Pencil Pleat or Eyelet Curtains?

Pencil Pleat or Eyelet Curtains

As I've mentioned before, my house has a guest apartment which I'm slowly trying to improve, and now it has come time to select new curtains and the decision come down to choosing between pencil pleat and eyelet.

I've tried to illustrate the difference between the two types of curtains in the picture to the left. Pencil pleat curtains have pleats at the top which are tightened or loosened with strings and then hung from the curtain rod, while eyelet curtains simply have holes in the top circled with metal rings which you slide over the curtain rod.

I've had both types of curtains in houses I've lived in before and I'm about 99% sure I've made up my mind - I'll probably go with the eyelet curtains this time round, and here's why...

But first, let's take a close-up look at the differences between pencil pleat and eyelet with these pictures:

Pencil Pleat Curtains:
Pencil pleat curtains

Eyelet Curtains:
Eyelet curtains

A big thanks to Harry Corry who are an online shop for curtains and bedding and who had the perfect photographs for me to use to show you what both kinds of curtains look like. Check out their website if you're in the UK - they seem to have pretty reasonable prices.

I should also mention that I won't be going with a floral design like those above, I have nothing against them personally but my tastes are more minimalist than that - however the picture above has inspired me to go with a charcoal-grey band across the top with the rest of the curtains being an off-white cream.

While pencil pleat has a traditional kind of look that appeals to many people, I prefer to take a more modern approach. Some people say that pencil pleats are more commonly used and I'll take their word for it, but it doesn't mean I have to choose what most other people do.

There are two big advantages that the eyelet design has over pencil pleats in my opinion.

Firstly, the simplicity of the eyelets mean you have very few problems with them, while in my experience pencil pleats wear out quicker and after a while you have to adjust the pleats because they take on uneven sizes with all the opening and closing over the years (yes I am a bit lazy, or rather I should say 'economical in my house keeping efforts'). I'm not trying to suggest that pencil pleats require as much maintenance as vertical blinds usually do, just that the simplicity of eyelets make them one of the most hassle-free type of curtains.

Secondly, due to the fact that eyelets use far less material they're generally a lot cheaper - depending on the exact type of pleats you're comparing the eyelets to they can be 30% cheaper or more.

So in conclusion my opinion is that if you want the traditional look, go with the pencil pleats, but if you're like me and you prefer something a little more modern and you like the lower cost then go with the eyelet curtains.

As always, if you want to agree or disagree with my preference, then let me know on Twitter.

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