Sheer Curtains

Sheer curtains in fine polyester voile at 60 gsm, woven at a 5% openness factor, on a 118 in. wide loom so any drop up to 108 in. can be railroaded with no horizontal seam. Our sheer curtains carry the openness-factor specification most brands hide, come in 54 in. panels from 63 to 120 in., and hang on the inner track of a double system beside our lined and blackout ranges. Why the openness factor is the only number that matters on sheer curtains A sheer curtain is a filter, and every filter has a specification. In the contract textile trade that number is the openness factor: the percentage of the fabric’s surface area that is space between yarns rather than yarn. It is measured, it is printed on every commercial roller blind fabric sold to an architect, and it is almost never given to a domestic buyer — who is instead offered adjectives. The scale is short and it is worth learning. At 10% you have a true voile: you can read a number plate through it, the view survives, and after dark the room is on display. At 5% the view softens into shape and color, and a person outside sees movement rather than detail. At 3% the cloth reads as a translucent wall — light comes through beautifully and the view has gone entirely. Why we spec our sheer curtains at 5% This range is woven at 5%, which is the figure that does the job most people actually want: it holds the daylight, softens what is outside without deleting it, and gives genuine privacy from a street during daylight hours. The 3% and 10% cloths are available on the custom service if you want the extremes. The physical fact about sheer curtains at night Every sheer shares one physical fact that no cloth can change, and shops should say it. Privacy through a sheer depends entirely on which side is brighter. During the day the outside is brighter, so the panel reads opaque from the street. At night, with a lamp on, that reverses completely and the sheer shows the room in silhouette. Sheers are a daytime layer. The night layer is the curtain behind them. Construction: railroaded on a 118 in. loom for seamless drops Which is why these are cut to hang on the inner track of a double system, and why the drops match our lined and blackout ranges exactly. Cloth is a fine polyester voile at 60 gsm, woven on a 118 in. wide loom so any drop up to 108 in. can be railroaded with no horizontal seam. Weighted with a fine sewn-in cord rather than a chain, which would show through. Sizes, headings and colors 3 in. rod pocket, pinch pleat or grommet. 54 in. panels, drops 63 to 120 in. Alabaster, Bone, Fog Gray, Sage, Blush and Ochre. Cold wash, hang damp straight back onto the rod and the creases fall out under the cloth’s own weight in an hour. Sheer curtain size guide DropWhere it works 63 in.Sill-length window 84 in.Standard window with rod above the frame 96 in.Floor-length on 8-ft ceiling 108 in.Railroaded seamlessly on our loom 120 in.Ceiling-track or tall window (seamed once) How to care for your sheer curtains Cold machine wash on gentle Hang damp straight back onto the rod — creases fall out in an hour under the cloth’s own weight Skip the dryer — heat weakens the fine voile weave Skip fabric softener — coats fiber and dulls sheen Frequently asked questions Do sheer curtains give privacy at night? No. Privacy through a sheer depends on the outside being brighter than inside. At night with a lamp on the room is on display. Sheers are a daytime layer; the night layer is the curtain behind them. What openness factor should I choose for sheer curtains? 5% is the sweet spot for most rooms — softens the view without deleting it. 10% for full transparency, 3% for privacy right into the evening. Can sheer curtains hang alone? They can, in a room where you don’t need night privacy or blackout. In a bedroom or street-facing living room, pair them on a double track with a lined or blackout layer behind. Do sheer curtains crease? Slightly, and they fall out on the rod in an hour under the cloth’s own weight after washing. No ironing needed. Complete the window Pair on a double track with our linen curtains or blackout curtains for the night layer, and add coordinated throw pillows for the room.