Curtains have long ceased to perform only the function of protection from the sun and wind. In a modern interior, they are an important element of decor. Curtains are stylistic, accentuate details and help divide rooms into zones while maintaining a feeling of openness and lightness of space.
Cornice is a necessary attribute for decorating the interior with curtains. Increasingly, modern interiors use ceiling cornices for curtains instead of wall ones. This is due to the functional and aesthetic advantages of the design. Ceiling cornices vary in design and are made from different materials. It is important to understand these issues in order to choose the right cornice for your interior.
Benefits of ceiling structures
Ceiling curtain rods have a number of advantages over wall models:
- Visually make the ceiling higher insmall rooms. In this design, the curtains look like an organic continuation of the ceiling and create the effect of spaciousness and openness.
- Suitable for decorating non-standard window openings, niches, bay windows.
- Zoning a room with textiles is possible only when using ceiling cornices.
- Due to the fact that the curtains start right from the ceiling, they better protect the room from wind and sun.
- Great for masking imperfections in windows and walls.
- Design features allow you to create multi-row textile compositions.
- Ceiling curtain rods are diverse in materials, designs and decorations, which allows you to choose a model for any interior style.
Wooden cornices
Wooden models are environmentally friendly and elegant. The main decorative element of wooden ceiling cornices is a natural pattern. Cornices are made of pine, beech, maple, mahogany, wenge. They are tinted or varnished. Wooden cornices look organically in a classic interior, go well with forged trim elements. By design, they are usually made in the form of a rod or a baguette. The latter can be decorated with carvings, gilding, glass and enamel inserts. Individual models of baguette cornices are a real work of art.
Wooden cornices are durable and can withstand the weight of thick curtains, and with the help of a baguette plank, you can hide wall defects abovewindow.
Metal cornices
Metal ceiling curtain rods have gained popularity due to their combination of strength and elegance. They are made of steel and applied with a decorative coating under bronze, brass, gold or chrome. Forged models of ceiling cornices look especially impressive. Photo in the interior is presented below.
Metal cornices can withstand the weight of even the heaviest curtains. Usually they are made in the form of rods or rods. Curtains on grommets look stylish in combination with a metal ceiling cornice. There are models with one or two rods for hanging tulle and curtains.
Aluminum profile models deserve special mention. They are flexible, which allows you to design non-standard openings and highlight areas in the room. They make single and multi-row models. Single-row models are suitable for decorating doorways, double-row ceiling cornices for curtains allow you to hang tulle and curtains, and multi-row models are indispensable for creating complex textile compositions with lambrequins.
Plastic cornices
PVC cornices are not inferior to metal and wood in strength, but they are much cheaper. Ceiling cornices-plinths made of plastic are a tire with guides along which hooks move. Such models are suitable for designing non-standard curved openings due to rotary elements. You can assemble a plastic cornice of any length, while the hooks will not get stuck at the joints. Plastic cornices may haveup to four rows of hooks, which will allow you to hang not only tulle and curtains, but also decorative textile elements. The most popular models are two-row plastic ceiling cornices. They can support the weight of thick curtains, can be painted and are easy to install. Plastic models can be decorated with a baguette bar or used solo. Plastic cornices fit under the stretch ceiling. Ceiling cornice can be mounted in open and hidden form. In the latter version, the curtains will look like a continuation of the ceiling, which will visually increase its height.
Polyurethane cornices
A distinctive feature of polyurethane cornices is their flexibility and plasticity. That allows you to design openings of complex shape and zoning the space. Such products are thin and inconspicuous, which is important for maintaining the openness and lightness of the interior. Polyurethane cornices are mounted using spring latches, self-tapping screws or hangers. Cornices can be decorated with baguette or LED strip.
Roller curtain rods
Decoration of the room with the help of Austrian, Roman, marquise curtains requires the use of curtain rods with a lifting mechanism. They are made of plastic or aluminum and mounted on the ceiling. The curtain is fixed on the cornice with Velcro and rises thanks to the cords in the canvas. The design of the cornice is usually not visible, and it seems that the curtain is falling directly from the ceiling. The place of its attachment can be masked with a decorative bulwark made of wood or plastic. Cornices forlifting curtains can be rigid and flexible. The latter bend only in one plane and are used to design bay window openings. Only one textile sheet can be fixed on such a cornice, therefore, to create multilayer draperies, several independent modules will have to be mounted.
Eaves for sliding curtains
The most popular for interior decoration are curtains that require sliding, therefore there are a large number of types of cornices for sliding curtains. They can be conditionally divided according to the design features into rod, profile and string. Photos of ceiling cornices for sliding curtains are presented below.
Cable rods
Rod cornices are a tube of round, less often square, section, along which rings with clips for fastening curtains move. Tubular models are made of wood, metal or plastic. The length of such cornices is limited to 4 meters, and the use of an intermediate mount is mandatory. An additional plumb line prevents the curtain from moving in this place. Rod cornices are equipped with one or two tubes. Such designs withstand textiles of any weight.
Forged metal cornices look especially elegant. Wooden models are suitable for a classic and Scandinavian interior, and curtains with eyelets on a metal cornice will look spectacular in a loft style.
Profile cornices
To date, the most popular designseaves are precisely profiled. They are made of PVC, polyurethane and aluminum. They are a single or multi-row guide profile along which the hooks move.
PVC models are rigid, but they can be supplemented with swivel structural elements. Due to the modularity, such cornices can be mounted in any length. PVC curtain rods are relatively cheap and can support curtains of any weight. The most practical solution for stretch ceilings is profiled ceiling cornices. Such structures are fastened with self-tapping screws.
Eaves made of polyurethane and aluminum are plastic and suitable for decorating curved openings, but they are single-row. To create multilayer curtains, you need to mount several profiles. These models are mounted on self-tapping screws, spring latches or plumb lines.
Profile models are also convenient because they are equipped with plastic hooks that can be washed with curtains and not be afraid of deformation. Rail models can be supplemented with decorative tape, masked with a baguette strip or installed in a ceiling niche.
String cornices
Such designs are a pair of brackets with a thin metal line stretched between them. The string is tensioned using a special threaded mechanism. String cornices are suitable only for light curtains, but even in this case, the string may sag over time and will have to be tightened. Usually such cornices are equipped with one or two fishing lines. With the help of a string structure, you can create the effect of curtains floating in the air,since the fishing line is almost invisible against the background of textiles. Often, string cornices are complemented with a decorative baguette board. They are cheap and suitable for installation in ceiling niches.
Selection Tips
Before choosing a ceiling cornice, you should decide on the curtains that will decorate the interior.
- Roll-up curtains require an appropriate curtain rod.
- Curved openings will require polyurethane or aluminum flexible models.
- For heavy curtains, all types of cornices are suitable, except for string and polyurethane pendants.
- For multilayer textile compositions, multi-row cornice designs will also be needed.
- Installing rod cornices in the ceiling niche does not make sense, because all decorative elements will be hidden. Profile and string structures are better suited for these purposes.
- It is important to consider the width of the window opening and the wall.
- You should check the availability of all accessories when buying a curtain rod.
- If you plan to install on a stretch ceiling, it is important to provide and install a substrate for the eaves in advance.
- The cornice should match the overall style of the interior.
Installation
Installation of ceiling structures is quite simple, and any man can handle it. To install the cornice, you will need a puncher, screwdriver, tape measure, pencil, dowels and self-tapping screws. Installation can be made open and hidden. In the latter case, the cornice is installed in the ceiling niche formed after the installation of a tension or suspensionceiling. The eaves can also be installed overhead directly on the stretch ceiling. In this case, it is necessary to provide a wooden substrate between the base ceiling and the stretch fabric, on which the ceiling cornice will be installed.
First of all, you need to mark the ceiling and cornice. 5 cm is added to the width of the window sill - this is the distance to the structure from the wall. Find the middle of the ceiling and cornice. If it is planned to install a long rod cornice, an additional bracket will be attached in the middle. Depart from the middle ½ of the length of the eaves. Determine the extreme attachment points. For tubular and string models, 2-3 mounting points are sufficient. Profile cornices require fasteners every 20-30 cm in length. Mark holes for dowels and drill holes with a puncher. If the cornice is installed on a mounting substrate, a screwdriver and self-tapping screws are sufficient.
At the next stage, the brackets are fixed, if they are provided for by the design, and the bar with rings is hung. The profile cornice is screwed to the ceiling according to the markings. A fishing line is stretched on the string cornice.
Next, plugs are installed and decorative elements are hung: baguette tape or plank.
Done! You can hang curtains!
Ceiling cornices have gained popularity due to ease of installation, variety of design solutions and aesthetic appearance. They are made of metal, wood and polymeric materials. Ceiling cornices are used to decorate window openings of any shape andzoning the premises with textile partitions. There are designs for hanging and sliding curtains. The latter are rod, string and profile. Profile designs have become especially popular. Such cornices allow you to hang curtains in several layers, withstand a lot of weight, are easy to install and are distinguished by a variety of designs. Rod cornices are a classic, they are suitable for heavy textiles. And the strings are indispensable for creating a light and open interior.
