Voile curtains are very similar to nets but for the geeks among us they do differ in fabric construction.

Essentially the threads in net curtains are knitted together while in voiles they are woven. This means nets tend to be a coarser fabric but also means they are cheaper than voiles as the fabric is easier to produce and they can be cut to size without the need for hemming sides.

Voiles do need hemmed sides to stop fraying, but the benefit is that they have a softer drape, and can come in more creative designs – colours, embroidery and fabric blends are all possibilities with voiles.

There are two main ways to hang voile curtains.

The easiest is to use a tension rod, which extends to fit your window and which holds itself in place. There’s no drilling required and they can be taken down easily if you want to wash your curtains. You can also buy telescopic rods that hang on sticky hooks as an alternative.

The traditional way and cheapest method is to buy a net wire. Net wires have eyes that fit into their ends, so they can be attached to hooks (screw hooks, or sticky) on the wall. Net wires are also good for narrow slot tops curtains.

Yes most voiles can go in the washing machine with no problem at all.

Just check the washing instructions if the voile is a fabric blend or has embroidery.

Generally we recommend using a hand wash setting on your machine as this will provide the best temperature and spin.

Once washed, hang your voile curtain with as little creasing or pegging as possible. (We don't recommend a tumble dryer as the heat can damage the fibres in the curtain.)

Yes, you can line voile curtains.

As well as increasing privacy, this also increase their thermal qualities.

Most of the time though, it’s used by customer who have fallen in love with a special  voile fabric and want it to be the star of their room. You can see our lined voile ranges here, or if you would like to talk to us about your ideas, please email us on hello@netcurtainsdirect.com

The simplest way to maximize privacy is to increase the gather of the fabric – this provides a greater overlap of the fabric and is a superb way to increase privacy. We recommend a 2.5x gather for this reason.

In addition at NCD, we also provide a density rating for every net curtain in our range, from 1, the sheerest fabrics which maximize light, to 5 our densest designs or fabrics.

You can find more details on our density rating here

With so many options available these days, both can be practical and beautiful.

Generally curtains lend a more luxurious feel to the room, while blinds look neater and more contemporary. Curtains can also offer better thermal insulation, while blinds are generally easier to clean.

Blackout curtains have a fabric or lining that blocks out all light, while dimout usually blocks most but not all light – normally around 98%.

The key to either blackout or dimout is to use them with poles or tracks that minimize the gap between the window and the curtain. Curtains tracks are often used, or you can get special curtain poles.

It depends on the fabric and construction as there is a huge variety of options for curtains. If you don’t have care instructions we would recommend dry cleaning.

It’s very easy to measure up for net curtains. Just follow our simple guide here

It’s very easy to measure up for curtains. Just follow our simple guide here.

Largely this is a matter of taste, but most of the time people choose one of three options:

1.       Just below the window. Offering a neat look, this is also generally cheaper as it needs less fabric. It can also be more practical if the room is busy or long curtains could pose a hazard, near a fireplace for instance.

2.       Just off the floor. Full length curtains look beautiful and can make a room seem taller. Just off the floor looks neat and provides a calming focal point.

3.       In a puddle on the floor. As above this makes a room seem taller and shows off a beautiful fabric. Puddled fabric looks less formal and really suits linens and other natural fabrics.

The length of curtain you need depends on where your pole is positioned. We rate this blog on how to hang curtains from stylist and interior designer Emily Henderson

https://stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/hanging-curtains-all-wrong