are pencil pleat or eyelets nicer?

[CurlyhairedAssassin]

Stuck in total indecision. We need new curtains in our living room. We have neither a modern or tradtional style to the room. It's just a bit of a mix really although probably more modern. I don't like massively "on trend" stuff as I prefer a more classic style really which doesn't date too much, although don't mind changing cusions etc to match trends every few years. Currently got a cheap plastic pole and some ancient wrecked pencil pleat curtains which were supposed to be changed 7 years ago (and we haven't got round to it !)

I'm just looking for something very plain and neutral, probably cream/natural.

We have wooden or wooden painted poles. They look ok I think. Like this.

I bought JL pleated blackout curtains for my daughters room hanging from a pole - I regret it. Dislike the way the are unevenly bunched, and hate the look - it’s untidy and uneven and they were expensive curtains. I even got someone to professionally hang them but no, still rubbish. I was just googling eyelets last night as I’ve had enough looking at them!

@HardbackWriter

I would be interested to know how old people on this thread are - to me pencil pleats are something I'd associate with the house of an elderly person. But then I think curtains are a bit old-fashioned in general - we have them (eyelets) but only because we can't afford to have all made-to-measure blinds.

I am very old (49). However, my house is 200 years older than I am, and would look ridiculous with eyelet curtains.

@KimDeals

I bought JL pleated blackout curtains for my daughters room hanging from a pole - I regret it. Dislike the way the are unevenly bunched, and hate the look - it’s untidy and uneven and they were expensive curtains. I even got someone to professionally hang them but no, still rubbish. I was just googling eyelets last night as I’ve had enough looking at them!

They should not be unevenly bunched - and especially not if you called in a professional curtain hanger! Do they hang below the pole?

Do people not think curtains in general are just old fashioned? We only have blinds. It’s a house built in the 1980s, but fully modernised.
I previously had a Victorian terrace which I fully modernised and extended, and no curtains there either, only shutters and blinds.

I am very old (49). However, my house is 200 years older than I am, and would look ridiculous with eyelet curtains.

Our current house is 1960s, but we still had eyelet curtains when we lived in a victorian house - we weren't trying to fool people into thinking the curtains were the original ones...! I think pleated ones just look so fussy. But as I said, my preference would be no curtains and that's what I'm working towards as budget allows.

Eyelets make the curtains hang so nicely when they’re open. A nice big brass pole and brass eyelets doesn’t look ‘Next’ at all. Silver may,

Pencil pleats but get wider than you think. You can gather them up properly then-they look really cheap if the material looks too stretched.

[quote KloppsTeeth]@Zinnia those curtains are lovely, where is the photo from?

Pinched pleats hanging along a pole is my favourite, but we mostly have eyelets as I liked that style at the time. My mum calls them “shower curtains” and it has put me off.[/quote]
@KloppsTeeth just pulled it from Google, but it's from this site:
https://www.blindtex.co.uk/pinch-pleat-curtains/

Pencil

I prefer eyelets but I grew up abroad and most curtains had a tab top so that the pole is hidden behind the curtain, so that's the look I'm used to really.

And to those saying curtains are old-fashioned; probably yes, but they also add warmth to the room compared to blinds or shutters.

Thanks Zinnia.

@LadyHofH you’re right! I had put down to the blackout backing material, it’s so thick and bulky and interferes with the drape/hang?

… when I get a minute I think I’ll take them down and adjust them myself.

Pencil pleats.

Eyelets are cheap and nasty. Really chavvy look.

Pencil pleats every time

Pleats, preferably pinch pleats.

Eyelets always look cheap

Check out Silent Gliss for some ideas.