Soft Chenille Plain Polyester Pencil Pleat Curtains - Silver

These are pencil pleat curtains in a plain silver-grey, made from soft chenille with a matt surface rather than any sheen. Chenille takes its name from the French word for caterpillar, because the yarn is fuzzed all along its length, and that is what gives the cloth its close, slightly velvety feel and its dense, even body. They are sold as a pair and are fully lined, and the supplier describes the fabric as one hundred per cent blackout, which means it is built to hold back daylight rather than merely soften it. They come in a full spread of drops and widths, from 117 x 137cm up to 229 x 229cm, so you can match the pair to the window rather than trimming down to fit.

Curtains like these earn their place in a bedroom, where the blackout backing is the point: a darker room in the morning, and a private one at night once the lights are on outside. The plain silver-grey is a quiet, mid-toned neutral that sits happily against a soft pink wall, as shown, or against white, cream or a deeper colour if you want the curtains to recede. They work equally in a living room where you want the window dressed without a pattern competing with everything else. The green velvet chair in the photograph gives a sense of how the grey holds its own beside a strong colour without fighting it.

A pencil pleat header gathers the fabric into tight, even folds along a tape at the top, drawn up with cords to the width you need and hung on hooks from a pole or track. It is the most adaptable heading, which is why it suits so many windows. The face and the lining are both polyester, so the curtains are hard-wearing and keep their shape through repeated drawing. Check your pole width against the flat curtain width before ordering, since a pair needs to gather generously to hang well.

Do these curtains block out the light?

The supplier describes the fabric as one hundred per cent blackout, so it is built to hold back daylight and keep a room dark, which suits bedrooms and nurseries well.

Is this one curtain or a pair?

It is a pair. Each listed size is the measurement per pair, so plan for two panels that meet in the middle across your window.

What does a pencil pleat header need to hang from?

Pencil pleat curtains gather onto a tape drawn up with cords and hang on hooks, so they suit either a curtain pole or a track. It is the most flexible heading for most windows.

How do I choose the right size?

Sizes run from 117 x 137cm up to 229 x 229cm as a pair. Curtains need to gather generously, so choose a flat width comfortably wider than your window and a drop that reaches where you want it.

What does chenille feel like?

Chenille has a soft, slightly velvety surface because the yarn is fuzzed along its length. Here it has a matt finish rather than a sheen, giving a warm, cosy look at the window.