Curtains
Pencil pleat curtains, made to measure
Gathered tape heading that works on a pole or a track. Versatile and easy to live with. Every pair is cut and sewn to your window, hand-finished in Britain, then hung and dressed by the fitter who brought them.
Buying guide: Pencil pleat curtains: versatile and easy to live with · 9 min read
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- Measuring & fitting included
- Our own fitter measures and installs. No DIY, no surprise charges.
Start with the heading
Four ways a curtain can hang
The heading changes how much wall the curtains stack back onto, how deep the folds sit and, quite often, the price. Pick a style to filter the ranges below.
Eyelet
Metal rings run straight onto the pole, so the fabric falls in deep, even waves and draws with one pull.
Pencil pleat
A gathered tape you can tighten to suit the window. The one heading that works on a pole or a track.
Pinch pleat
Pleats hand-formed in groups and stitched to hold. The most tailored option, and the one that stacks tightest.
Wave
A continuous S-fold on a corded track. Clean and contemporary, and it needs a proper wall run to stack back onto.
Pencil pleat curtains
Showing 24 of 41 · Pencil pleat curtains
All 41 pencil pleat curtain ranges, A–Z
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Explained
Pencil pleat curtains, explained
Pencil pleat curtains are the traditional gathered heading with small, even folds created by the header tape at the top of the curtain. They suit either a pole or a track, so they are one of the more flexible curtain styles if you want a softer, classic look without fixing the room to one type of hardware. In this filter, the range runs from plain textured weaves and velvet to florals, jacquards and bold geometric prints, so the heading itself stays familiar while the fabric can take the room in quite different directions.
This heading suits homes that mix old and new rather than leaning hard one way. It works especially well with textured plains, botanical prints, muted jacquards and richer velvets.
Best for
- traditional or in-between interiors that want a softer finish than eyelets
- tracks or poles, including rooms where you may want the choice of either
- bay windows, bedrooms and living spaces where a fuller, gathered curtain suits the room
- plain fabrics, botanicals and classic patterns that benefit from a more relaxed heading
Worth knowing
- pencil pleat heading looks fuller when there is enough fabric, so the finished effect is more gathered than a flatter style
- the header tape and hooks need the drop set correctly for either a pole or a track, so it is worth deciding your hardware early
- very heavy-looking fabrics can make the heading read more formal, while lighter textures feel easier and less dressed
How to choose
- 1
Start with the room’s level of formality
Pencil pleat sits comfortably between casual and traditional. In a plain textured weave it looks easy and understated; in velvet, jacquard or a scrolling pattern it becomes more classic. Use the fabric, rather than the heading, to decide how dressed the room should feel.
- 2
Choose the lining for the job it needs to do
This filter includes fabrics also offered as blackout curtains, and linings can make a practical difference. Bedrooms often suit blackout or thermal lining, while living rooms may only need a standard lining. If you want a heavier, more tailored drape, ask about interlining.
- 3
Think about pole, track and what sits around the window
Pencil pleat works on either, which is part of its appeal. It also pairs well with a blind in the reveal and curtains outside it, especially on bay windows or in bedrooms where you want softness around the frame. Your advisor will confirm the best arrangement on the day.
Pencil pleat curtains: questions people ask
Do pencil pleat curtains work on both poles and tracks?
Yes. Pencil pleat curtains can be hung on either a pole or a track, which makes them one of the more adaptable headings. The exact hook position and finished drop need setting to suit the hardware, so your advisor will measure the opening and confirm the arrangement for your window.
Are pencil pleat curtains a good choice for bay windows?
Often, yes. The gathered heading gives a softer line around a bay and works well where you want curtains to follow the shape of the window on a track. This filter also includes many fabrics tagged for bay window curtains, so there is a good spread of plain and patterned options.
Do pencil pleat curtains look more traditional than eyelet curtains?
Usually, yes, though the fabric makes a big difference. Pencil pleat has a softer, more classic gathered top, while eyelet tends to look cleaner and more contemporary. A plain textured weave can keep pencil pleat fairly relaxed, while velvet or jacquard will make it feel more formal.
Can I have pencil pleat curtains with blackout lining?
Yes, where the fabric is offered that way. Several ranges in this filter are also tagged as blackout curtains, and curtain linings include standard, thermal, blackout and interlining. If light control matters, especially in a bedroom, ask your advisor which lining best suits the fabric you choose.
What kinds of fabrics are in this pencil pleat curtain filter?
The sample here suggests a broad mix rather than one narrow look: plain textured neutrals, brushed weaves, velvet, tonal jacquards, painterly florals, embroidered trails and bolder geometric prints. That makes this filter useful if you know you want the heading style first and plan to choose the fabric afterwards.
How it's made
How pencil pleat curtains work
Tap a number to see what each part does, and what you'll be choosing at your appointment.
1. Gathered heading
A band of tape across the top is drawn up by cords into tight, even gathers.
Your advisor brings samples of every option to your window, so you can see and feel them before you choose.
Autumn
The evenings are drawing in
Now's the time to sort the windows you've been meaning to do — blackout for the bedrooms, warmer layers for the living room. An advisor brings the samples to your windows, free.
Reviews
What our customers say
What reviewers mention most
- Outstanding service and quality consistently praised by customers.
- Quick installation and friendly, respectful staff enhance the customer experience.
- Wide range of materials available at competitive prices.
An automated summary of our Google reviews.
What reviewers mention most
- Outstanding service and quality consistently praised by customers.
- Quick installation and friendly, respectful staff enhance the customer experience.
- Wide range of materials available at competitive prices.
An automated summary of our Google reviews.
Why our curtains service is right for you
01
Sewn to your drop, not a size chart
Shop-bought curtains come in fixed widths and drops. Ours are cut to the pole or track you actually have, so the hem lands where you want it — at the sill, below it, or just breaking on the floor.
02
Enough fabric to hang properly
A curtain that looks thin is nearly always a curtain that was not given enough width. We work to a proper fullness for the heading you choose, so the folds stay deep even when the curtains are drawn.
03
The lining does the hard work
Standard lining for body and drape, blackout for a bedroom, thermal for a cold north wall or a single-glazed bay. The lining decides how the room feels far more than the face fabric does.
04
Poles, tracks and dressing included
We measure the wall rather than just the window, fit the pole or track level, then hang and dress the curtains so the pleats set in from the first day.
Finance options available. We offer flexible ways to pay so a whole-house refresh doesn't have to land in one go. Your advisor will talk you through what's available at your appointment.
Ask an advisorHow our service works
Three steps, and we handle all of them
01Book an appointment
Pick a day that suits you. It takes a minute, costs nothing, and there's never any pressure to buy.
02We come to you
Your advisor brings the full range, helps you choose for each window, measures precisely and quotes on the spot.
03We fit it for you
Once your order is made, our own fitter installs it, squares it up and takes the packaging away.
More ways to browse curtains
Book a free home appointment
An advisor comes to you with the full range, measures precisely and prices the job on the spot. It costs nothing and there's no pressure to buy.
Explore the range
What people hang behind them
Plenty of rooms end up with a blind as well as a curtain — for blackout, for daytime privacy, or simply because a radiator or window seat rules out a full drop.
Narrow it down
Shop curtains by colour
Curtains: your questions answered
Headings, linings, poles and pairing curtains with a blind on the same window.
Which curtain heading should I choose?
Eyelet curtains run straight onto a pole and fall in deep, even waves — the simplest to draw. Pencil pleat is a gathered tape that works on a pole or a track. Pinch pleat is hand-formed in groups and stitched, which is the most tailored look and stacks tightest. Wave hangs from a track in a continuous S-curve and suits large modern windows.
What difference does the lining make?
A standard lining protects the fabric and improves how it hangs. Thermal lining measurably helps a cold or draughty room. Blackout lining is what you want in a bedroom. Interlining adds weight and body for a heavier, more expensive drape.
Do you supply the poles and tracks?
Yes, and your fitter puts them up. Getting the pole height and width right is part of the job — curtains that clear the sill and stack off the glass need the pole set beyond the opening.
Can I have curtains and a blind on the same window?
Very common. A slim roller or roman inside the reveal gives you blackout and privacy, with curtains face-fitted outside it for warmth and dressing. Your advisor will check the reveal is deep enough for both to work.
Is fitting included in the price?
Yes. The quote you are given covers the product, the fitting and the guarantee. Your fitter hangs everything, checks the operation with you and takes the packaging away.
How is a quote worked out?
By the size of each opening, the product and fabric you choose, the heading or mechanism, and any motorisation. Because everything is made to your measurements there is no single list price — you get a written figure on the day, itemised per window, with the fitting and guarantee included.
What guarantee do I get?
A 1-year guarantee on every blind, shutter and motor we supply and fit. If something goes wrong inside that period, ring the office and we come back out.
More answers in our full FAQ, or book a free measure and ask an advisor.
Where we fit curtains
Measuring and fitting are included everywhere we visit. Each county page lists its towns and the days our advisors are in the area.
Related pages
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