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White curtains
White curtains: light without a tint
White is the most requested colour for curtains, and it's not for lack of imagination. It's the only one that doesn't interfere: light passes through it without changing tone, so the room keeps its colours just as they are. Any other colour tints what it lights, even if only slightly.
There are several compositions and several opacities in white, and each model states its own on its product page. White is also the colour where you can best see the texture of any fabric, because there's no colour to hide it: in the linen ones, a blend of 70% viscose and 30% linen, the weave shows in full detail against the light.
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Change to the room's colours. White doesn't tint.
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Sense of space. It's the colour that stretches a wall the most.
Texture
In white you see all of it. There's no colour to hide it.
Why white works in any room
It's the easy answer, but the reasons are specific and worth knowing, because they also explain when it's not the best choice.
It makes the room feel bigger
A curtain is the largest textile surface in the room, and white is the colour with the least visual weight. The result is that the window wall doesn't close in: the curtain blends into it instead of drawing a dark rectangle. In small or dim rooms, this is what makes the biggest difference.
It doesn't compete with anything
If the living room already has a patterned sofa, pictures or a rug with a design, a white curtain lets everything else breathe. It's also the choice that ages best: when you change the cushions, the rug or the sofa, the curtain will still work. A strong colour at the window forces everything else to agree with it.
It multiplies the light coming in
White reflects rather than absorbs, so the light that reaches the curtain bounces back into the room instead of staying in the fabric. It's especially useful in north-facing rooms, where natural light is scarce and cold: a white curtain spreads it instead of swallowing it.
| White | Beige and ecru | |
|---|---|---|
| Effect on light | Reflects it without tinting | Warms it |
| Feel | Space, brightness | Warmth, cosiness |
| Ideal orientation | North, little light | North, cold light |
| Goes with | Anything | Wood, earthy tones |
Both are neutrals and both work. The difference is that white brightens and beige warms.
White sheer curtains and heavier white curtains
In white, opacity changes the product more than in any other colour, because a fine white and a dense white look nothing alike when hung.
Translucent white is the classic sheer
It's the image almost everyone has of a white curtain: fine fabric that moves in the breeze and lets diffused light through. It filters the midday sun and gives privacy by day, though at night you can see inside with the lights on. See sheer curtains.
Heavier white hangs differently
A denser white doesn't filter, it holds. It hangs straight, the folds keep their shape and the room gains some privacy at night too. It's the white to choose if the curtain is going to be the main piece at the window rather than a layer over another.
How to keep white white
Shaking it out every few weeks and washing it two or three times a year keeps the tone better than one harsh wash a year. It's the routine that best keeps white bright.
And no bleach, however tempting: it yellows the fibres in the medium term and the result is the opposite of what you want. Check the label before the first wash, because not all fabrics can go in the washing machine, and hang the curtain while still damp to avoid ironing.
Frequently asked questions about white curtains
Why is white the most popular colour for curtains?
Because it's the only one that doesn't interfere with light: light passes through without changing tone, so the room keeps its colours. It also makes the room look bigger, reflects light rather than absorbing it and doesn't compete with anything you already have.
How do I keep white from yellowing?
Shaking it out every few weeks and washing it two or three times a year works better than one harsh wash a year. And no bleach: it yellows the fibres in the medium term, exactly the opposite of what you want. Hang it while still damp and you'll skip the ironing.
Can you see through a white curtain?
It depends on the opacity, not the colour. A translucent white blocks the view by day, but at night, with the lights on inside, you can see in. A heavier white gives privacy at night too. Each product's opacity is shown on its product page.
White or beige?
White brightens and adds space, and it's the one to choose if the room needs light or already has plenty of colour. Beige warms the light as it passes through and adds cosiness, and it's better in north-facing rooms where natural light is cold, or to pair with wood and earthy tones.
What fabric are they made of?
There are several compositions in white, and each model states its own on its product page, along with its opacity level and washing instructions. They include the linen ones, in a blend of 70% viscose and 30% linen: the linen brings the irregular texture and the viscose the drape. In white, that texture shows better than in any other colour, because there's no colour to hide it.
Can I adjust the length without sewing?
Yes. Each curtain comes with iron-on hemming tape: fold the hem wherever you want, place the tape inside the fold and iron it. It stays in place after washing and the seam doesn't show on the outside. It can't be lengthened, so measure first.
Are they made in Spain?
Yes. They're designed in our studio in Cocentaina (Alicante) and made in workshops in Spain.
Design notes
From our creative studio in Cocentaina, Alicante
The white that isn't just oneThere isn't one white, there are many, and in a curtain the difference between them shows more than in any other textile. A cool white leans blue when light passes through it; a warm one leans ivory. Neither looks white next to the other.
The team chooses the white with the window behind it and at different times of day: how it behaves in north light, whether the tone holds at sunset and what happens when the fabric folds into pleats. A white that looks right on the table can turn greyish when hung.
Aitana · Happyfriday Design Team
Creative studio · Cocentaina, Spain
Made in Spain
Every piece is designed in our studio in Cocentaina (Alicante) and made in workshops in Spain. All our textiles are certified OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 Class I: AITEX, an independent laboratory, tests them for substances harmful to health.
Own design
Made in Spain
OEKO-TEX® Class I
