Top 5 Spanish curtain styles every expat should consider

When you’ve moved into your new gorgeous Spanish villa or a rural finca, it’s often the biggest furniture pieces that you think make the biggest impact.  

But it’s often the smallest things that make the biggest difference in creating a homely feeling – taking the property from show home to haven.

Spanish curtains are a quick and affordable way to inject personality, increase privacy and really bring your designs to life. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular styles.  

What are Spanish curtains?

Spanish curtains don’t need to be from Spain or handmade by a Spanish abuela – they adopted their name because they are most often used in Spanish properties!

The top 5 most popular types of Spanish curtains include:

Sheer voiles

Often referred to as voile panels, voiles are the go-to choice for homes that want to ensure privacy while allowing light to flow through the home.

When used as Spanish curtains, voiles create gentle, diffused light that almost glows – helping the room feel elegant and soft.

They are also ideal for use in hot countries, as their open weave keeps them lightweight and breathable. This means they also allow much-needed breezes to pass through and cool down your rooms in the summer months.

Available as a pair or as individual panels, voiles can come in a range of colours and patterns, so you can choose the one that suits your home best. Plus, you can also layer them with heavier curtains for the cooler months to keep the heat in and breeze out.

Design tips for Spanish curtain voiles

• If your place is neutrally decorated, consider a patterned voile panel with polka dots or stripes to add interest and character.
• Pick out key colours from your furniture or wall colours and use panels in similar shades to help with cohesion.
• If your room is on the smaller side, lighter panels can increase light flow, creating the illusion of a larger space. Darker colours, on the other hand, help to amp up the cosy factor.

Opaque-patterned Spanish curtains

In a completely different style, many Spanish homeowners use fully opaque, heavily patterned curtains.

This can differ from floral designs to geometric trellis-style patterns – there is a style for every preference.

The one thing they all have in common, however, is that they minimise light flow, offer maximum privacy, and feature a bold, repeated pattern.

Design tips for patterned Spanish curtains

• If you are nervous about embracing such bold patterns, choose a design colour that is the same tone or colour family as the panel behind it.
• For those keen to add a splash of colour to their home, choose curtains that are bright and full of contrasting tones. Just be sure to use colours that are already in the room or they might look a little out of place.

Tab-top curtains

Another popular style of Spanish curtain is tab top designs.

Available as voiles or heavily patterned opaque styles, tab-top curtains have exposed loops of fabric along the top that thread over the curtain pole.

Much more vintage in style, this type of Spanish curtain can be ideal for more traditional spaces – just be aware that depending on the length of the tab, they can let in a small amount of light around the loops.

Design tips for tab-top curtains

• Choose tab-top Spanish curtains if your home is more casual and informal.
• Selecting tab-top voiles can really boost the beachy boho vibe of your space, making it ideal for beachfront villas.

Café curtains

If your home is a residential area or opens out onto the street, it’s natural to want to have a bit more privacy.

The solution for this is café, or tier, curtains. Designed to hang from the middle of the window and to the sill, they leave the top portion of the window completely uncovered so natural light can flood in, while hiding the view of the lower half from passers-by.

Available in an almost endless array of styles, from opaque, patterned, or voile styles to tap top or pleated designs – there is a version of café curtains for any preference or home.

Design tips for café curtains

• As these Spanish curtains are smaller, they can be a good way to introduce colour or patterns into neutral spaces. From sweet ginghams to stripes or even florals – you can experiment without committing to a full-length curtain.
• There are many designs to choose from, including tab tops, rings with clips, rod pockets, pleats, and many more – your options are almost unlimited with café curtains.

Shutters

Not strictly speaking a curtain, many homes combine inner Spanish curtains with traditional shutters or persianas.

From full wooden panels to slatted styles that can be opened or closed, external shutters are a key staple of the Spanish style.

They help to keep the room cool by blocking direct sunlight while still allowing air to circulate, as well as they also increasing privacy and keeping your home secure.

Design tips for shutters

• If you like the style of shutters but can’t have them, wooden blinds are a good option. These can be fitted internally as well, meaning the exterior of the property remains untouched.
• Although natural-coloured wood is popular, some choose to paint their shutters – blues, greens, and reds are common.

The curtains maketh the home

Feeling inspired after reading about our top 5 Spanish curtain designs?

If so, when you start making your shopping list for your new home, don’t forget curtains!

Or, choose the curtains that suit you best as part of one of our furniture packs – they come with soft furnishings as standard.

Browse our range of curtains today and don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions about sizing, design, or installation.