Does The Carpet Match The Drapes? Choosing Curtains For Your Interior Design Style

Does the carpet match the drapes? No, but really? If you’re planning a home renovation or property design project, it’s easy to get swept away with dazzling fabrics, bold colours and interesting textures without stopping to think about how these components will interact with each other to generate the overall look and feel of a room.

Or perhaps you’ve already narrowed down your interior design ideas to one aesthetic, and now you’re wondering how you can achieve it.

When planning your window coverings, it’s important to consider how your curtain style, colour and fabric will blend in (or contrast) with other decorative elements of your home, from your wall art to your furniture, and, yes… even your carpets.

This blog is designed to provide a helping hand. We’ll explore 10 popular interior design trends, and give you a couple of pointers for the different types of curtains that would work well with each.

The interior design ideas we’ll be looking at in this guide are:

1. Bohemian
2. Scandinavian
3. Coastal
4. Hamptons
5. Biophilic
6. Mid Century
7. Farmhouse
8. Industrial
9. Art Deco
10. Maximalist

1. Bohemian

Curtains With Tiebacks

First up on our interior design styles list is the ever-popular boho aesthetic. Curtain tiebacks are a stylish way to effortlessly incorporate a boho feel into your home whether you use rope, woven fabrics or floral motifs – just avoid tying them too rigidly. And remember, curtains aren’t just for windows! Consider draping a gentle swooping fabric around a bed or chaise lounge for a breezy billowing look that offers relaxation and privacy.

Pooling Curtains

The bohemian philosophy is all about letting go of life's menial stresses and surrounding yourself in a landscape that brings peace and happiness. Pooling curtains that are a few centimetres longer than the floor can help create this relaxing environment, provided they aren’t in high-traffic areas and are likely to get trampled on, or you might have the opposite effect!

2. Scandinavian

Linen Curtains

The Scandinavian aesthetic closely mirrors the ‘minimalist’ look, with a focus on beautiful simplicity and functionality. The clean, crisp look of linen curtains pairs well with the neat and organised aesthetic of Scandinavian interiors. It also matches the neutral, earth-toned palette often favoured in these kinds of interior design styles, so these curtains are a great way to keep things cool and classy.

Pinch Pleat Curtains

Minimalist interiors tend to favour a harmony of straight and curved aesthetics. Not too rigid that a place becomes sterile, nor too frilly that it becomes overly complicated. Pinch-pleat curtains land right in the middle, offering a fixed crease in the curtain whilst still allowing movement. They can add a subtle touch of elegance without overpowering the simplicity of a space.

3. Coastal

S Fold Curtains

For a coastal look, you want to mimic the ocean environment without displaying a carbon copy of it inside your home. S-Fold curtains present a gentle wave-like pattern in the fabric reminiscent of the lapping sea but retain enough structure to keep your interior looking polished. Australians love this interior design trend, and it’s a great way to create a beach-style haven if you live in a coastal city.

Tie Top Curtains

If you’re seeking to capture the feeling of that breezy, late-afternoon lifestyle snoozing on the beach, tie top curtains are a beautifully delicate addition to your beach house or coastal bedroom. Do away with harsh hooks and rods and opt for gently tied fabric to secure your curtains, whether for your window coverings, to drape around a centrally placed bed, or to frame a landscape print of your favourite seaside getaway.

4. Hamptons

Curtains With Drawbacks

Inspired by the coastal interior style described above, Hamptons decor offers a more refined, sophisticated take on ocean living. Originating from Long Beach homes in New York, it’s a classic design style that many Australians love, with a neutral colour palette that is easy to work around. That’s why stylish curtain drawbacks will help open up a space to let in more light whilst providing a sense of structure, as they provide a fixed point on the wall for the fabric to hang.

Floor To Ceiling Curtains

For larger interiors, especially living rooms, hallways and kitchens, floor-to-ceiling curtains are the perfect Hamptons-inspired way to achieve a space filled with opulence and luxury. Not only will the eye naturally be drawn upwards creating a dramatic sense of grandeur, the curtains will make those high ceilings seem more homely, rather than cavernous.

5. Biophilic

Linen Curtains

Biophilic design principles focus on blurring the lines between ‘home’ and ‘garden’, and merging elements of nature into your interiors. So it makes sense why linen curtains would be an obvious choice for biophilic interior design ideas too. Grown from the organic crop flax, colour schemes tend to stay on the neutral side, which makes linen the ideal material for an earth-inspired palette.

Sheer Curtains

Enhancing your connection to the outdoors is much more easily achieved when you can see it, and ‘let it in’. Sheer curtains are made from transparent fabrics, and they work to reduce glare and overpowering dazzling sunshine, while still allowing natural sunlight to cast n ambient glow over your furnishings. They’re great for adding privacy to overlooked windows too.

6. Mid Century

Pinch Pleat Curtains

The mid-century interior design style is all about embracing modernity without overdoing it. The fixation on clean, sleek lines, elegant shapes and minimalist decor makes a traditional pinch-pleat the ideal pairing curtain. Choose a dark, thick fabric to add gravitas to your vision, in a colour that’s seen elsewhere throughout the room for consistency.

Textured Curtains

In many mid-century-inspired homes, the decorative is inseparable from the functional. And whilst art is important, it’s embedded throughout the space, rather than positioned as a separate entity. Textured curtains will offer a rich, dynamic edge to your furnishings that brings your living room or bedroom alive in an impressively understated way.

7. Farmhouse

Rod Pocket Curtains

For open rustic and rural spaces, the farmhouse aesthetic is a clear frontrunner. Incorporating vintage or wooden furniture, and comfortable, homely patterns such as plaid and paisley, your interior design ideas should focus on a sense of cosy familiarity. Rod pocket curtains embrace the traditional appeal of this style, with a thick fabric held up by a wooden or metal pole.

Pencil Pleat Curtains

The farmhouse vibe is all about taking the edge off a space for an authentic ‘lived-in’ feel, whilst still retaining some elements of composure and formality. Pencil pleat curtains offer this with their gently enhanced structure, but create a less harshly defined fold than you’d find in a pinch pleat curtain. Beiges, browns, creams and greens will be your favourite colours for achieving this look.

8. Industrial

Grommet Eyelet Curtains

Of all the types of interior design styles, industrial design is the least polished. It often incorporates raw, utilitarian elements, so eyelet curtains with metal grommets can reflect this aesthetic while adding a practical, no-nonsense approach to window treatments. If you find a grey fabric in this curtain style, you’ll likely see the resemblance to corrugated iron; depending on how literally you want to resemble the industrial look!

Thermal Curtains

In urban converted living spaces, be it a repurposed warehouse, factory or simply city living quarters with exposed brick, it’s important to consider how your curtains can help your space in a practical sense too. Open, industrial living areas tend to be colder and harder to insulate. With thermal curtains, you can maintain the illusion of refined exposure, whilst still covering those large windows.

9. Art Deco

Wave Fold Curtains

Wave motifs are everywhere in Art Deco designs. From popular wave hairstyles on women to the curves in period architecture to Art Nouveau wallpaper samples, this is one of the most identifiable types of interior design style. A neat way to tie this look together at home is with a simple wave-fold curtain design that softens harsh lines against your window and leans into the free-flowing nature of the interior design trend you’re trying to replicate.

Velvet Curtains

Post-war fashion was all about glamour and luxury – making up for lost time and celebrating the good things in life. Velvet curtains are a great pick for those seeking a touch of 1920s decadence, not just for their delightful texture, but also their pastel shades which work great with an art deco colour palette. A darker velvet will convey a sultry, boudoir-type atmosphere, while a lighter baby blue or pink will present an open, friendly space.

10. Maximalist

Decorative Curtains

Decorative curtains are there to provide the eye with an intricate pattern or artwork to admire, and they’re an obvious choice for this off-beat aesthetic. A word to the wise, however, maximalism isn’t all about throwing everything you can find into one room just because you like it. It’s a carefully considered approach to interior decor that bends the rules and finds interesting ways to play with ‘clashing’ colours, prints and design principles to make a statement.

Eyelet Blockout Curtains

One way to create impact for your maximalist interior design style is to choose a bold colour for blockout curtains. Though a single colour may sound plain, it can quickly become a focal point in a room full of pattern and print. Contrast bright walls with darker fabrics for an eye-popping eyelet design, or choose a playful primary colour that stands out. As an added bonus, the blockout material will ensure early morning light doesn’t streak through and disturb you.

Pulling The Curtain On Different Interior Design Styles

In our interior design styles list, we’ve covered minimalism, maximalism, and everything in between. It can be overwhelming looking at an emporium of curtains when at first glance they all look the same, but hopefully, this guide has inspired you to get excited about choosing the perfect drapes for your interior aesthetic.

Whether you’re ready to order or want some more expert advice from our experienced team of decor enthusiasts, don’t hesitate to get in touch today. We’ll figure out what curtains best match your interior design ideas, or help you decide what style feels most authentic to you.