Door Curtains in Singapore: Sliding Doors, Doorways and Kitchen Entrances

“Door curtain” means different things in a Singapore home. For most flats it is the curtain across the balcony sliding door, the largest opening in the living room. For others it is a curtain hung across an open doorway to divide a room, a short noren at the kitchen entrance, or a strip curtain that keeps cool air in a room. Each needs a different curtain, track and size.

This guide covers the common types of door curtains, where each works, and how to size them so they are easy to walk through.

Types of door curtains

Type	Where it is used	What it does
Sliding door curtains	Balcony and patio doors	Privacy, glare and heat control, full cover at night
Doorway divider curtains	Open doorways, studio flats, walk-in wardrobes	Divides space without a door, softens the opening
Noren (split curtain)	Kitchen and room entrances	Screens the view while you walk through
Strip, string or bead curtains	Back doors, shop and room entrances	Lets people through, partly screens the opening
Magnetic mesh door screens	Main or back doors	Keeps insects out while the door is open
PVC strip curtains	Air-conditioned rooms, workshops	Holds cool air in while people pass

Curtains for balcony sliding doors

The sliding door to the balcony is usually the widest opening in an HDB or condo living room. It needs a curtain that covers the whole width, stacks fully clear of the door when open, and is easy to draw several times a day.

Use a ceiling track and a wider track than the door. Extend the track beyond the door frame on the side the curtain stacks to, so the open curtain sits beside the glass instead of in the walkway. A ceiling track also stops light coming over the top.

Choose ripple fold or S-fold. Even, soft waves glide easily and stack neatly. Our guide to ripple fold, pinch pleat and eyelet compares the headings.

Layer a sheer and a night curtain. A sheer curtain gives privacy from the next block while you can still see out; a dim-out or blackout layer closes over it at night. Both run on a double track. See day and night curtains for how the layers work.

Pick a fabric that copes with weather. Rain blows in through open balcony doors. Polyester and polyester blends dry faster and resist mould better than cotton or pure linen. Our curtain mould guide explains how to keep them fresh.

Consider a motor for very wide doors. On wide condo sliding doors, a motorised track saves pulling a heavy curtain several metres. See motorised blinds and curtains.

If the balcony itself needs shading, outdoor zip blinds on the outside edge of the balcony are often a better fit than curtains inside.

Doorway divider curtains

A curtain across an open doorway, a walk-in wardrobe or the opening between a living and dining area divides the space without fitting a door. It works well in studio flats, open-plan condos and rooms where a swinging door would block furniture.

• Fix the track to the ceiling across the opening, or inside the door frame if there is a lintel.
• Make it wider than the opening so it closes without gaps, and choose which side it stacks to.
• Use a medium-weight fabric that drapes well from both sides. If both sides will be seen, choose a fabric that looks the same on the back, or add a lining.
• Keep the hem 1cm above the floor so it slides over the threshold and does not catch on feet.

Noren and kitchen entrance curtains

A noren is a short, split curtain hung across a doorway, common in Japanese-style homes. It screens the view into a kitchen, bathroom corridor or bedroom while letting people walk straight through. Noren are usually sold ready-made in fixed sizes and hung on a tension rod, so they need no drilling. They suit HDB kitchen entrances well, especially with the Japandi and Japanese looks in our curtain styles.

Noren screen the view but do not block smells, sound or cool air. For a kitchen that needs a real barrier, a sliding or folding door is the usual answer.

Strip, string, mesh and PVC door curtains

These are practical door curtains rather than window furnishings:

• String and bead curtains partly screen an entrance and move as you walk through. They are mostly decorative.
• Magnetic mesh screens close behind you and keep insects out while the main door or back door stays open.
• PVC strip curtains hold air-conditioned air inside a room, workshop or shop while people pass through.

They are sold ready-made in standard door sizes, mostly online. A curtain maker is not usually needed.

How to size a door curtain

1. Width: measure the door or opening, then add room on each side for the curtain to overlap the frame and stack clear when open. For sliding doors, the stack should sit fully beside the glass.
2. Height: measure from the track position, usually the ceiling, to about 1cm above the floor. Measure at the left, middle and right and use the shortest.
3. Fullness: ripple fold and pleated curtains need extra fabric width, usually around double the track width, so they look full when closed.
4. Clearance: check that door handles, switches and aircon trunking do not sit where the curtain stacks.

The curtain track length calculator shows how long a track needs to be so curtains stack clear of the glass, and the curtain width calculator works out the fabric.

Common questions

What is a door curtain called?

It depends on the type. A curtain over a sliding door is just a curtain or drape; a split curtain across a doorway is a noren; others are called doorway curtains, divider curtains, strip curtains or mesh door screens.

What curtains are best for a balcony sliding door?

A sheer and a dim-out or blackout curtain on a double ceiling track, with ripple-fold heading and a track that extends past the door so the curtains stack clear of the glass.

Can I hang a curtain across a doorway without drilling?

A light curtain or noren can hang from a tension rod inside the door frame. Full-height curtains across wide openings need a properly fixed track. Our guide to hanging curtains without drilling covers the options.

Do door curtains keep air-conditioning in?

Heavy, lined curtains reduce some heat coming through glass doors, and PVC strip curtains hold cool air in open doorways. A light fabric curtain across an open doorway does little.