About Bead Curtains

Bead curtains are more popular than ever and offer a bit of a different decorating choice. There are more types available today than ever before. Bead curtains can be used in more innovative ways, not only to take the place of more conventional doors.

History

Bead curtains have actually been around for hundreds of years. They are believed to have originated in the orient and their popularity expanded to Europe. They were a very prominent feature in the French areas of North Africa. In America, bead curtains became popular during the 1960's, partly because of the influence of the movies that were set in places like Asia and North Africa.

Types

Bead curtains are made from a variety of materials including acrylic, wood, glass, bamboo, shells, metal, plastic, hand painted bamboo, faux metal, mirrors, crystals and gemstones. There are standard types of bead curtains as well as custom made ones that are made from any combination of the various types.

Features

Bead curtains will not give much privacy, no matter how close together the beads are strung. Bead curtains can be casual or elegant, depending on the types of beads used. They are easy to make yourself and are not expensive. The hand painted bamboo bead curtains are works of art.

Function

Bead curtains can be used for a variety of functions. They can be used to cover a whole doorway or by used as a room divider by hanging them on each side of a space between two rooms. Bead curtains are also used as window curtains, bed curtains or canopies. They can also be used to partition a room into two sections, separating the sleeping area, home office or storage space from the living space in a studio apartment.

Misconceptions

People tend to think of bead curtains as something only belonging to the 1960s era, or something to be used to cordon off the kitchen in a restaurant and made of the cheapest materials. But bead curtains are much more.

Resources

• Mystic Dream Shoppe
• Beaded Curtains