Sheer curtain ideas for Australian homes

The best sheer curtain ideas share three things: hang them high and wide, give them enough fullness to fall in soft folds, and choose a colour that sits close to your walls so the light does the work. Our sheers, Cassis, Cassis Volume and Bali, are linen-look polyester in warm neutrals, whites and greys, through to blush, taupe and black.

Modern sheer curtain ideas

Modern sheer curtains tend to be simple: fewer patterns, calmer colours, and a strong line from ceiling to floor. These are the ideas that work best in Australian homes, where the light is strong and the windows are often wide.

Take them to the ceiling

Fixing the track to the ceiling and hanging the curtain to just off the floor makes the room feel taller, and hides the join between wall and window. It suits sliding doors, high ceilings and long walls of glass. Our guide to floor-to-ceiling curtains covers the planning in detail.

Go wider than the window

When you plan the track, make it at least 30 per cent wider than the window, as our curtain measuring guide advises. That gives room for the curtains to stack beside the glass rather than in front of it, and makes the window look larger. You enter the track width, not the fabric width, and the configurator works out the fullness, which runs from about 2.0 to 2.75 times the finished width.

Choose a heading for the mood

S Fold is our most popular heading and gives regular, even waves, the look most people picture with a modern sheer. Pencil pleat gives a closer, gathered heading, and pinch pleat gives a tailored, pleated one. Whichever you choose, the fabric does the rest: sheers fall softly and catch the light in the folds.

Hide the track

If you would rather not see the track, a fabric-covered bonded pelmet hides it and frames the window. Ceiling fit does much of the same job with no pelmet at all.

Coloured sheer curtains

Coloured sheers do not have to be bold. Most people pick a sheer a shade away from the wall colour, so the fabric looks like light rather than a feature. Here are starting points by mood.

"Linen" in Cassis Linen is a colour name, not the material. The fabrics are polyester.

Darker sheers look different with the light behind them, and pale colours can look almost white by day and warmer by lamp light. That is why samples matter.

Sheer curtains for the living room

Sheers are made for living rooms: they soften glare, keep the view and let the room stay bright.

• Sliding doors. A ceiling-fixed track over a sliding door lets the sheer cover the whole opening. Plan the stack so it sits beside the door, not in front of it, and see our page on blinds for sliding doors for other options.
• A blind behind. A sheer curtain in front of a roller blind gives you a second layer of control. A SunScreen blind cuts glare while keeping the view, and the sheer softens the room. SunScreen is a daytime privacy fabric, not a night one. Our guide on how to match curtain colours with your blinds helps you coordinate the two.
• Two layers for evenings. Double curtains put a blockout on the rear track and the sheer at the front, so you can draw the blockout when the lights come on. They project 220 to 250 mm from the wall, so check the depth first.

Sheers outsell blockout curtains roughly three to one for us, and living areas are where most of them go.

Sheer curtains for the bedroom

A sheer on its own is not a bedroom privacy solution. By day it gives some privacy, but at night with the lights on people outside can see in, and it does nothing to darken the room. You have three good options:

1. Double curtains. Blockout at the rear, sheer in front, each drawn separately. Best if you want the sheer alone by day. See double curtains.
2. Lined curtains. A blockout lining sewn behind the sheer on one track, so they move together. Best for a single track and simple operation. See lined curtains and our comparison of lined or unlined curtains.
3. A blockout blind behind. A blockout roller blind in the recess and a sheer curtain in front. See our bedroom blinds page.

Blockout, which many people search for as blackout, stops light passing through the cloth; a little light can still show at the edges.

How to style sheer curtains

A few decisions make sheers look considered rather than like an afterthought:

• Go high and wide. Ceiling fit or a track well above the frame, and at least 30 per cent wider than the window.
• Choose the hem. Just off the floor is 5 to 10 mm short, touching skims the floor by up to 5 mm, and puddled rests on it. Pick one and record it with your measurements.
• Let the fabric fall. Sheers look best with generous fullness, and you do not need to work it out. You enter the track width, and the configurator handles the rest.
• Match the track. Tracks come in white, silver and black. White suits most ceilings, and black can frame a window like a feature.
• Keep the palette calm. Sheer curtains work best when the colour sits close to the walls, floor or window frame.
• Layer with intent. A blind behind gives glare control, and a blockout behind gives night privacy.

Mistakes to avoid with sheer curtains

• A track the same width as the window. The curtain then stacks in front of the glass when open. Go wider so the window stays clear.
• Choosing colour from a screen. Sheers change with the light behind them. Order samples first.
• Ignoring window furniture. Check that handles, winders and any blind chain clear the curtain before you fix the track.
• Forgetting the stack on a sliding door. Make sure the open curtain does not sit over the doorway.
• Machine washing. Our sheers are hand wash only, in warm water, with no bleach, rubbing or wringing. Drip dry by the hooks in the shade, and use a warm iron (under 150 °C) if needed. Check the care label first.

Choosing your sheer in five steps

1. Decide the night plan. If you need privacy or darkness, plan a blockout layer now: double, lined or a blind.
2. Pick a colour family. Warm (Cassis), white and grey (Cassis Volume) or lightest and widest range (Bali).
3. Order free samples. Hold them up to the window and against your walls, floor and window frame. Free samples are one order, one checkout.
4. Choose a heading and track. S Fold for regular waves, pencil or pinch pleat for tailored, and Designer or Motorised track.
5. Measure and order. Follow the curtain measuring guide for your track width and drop, and enter exactly what it asks for.

For a wider look at the range, see our sheer curtains page.

Questions

Do sheer curtains give privacy?

Some, by day. A sheer softens the view in from outside, but at night with the lights on people outside can see in. For night privacy add a blockout layer, either as double curtains or as lined curtains.

Which of your sheer curtain fabrics is the lightest?

Bali is our lightest linen-look sheer. Cassis has a soft natural texture in warm neutrals, and Cassis Volume is the same sheer in whites and greys.

Can I have coloured sheer curtains?

Yes. Beyond whites and neutrals, Bali offers Blush, Taupe, Onyx, Black and Thunder, and Cassis Volume includes Charcoal. Order samples and view them at different times of day.

Can I hang sheer curtains in front of blinds?

Yes. A sheer on its own track can hang in front of a roller blind, with the blind handling glare or night privacy and the sheer softening the room. Check that the curtain clears the blind's chain and any window handles before you fix the track.