From open voile to dense opaque curtain
Light filtering curtains let daylight into the room through the fabric. How much you can see through them depends on the weave. Compare voile, inbetween, semi-sheer, Textured weave and dense opaque curtain for daylight, see-through and privacy.
The differences side by side
Within our collection, the order runs from voile to dense opaque curtain. Thickness alone does not tell you how much you can see through a curtain. The space between the threads also makes a difference. Below you can compare the fabrics for light, view and privacy from outside.
This is a broad comparison. Colour, light and the situation at your window also play a part. On a small screen you can scroll the table sideways.
| Fabric | Daylight through the fabric | Looking outside | Privacy with lights on inside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Voile | Plenty of daylight through the open fabric. | You can still clearly see outside. | Little screening; people and furniture may remain visible. |
| Inbetween | Plenty of daylight, slightly more filtered. | Less open than voile; the outside remains partly visible. | With lights on inside, shapes and movement may be visible. |
| Semi-sheer | Lets daylight fall through a denser weave. | Less see-through than our inbetween. | More screening, but no guarantee that shapes are invisible. |
| Textured weave | Light comes through the visible weave. | Between semi-sheer and a dense opaque curtain. | The openings in the weave can show shapes against the light. |
| Opaque curtain | Can still let light through; not a darkening fabric. | No clear view outside through the dense fabric. | The most screening of these five; also watch out for open edges. |
What can you see through the curtain?
Daylight is the light that comes into the room through the fabric. See-through is about what you can see through the fabric. Privacy from outside is about what someone outside can see of your room. So a dense curtain can let light through while you can hardly see through it.
With plenty of daylight outside, the view in is often less noticeable. How close someone stands to the window and how much light there is in your room also matter. A light filtering curtain can soften the view in, but does not give the same privacy in every situation.
Then the difference in light is reversed. Through an open weave, furniture, people or shadows can become visible. Want to sit undisturbed in the evening? Choose a denser curtain, or combine your light fabric with a second layer.
Once you have curtains hanging, if in doubt, also look from outside in with the lights on. That tells you more than just looking at the window from the sofa.
Which fabric appeals to you?
The photos show how the fabrics look in a room. They were taken at different windows and in different lighting conditions. Use them as mood images; the samples help you compare the weave side by side.
01 · 10 colours
Want to keep seeing the garden while the curtain is closed? Then start with voile. This is the most open fabric of these five. You still see a lot of what is happening outside the window, with the fine weave in front of it.
Voile suits a window where daylight and view come first. On a busy street, this fabric on its own offers little privacy. For the evening, you can hang a denser curtain next to it.
02 · 10 colours
Do you find voile too open, but want to keep the room light? Our inbetween sits just above it. The fabric softens the view through the window. You stay in touch with the outside without everything being equally sharp.
The fabric contains 5% linen, alongside recycled polyester. This gives the weave its own character. Inbetween can reduce the view in during the day, but is no guarantee of privacy once it gets dark outside.
03 · 10 colours
With our semi-sheer fabric, the weave is more noticeable and you see outside less easily than with inbetween. Daylight still comes through. This is a logical fabric to compare with if you are looking for a little more screening.
The name can be confusing: other shops sometimes also call an inbetween semi-sheer. With us, they are two different collections. Place the samples side by side and you will see the difference we mean.
04 · 6 colours
Textured weave is the name of our fine woven collection. You can see the threads and the small openings between them. If you are looking for more texture in the curtain, view this fabric together with semi-sheer and opaque curtain.
There are six colours: cream white, ivory, ecru, beige, light grey and grey. The fabric still lets light through and is not a darkening curtain. At the bottom we make a stitched 10 cm hem.
05 · 10 colours
Our dense opaque curtain gives the most privacy of these five fabrics. Choose it when being able to see outside is less important, or as a second curtain for the evening.
Dense does not automatically mean dark. Light can still come through this fabric. If you want to darken the bedroom, compare dim out and blackout. Those are different fabrics, with a different purpose.
The drops above are the maximum sizes of the finished curtain. Within that drop, we make the fabrics without vertical seams. Read how that works on floor to ceiling wave curtains.
Start with what you need
The same curtain can be just right at one window and too open at another. So first look at the view, the distance to passers-by and when you want to have the curtains closed.
Compare voile and inbetween. Voile leaves the most view outside. Inbetween makes the window view a little less open, with still plenty of daylight.
Start with voilePlace inbetween, semi-sheer and Textured weave side by side. See how much you can still see through the weave. Bear in mind that the view in changes when the lights go on inside.
Compare the samplesLook at the dense opaque curtain. Would you also like an open fabric in front of the window during the day? With two curtains on separate tracks, you can choose which layer to close at any moment.
View two layers
Light by day, denser in the evening
A voile or inbetween by the window, with a dense opaque curtain in front: that way you keep the daylight during the day and close the second layer in the evening. Both curtains need their own track and enough space for the waves to fall freely.
Does the room also really need to get darker, for example for sleeping? Then choose the second fabric for its darkening. See the difference between opaque curtain, dim out and blackout. Light around the edges remains a point to consider when measuring.
View tracks for wave curtainsFeel and see the difference
With roughly the same shade, it is easier to see the difference in weave. Below are white and cream white, with the colour number. Choose the fabrics you are unsure about. You will find other colours among all free curtain samples; you can request up to 12 samples.
01 white
100 cream white
100 cream white
100 cream white
01 white
Hold the samples side by side at the same window. Look at the openings in the weave and also place them by your wall or floor. A small sample does not show exactly how much privacy a whole curtain gives in the evening. Unsure about your window? Ask us for advice.
Frequently asked questions
From fabric choice to your curtain
Then read the measuring instructions and design your curtain. You choose the colour, 6 or 8 cm wave and the configuration. The price appears as soon as you enter the width.
The fabric determines the openness; the wave determines the folds. See how a wave curtain works and the difference between 6 and 8 cm wave.
From fabric sample to made to measure
