Lining is the layer nobody sees and the layer that changes the most. It affects how much light comes through, how private the room feels after dark, how the curtain hangs and how much the finished pair weighs.
This guide explains what each lining changes in the room. It deliberately avoids putting numbers on any of it, because performance depends on the fabric, the make-up and how the curtains are fitted, and a figure quoted out of that context is worth very little.
Why lining matters more than it looks
An unlined curtain is a single layer of fabric. Light passes through it, the weave shows against a bright window, and the fabric has only its own weight to hang by.
Add a lining and four things change at once. Less daylight comes through. The face fabric is shielded from direct sun. The curtain gains body, so it falls in fuller, more settled folds. And it gets heavier, which is a hardware question as much as a curtain one.
That last point catches people out. Lining, and interlining on top of it, can change what pole or track the window needs. It is worth deciding the lining before finalising the hardware rather than after.
Standard lining
The everyday choice, and the right one more often than people expect. A plain lining fabric is made up behind the face fabric across the full width and drop of the curtain.
It gives you a more finished curtain: better drape, more privacy at night, and some protection for the face fabric from the sun. It also tidies the view from outside, since all the windows read as the same lining colour rather than a mix of face fabrics.
Choose it for sitting rooms, dining rooms, hallways and any room where you want the curtains to look right without needing the room dark.
Blackout lining
Our blackout lining is a three-pass lining: a woven base carrying three layers of coating, which is what stops daylight passing through the cloth itself. Bedrooms, nurseries and rooms used for sleeping in daylight hours are where it earns its place.
Be realistic about what any curtain can do. Light comes round the sides of a curtain, over the top and under the hem as well as through the fabric, so the darkness you actually get depends on how the curtains are fitted at least as much as on the lining. A curtain hung close to the wall on a track, made generously wide and dropped below the sill, will darken a room far better than a narrow pair on a pole set forward from the window, whatever lining is inside them. We do not put a percentage on any lining, because the number that matters to you is how dark your room actually goes, and that is settled at the window rather than in the fabric.
A blackout lining is also noticeably heavier and stiffer than a standard one, so expect a firmer handle and factor the extra weight into the hardware.
Thermal lining
A lining intended to improve comfort at the window by adding a layer between the glass and the room. In practice it works alongside everything else at that window: the glazing, how close the curtain sits to the wall, whether it reaches the floor and whether it covers the frame.
What you tend to notice is the draught, or the absence of it. A well made lined curtain, closed at dusk and fitted so it sits close to the wall, makes the area around the window feel less cold to sit near.
We do not publish insulation figures for linings, and we would treat any we were handed with caution, because a figure measured on a piece of fabric says very little about a fitted window. Judge it on what you notice in the room instead, and on whether the curtain is made and fitted to sit close to the wall.
Interlining
A soft layer sandwiched between the face fabric and the lining. It is the traditional way to make a curtain feel substantial, and it changes the curtain more than any other option here.
An interlined curtain hangs in deep, rounded folds, holds its shape when drawn back, and softens the light and sound of a room in a way that is easier to feel than to describe. It also insulates the window a little better, simply because there is more between you and the glass.
The trade-offs are weight and bulk. Interlined curtains are heavy, they take up more room when stacked open, and they demand hardware chosen to carry them. We offer interlining on made-to-measure curtains, and it can go beneath any of our linings. On a very wide or very tall window, ask us before you order so we can check the pole or track will carry the finished weight.
Choosing by room
- Bedrooms. Light control usually leads. Consider a blackout lining, and think about the fitting as much as the fabric.
- Sitting rooms. Drape and appearance usually lead. Standard lining, or interlining where you want real weight.
- Dining rooms. Mostly used after dark, so privacy and the look of the folds matter more than daylight.
- Kitchens and bathrooms. Practicality leads. Keep the make-up simple and check what the lining will tolerate in a damp room.
- Landings and hallways. Often about how the window looks from outside as much as in.
To work through this room by room, see curtains by room. For a shorter overview of the same decision, read choosing curtain linings.
Practical points before you decide
Lining and face fabric are different materials, so they can respond differently to cleaning. We recommend dry cleaning for lined and interlined curtains, and the care instructions supplied with the finished pair are the ones to follow.
Standard, blackout and thermal linings can be specified with any of our made-to-measure fabrics, and interlining can be added beneath any of them, so the lining decision does not narrow your choice of cloth. Do check the heading, though, because a heavier lined curtain behaves differently at the top. The curtain headings guide covers that side of it.
Next step
When the lining is settled, take it into made-to-measure curtains along with your fabric and heading. Browse linings and interlinings if you are making the curtains yourself.
If you are stuck between two options for a particular room, a free design consultation is the quickest way through it. Tell us the room, the window and what is bothering you about the light, and we will tell you what we would specify.