Are Blinds Better than Curtains

 

Some people hang curtains, others install blinds, and some people have both! There’s no right or wrong design choice, it all comes down to personal preference. People who like a minimal, simple look, might prefer blinds. Anyone with a retro or vintage design would probably favour curtains, but both can work in any space and both have their own pros and cons. That is why we have put together this guide to help you to make a choice between buying blinds, curtains, or getting both.

 

The benefits of blinds

There are lots of reasons people choose blinds over curtains, and there are plenty of benefits to installing blinds in your home. Here are just some of the many benefits:

1. Easy installation: neither blinds nor curtains are particularly easy to install yourself, unless you already have the main parts fitted and you’re just replacing old for new. When you buy curtains, you have no option but to hang them yourselves or hire a carpenter to do it for you. When you buy blinds, however, some blind companies will provide installation for you. If not, there are lots of companies that provide this service.
2. Easy to buy: curtains come in a wide range of sizes and it can be difficult knowing which size curtain to choose for your window. Blinds are much easier and most blinds are made to measure, so you don’t have to worry about any unusually sized windows you have, or about ordering the right size so you “have a bit of gather” as with curtains.
3. More control: blinds are far more versatile and come in a wider range of options than curtains, which is perfect as it gives you more control. By this, we mean control over things like the lighting and the temperature of your home. One of the biggest perks blinds have over curtains is the ability to angle them to let natural light in, but not allow anyone to see in.
4. More choice: Curtains come in a wide range of styles and designs, for example, you can buy blackout curtains. However, the same is now true of blinds, in fact, there is probably more choice when it comes to blinds than there are with curtains. This will help you to make sure the window covering suits the interior design.
5. Durability: Not all rooms are suited to curtains. For example, the bathroom can get humid and this can cause curtains in the room to get damp and start to grow mould. Blinds are much more durable and versatile than curtains, they work in all rooms and are designed to last loonger.

 

The drawbacks of blinds

There are some drawbacks to installing blinds, not many, but here are some of the drawbacks we have found:

1. Not as blackout: As a general rule of thumb, blinds aren’t as good at blocking out all of the light, blackout curtains work well and keep almost all natural light out, but blinds tend to allow some light to enter the room.
2. Fewer fabrics: Blinds are available in a range of styles and colours, but when it comes to fabrics, curtains have a wider range available.
3. Energy saving: some blinds are not as good as curtains in respect of energy saving. Venetian and slat blinds, for example, do not keep as much heat in the room, nor do they block as much of draft from windows like curtains would.

 

The benefits of curtains

Of course, there are lots of benefits to having curtains too:

1. More textures: As we’ve just mentioned, curtains are available in more textures and materials than blinds.
2. Thickness: Curtains also come in a range of thicknesses, which is great for regulating the temperature in your home. You can use thick curtains in the winter, as this will keep in more heat.
3. Good energy saving: Again, as we’ve just mentioned, curtains are great for energy saving.
4. Interior design: curtains probably do have a stronger impact on your interior design.

The drawbacks of curtains

You can probably guess most of these based on what we’ve already said, but let’s summarise the drawbacks of curtains:

1. Not as durable: Blinds will most likely last longer than curtains, which in some ways makes them better value for money.
2. Costly: If you’re ordering made-to-measure, curtains will become much more costly than made-to-measure blinds.
3. Not suitable: Curtains aren’t suitable for every room.
4. Harder to clean: We haven’t mentioned this yet but it’s important to know that in terms of maintenance, curtains are much more work.
5. Damage: curtains also have a tendency to get damaged. They stain, can become mouldy or might become moth eaten.

If you have any specific questions, see this handy guide.

 

As we said at the start, the choice between blinds or curtains is a very personal one, but after reading this, hopefully you will be able to identify which of the two is going to suit your needs best.

 

Are Blinds Better than Curtains is a feature post