Bedroom curtain ideas for better sleep and style
Double curtains, lined curtains and blockout fabrics for a darker bedroom, plus sheers, headings, tracks and colour pairings that make the room feel finished.
The best bedroom curtain ideas start with a blockout layer for sleep and add a sheer or a heading for style. Double curtains put a sheer and a blockout on two tracks, lined curtains sew a blockout lining behind a sheer on one track, and a blockout curtain works alone for a simple, dark room. Choose by how you use the room: soft light in the morning, privacy at night, or both.
In short
- Double curtains give you a sheer on the front track and a blockout on the rear track, drawn separately.
- Lined curtains sew a blockout lining behind a sheer, so both layers move together on one track.
- Blockout curtains in Galaxy or Epic stop light passing through the cloth, and a wide, high track limits the light at the edges.
- Choose a ceiling fit and a track wider than the window, and choose S Fold for the most popular, relaxed look.
- Sheer curtains alone are for daytime. At night with the lights on, people outside can see in.
Bedroom curtain ideas at a glance
| Idea | How it works | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double curtains | A sheer on the front track and a blockout on the rear track, drawn separately | A soft look by day and a dark room at night | They project 220 to 250 mm from the wall |
| Lined curtains | A blockout lining sewn behind a sheer, moving together on one track | Simple one-track operation | You cannot draw the sheer alone by day |
| Blockout curtains alone | A coated Galaxy or Epic fabric on a single track | The darkest curtain-only room | Fit the track wide and high to limit edge light |
| Sheer curtains alone | Cassis, Cassis Volume or Bali on a single track | Soft daylight and daytime privacy | No night privacy with the lights on |
| Curtains over a roller blind | A roller blind behind, curtains in front | Precise control plus a layered look | Allow wall space for the curtains to stack |
Blackout curtains for the bedroom: how blockout fabrics work
Many people search for "blackout curtains". In Australia the same fabric is called blockout, and it is a coated, opaque cloth that stops light passing through it. Our two blockout curtain fabrics are Galaxy, the heaviest, and Epic, a three-pass coated fabric. Both have a white backing.
A little light can still show at the edges, top and bottom of any curtain. You can reduce it in four ways.
- Choose a ceiling (top) fit, so there is less gap above the curtain than with a wall fit.
- Make the curtain wider than the window, so the edges overlap the wall.
- Add a box pelmet over the track to close the gap above.
- Take the drop to just off the floor, or touching it, to narrow the gap below.
Blockout curtains cannot go in a washing machine. Have them professionally wet cleaned, or hand wash at 40 degrees Celsius at most, and do not tumble dry. There are full steps in how to clean blockout curtains at home.
Browse our blockout curtains for the full colour range.
Double curtains: the hotel look with a sheer front
Double curtains hang two layers on two tracks. The sheer goes on the front track and the blockout on the rear track, and you draw them separately. By day the sheer softens the sun and gives some privacy. At night you draw the blockout.
This is the most flexible bedroom curtain idea, and it is also the fussiest to plan. Double curtains project 220 to 250 mm from the wall, and a built-in pelmet cavity needs 250 mm depth. Check that the bedhead, radiator or wardrobe is not in the way. How to layer sheer and blockout curtains covers the layering in more detail.
Lined curtains: two layers, one track
Lined curtains have a blockout lining sewn behind a sheer, so both layers move together on a single track. They suit a bedroom where you want the room dark and do not want two tracks on the wall. The trade-off is that you cannot open only the sheer by day.
Lined curtains are sold as a separate product from double curtains.
Sheer curtains for the bedroom
Sheer curtains give a bedroom a soft, airy look and some privacy in daylight. We have three: Cassis, a linen-look polyester sheer with a soft natural texture in warm neutrals; Cassis Volume, the same sheer in whites and greys; and Bali, the lightest linen-look sheer. They are linen-look polyester, not linen.
Sheers on their own are for daytime. With the bedroom light on and darkness outside, people outside can see in, so pair them with a blockout layer.
Colours for bedroom curtains
Order free samples and look at them in the bedroom morning and night. To get you started:
- Light and calm. Cassis Volume Snow or Pearl in front, with Epic Chalk or Cloud behind.
- Warm neutrals. Cassis Sand or Fawn in front, with Epic Putty behind.
- Soft colour. Bali Blush is a gentle way to add colour to a sheer.
- Moody and dark. Cassis Volume Charcoal or Bali Onyx in front of Epic Ebony.
- Greys. Epic Smoke, Cobblestone or Pewter for a blockout that sits with grey walls.
Match the sheer to the walls and the blockout to the floor or bedhead. A blockout that is a shade darker than the sheer gives depth without contrast.
Choose a heading for a bedroom
| Heading | Look | Bedroom use |
|---|---|---|
| S Fold | Regular, relaxed waves. The most popular, with the deepest profile | Sheers or blockout, from a ceiling-fixed track |
| Pencil Pleat | A gathered, traditional heading | The rear layer behind an S Fold front |
| Double Pinch Pleat | Two fabric fingers per pinch | A tailored look |
| Triple Pinch Pleat | Three fabric fingers per pinch | A fuller, more formal look |
| Inverted Pleat | A flat front, with the fullness folded behind | A clean, modern look, often as the rear layer |
Some suppliers call S Fold "ripplefold" or "wave". Pencil and inverted pleats are often used as the rear layer behind an S Fold front. We work out the fullness for you, at about 2.0 to 2.75 times the finished width, so you do not multiply the track width yourself.
Tracks, stack-back and clearance
- Ceiling or wall fit. A ceiling (top) fit hides the gap above the curtain and makes the ceiling look higher. S Fold is used with a top fit.
- Designer or Half Moon track. Designer has a plain straight profile. Half Moon has a curved front edge and costs a little more. Colours are silver, black or white.
- Opening. Left, right, centre, or up to two splits. On a bedroom window beside a bed, a one-way opening away from the bed often works best.
- Stack-back. For wall-to-wall windows a one-way curtain stack-back takes about 30 per cent of the track width, and a centre opening about 15 per cent on either side. Leave clear wall for that.
- Wand. You can choose 910 mm, 1520 mm or no wand.
To frame a window, our guide has you add at least 30 per cent to the window width for the track width. Measure with our curtain measuring guide, and for two layers see the double curtains measuring guide.
Length ideas: just off the floor, touching or puddled
- Just off the floor leaves a gap of 5 to 10 mm and is the easiest to live with.
- Touching skims the floor by up to 5 mm for a more tailored look.
- Puddled adds about 20 mm on the floor. Choose it if your floor is uneven and the drops differ by more than 10 mm, because it hides the difference.
Mistakes to avoid
- Choosing a track that is too short. A track wider than the window lets the curtains stack clear of the glass when they are open, so more daylight comes in.
- Forgetting the stack. If a wardrobe or bedside cabinet sits against the wall, the curtains need somewhere to go.
- Ordering by fabric width. Our curtain guide asks for the track width, not the fabric width.
- Skipping samples. A curtain colour that looks neutral in a photo can turn cream or grey in your light.
Motorised curtains and pairing with a blind
A bedroom is a good place for motorised curtains, because a remote by the bed replaces getting up to draw them. Motorised curtains use a battery motor, which needs a charger, or a hardwired motor, and an optional smart hub adds more control. They are not available with free-flow tracks or multiple openings.
If you would rather use a blind alone, or a blind and curtains together, read the best blinds for bedrooms. The full range for the room is on our bedroom blinds page.
Questions
What are the best curtains for a bedroom?
Double curtains or lined curtains give the best mix of daytime softness and night darkness. A blockout curtain in Galaxy or Epic on its own also works if you only need the room dark.
Are blackout curtains the same as blockout curtains?
Yes. Blockout is the Australian name for blackout, and it describes a coated fabric that stops light passing through the cloth. Some light still shows at the edges, top and bottom.
Can sheer curtains work in a bedroom?
They can, for soft daylight and some privacy by day. At night with the lights on, people outside can see in, so add a blockout layer on a second track or choose lined curtains.
What is the difference between double curtains and lined curtains?
Double curtains have a sheer and a blockout on two tracks, drawn separately. Lined curtains have a blockout lining sewn behind a sheer on one track, so both layers move together.
How long should bedroom curtains be?
Just off the floor is the most common finish, leaving a gap of 5 to 10 mm. Touching the floor, which skims up to 5 mm, or a puddled finish of about 20 mm are the other options.
Build your bedroom curtains
Choose the fabric, heading and track for your window and see the price for your measurements.
Keep reading
Room ideasThe best blinds for bedrooms (for sleep and privacy)Blockout, cassette or double roller? How each works in a bedroom, how to cut light gaps and how to choose a control you can reach from bed.
CurtainsHow to layer sheer and blockout curtainsHang the sheer at the front and the blockout behind on a double track, or choose a lining. Here is how to pick fabrics, headings, colours and depth.
Room ideasWhy a darker bedroom can help you sleep (and how to get one)A darker room can make it easier to fall and stay asleep. Here is where bedroom light really comes from and how blockout, fit and layering keep most of it out.
