Survey
Have you ever thought about using curtains as wall decoration?
Hate it or love it: curtains are the new wall colour
27.2.2026
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Pia Seidel
Would you like more colour in your home, but don't want to reach for a paintbrush right away? Then there's a creative alternative: curtains!
In our grandmother's day, curtains protected us from the prying eyes of our neighbours. Today, they are increasingly used as a design element for walls. A means of creating individual and colourful rooms without costly renovation work.
This trend can be seen in home magazines, but also in restaurants. One example of this is the new Café Ideal, which belongs to the Casa Bosques Pension in Mexico City and was designed by the creative agency Savvy Studio. It opens in March.
Curtains here are wall panelling that immerse the room in a dramatic yet inviting atmosphere. Why does this work so well?
A versatile design element
Curtains that cover entire walls create a harmonious interplay of texture, colour and functionality. They offer three decisive advantages:
- Atmosphere: Fabrics give the room a soft, warm and cosy feel that colour alone cannot provide.
- Flexibility: They are easy to swap out when you feel like a change.
- Easy to implement: Once a rail has been fitted and the curtain prepared, all that remains is to hang it up - and the wall is redesigned.
The only disadvantage is that the textiles need to be put in the washing machine from time to time as they attract dust, dirt and odours.
Where does the trend come from?
At Milan Design Week 2025, numerous brands, including Studiopepe and Palma, focused on curtains as a style-defining element. Perhaps the microtrend began as a creative solution for temporary exhibitions where the walls had to remain unchanged. Or it was a deliberate move to stand out from the crowd with an unusual presentation.
One way or another, the use of fabrics for wall design has established itself as an inspiring alternative. On social media, too, «curtains»: TikToker sareishh embellishes her windows, including the neighbouring wall, with pink fabric. And user georgiewebart also uses the textile room divider as a stylish backdrop for her bed.
Fabric instead of colour
Whether at home or in public spaces - curtains as a wall design offer creative alternatives to classic wall paint. Particularly practical in rented flats: When moving out, all you need to do is remove the curtain rails instead of repainting the walls.
Header image: Pia Seidel
Pia Seidel
Senior Editor
Pia.Seidel@digitecgalaxus.chLike a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.
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