Is It Worth Ordering Curtain Fabric Samples Before Buying Made-to-Measure Curtains?

Why Can Curtain Fabric Look Different Online?

Photographs on a website are useful for narrowing down your choices, but they can’t always show you exactly how a fabric will look in your home.

The colour you see can be affected by the photograph itself and by the screen you’re viewing it on.

There’s also texture to consider. A fabric that looks smooth in a photograph may have much more texture when you see it close up. Other fabrics may have a subtle sheen or woven detail that isn’t obvious online.

Ordering a physical sample removes much of that uncertainty before you commit to buying your curtains.

Look at the Fabric Where Your Curtains Will Hang

Once your samples arrive, take them into the room where your new curtains will hang.

If you already have curtains at the window, try pinning the samples to them. This lets you see the fabrics in their intended position rather than simply holding them against a wall or piece of furniture.

Leave the samples there for a day or two and look at them in morning light, afternoon light and under your room lighting in the evening.

This can be particularly useful in a bay window, where the amount and direction of natural light can change throughout the day.

Stand back and look at the room as a whole. Does the fabric work with your walls, flooring, furniture and anything else you’re keeping?

It’s a simple way to get a much better idea of how your finished curtains might look.

Order More Than One Sample If You’re Undecided

If you’ve narrowed your choice down to two or three fabrics, I’d recommend ordering samples of all of them rather than trying to make your final decision from photographs.

Once you can compare them side by side in your own room, you may find the decision becomes much easier.

You might even discover that the fabric you liked second or third best online is the one that looks best when you see it at your window.

If the fabric has a pattern, remember that a small sample may not show the complete design or pattern repeat.

Keep Your Fabric Sample If You’re Decorating Too

If you’re redecorating the room as well as ordering new curtains, keep your chosen fabric sample.

Made-to-measure curtains can take several weeks to be made and delivered. During that time, your sample can be useful when choosing paint colours, wallpaper and other furnishings.

It’s much easier to compare colours and textures when you have the actual fabric in your hand rather than trying to remember what it looked like on a website.

Remember That Finished Curtains Can Be Heavier Than the Fabric Sample

The sample you’re looking at is usually just the face fabric. Your finished curtains may also have lining or interlining, which can add considerably to their weight.

This is worth remembering when choosing a curtain track, particularly if you’re ordering large, heavy curtains for a bay window.

For most normal domestic-sized curtains, including those with lining or interlining, the curtain tracks we supply at Ezecurtains are more than capable of supporting the weight.

It’s generally only when you’re considering particularly large or unusually heavy curtains that the weight becomes something worth paying closer attention to.

I’ve covered lining and interlining in more detail in these two guides:

Should I Choose Blackout Lining? →

Do My Curtains Need Interlining? →

So, Is Ordering a Curtain Fabric Sample Worth It?

Yes, I think it is.

Made-to-measure curtains can be a significant purchase, and hopefully you’ll be living with them for many years.

Ordering a sample gives you the chance to check the real colour, texture and feel of the fabric, see how it looks in your room and compare it under different lighting conditions before placing your order.

It’s a small extra step that can give you much more confidence that you’ve chosen the right fabric for your curtains.