A Guide to Popular Curtain Headers and Pleats

As an interior decor enthusiast, you must be wondering about how you can give the perfect finish to your rooms through curtains. There’s just so many to choose from! However, the most important step in finding the right curtains- aside from picking your fabric- is choosing the right header style. This is because the way your curtains are hung or pleated will directly influence the way they look in your room. 

Before we dive into the most suitable curtain headers and pleats for your premise, here are some key terms to familiarise yourself with: 

A curtain’s fullness or gathers refers to the depth of its ‘waves’ when hung. To determine how deep you want your curtain waves to be, you’ll have to take into account how flat or curved they will become when in discussion with your curtain expert. In the soft furnishings industry, we describe this as determining the fullness of your curtains and is measured between 150%, 200%, and 300%, with 200% being the standard. The curtain gathers refer to how the curtains stack or fold when you pull them open to the side. 

Curtain rods and tracks provide different functional and decorative purposes in the curtain set. Curtain rods are clearly visible poles that a curtain hangs from. They are finished with decorative ends that are held up by supporting brackets fixed to the walls. Curtain tracks, on the other hand, are designed to be hidden by the curtains or wall features to give your window treatments a floating appearance- they can also be motorised! 

Learn how different types of curtain pleats can up the ante of the room. Our managing director, Benson Ng gives you a quick rundown on the speciality of each pleat you need to know as an interior designer. Follow us on YouTube, Tiktok, and Instagram for more!

Here are 6 curtain headers and pleats styles that you can explore with Curtain Library by Crystalace!

1. Single Pleat

The Single Pleat is a popular curtain header amongst our younger clientele that are inspired by the serene and simple design principles found in Japanese or Minimalist interiors. This is because of the way it influences the curtain’s waves, creating a near flat curtain. With that in mind, this pleat works best with a lighter, thinner fabric. 

We explored this pleated style with world-renowned Dutch designer, Piet Boon, on our Aira Residence Showroom project, where we crafted motorised Single Pleat curtains to have 150% fullness, paired with double-layer sheer roman blinds.

2. Ripplefold Curtains

The Ripplefold curtain, a.k.a the S fold or Wave pleat, as its name suggests, creates deep waves in your fabric- without any visible pleating or hooks. This creates a flat panel effect that makes the curtains look almost like blinds and have a similar effect as the Eyelet Curtains. This effect is successfully achieved from the way the header is designed, as seen in the photo above, where the curtains’ hooks are hemmed right at the edge of the cloth. This sewing technique means that this header style requires a different track system as compared to more conventional curtain types. 

A curtain with a Ripplefold header can be used with 3 different sizes of curtain fullness, more specifically with 200%, 250%, and 300% fullness. Therefore, this style has an added feature in making your curtains look as though they are floating above the ground in soft, broad panels. Because of this full and elegant look, we received more enquiries about this design from our hotel and luxury home clientele! 

3. Double Pleat

The Double Pleat, a.k.a The Singapore Pleat, is a more contemporary version of the French Pleat that gives a sleek look to your home. This pleat is a nice middle ground between the Single and Triple (also known as the French) Pleat as it is able to hold full and thick curtains, while still being easy to maintain and reinstall. At 200% fullness, this pleat allows the curtain to gather into straight, consistent folds.

4. French Pleat

The French Pleat, sometimes called the Triple Pleat, is a timeless decorative curtain header. This pleating style brings out the fullness of your curtain fabric at 200%, up to 250% fullness, no matter its material, print, length, colour or texture. This is because this style is easy to be altered to suit the requirements of our clients, providing flexibility in adjusting curtain width.

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5. Eyelets (aka the Ring Top Curtain)

The Eyelet Curtain, a.k.a the Ring Top Curtain or the Grommet Curtain, is a modern curtain header that uses metal or wooden rings (called grommets) on the edge of the curtain fabric itself to hold it up, instead of hooks. To further style this look, a decorative curtain rod can be threaded through the ring. This combination is particularly popular with our condo clients, as they see it as a very novel and unique way of complimenting their favourite fabric prints. With that being said, this header is not so suitable for double volume windows, as you will have to take down the entire rod to remove the curtain for maintenance. 

This retro-modern design gives your curtains a flat panel effect with deep waves and was very popular a few years back. We’ve noticed an evolution of this trend, where hotel clients or interior designers choose Ripplefold curtains to achieve the same wave but used with a curtain track system. Therefore, the Ripplefold and Eyelet curtains are closely related in terms of how they influence the overall look and feel of your room.

6. Scallops (aka the Scarves and Swags Curtain)

Scallops, a.k.a the Scarves and Swag curtain, is the arched curtain scarf that hangs at the top of a curtain set, either on its own or paired with another set of curtains. They are a decorative window valance and are popular in modern Malay houses inspired by the royal British colonial look.

Either on its own or paired with a proper curtain set, this window treatment can make a window look wider than it actually is. That’s why this curtain header is usually put up for special occasions, such as for weddings, used for stage curtains and paired with French Pleat curtains. 

Still pondering on which curtain headers or pleats would be most suitable for your interior decor project? That’s where Curtain Library comes in. Our team of curtain experts have worked with a wide range of clients from hotels, to world-class interior designers, to eager homeowners, and corporate offices. Therefore, our consultants know exactly what is best in customising curtains for you.

Book an appointment now to have our consultant guide you through our curtain customisation process!