Balcony Curtains in Goa

The single decision that makes balcony curtains last is the fabric. Indoor cotton, linen and most polyester blends will take on water, stay damp in the humid air, and grow mildew spots along the hem by August. Outdoor fabrics are woven and finished to shed water and dry in the open; good ones also resist UV, so the colour holds.

Choose a mid-tone rather than pure white (which shows the monsoon grime) or a deep colour (which shows the sun). Sand, stone, sage and soft grey all look right against laterite, lime-wash or a painted railing.

A balcony curtain hangs from the ceiling slab, not from above a window. That means the track needs secure fixings into concrete, set back from the crumbling front edge of the slab, and long enough to reach from wall to post. We fit aluminium tracks with stainless fixings so nothing rusts against the fabric.

On the open side, a fixed rod or wire at the bottom — or tie-backs anchored to the wall or a pillar — stops the curtain from billowing out over the railing. On a high-rise flat balcony this is a safety point as well as a tidy one.

Most balconies do not need curtains on every open edge. Find the side the afternoon sun comes from and put the heaviest shade there; keep the view side light or open. A single panel on the west, drawn from about three o'clock, often turns an unusable balcony into the best seat in the house.

Where privacy is the problem rather than sun — a balcony looking straight into the next building — a sheer outdoor panel on that side gives cover by day without making the space feel enclosed.

Curtains suit balconies with a ceiling to hang from and room to stack the fabric. If the balcony is narrow, has no overhang, or catches the full force of the wind, an outdoor roller or chik blind fixed tight with side channels, or a proper awning, will cope better. Many balconies end up with a blind on the weather side and a curtain on the sheltered one.