If you’re unsure where to begin, you may find it helpful to read our guide on how to measure café curtains.
The level of privacy you achieve depends largely on the type of fabric you choose. Broadly speaking, there are two distinct approaches, each with its own advantages depending on how you use your space.
1. Sheer fabrics – privacy during the day, light throughout
Sheer fabrics such as voile or a lightweight linen, like our sheer café curtains, offer a very particular kind of privacy
During the day:
- You can see out clearly to your garden or street
- People outside cannot easily see in
- Natural light continues to flow freely into the room
This makes sheer café curtains ideal for:
- Kitchens
- Living spaces
- Windows where you want to maintain a connection to the outside
However, it’s important to understand how they behave in the evening.
When lights are on inside:
- The effect reverses
- Silhouettes and movement may become visible from outside
For this reason, if you require full privacy at night, sheer café curtains are best paired with a second layer, such as full-length curtains that can be drawn closed in the evening.
2. Medium-weight fabrics – greater privacy, softer light
The second option is a more opaque fabric, such as a medium-weight linen, like our 100% linen café curtains.
These behave quite differently:
- They still allow light to filter through
- They provide a higher level of privacy during the day
- Visibility through the fabric is reduced
This means:
- You won’t be able to see through to the outside in the same way as with sheer fabrics
- But you gain a more reassuring level of coverage
This type of café curtain works particularly well in:
- Bathrooms
- Street-facing windows
- Rooms where privacy is more important than the outward view
3. Choosing the right option for your space
The decision comes down to how you use the room and what matters most to you.
- If you value light and an open feel, and are happy to layer curtains at night
→ a sheer fabric is often the best choice - If you prefer more consistent privacy throughout the day
→ a medium-weight linen will provide better coverage
4. A simple way to think about it
A useful way to summarise it is:
Sheer café curtains allow you to see out while maintaining daytime privacy, whereas more opaque fabrics provide greater privacy but reduce visibility through the window.
Café curtains remain one of the simplest and most versatile ways to soften a window while adding privacy.
Our handmade café curtains are available in both sheer and medium-weight linens, allowing you to choose the right balance of light, privacy and texture for your home.