The Stitched team is passionate about the transformative power of curtains and fascinated by their history. What first led our ancestors to hang two pieces of fabric either side of a window and how did the design of curtains change through the years? And if you’ve ever wondered what sort of curtains Elizabeth I, Charles Darwin and JFK may have gazed upon as they lay in bed, do read on…
Getting bolder with colour...
The discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum in the latter part of the 1700s led to a new wave of classicism in interiors. Pull-up curtains were replaced with light, elegant paired curtains often combined with swags and tails. Cords and pulleys were introduced and curtains were made to overlap in the centre. By now, a huge range of fabrics were available including silks, damasks, velvets, voiles and taffetas. And the palette of colours was wilder than ever before - deep turquoise, daffodil yellow and crushed raspberry being particularly popular.
At the time when Jane Austen was writing her most famous novels, during the Regency period, curtains were often built up in complex layers. Outer curtains were pinned back in deep scoops to display under-curtains in a light silk or muslin. Curtain poles became a feature in their own right and were often moulded and gilded with ornate finials in the shape of animal heads, laurel wreaths and rosettes. Colours were very strong and included cherry red, saffron yellow and gold.
The Victorians had a thing for reviving fashions of the past and the 19th century saw a whole host of trends and styles. During his lifetime, Charles Darwin may well have had tartan curtains in his library, swags and tails on the bay windows in his drawing room and fringed, floral curtains on his four poster bed!
