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French Country Curtains
 French country curtains come in many different styles and materials. The look of French country window coverings varies greatly between
On this page, the French country window treatments are mostly from the Southern part of the country. Check them out: 1. heavy linen curtains 2. ticking drapes 3. cheesecloth sculptures 4. toile treatments 5. patchwork extravaganza 6. simple & white 7. country curtain rails And just in case you’re on a major research trawl, you’ll find more photos of French country curtains on the pages about Linen Puddles on Terracotta Tiles My favorite French country curtains are made of heavy, cream colored linen (as in the pictures above and left).The typical crumpled appearance of linen creates a perfect complement for the glazed terracotta tiles that are so common in the Mediterranean part of France. To get the full effect of these country French curtains, make them so long that they form a pool of yummy, creamy crinkles on the floor. Of course, this isn’t particularly practical. You’ll probably have to wash them a lot. But they are … French. Treat them like they're special (they are!) (Return to Top) Ticking The picture to the right shows that French country curtains aren’t reserved for windows alone. French country 'window' coverings can cover doors, conceal ‘wardrobe’ openings in the wall, and occasionally separate an ensuite from a bedroom, too. Ticking is great for country French curtains in the Mediterranean: its soft colors are a calm, cool antidote to sizzling summers, and it looks perfect against whitewashed or slightly tinted walls. Country French curtains made of ticking have an understated, ‘Scandinavian’ feel, reminiscent of the Gustavian style that the Swedish adopted from the French court in the 18th century. (So in an interesting twist of home decorating history, this photo shows the Gustavian style on a home visit!). The French country curtain here is in neutral stripes, with just a bit of sky blue added. Color schemes like this one go beautifully with the muted, chalky light blue or yellow umber walls of Southern French houses. However, you can create French country curtains from original, vintage French ticking in many other, beautifully mellow color schemes. There's usually a wide selection of ticking for sale on eBay; to see all options available today, click the "view all ... items on eBay" link in the bottom left corner of the eBay window.  Also, don't reserve ticking for your country French curtains alone.
Cheesecloth Sculptures If you're looking for French country curtains with a special flair, this one's definitely an option.The transparent curtain of loosely woven cheesecloth ends in the most amazing, artistic knot. French country window coverings like these do their job - they create privacy, and at night they cover the dark rectangle of the windowpane. But beyond their duty, they are really works of art in their own right, and they can add a whole lot of interest to a plain little room. So if you have a room in your Mediterranean style country home that is in need of a little ooomph, this type of country French curtains may be a suitable candidate for you. (Return to Top) Really French FabricsYou've probably been wondering why Toile de Jouy had to wait until this point to make its appearance among the French country curtains on this page. Well, I'm under the impression that toile is used more outside France than inside. On the other hand, it is perceived around the world as the textile embodiment of "Frenchness", so, well, ... here it is. You can get wonderful, high-quality lengths of vintage and new Toile de Jouy on eBay, wherever you happen to live on the planet, so I think that's a good first port of call. (Remember to click the "view all ... items on eBay" link in the bottom left corner). Another, very French but lesser known group of fabrics are the colorful cotton prints from Provence, in the South of France. They make great French country curtains, but are sold only in specialty shops in Europe and some parts of the USA, and appear less often on eBay than toile does. You'll find more pictures of these fabrics on the page about Provence Interiors. They are lovely material for French country kitchen curtains, cushion covers, napkins and tablecloths. (Return to Top) Patchwork The last-but-one in our little défilé of French country curtains is this patchwork masterpiece. Considering the fine fabrics that went into it, it probably doesn’t really qualify as a French country curtain, but I found it in a very small village in France, so maybe it does count ;-) The general idea here is to use a plain fabric for the main body of the curtain … … and then add something more fancy and eye-catching to the lower third. The same principle was at work in the French country drapes you can find in the page on French Country Interior Design. It’s a simple but very effective way to give your French country window coverings that extra little bit of style. Here are a few ideas for combining fabrics and patterns:
You’ll probably come up with a lot more ideas than this for your French country curtains – just let yourself get inspired by the fabrics that are available in your part of the world. (And please send me a picture when you’re done!) (Return to Top) Back to Basics After all these exciting possibilities, I thought it might be a good idea to show at least one really simple version of French country curtains.So here’s a pair of floor-length ones, made of lightweight cotton. In this photo, the color combination of window, shutters and narrow iron balcony is typical of a Provençal house: gray, cream, light blue and dark green. During the summer months, a wattle screen will be rolled down over the metal construction above the window, to provide dappled shade for the balcony and add a dash of straw yellow to the color mix.  If this type of French country curtains strikes you as a bit, well, low-key …… you can always embellish the fabric. In the picture to the left, strips of tan and sand colored cotton have been added to the lower part of the curtain. It’s not just the slight variation in color, but also the raised, 3D effect that adds interest to what might otherwise have been a rather bland example of French country drapes. To achieve this subtle effect, you don’t even need a sewing machine; just iron some ribbon onto the cotton fabric with the help of fusible backing. Then complete this simplest of French country curtains by using the same ribbon as a tieback - voilà, job done! (Return to Top) Curtain Rails Keep them really, really simple.I’ve seen several places where country French curtains were just attached to a length of copper piping. So don’t add fancy finials (unless you really love them) - just let the fabric speak for itself. You can make a room look higher if you hang your French country window treatments from just below the ceiling. This can work particularly well if the curtain rod is in a color that’s similar to the wall and/or curtain fabric. With more color contrast, you’ll get a distinct ‘line’ on the wall (as in this picture). And that’s it ... for this page! If you’d like to explore some more French country window coverings (plus non-French ones), have a look at the pages about (Return to Top) Or ... Return from French Country Curtains to French Interior Design. Return from French Country Curtains to the Dream Home Decorating Homepage.
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