Drapes Make the Room: Silk vs. Linen for Your Living Space

Windows not only allow you to see out into your world; they also serve as the 'eyes' of your home. Drapery, in this sense, allows you to enhance the window itself, with the type of drapery that will complement the design of your home. There is no doubt that drapery serves an important purpose in terms of functionality, but the type of drapery you choose will also have a major impact on the overall atmosphere of your room. This atmosphere is determined by the type of drapery fabric you select, and the quality of the drapery will also affect how much light enters your room, thereby establishing the 'luxury' of the space.

As you review our Luxury Tier of Curtains, you will discover that your choice of curtains often comes down to two titans of textile: Silk and Linen. Both fabrics provide you with a different type of atmosphere for your home. Silk provides formal, theatrical sophistication, while Linen creates an easy, casual sophistication. In order to design a cohesive, stunning living space, you need to be aware of each fabric's unique thermal, visual, and textural characteristics.

Rather than simply selecting a colour that appeals to you, we have included a comprehensive comparison of the aesthetic and functional characteristics of our top-tier Silk and Linen Curtains to assist you in selecting the material that is best suited to your vision for the current season.

The Ideal Drape: Defining Your Room's Atmosphere

The main function of a drapery is to create an ambience and mood rather than just block out light. Choose your curtain fabric according to the purpose of your space, how your furniture lends itself to the overall look you want, and what level of natural light you want to control.

Here are our top three drapes listed according to how formal and luxurious they are, from the most formal/luxurious to the most relaxed/textured dressings.

1. The Ultimate Luxury: Carlisle Silk Curtain (Formal Glamour)

The Carlisle Silk Curtain displays true refinement and sophistication. Silk Textiles' natural lustre, along with its ultra-smooth surface, brings an unrivalled sense of formality and wealth to any room. The silk textile curtain is specifically designed for the room where you wish to create a "wow" factor in your guests, whilst treating nature to be a part of the design.

The silk textile is made from a fibre derived from a cocoon made by the silkworm. The defining characteristic of silk is its distinct, subtle beauty, which creates a beautiful sheen that allows light to pierce through the texture.

Silk drapes into soft, luxurious folds, creating an appearance of vertical lift, sophistication, and grandeur.

Benefits of Silk Drapes
- Incredible Light Reflection: Due to the density of silk fibres, silk shines naturally, reflects ambient light, and adds a subtle glow and elegance to any room.
- Superb Drape and Pool: Due to silk's structure of being so soft and pliable, it maintains an incredible, uninterrupted drape and pools beautifully on the floor, creating an impressive look.
- Intrinsic Opulence: Silk increases the luxury and sophistication of any room, complementing the glossy, polished wood, sparkling crystal and luxurious velvet textures.

2. The Relaxed Luxe: Damara Linen Curtain (Casual Sophistication)

Is linen suitable for a high-end home environment? Yes. Linen is the true essence of luxurious comfort, as exemplified by our Damara Linen Curtain, which provides an effortless elegance to your home décor with its casual but sophisticated qualities.

Traditionally used in bedding, Linen provides a lightweight comfort that's as versatile as it is chic. Its lightweight yet substantial feel makes it excellent for all sorts of curtains and drapes – they keep your interiors cooler in summer, warmer in winter, and help to provide an ambient glow when you turn off the lights at night. The way it absorbs light creates a lovely glow inside your room.

Why Linen Works in Luxury Drapes

Linen effectively softens harsh sunlight, resulting in a warm, soft illumination that will instantly make any room appear warm and inviting. Linen's unique woven kind of material, with its natural luminosity, has a lot of noticeable differences depending upon how tightly an area has been woven, thus lending itself an appearance that looks organic and appears so lived in.
In addition, linen fibres act as a naturally insulating source, removing cold air in winter and allowing warm air to move through during summer, thus helping boost comfort levels in our homes year-round.

3. The Everyday Texture: Caprice Linen Curtain (Versatile Weight)

If the Damara provides a breezy touch, the Caprice Linen Curtain offers the warmth and heft of a heavier, more structured linen. This curtain is designed to be a versatile workhorse, maintaining all the natural beauty of linen but with a greater density that enhances privacy and offers a more grounded look.

The Caprice’s heavier weight allows it to hang with great structure and volume, providing excellent coverage without compromising the natural, breathable aesthetic of linen. It's the perfect option for those who want the linen look with added substance.

Benefit of Heavier Linen

Increased Privacy—This fabric’s greater density allows for improved privacy and light-blocking compared to other types of lightweight or sheer linens.
Enhanced Structure—The weight of this fabric allows for improved folding and will maintain its shape. Therefore, this heavier-weight linen creates a more tailored finish than ultra-lightweight linen.
Layering Foundation—The substantial weight of this linen adds a natural appearance to the layered design when layered under or over other window coverings, such as woven shades or sheer panels.

Design Tip: Finishing Your Luxury Window Look

Curtains can be chosen based on fabric, but to complement the fabric, you must hang them correctly. Proper placement of your curtain rod will create a luxurious drape look.

Measure High and Wide: If you want to make your windows look bigger and/or your ceilings look higher than they really are, always hang your curtain rods approximately 6-12 inches from the top of the window frame and extend them outwards by 6-12 inches on either side.

Measure The Right Length For Your Drapes: For Silk (Carlisle) drapery, measure the amount of fabric that will puddle on the floor 1-3 inches below the hemline to give you an opulent, traditional look. For Linen (Damara/Caprice) drapery, measure until they just touch the floor to give you a fresh, modern appearance.

For a look that truly defies the seasons, pair the breathable structure of the Trawick Linen Coverlet with the hybrid luxury of the Mesa Linen Velvet Quilt, giving you a bed that feels cozy in December but stays cool enough for warmer nights.