Many new home decorators, renovators, or style changers, when considering window treatment styles, wonder if they should install window blinds or curtains in their living room, bedroom, and kitchen windows.
Though some alternative options are available, in today’s day and age, window blinds are necessary for every home.
Each window treatment has its set of advantages and appeals. Window blinds are an easy way to change the appearance of a room. But the decision to install blinds should be made depending on the interior and design of the room.
Are window blinds necessary?
Window blinds are a type of window covering organized into horizontal and vertical slats or continuous flat fabric covering, usually joined by a cord. The blinds are available in various types of materials – wood, plastic, or metal. Window blinds might not be an absolute necessity for your house windows, but having them in certain cases (decoration, weather, privacy, etc) is a better alternative than curtains or any other window accessory.
But what are the various situations where blinds are a better option than curtains? What are the other alternatives? Let’s explore.
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Types of window blinds
Blinds come with different arrangements of slats and in different materials:
Cellular
Cellular or honeycomb shades are made from long and continuous fabric. The fabric is usually prepared from soft paper or cloth-like material that folds in itself when open.
Roman
Roman shades block out shade efficiently. They cover the entire window smoothly without crumping and stack up evenly when opened. They can be purchased with blackout lining. However, they are not a suitable option for rooms or areas with high moisture content.
Roller
Roller blinds are usually made from polyester fabric and rolled around a plastic or metal roller. The roller is perched on the top of the window with a chain on either side of the window blind. One chain is used to raise the blind while the other pulls it down. Roller blinds can be bought with double layers to gain extra protection from sunlight.
Venetian
Blinds with overlapping horizontal slats are called Venetian blinds. The slats are made from materials like aluminum, plastic, and wood and attached with a series of wires that make them move together through a cord.
Venetian blinds were adopted by the Rockefeller Center’s RCA Building, in New York.
Vertical
Vertical blinds are standing blinds that collect less dust than most Venetian or horizontal blinds. They are easier and faster to operate as they open to the side and not up and down. The blinds are available in materials like flat plastic (PVC), embossed PVC, S-curved slats, and fabric, mostly used in offices.
Other types of blinds are – mini blinds, micro blinds, pleated blinds, louvers, brise soleil, and jalousies.
Do I need curtains if I have blinds?
If harsh sunlight enters your living room through your windows most of the time, curtains are a better option.
When you completely close the slats of the blinds, sunlight gets blocked; however, not completely. The light comes in through cracks and might heat the room on a summer day. At such times, curtains are more favorable options. They completely block out direct sunlight while filtering natural light in your room.
Blinds neither completely warm up your room nor do they completely keep light out during the day. In bedrooms, curtains are mostly opted for as you do not want your sleep to get disturbed by morning sunlight coming in through blinds.
Because of their heat-blocking property, curtains are a good choice for homes that are located in regions that are cold most time of the year. It is estimated that curtains reduce heat loss rate by 37%, while blinds by only 14%.
If you have kids in your home and your house is extra noisy all the time, you should think about substituting your blinds with curtains. Thick fabric curtains, like velvet, are tightly woven and heavyweight, which are soundproof and do not disturb neighbors much.
If you are renovating your home with a classic interior or are redecorating the house according to the interior, curtains give you a wide variety of styling options. The range of curtains will help you decorate your home whether it is French country, Hollywood glam, or mid-century modern.
Do I need blinds if I have curtains?
It is advisable to replace curtains with blinds in the kitchen and washrooms. Blinds are easy to clean than curtains; hence, they are a better option for a kitchen. Food grease and oil splashes can be easily wiped off. Curtain fabrics are susceptible to growing mold over time due to excess moisture. This problem can be avoided with blinds as the water on the blinds dries easily.
Since blinds are easy to clean, they can be installed in guest bedrooms, laundry rooms, and storerooms. These areas are used rarely and need less continuous care, which curtains demand. Cleaning them once in a while works, as opposed to curtains which need to be vacuumed or washed every few months.
If your room is small and already cluttered with furniture, opting for wooden blinds instead of curtains makes it look neat and not overcrowded.
A modern-looking room with a Scandinavian, coastal, or industrial interior goes well with solid color blinds rather than curtains. It emphasizes minimalism and imparts a sophisticated appearance to the room.
Do I need both – Blinds & Curtains?
In areas of your home with low moisture content, curtains are ideal as they also present you with a variety of design options, provide insulation, and soundproof the room. High-moisture content rooms, like kitchens or washrooms, could use blinds to prevent mold growth and allow rooms to be well-lit with abundant sunlight.
If your house is small, you can pair blinds and curtains together to create an illusion of tall ceilings and large windows.
For regions with warm summers and chilly winters, it is better to establish both window treatments together. Curtains will protect from harsh sunlight during summers and prevent heat from escaping the room at night in winter. Blinds, on the other hand, will provide warm sunlight during winter mornings with natural light.
To gain added privacy, install blinds and curtains together. The closed slats and thick curtains render privacy to your home.
How do you cover windows without blinds?
While blinds and curtains are most common and definitely live up to their popularity, there are other window treatment options that you can adorn your house with to spice things up a little.
Some of them are:
- Privacy Screens – They add an old yet new twist to your bedrooms. Screens can be installed in front of the window to hide the view of the room and house.
- Hanging Decorations – Hang objects, boards, or plants on the window to obstruct the outside view of the room. Not just that, you can effectively style your boring windows to make them more attractive. Also, plants can be put on a window sill or wound around the window panes where there is sunlight.
- Frosted and Faux Stained Glass – Frosted and faux stained glasses block harsh light while still allowing natural light in.
Takeaways
Many homeowners think about windows as an afterthought, something which needs to be designed just to block sunlight. But that’s inaccurate. Window curtains or blinds can make or break the home décor.
A window treatment must be done according to the position, direction, and view of the window. You must consider the interior design of your home to decide whether curtains and blinds need to be put together, separately, or substituted with something else completely.
Sources
Curtains vs. blinds: Which should you choose?
How to Add Privacy to Any Window without curtains or Blinds
Which Window Treatment Works Best For Your House? Blinds vs. Curtains
