buying guide
Velvet Curtains: Are They Worth It, and Do They Need Blackout Lining?
What velvet curtains really do for warmth, light and noise, why lining matters, the best heading for velvet and how to care for it.
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Updated October 2026 · By Sam K, Fabrica Kraft
Quick answer: Velvet curtains are worth it for bedrooms, media rooms and formal living rooms where you want warmth, a richer look and a calmer feel. Line them in almost every room: lining protects the velvet from sun fading and helps it hang in fuller folds. With a blackout layer, it also makes a room properly dark. Choose a pinch pleat or back tab heading, use strong hardware, and open them by the leading edge.
Velvet curtains change a room in a way few other fabrics do. The pile catches light, the folds look deep and heavy, and the whole room feels quieter. They also cost more than plain cotton panels, and they need a little more thought. This guide answers the questions people actually ask before buying them: are velvet curtains worth it, do they need lining, and how do you keep them looking good?
The short answer
Velvet curtains are worth it for bedrooms, media rooms and formal living rooms where you want warmth, a richer look and a calmer feel. Line them. A lining protects the velvet from sun fading, helps it hang better and, with a blackout layer, makes a room properly dark. Choose a pinch pleat or back tab heading, hang them on a strong rod, and open them by the leading edge or with a wand so your hands don't crush the pile.
What makes velvet different
Velvet is a pile fabric. It is woven as two cloths face to face, which are then sliced apart, leaving millions of short upright fibres on the surface, as James Dunlop Textiles explains. That pile is what gives velvet its depth: light hits the fibre tips from different angles, so one colour shows as several shades across a fold.
It also explains velvet's quirks. Press the pile flat and that patch looks lighter or darker. That isn't a fault. It's how pile behaves, and it usually recovers.
The real benefits of velvet curtains
1. A warmer room in winter (with realistic expectations)
Thick, lined curtains help keep heat in, but how you hang them matters more than the fabric. The US Department of Energy says most average draperies reduce heat loss by up to 10%. Cornell Cooperative Extension found that a tightly woven, separately lined drapery sealed on all four edges can cut heat loss through the window by about 25% (Cornell Cooperative Extension).
In plain terms: lined velvet helps, and hanging it close to the wall, wider than the window and down to the floor helps much more. Open the curtains on sunny winter days to let free heat in.
2. Darker, calmer bedrooms
Velvet is dense, so it blocks more light than most curtain fabrics on its own. Add a blackout lining and it becomes one of the best choices for bedrooms, nurseries and media rooms.
3. A quieter room
Heavy fabrics soak up some of the sound that bounces off glass and hard floors, which is why theaters use velvet stage curtains. Velvet curtains won't soundproof a room against street noise, but they can soften echo and make a room with hard surfaces feel calmer.
4. The look
Nothing else falls in such deep, soft folds. Velvet suits classic rooms, but it also works in modern ones when you keep the heading simple and the colour deep: forest green, ink blue, chocolate, charcoal or rust.
Do velvet curtains need lining?
Yes, in almost every room. Here is what lining does:
| Without lining | With lining |
|---|---|
| Sun hits the velvet directly and can fade it over time | The lining takes the sun, protecting the velvet |
| Light shows through thinner spots | Even colour from inside and from the street |
| Folds can look limp | More body, fuller folds |
| Less help with heat loss | An extra layer that keeps more warmth in |
Both James Dunlop and Zepel Fabrics recommend lining velvet curtains to protect them from ultraviolet light, which causes fading and weakens the pile.
Blackout or standard lining? Choose blackout for bedrooms, nurseries and media rooms. A standard or privacy lining is enough for living and dining rooms where you still want a little glow through the curtains. At Fabrica Kraft, every indoor curtain can be ordered with a 100% blackout and privacy lining.
The best heading for velvet
- Pinch pleat (best). Sewn pleats keep heavy velvet in neat, even folds. On rings or a traverse rod it opens without you grabbing the fabric. Build one with our pinch pleat builder.
- Back tab. A softer, modern look with the rod hidden. Good for bedrooms.
- Avoid rod pocket for velvet you open daily. Heavy velvet bunched on a rod barely slides, and the gathers crush the pile.
Not sure? Our guide to pinch pleat, rod pocket, tab top and back tab curtains compares all four.
Hanging velvet curtains properly
- Use strong hardware. Lined velvet is heavy. Fix brackets into wall studs or solid anchors, and add a center support bracket on long rods.
- Mount high and wide. Hang the rod well above the frame and extend it past each side so the open curtains stack beside the glass.
- Hang with the pile facing up. Velvet looks deeper and richer when the pile runs upward, according to James Dunlop. A good workroom handles this for you.
- Give it time. Folds and packing marks relax over a few days of hanging.
Caring for velvet curtains
- Dust them gently. Brush in the direction of the pile, or vacuum on low with a soft brush attachment.
- Fix crushed spots with steam. Steam the back of the fabric lightly, then let it hang. Never press velvet flat with an iron.
- Handle by the edge. Open curtains by the leading edge or with a wand. Hands on the face of the fabric will crush the pile over time.
- Clean professionally. Most velvets are dry clean only. Check the care label for your fabric.
Velvet curtains from Fabrica Kraft
We make velvet curtains in Warwick velvets, the same fabrics we use for our velvet cushions, so you can match your curtains to cushions and scatter cushions in the same room. Choose from deep colours in the Warwick Casimir and Warwick Lovely ranges, or browse all custom curtains and drapes. Each panel is made to your width and drop, and curtains usually ship in 2–3 weeks. Order a swatch first ($7, credited back on your order) to see the colour in your own light.
FAQ
Do velvet curtains keep a room warm?
They help, especially lined and hung close to the wall and floor. Expect a modest difference, not a replacement for good windows.
Will velvet curtains fade in the sun?
Any fabric fades with enough direct sun. A lining takes most of that exposure and protects the velvet.
Are velvet curtains hard to clean?
No, but they need gentle care. Brush or vacuum lightly, steam out crushed spots and use a professional cleaner when needed.
Can I use velvet curtains in a kitchen or bathroom?
We don't recommend it. Steam, grease and splashes are hard on pile fabrics. Velvet is happiest in living rooms and bedrooms.
