Curtain styles

Curtains for Terrace and Link Houses: Street Privacy, West Sun, Sliding Doors and Stairwells

Curtains for terrace and link houses: privacy from the street, hot west-facing rooms, sliding doors to the porch, tall stairwell windows and kitchens.

By the JOTEX Fabrics product teamUpdated 3 min read

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Short answer

In a terrace or link house, use a sheer and dimout on a double track for street-facing rooms, and blackout or blackout-lined curtains for upstairs bedrooms in the afternoon sun. Use seamless wide fabric for sliding doors to the porch. Tall stairwell windows need a fabric width that covers the drop, a strong track and a motor or wand. Kitchens suit washable polyester or a blind.

Room by room

RoomChallengeSuggestion
Living room facing the streetPassers-by and neighbours see inSheer with a dimout on a double track
Sliding door to the porchWide glass, daily useS-fold in wide fabric, extended past the frame
Upstairs bedroomsAfternoon sun, early sunriseBlackout or blackout-lined curtains
Stairwell windowTall and hard to reachSheer or dimout; consider a motor or a fixed dress curtain
Kitchen and wet areasGrease, steam and moistureWashable polyester, shorter lengths, or a blind
Study or home officeScreen glareDimout

How do you get privacy from the street?

Front rooms in a terrace row face the road and the houses opposite. A sheer stops casual views by day, but at night, with lights on, people can see through it. A dimout in front gives full privacy in the evening. See Layered Curtains and Blackout vs Dimout vs Sheer.

Good to know

Many owners keep street-facing sheers white or ivory, so the house looks tidy from outside whatever colour the main curtains are inside.

How do you keep a west-facing terrace room cool?

  • West-facing rooms get the hottest afternoon sun; a coated blackout or a blackout lining cuts heat the most. See Curtains That Reduce Heat.
  • Line sunny curtains so the face fabric fades more slowly. See Curtain Lining.
  • Take curtains to the floor and past the frame to close the gaps where heat and light get in.

Sliding doors and wide openings

Sliding doors to the porch or garden are wide and used every day. Extra-wide fabric turned sideways makes one seamless curtain across the whole opening, and an S-fold heading on a track glides easily. Extend the track so the open curtain clears the door. See Curtains for Sliding Doors and Railroaded Fabric Explained.

Stairwells and double-height windows

Renovated terraces often have a tall window over the staircase or a double-height living room. Check that the drop fits within the fabric width, fix the track to something solid, and plan how to open it: a motor, a wand, or a fixed dress curtain. See Curtains for High Ceilings.

Dimouts for terrace house living rooms

Dimouts in the JOTEX range, updated from the catalogue. See the dimout fabric page.

Browse dimout fabric →

Frequently asked questions

What curtains give privacy from the street?

A sheer for daytime and a dimout in front for night, on a double track. A sheer alone can be seen through with the lights on.

How do I keep a west-facing terrace bedroom cool?

Use a coated blackout or blackout-lined curtain, take it to the floor and past the window, and close it before the afternoon sun reaches the glass.

What curtains suit a sliding door to the porch?

S-fold curtains in extra-wide fabric on a track that extends past the door, so the curtain is seamless and clears the opening.

How do I hang curtains on a tall stairwell window?

Check the drop against the fabric width, fix a strong track, and use a motor or wand, or hang a fixed dress curtain that does not need to be drawn.

Curtain maker, upholsterer or designer?

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