Adding Door Panel Curtains for Light Control and Privacy

Front and back doors with windows are great for letting in light and allowing us to see who is knocking. We can look out; however, others can look in. Door windows can lose heat in the winter and let in heat in the summer that we don’t want. One solution to these problems is to install door panel curtains. Door panel curtains are made of fabric and gathered on small rods at the top and bottom of the door window. Curtains can be very heavy or wispy lace and everything in between. You can also use alternative materials for these panels.

Some of the fabrics used for door panel curtains are lace, sheers, Waverly type designs, country patterns, textured cottons and loose weaves. There are thousands of choices of fabrics if you sew your own panels or have them custom made. There are drapery companies on line that sell pre-made curtains and panels. There are less choices in the pre-made panels, but they are convenient, especially if you do not sew. If you sew, door panels are very easy to make. They are a simple rectangle of the correct size with rod pockets on the top and bottom and small hems on the sides. They usually have one and one half fullness in the width to allow for gathering.

You can use other materials and forms for covering door windows. You can use only a top rod leaving the bottom free or you can stretch a flat piece of fabric between the top and bottom rod. You can install the top and bottom rods and then wind string, ribbon or leather strips between them to form door panel curtains. You can purchase a stained glass panel the size of your door window with screw holes on each corner to attach it. You could use hinges on one side and a latch on the other so it opens to see outside. You could purchase two pieces of plastic or glass and put dried flowers or kids’ artwork between them and secure to the door over the window.

The material you choose for covering the door window should coordinate with the rest of your home decor. Since the door is the first thing people see in your home, it should be treated in an attractive way. Any treatment you choose should be movable enough to allow you to see out when someone is at the door.

Waverly door panels are ideal for single door window curtains or French door curtains. Hannah’s Garden Waverly Door Panels are made from an English garden style country floral print cotton fabric with a design of butterflies, dragonflies, flowers and raspberries against a natural color background. They have top and bottom 1 1/2 inch rod pockets and are available in lengths ranging from 30 to 72 inches. Door panels are also available in other Waverly prints such as the Mimi Colorful Floral Print (French blue/lavender and dusty rose/mauve patterns) and the Cianci Beige Floral Print.