So, you’re looking for curtains to keep your rooms nice and cosy? Choosing a thermal lining for your curtains or Roman blinds is an easy way to help reduce energy loss through your windows – and save you a few pennies on your heating bill at the same time.

Tests have shown that 80% of energy is lost through your windows and that good quality thermal curtains can help retain 30% of that heat. In short, you can shave roughly 20% off your annual utility bill, simply by fitting thermal curtains.

For added effectiveness, choose interlining as well as a thermal lining. An interlined and thermal curtain or Roman blind will help to keep even more heat in, at the same time as giving your curtains a fuller and plumper look.

The only real difference between thermal and blackout lining is that blackout lining has an extra acrylic layer to block out the light. This actually makes blackout lining more effective as a thermal insulator than thermal lining but it will prevent light from streaming through the fabric; which is an attractive look for most rooms other than a bedroom.  For more information on blackout linings, click here

If you want the thermal properties, at the same time as letting a little bit of light through then go for thermal lining.

Thermal lining is just a little bit more expensive than standard cotton lining (around 5-10% more), but the added long term benefits when you inevitably start saving money on your energy bills it’s going to be well worth the investment.

Thermal lining is made using a poly/cotton mix (blackout lining made from 100% natural materials doesn’t yet exist). Most curtain companies offer white and off-white colour thermal lining and choose the best colour to match the fabric you’ve chosen.

Some people considering thermally lined curtains are concerned by the way that their curtains will hang. Don’t be. Thermal lining is a fraction of a millimetre thicker than cotton lining and will hang well.

Click here to take a look at the Natural Curtain Company’s range of fabrics – all available as both thermal curtains and thermal blinds.

Thinking about getting a new home security system? Deliberating over adopting a guard dog? According to new research by Rightmove and Dr Beckmann, there’s no longer any need. Apparently, people are now turning to a simpler and more cost-effective way to hide their valuables from prying eyes – hanging net curtains.

Net curtains tend to fit into more traditional settings and are definitely not a friend of the modern and contemporary home. As a result, until recently, the sale of net curtains has been in steady decline.

As revealed by the Conservative Party, the rate of domestic burglaries has increased for the first time in six years. This coincides with information from Dr Beckmann, the company that makes Net Curtain Whitener, saying that sales of their product have increased by almost 20% in the UK – leading us to believe that net curtains have similarly grown in popularity.

Good old fashioned net curtains are in fact a great way to keep whatever you’ve got in your home hidden, whilst still letting plenty of light through. As mentioned before however, net curtains just aren’t suitable for homes decorated with a modern theme in mind. Luckily, there is another option – voiles.

Voiles are very lightweight materials that can be made from linen, cotton or synthetic fabrics. They hang beautifully, look great and offer the privacy you need. They tend to suit more modern homes, so are perfect for new-age security enthusiasts.

When choosing a pair of voile curtains, certain curtain headings look better than most. Some of these include: tie-top, tab top, slot top. These tend to look slightly better because they don’t require a tape to be sewn to the top, meaning the curtains usually look neater.

Another useful tip when buying voiles is to go for floor-length curtains, adding another couple of centimetres to the length so that they hang nicely on the floor.