CURTAIN ADVICE
Five studio curtain mistakes—and how to avoid them
Avoid confusing absorption with soundproofing, measuring the wrong width, ignoring folds, overlooking light gaps and underspecifying tracks.
Originally published 2025-05-01 · Updated 19 October 2026
1. Buying a promise without the test setup
An absorption class belongs to a tested assembly. Keep the fabric identity, fullness, layers and cavity beside the rating, and do not translate it into a room-wide noise reduction percentage.
2. Measuring the window instead of the coverage
The curtain may need to cover beyond the opening and stack clear of it. Measure the planned track coverage and define the finished cloth drop. Confirm returns and overlaps separately rather than assuming they are included.
3. Treating fullness as spare fabric
At 100% fullness, the flat cloth width is twice the covered width before hems and seams. Folds are part of the construction; changing the heading or fullness may change both the cutting plan and the relevance of the test evidence.
4. Forgetting the light around the edges
Even a blackout fabric cannot close a gap beside a track. Plan the top, sides and centre with the actual track arrangement. Test a sample for the intended lighting or projection use.
5. Choosing hardware from face-fabric weight alone
Include lining, heading, carriers and operating forces. Track selection, support spacing and fixings depend on the complete system and the structure available on site.
Evidence & next steps
Use the original manufacturer specifications and test reports for the selected material. The testing section keeps results beside their installation conditions; the document library links to the source PDFs. These guides support specification and do not certify a particular room or installation.