIY project, measure and re-measure to determine exact lengths. A nice straight wall or other frame makes installation easier, but if you are decorating unusual shapes, like archways, consider how to break up the distribution of rods and curtains to create the desired effect.

Rods in powder-coated aluminum offer a choice of coordinating neutral colors. Wood rods like teak are ideal for a tropical style. A sliding track with stainless steel hooks is adaptable to outdoor use. Attach a row of decorative hooks and hang your curtains evenly spaced along the hooks for a scalloped effect.

Curtain Headers

Choose hardware and curtain headers to work together. Pocket poles are the most common and simple style. As the name implies, they come with a pocket hemmed across the top edge so that poles can be pushed through. Grommets work the same way, but create a stiffer, more formal shape to each fold of curtain.

Tabbed curtains are versatile. Slide them along on poles, or hang them off a series of hooks as described in the hardware section above.

DIY or professionally designed, off-the-shelf or custom-made, outdoor curtains are an easy, cost-effective way to expand or enrich your outdoor living. Look for a supplier that will answer all your questions and help you make the right decisions, then look forward to years of enjoyment in a refreshing, new outdoor space.