Portiere

Whether tied back, pinned down, or strung up, the fabric adorning windows or stairs has always needed hardware to bully it into place.

Anyone looking for a natural way to warm up their home this winter might want to take a tip from the Victorian era. A portière–a hanging curtain placed over a door or entranceway–is an elegant way to stop drafts and keep warm air contained in a room. While they were probably the most popular more than 100 years ago, we’ve found a few examples of portières styled in a more modern way.

It’s only when there’s a howling gale that we really turn our attention to making our doorways cosier and more private. So what are your choices and where do you start?

Victorian portiere Check us out at www.victoriandepot.com

Period portières (probably European) frame the sun parlor. From artsandcraftshomes.com

A portiere is a hanging curtain placed over the doorless entrance to a room. It's name is derived from the French word for door, porte. The portiere, (rhymes with affair), or door drapery, was a common practice known to have been in use in Europe in the 4th century. The portiere was first used in castles to ward off the drafts between rooms. The practice of using them reached England by way of France and they became quite common in wealthier households during the Victorian era where heavy…

Practically, this drapery hung in doorways to stop drafts (and dampens sound) between rooms—but portieres also offer a romantic, inviting transition by softening doorways. Most were frequently made from tapestry to match the wall hangings and give some decorative cohesion to the room, but portieres might also be made of strung beads, tassels and decorative cording, even seashells (for your beach bungalow). They remain an appropriate accent for the Arts & Crafts home today.

A portiere is a hanging curtain placed over the doorless entrance to a room. It's name is derived from the French word for door, porte. The portiere, (rhymes with affair), or door drapery, was a common practice known to have been in use in Europe in the 4th century. The portiere was first used in castles to ward off the drafts between rooms. The practice of using them reached England by way of France and they became quite common in wealthier households during the Victorian era where heavy…