Buying guide

Clarke and Clarke Curtains: Designs and How to Choose

How to choose Clarke and Clarke curtains by design family, fabric texture, lining, heading style and made-to-measure room fit.

British Made Interiors18 July 2026

Choose Clarke and Clarke curtains by matching the design family and fabric texture to your room style first, then checking light control, privacy, lining, heading compatibility and made-to-measure fit before ordering fabric samples through our Clarke and Clarke curtain range.

Clarke and Clarke made-to-measure curtains are a strong choice if you want designer fabric, a broad mix of botanical, floral, geometric, plain, neutral and contemporary looks, and a swatch-led way to choose curtains made to your sizes and style. Avoid choosing by pattern alone. Bedrooms, privacy needs, wave headings and heavier finishes all need practical checks before you order.

Key Takeaways

Start with the room mood: soft, bold, calm, traditional or modern.
Then compare fabric texture, because velvet, cotton, semi-sheer and bouclé can change how strong the curtains feel in the room.^[7]
Treat lining and heading style as part of the choice, not as afterthoughts.
Our Clarke and Clarke curtains are made to measure in our Yorkshire workroom, with fabric samples available before you order.^[1]
The Clarke and Clarke made-to-measure curtain page says the range comes with a 10 year guarantee^[1]; check the guarantee terms before relying on it for your order.

What Clarke and Clarke curtain designs should you compare?

Compare Clarke and Clarke design families by room mood: botanicals and florals for softer or more traditional rooms, geometrics and bolder prints for contemporary rooms, and quieter woven or neutral fabrics for calmer interiors. Jane Clayton describes the wider Clarke and Clarke made-to-measure curtain range as mixing tradition with contemporary style, including classic geometrics, bold maximalist prints, elegant florals and sophisticated neutrals.^[6]

If your sitting room already has strong artwork, a plain or small-scale woven fabric may sit better than a large botanical. If the room is simple and needs a focal point, a geometric velvet-chenille or large floral can add more intent. House Decor Interiors’ Clarke and Clarke listings show how shoppers may compare options by colour, design and fabric type, including contemporary Effetto fabrics in Mineral, Ivory, Denim and Charcoal.^[4] Other listings show botanical and bolder colour choices such as Leiden Fabric in Blush/Sage and Attingham Fabric in Cobalt.^[5]

The safe rule is simple: do not let the brand name choose the fabric for you. Use the design family to cut down the range, then order samples so you can see the colour and pattern against your walls, flooring and sofa fabric.

Choosing Clarke and Clarke fabric options: pattern, texture and finish

Choose Clarke and Clarke fabric textures by the finish you want in the room. Velvets, cottons, semi-sheers and bouclés can create very different visual weight, so texture should be checked alongside colour and pattern rather than after them.^[7]

A velvet or velvet-chenille can feel rich and strong, which suits a confident living room or dining room. House Decor Interiors’ examples include Kupka fabrics in Peacock, Ivory, Copper and Bronze, described as geometric velvet-chenille fabrics.^[8] A quieter cotton, woven or neutral fabric can be better when you want the curtains to frame the window without taking over the scheme. Newer listed options such as Kalpa in Spice and Teal show how colour alone can change the feel of a made-to-measure shortlist.^[9]

For more help judging texture, our page on creating texture with curtains and soft furnishings is a useful next read. It can help you decide whether the room needs softness, contrast or a more layered finish.

Henley Charcoal Made To Measure Curtain — A single Clarke and Clarke fabric option can be a useful starting point for comparing colour, pattern and room feel before you build a sample shortlist.

Match the curtain to the room: light, privacy, body and heading style

If the room needs less light or more privacy, treat lining as part of the Clarke and Clarke curtain choice from the start. This is most obvious in bedrooms, but it can also matter in a snug, nursery, street-facing lounge or TV room. We explain that Blackout lining is great for bedrooms and any space where allowing less light to enter is beneficial. It has three layers of fabric bonded together to block out intrusive light, this is known as a triple pass blackout. Our blackout lining comes in a classy ivory colour.^[1] For more detail, use our curtain linings explained page.

For room fit, balance the visual strength of the fabric with practical needs such as blackout lining for bedrooms, interlining for more body and compatible headings for the finished look. For interlining, We offer two types of interlining. Heavyweight curtain interlining which is made up of very a dense cotton and creates a thick barrier. Lightweight curtain interlining which is made of a synthetic material and not as dense; it adds body without adding weight.^[1]

Heading style can set a boundary too. House Decor Interiors gives a useful market example for eyelet choice, listing 2 sizes; 40mm eyelets suitable for pole diameter up to 35mm and 66mm eyelets for those larger poles up to 50mm^[2], which shows why hardware details matter. For wave curtains, we explain that Wave is a relatively modern curtain style. specialist tape and tracks are used to give a winding wave like heading. A wave track is required to get the most out of Wave curtains.^[1] If the heading choice is still open, our guide to curtain heading styles will help you narrow it down.

For patterned fabrics, ask how pattern matching will be handled and inspect the curtains when they arrive. In a Trustpilot review, Eleanor Griffin described a pattern-match issue and the need to send photos and chase support. Treat this as one person’s experience, not a typical outcome; the practical step is to document any issue promptly and clearly.^[11]

Keep the choice curtain-specific: when not to turn this into a blinds decision

Clarke and Clarke curtains are the right focus when you want full-length, made-to-measure window dressing. Roman blinds and cushions may use some of the same fabric ranges, but they are separate format decisions. Curtains Made For Free notes that Clarke and Clarke fabrics can be available in made-to-measure curtains, Roman blinds and cushions.^[3] That is useful context, but it should not pull you away from the curtain decision.

Stay with curtains if you want fabric drop, movement, stack back and a softer frame around the window. If your main issue is recess fit or a compact blind finish, decide that separately rather than trying to solve both jobs with one fabric shortlist.

Which Clarke and Clarke curtain choice fits your situation?

Choose a bolder Clarke and Clarke fabric for a contemporary statement, a quieter woven or neutral option for a calmer scheme, blackout lining for bedrooms or lower-light rooms, and wave headings only when your pole or track will work with them.

Clarke and Clarke curtain decision table
Situation	Best choice	Main trade-off	Next action
You want a bold, contemporary room statement	Start with geometric, velvet-chenille or bolder contemporary Clarke and Clarke examples.	A strong print or heavier texture may dominate the room.	Use the Clarke & Clarke made-to-measure curtain range to build a sample shortlist.
You want a calmer or more neutral scheme	Compare plain, neutral woven or quieter fabric options first.	The wrong pattern can feel stronger than the room needs.	Shortlist by colour and fabric type, then view samples in the room.
The curtains are for a bedroom or lower-light space	Plan the fabric choice with blackout lining from the start.	Pattern alone may not solve the light-control need.	Check lining options before you commit to the fabric.
You want wave curtains	Choose wave only if a wave track is available or planned.	Wave depends on compatible specialist track and tape.	Confirm that your chosen heading will work with your pole or track before ordering samples.

External examples also show that custom Clarke and Clarke drapery can involve liner options and privacy choices.^[10] Use that as a reminder to make practical choices before you fall in love with a print.

Shortlisting samples and ordering Clarke and Clarke made-to-measure curtains

Clarke and Clarke fabric curtains should be shortlisted by fabric swatch, pattern, colour and room fit, then made to your sizes and style through our Clarke and Clarke curtain range.^[1] This is a good choice if you want genuine designer fabric made into curtains for your window, rather than trying to make a ready-made option work.

Start with a small sample set: one safe option, one slightly bolder option and one texture-led option. View them in daylight and evening light. Then check lining, heading and fit support before ordering. We have over 50 years experience in the production of soft furnishings^[1], which is relevant when you want workroom support rather than a fabric-only decision.

Do not use competitor delivery claims as a promise for your order. As external context only, Curtains Made For Free says its team hand finishes Clarke and Clarke curtains for delivery within 20 working days after the fabric and sizes are chosen.^[3] Actual timings depend on the supplier, order details and availability, so check your own order details before you plan installation.

In a Trustpilot review, one consumer described spending time researching made-to-measure curtains online and using our website to make choices across the home. Treat it as one buying example, not proof of a typical result; the useful step is to compare fabric, heading and made-to-measure details before ordering.^[12]

FAQ

Are Clarke and Clarke curtains good for bedrooms?

They can be a good bedroom choice when the fabric you like is paired with the right lining. If less light entering the room matters, consider blackout lining from the start.^[1]

Do I need interlining for Clarke and Clarke curtains?

You may need interlining if you want more body or a denser-feeling curtain. Heavyweight and lightweight interlining behave differently, so choose it for the finish you want, not just because the fabric is designer.^[1]

Can I choose wave headings for Clarke and Clarke curtains?

Yes, but only treat wave as a strong option if you have or plan the right wave track. We explain that a wave track is required to get the most out of wave curtains.^[1]

Should I order Clarke and Clarke curtain samples before deciding?

Yes. Samples help you test colour, pattern scale and texture in the actual room before your made-to-measure curtains are made to your chosen size and style.^[1]