Curtains
Start with how the bedroom is used. Is early morning light the problem, or does the room need privacy while there is still daylight outside? Then consider the bed position, how the curtains will open and how you will care for them. Colour is easier to choose once those practical details are settled.
Blockout fabric and a darker room
A blockout fabric or lining limits light through the material. Light can still enter above, below or beside the finished curtain. Discuss coverage, returns and how the curtains meet in the centre, especially if the window faces morning sun.
Tell the consultant where the light is most noticeable rather than asking for a guarantee of total darkness. A photo taken at that time of day can help explain the problem. Curtains can change the room’s light; they cannot promise a child’s sleep outcome.
If you also want softly filtered daylight, separate sheer and blockout layers give you different settings through the day. Sheers alone should not be relied on for privacy when the room is lit after dark.
Plan the room around cord safety
Loose blind and curtain cords can strangle young children. Product Safety Australia’s guide recommends considering products without exposed cords, securing loose or looped cords, and keeping cots and climbable furniture away from them.
Ask the installer to demonstrate the operating method and any required safety devices. Keep warning labels in place and use the supplied restraints correctly. Recheck the arrangement when furniture moves or a child can reach a new area. Raising a blind does not necessarily put its cord out of reach.
A motorised or wand-operated option can remove a hanging operating cord, but it does not remove every window or room hazard. If an existing cord or restraint is unsafe, keep children away and arrange prompt attention. Do not leave a child alone near unsecured cords.
Leave room to open the curtains
An open curtain forms a stack beside the window. Check where that stack will sit relative to a desk, wardrobe, window handle or door. On a narrow wall, some fabric may remain across the glass even when fully open.
Try the proposed controls yourself. A heavy lined curtain may need a different operating arrangement from a lightweight sheer. Explain who will normally use it and whether the track will be difficult to reach.
Choose a fabric you can live with
View samples against the room’s paint and bedding, preferably in the actual light. A quiet base colour can work through changes in bedding and decoration; a patterned curtain can be the main feature if that is what you want.
Ask about cleaning before ordering. “Easy care” should have a specific meaning on the finished curtain’s care label. Face fabric, lining and any coating need a compatible method. Our curtain cleaning guide explains what to check before washing or booking a cleaner.
Questions to settle at the measure
- When does the room need less light, and where does light enter now?
- Is daytime privacy needed as well as privacy after dark?
- Where will the curtain stack when open?
- How will an adult operate it comfortably?
- What cord-safety arrangement is required?
- What care instructions apply to the complete curtain?
Can I keep the existing track?
Have its condition, fixing support and suitability for the new curtain checked. Length alone does not tell you whether it will carry and operate the proposed curtain properly.
Is a darker fabric always better at blocking light?
Colour alone does not establish the fabric’s light-blocking performance. Compare the actual fabric or lining and discuss the finished coverage around the window.
Can we add a second layer later?
Tell us if that is the plan. Space for another track, the folds and their movement needs to be considered from the start.
Bring a photo of the whole window wall and your room brief to a free measure and quote, or explore the curtain selection guide.