Sunrooms are a great way to enjoy the great outdoors without going outside. Sitting outside in muggy 90-degree weather and getting your legs eaten up by mosquitoes isn't fun.
With a sunroom (sometimes also referred to as a sun porch), you can enjoy warm, natural light indoors. What can be better than that? Whether it was a part of your home already or added on later as an addition, knowing how to decorate a sunroom with voile curtains has its benefits. Voile curtains are lightweight, transparent curtains that are very popular among homeowners. Best of all, these voile curtains serve multiple purposes in a sunroom.
First, they add much-needed daytime privacy that can help keep you and your family protected from onlookers. Second, they can help protect the furniture in the sunroom from harmful, long-term UV ray exposure that could cause fading over time. This is especially true for couches, chairs, or other decorative goods that are bold and colorful; too much sun exposure over time will cause these bright colors to fade. Sun exposure can also damage wood and even lead to permanent discoloration.
In addition to these benefits, voile curtains ultimately give you the versatility to enjoy natural sunlight on your terms. If it's too bright, all you have to do is pull them closed. Voile curtains for sunrooms are an excellent and affordable way to add style, personality, and privacy to your home.
Types of Voile Curtains
There are several different types of voile curtains available online and in stores that can offer you all the benefits listed above (and then some):
While all voile curtains are made from transparent material, you may be surprised to learn that they come in various patterns and colors. Voile curtains come in three types: solid, semi-voile, and patterned.
Solid Voile Curtains
Solid voile curtains are exactly what they sound like - they're voile curtains that come in solid colors. While most people probably think of voile curtains as white and flowy, solid voile curtains come in various beautiful hues that add a spark of personality to your sunroom. Voile curtains are available in green, lilac, pink, blue, light yellow, and even black.
Colored curtain panels are easy to match your couch, wallpaper, or incorporate your favourite colour in your design theme while allowing bright, natural light to flow through. One of the most significant benefits of solid voile curtains, especially in a lighter colour like pale yellow or beige, is that they make your sunroom look bigger.
Semi-Voile Curtains
Semi-voile curtains offer more privacy than traditional voile curtains because they're usually textured. While they will still allow natural light to shine, these curtains are great for reducing sun glare and a common problem homeowners face while enjoying their sunroom.
These curtains are usually made of faux silk, polyester, or other synthetic material. They even come in a soft material to add a luscious, more luxurious look to your sunroom. Like solid voile curtains, semi-voile curtains come in various colors, not limited to white, light blue, navy, or burgundy.
Patterned Voile Curtains
Add some patterned voile curtains to your sunroom if you wish to wow your guests. These curtains still allow natural light into your sunroom. However, the unique patterns help them look more like traditional, sun-blocking curtains.
These popular voile curtain designs come in various patterns, including floral, stripes, lace, and checkered print. While this isn't an exhaustive list, you'd be surprised by just how many options you have to choose from.
Keep in mind that if you're choosing a patterned voile curtain, it may make your sunroom look smaller than it is. To combat this, try to avoid horizontal or darkly colored patterns, as these can make your sunroom feel more cramped. Curtarra offers a slew of bespoke, patterned voile curtains in white, so you can still add your personality without sacrificing the illusion of space.
How to Decorate Your Sunroom with Voile Curtains
Sprucing up a sun porch is not only easy, but it's also a lot of fun because there are so many unique ways you can do it. Here are a few of our favourite ways to decorate a sunroom with voile curtains:
1.Layering Them Up for More Privacy
Though voile curtains provide a level of privacy in the daytime, they can be completely transparent at nighttime, making many homeowners feel exposed once the sun goes down. Fortunately, getting more privacy is a little tricky without buying light-blocking curtains.
The trick is to layer up your voile curtains. You can do this by installing blinds that lay underneath the curtains. Or, you can use a mix of textures and patterns.
As mentioned above, voile curtains come in textured designs and linen, adding greater depth to your windows. Or, if you wish to create an even greater dimension, try using different colored panels. For example, add a voile white panel, then a pale yellow one, and keep going until you create a multi-colored, woven effect. Colored panels will add a little more privacy, so adding them to plain white sheers is a great way to achieve that while also doing something unique.
2. Hang Them Over a Doorway/Entranceway
Maybe you're not concerned with covering up your windows for more privacy but prefer to use voile curtains as an accent. If covering up the windows isn't your style, you can drape them across a doorway.
Draping curtains over a doorway is not only a style choice. It also reduces noise that comes from the rest of the house. It can also block drafts, so your sunroom stays warmer, regardless of the season.
3. Add String Lights
String lights are a growing trend among teens and young adults, but who says you can't enjoy a touch of whimsy at any age? String lights are an easy way to not only add dimension to your voile curtains but to get more light even after the sun goes down.
Twinkle lights add flair and personality, creating a warm and cosy space perfect for diving into a book with a cup of tea at night.
These are just a few simple ways to use curtains to decorate your sunroom.
How to Hang Voile Curtains
Hanging curtains up yourself can be challenging. But don't worry - we're here to walk you through the process so you know what you need (and how long it'll take).
First, let's discuss the tools and equipment you'll need. To hang voile curtains in your sunroom, you'll need the following:
- Curtains
- Curtain pole and associated hardware such as brackets
- Tape measurer
- Ladder
- Wall anchors
- Pencil
- Drill and drill bits
- Level
Most curtain rods come with the hardware you need, like brackets and screws. But if they don't, you can find these things at your local hardware store.
Now that you have all your equipment, here's how to easily hang voile curtains in your sunroom:
1. Figure Out Placement and Take Measurements
The first thing you need to do is determine where you wish your voile curtains to be hung. In a sunroom, the most common place is, of course, over the windows, but you could also add them over your doorframe.
Once you've confirmed the spot, take measurements to know you're buying the right kind of curtain rods. To do this, take a tape measure to calculate the width of your window and add about 8-12 inches to it. Most curtain rods will be hung about five inches above the window to leave enough room at the bottom.
To get precise measurements, you can use our free measurement tool. This tool allows you to get exact measurements based on the type of curtain pole you selected, the height and width of your walls and windows, as well as pole recommendations based on the type of curtain you purchased.
In terms of voile curtains, pole pockets are usually recommended because they work well in layers. Based on our online measuring tool, let's say you have a slot top already installed that's 28" wide. Most curtain rods are extendable, like this one that comes in 28-48". Let's say that the drop of the top of your pole to the floor is 84" and you prefer to hang voile curtain panels on either side of the window to make it easier to close them when you need a little privacy. With this information, our measuring tool will recommend 2x fullness, which means adding two layers of voile curtains on either side of the window for greater dimension.
Finally, this measuring tool will recommend (based on these calculations) that your voile curtains be hung a ½ off the ground because they'll look cleaner and be easier to open and close. Once you're done adding all this information, the measuring tool will spit out results that look like this:
- Header Style: Slot top
- Size per panel: 28" W x 85" L
- Quantity: 2 panels
This is, of course, just an example, so feel free to play around and see what kinds of results you get for every window in your house! Buying voile curtains for your sunroom has never been easier.
2. Fit the Brackets, Rods, and Curtains
Next, mark the areas you wish to drill your brackets into. As mentioned above, these spots should be about five inches from your window frame.
Then, grab your level to make sure everything is even. The last thing you wish is for your window treatments to be crooked. If you don't wish holes drilled directly into your walls, then go ahead and hang up your wall anchors. If you don't care about drilling holes in the wall, you can skip this step and fit the pole and the curtains.
When you go to hang up your new voile curtains, it's a good idea to iron them first. Because they're packaged, they may have a few wrinkles when you take them out. Steaming them removes wrinkles and keeps your voile curtains looking beautiful.
After ironing your curtains, place your pole into the brackets and drill some screws into them to ensure they stay in place. Then, hang up your new voile curtains and enjoy the versatility they offer your beautiful sunroom.
How Long Does it Take to Hang Up Voile Curtains?
All in all, this process should take about 20 minutes per window. So, if you're hanging up voile curtains on six windows, expect to spend about two hours on the project from start to finish. Of course, if hanging them up isn't feasible, you can always hire a handyperson to do it at an additional cost.
Tips for Hanging Voile Curtains Up in Your Sunroom
Here are some helpful tips for hanging voile curtains and using them appropriately in your home's sunroom:
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Choose a print and colour that won't go out of style: Remember, trends go in and out of style faster than you can blink, so if you're interested in using your voile curtains for the long haul, it's best to choose a print and colour that won't quickly go out of style. This mistake can quickly make your sunroom look outdated.
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Order fabric swatches first: Buying voile curtains for your home is a big investment, but it can also be a big expense. The last thing you wish is to order something you love online but hate in person. Fortunately, companies like Curtarra offer free swatches ahead of time, so you can have peace of mind before ordering. Like painting a wall, getting a small sample of what to expect can help you make smarter buying decisions.
- Think about where you live: Is it much cooler where you live? If so, you may wish to opt for a heavier curtain material like velvet or linen to offer better protection against drafts. If the temperature is warmer where you are, going with a heavier material will cause the temperatures inside your sunroom to rise and make you uncomfortable.
- Hang your curtains high to create an illusion of drop: The higher you hang your curtains, the longer your walls will look. Overall, this trick of the eye will help make your sunroom look much more spacious.
- Use hardware that compliments your room: It's not just voile curtains that provide style; it's the hardware you use, too. Things like your pole and brackets should match your aesthetic, as well as the style of the room. Far too often, homeowners opt for those traditional plastic rods, but your voile curtains deserve to have matching hardware that is just as stylish as they are.
Find the Perfect Voile Curtains to Match Your Style at Curtarra
Voile curtains add a level of depth and sophistication to your sunroom. With the ability to layer them and decorate them to your heart's content, voile curtains offer so much versatility to your sunroom with minimal effort. Whether you wish to add more personality or privacy, Curtarra offers the perfect voile curtain options to meet your needs and your budget.
We welcome you to browse our current inventory to see what catches your eye (we guarantee you'll find something you love!) Start a Livechat with us or email us at support@curtarra.com to learn more. If you wish to see our voile curtains up close before you order, we happily provide free swatches that will arrive at your doorstep in as little as five days. Or, if you're ready to order but need help confirming the drop of your curtains, check out our free Measurement Tool.
