Choosing the best fabric for curtains comes down to four things: how much light you want to block, how the fabric drapes, how it will stand up to sunlight and washing, and the look you want in the room. This guide walks through the most popular curtain fabrics, what each is best for, and how much to buy.
Quick answer: the best curtain fabrics by room
- Living rooms: plush velvet or curtain brocade, with a lining, for a rich, heavy drape.
- Bedrooms: any medium to heavyweight fabric backed with blackout lining for better sleep.
- Kitchens and bathrooms: lighter cotton prints or voile that are easy to wash.
- Privacy with daylight: voile net curtain fabric, on its own or layered behind main curtains.
Velvet curtains: warmth and luxury
Velvet has a dense pile that absorbs light and helps keep rooms warmer, which makes it one of the best fabrics for lined, full-length curtains. Our plush velvet curtain fabric comes in plain colours and digital prints, and is also a popular choice for matching cushions.
Good to know: velvet is heavier than most curtain fabrics, so use a sturdy pole or track and allow for the extra weight when choosing curtain tape.
Brocade and damask: a classic, tailored finish
Brocades have a pattern woven into the fabric rather than printed on top, which gives a raised, textured look that suits traditional and period homes. Curtain brocades hold pleats well and have enough body to hang neatly. Many of ours are 140cm wide, which is useful for wide windows.
Tapestry: bold pattern and heavy weight
Tapestry fabric is thick and hard-wearing, with detailed woven designs. It works well for statement curtains in larger rooms, and it's equally at home on cushions and upholstery if you want a coordinated scheme.
Cotton and linen-look prints: light and relaxed
Printed cotton and cotton and linen canvas fabrics give a fresh, casual look for kitchens, children's rooms and conservatories. They are lighter than velvet or brocade, so line them if you want more privacy or less light through. Vintage cotton prints are ideal if you prefer florals, damasks or toile.
Voile: net curtains and daylight privacy
Voile is a lightweight, semi-sheer fabric that softens daylight while giving privacy from outside. Use it for net curtains, café curtains, canopies and layered window treatments. Plain and embroidered voiles are available.
Do you need curtain lining?
Lining protects your main fabric from sun fading, helps curtains hang better, and adds insulation. Blackout lining stops most light coming through and is the usual choice for bedrooms and nurseries. As a rule, line velvet, brocade and printed cotton curtains; voile is normally left unlined.
How much curtain fabric do I need?
- Measure the width of your pole or track, not the window.
- Multiply by the fullness for your heading: roughly 2 to 2.5 times for pencil pleat, 2 times for eyelet.
- Divide by the fabric width and round up to get the number of widths (drops) you need.
- Measure the drop from the pole to where you want the curtain to finish, then add around 20–25cm for hems and heading.
- Multiply the number of widths by the cut drop. For patterned fabric, add one pattern repeat per width so the design lines up.
Our fabric is sold by the metre and cut from the roll in one continuous length wherever possible, so a single order gives you matching pieces.
Curtain fabric care tips
- Check the care details on each product page before washing. Many heavier curtain fabrics are best dry cleaned.
- Vacuum velvet and brocade curtains gently with an upholstery brush to keep the pile fresh.
- Rotate curtains occasionally if one side gets more sun, to keep fading even.
Buy curtain fabric by the metre
Browse curtain brocades, plush velvet, tapestry and voile online. Orders placed before 10pm Monday to Friday are dispatched the same day, with free UK delivery on orders over £65. Fitting out a hotel, restaurant or rental property? Send us a trade enquiry for wholesale prices.
