WINDOW COVERING 101: CURTAINS OR BLINDS FOR MY LIVING ROOM? SEE HOW TO DECIDE

Do I pick curtains or blinds? Which one is most suitable for your home? This question comes to mind for most people moving into a new apartment or those doing a remodeling or makeover. Selecting a window treatment for your home or living room is a big decision that must be carefully done.

 Window blinds and curtains are both popular window treatments, but when is the best time to pick one over the other? Before you read on, check out these 2 articles about curtain hanging systems and 8 common curtain mistakes and how to correct them. They will help you understand curtains better.

Curtains are decorative fabrics usually hung on doors and windows to regulate lighting and also provide some form of privacy to the homeowners. Curtains may consist of thick and light fabrics and are sometimes also called drapes.

Blinds on the other hand can be made of different types of materials, wood, fabric and aluminum. There are different types of blinds wooden blinds, roller blinds, Venetian blinds, day and night blinds, vertical blinds etc.

Whether to pick curtains or blinds is totally up to you but from an interior designer's perspective and personal preference, I’ll pick curtains over blinds for the living room any day. And here's why, sometime time back, I did a video of items that make your home look expensive I'm sure you guessed right, curtains made it to the list. 

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CURTAINS AND BLINDS

• There are so many ways to hang curtains, whether sheer fabric or blackout curtains, they all have a way of making your space look classic and expensive.
• It is versatile, fancy and has this elegance. It can be simple and overly opulent as well.
• Curtains have a variety of materials and fabric styles that you can select from. E.g silk, cotton, polyester, lace, linen etc

• Curtains work with any interior design style but blinds may only work with some kind of minimalist design. Other than that, they will just serve as a window covering in other interior design styles.
• Although curtains may be expensive at the instance, they often need no further maintenance aside from cleaning once in a while when it gets dirty. Blinds can sometimes be problematic, the mechanism can get stuck, twisted slats for aluminum Venetian blinds or broken wooden blinds strips. These are common problems people experience with window blinds. Curtains don’t have any of these issues, They will last as long as possible if the fabric is of good quality.
• With curtains, you can control the light that comes through without any hindrances and shadows yet still have it looking elegant.
•  The curtain accessories also serve as decor accessories for your home, from the tiebacks, the head of the curtain rods and the rod itself. So even if you don't have decorative accessories, your curtain accessories, especially the ones with gold or bronze details will stick out. Curtains with beautiful pelmets and fringes will do the job too.                                                              
  
• Blinds appear too simple and don't often convey the style and class you may desire for your home, they tend to appear formal but look great for offices, hospitals, restaurants and formal spaces. Just imagine using blinds for a living room well furnished with luxury royal furniture. Sounds very inappropriate right? Curtains are perfect for any area in your home. The only time blinds look great at home is in the bathroom and kitchen.
• Curtains cosy up your space and offer more insulation and soundproofing. This is something blinds cannot offer.                                                                        
  
• Curtains are a lot easier to operate. Anyone can open and close it when necessary, it's even a lot easier with motorized curtains because all you have to do is tap the remote for it to slide open. Blinds, on the other hand, people tend to struggle with it, they are not sure which knob is supposed to open and close or the one to lift it. Even people currently using it tend to take a moment to know which is which.

I hope this was enlightening enough for you. If you need help sorting the type of curtain you need for your home or any window treatment at all, feel free to reach out and I’ll be glad to assist you. Follow eunicon interior on all social media platforms for more interior tips.