Curtains vs. Blinds: Which one is best for you?

You have many options available to you when deciding on blinds or curtains.

Key things to consider when making your decision: your budget, the purpose of your blinds or curtains, colour/size/style of your room, the setting of the room and the area of the window.

If you are the sort of person who regularly changes the appearance of a room, blinds may be a better option as they are more versatile. If you have an old house with tall ceilings, curtains would probably suit the overall look better. Also think about what room you require the window treatments in. In the bedroom the main purpose is to block out light, so a blind might be preferable.

On the other hand, for a window above the kitchen sink, curtains would probably be more suitable as you would want to have more access to natural light. For bay windows, meausuring to fit blinds can be very complicated, so curtains are usually a more suitable option.

There is also always the possibility of using both blinds and curtains. Blinds can keep the light out and curtains can be added as an accent.

Advantages of blinds:

• Can easily match the style of the room, regardless of changes to decor, wall colour or furniture.
• Depending on the style, they usually a more inexpensive option.
• Variety of styles– including roman blinds, venetian blinds, roller blinds, pull up blinds, black out blinds.
• Various materials ranging from fabric, plastic, metal, bamboo.
• Effective at keeping light out.

Disadvantages of blinds:

• Are more fragile than curtains – so can break more easily.
• Not suitable for all windows, i.e. for very large windows a blind might be impratical as it would be very heavy to pull up and down.
• Sometimes can be hard to clean.

Advantages of curtains:

• Available in many different fabrics, styles and lengths that can be designed to perfectly match your room.
• Can be more efficient at keeping heat in, especially if the curtains have thermal or blackout lining.
• Depending on style they can easily transform rooms to create airy or cosy atmospheres.

Disadvantages of curtains:

• Unless they are in a very neutral fabric, they can be difficult to co-ordinate if you make frequent changes to the room colour, furniture, wall hangings.
• Can be a more expensive option.
• Take up more space so not always a good option in a small room.

Blinds, Choosing your Curtains or Roman Blinds, Curtains, Interiors and Ideas, Tips and Hints.