Will You Go Blinds or Curtains?

Window coverings are very functional indoor accessories which, like the windows themselves are primarily designed to filter what comes in, stays in and goes out of the house. Both curtains and blinds have different attributes that will influence your selection if you had to choose from the two coverings.

Here’s a comparative list of these attributes. 

Beautification: Blinds and curtains come in different colours, texture and designs. There are Venetian, Vertical and Roman blinds. There are sheer curtains, box pleats, tailored pleats, grommet or eyelet curtains and many more curtain designs than there are blind designs.

Blinds could come as wooden, aluminium, plastic and fabric while curtains could come in various forms of fabric. They could have spot, gradient and multicoloured motif designs on them. You may have to consider more attributes before you can make an informed decision.

Ambience: Window coverings bring a certain mood to the room depending on the form, texture and design. Sheer curtains are made of light, see-through fabric which makes me feel like there’s a light breeze blowing through the window. Because of this effect, they make the room feel more spacious and cooler than it actually is. Thick curtains give the opposite effect of making the room feel warm, cosy and somewhat luxurious. Blinds on the other hand, come with that modern, minimalist, organized impression.

Brightly coloured blinds and curtain give the room a cheerful and energetic atmosphere while dark coloured curtains have the opposite effect of a relaxed/laid back space.

Sound Control: You may be the type that likes to maintain a private life. You want keep the noise at its barest minimum and keep your conversations from going public. Curtains made with thick fabric are your best bet. They make sure your conversations stay inside the room and external noise is muffled or completely shut out.

Because of the spaces between the slats of the blinds, sound will easily find its way through. Besides, the blinds themselves could cause a raucous on a windy day with the slats banging on the wall. Needless to say, light and middle weight curtains won’t do much good in keeping sound in or out.

Light & Visibility Control

There are days when you want to keep all the daylight out and then sometimes, you want to let as much sunlight as you can in. Thick curtains with dark colours can keep all the sunlight out if that’s what you want. Light, sheer curtains will keep a filter on but let daylight in. With blinds, you cannot keep light out like thick curtains can. You can, however control the amount of light that comes in by varying the degree by which the slats are open.

Both blinds and curtains can bar unwanted viewers from seeing your private shenanigans but curtains do a better job than blinds; thick curtains, that is.

Costs

Like any other item, there are cost implications in acquiring and using curtains or blinds. Financially, curtain can be cheaper, as affordable and more expensive than blinds. The cost would depend on the fabric and the finishing. Blinds are generally more affordable even though it takes considerable effort to put them together. Except the blinds have some extra feature like say, bullet proof, they can not be as expensive as the expensive curtains.

In terms of energy, it costs less energy to set up and maintain blinds than it takes to set up and maintain curtains. With blinds all you have to do is clean it with a wash cloth or a vacuum cleaner but with curtains, you have to take them down, wash, dry and then hang them up again every time you have to clean them.

With all this, curtains may fade and lose their lustre but blinds are more durable and can last longer if you use them properly. Slats usually get unhinged and sometimes get tangled if they are made of fabric. They have to be used with care.

The fact is, it all comes down to your preference. Can you spend the funds and energy? Would you rather go for a warm, cozy ambience or do you want the modern look and feel. Mind you, its better to use blinds in kitchens and bathrooms because of the constant moisture that’s given off when cooking or bathing; they could cause the curtains to start growing molds and mildew, making it look ugly.

With these insights, we hope you’ll be able to make your decision easily. You can also check out our brilliant assortment of curtains and blinds on our website www.hugfurniture.com.ng