The Pros and Cons of Ready-Made Curtains

When designing the home of your dreams, your choice of window treatments will be key for many reasons. For starters, curtains dictate how the light enters your rooms. Secondly, the fabric, style, and weight must match the interior design and the furnishings. Thirdly, curtains function as thermal regulators, keeping the heat in or out. And lastly, elegant curtains can be what makes your home a castle.

But first, you need to decide whether to opt for made-to-measure or ready-made curtains.

Let’s look at the fundamental differences between the two types of curtains and examine the pros and cons of ready-made window treatments.

Ready-Made vs. Bespoke Curtain Basics

For many people, ordering bespoke curtains offers limitless material, design, size, weight, and lining options. They have the freedom to choose and get expert advice from a soft furnishings specialist. As you can imagine, made-to-measure curtains are more expensive. Moreover, the delivery takes much longer.

But what about ready-made curtains? To some, they are nothing more than a compromise choice for people strapped for cash. But that isn’t necessarily true. While the selection of ready-made curtains was poor in the past, today’s curtain providers have an expansive range. Not only can you choose from among many different styles, but you can also get what you’re looking for regarding lining, size, and thermal properties.

What Is the Difference Between Ready-Made Curtains and Bespoke Curtains?

As the term suggests, ready-made curtains are available over the counter. All you need to do is measure up your window to get the size right. If you opt for bespoke curtains, you work with a curtain maker. They will talk to you about the overall interior design of your home and help you work out what curtains would best enhance it.

The Pros of Ready-Made Curtains

Here’s an overview of all the advantages ready-made curtains deliver:

• Fuss-free, fast, and convenient: With your window measurements, you visit your local soft furnishing store and come away with stunning curtains ready to hang.
• Budget-friendly: Ready-made curtains are affordable and still high-quality.
• Designer styles: The best online or high street-curtain providers stock designer ready-made curtains.
• Huge selection: From blackout-lined to extra-long, every option is available.
• Alteration service: The most professional curtain suppliers offer an alteration service, meaning even if you have an odd-sized window, you can still get what you want.

The Cons of Ready-Made Curtains

Here are some of the drawbacks:

• Limited fabric options: No matter how extensive the range, you won’t be able to get a specific style or design.
• Fewer interior design coordination options: If you want to coordinate your curtain choice with all your soft furnishing, including cushions, throws, bedding, and sofas, getting ready-made curtains to suit will involve a lot of work.

How to Choose Between Ready-Made and Bespoke Curtains

Now that you know the pros and cons of ready-made curtains, you need to take a step back and focus on your priorities. Unless you want curtains that are 100% unique, ready-made curtains are the way to go.

With curtain providers offering alteration services, you can get a ready-made curtain to fit any window size. So many designs, thermal property, and lining options are available that you’re certain to find what you’re looking for. Moreover, soft furnishing specialists often provide curtains alongside throws and cushions for a comprehensive room style statement.

A great place to start are top curtain websites. Browse through the styles, check out size, fabric, and lining options, and speak to an expert. If you’re working with an interior designer or architect, consult with them.

Is Hanging Ready Made Curtains Difficult?

No, it’s not difficult as long as you first get the fixings right. To make sure your ready-made curtains look as stunning in your home as they do in the pictures, here are some hacks:

• Iron your ready-made curtains before hanging them.
• Carefully create even pleats using the strings if you have pencil-pleat curtains before attaching the hooks.
• Slide the curtains onto the rail and use ties to create even pleats, even if only for a few hours. Doing this will remove all the kinks and ensure your ready-made curtains drape beautifully.
• If all this is too much for you, hire a professional.

Today’s Ready-Made Curtains Are Well-Worth Considering?

On or off-line curtain stores stock such a variety of ready-made curtains that no one should overlook them as a great option. From designer patterns to top-quality fabric and linings, all varieties are available, meaning ready-made curtains can compete with bespoke window treatments.

With a good eye for style, you can find ready-made curtains, purchase, and hang them quickly, thus make your surroundings more luxurious in no time at all. Plus, you won’t spend a fraction of the cash.