Gone are the days when you only had one option for your window furnishings. Interior design has developed in leaps and bounds, giving you countless choices to decorate your home – s-wave drapes, roman blinds, sheer curtains, roller blinds and more. Now Australian homeowners everywhere are left with one question – curtains or blinds?
Choosing between curtains and blinds for your home is far more involved than just aesthetics. There’s thermal properties to consider, budgets to stick to, and overall function to keep in mind. With so many factors to sway your decision, how do you choose between Adelaide curtains and blinds?
At Bob Burns Blinds, we’re all about making your interior design decisions easy. That’s why we’ve put together this helpful guide to help you determine which is right for your home – curtains or blinds.
What are curtains?
Let’s start with the basics. Curtains are large fabric panels used to cover windows. The fabric is usually cut to fit a window or drop a few centimetres below it – but in recent years, floor-to-ceiling curtains have become wildly popular.
Made from fabric, curtains offer a soft look and add a touch of cosiness to any room. There’s also more options to customise your curtains thanks to the wide choice of fabrics available. You can choose sheer curtains to filter the light or complete blockout for total privacy. And every colour, pattern and design you’ve ever dreamt of is available.
What are blinds?
Unlike curtains, indoor blinds are hard window coverings. Controlled by a pull chain, blinds are usually composed of slats or vanes that tumble or roll down the window as it’s lowered, or can be pulled across to stack to the side.
Indoor blinds come in a large variety of styles and materials, depending on your taste and needs. Some blinds can be tilted and adjusted to control light and privacy, while others can almost disappear into a small recess in the ceiling. Because of this, many blinds provide a clean, minimalist look that complements the modern Australian home.
The benefits of curtains
Curtains are energy efficient
Not only do curtains add style and individuality to your home, but their high thermal properties make them great insulators as well. In fact, curtains can reduce heat loss from your windows by as much as 25%.
This means you can turn down your air con in the summer and heater in the winter, helping reduce your carbon footprint and keeping a little extra cash in your pocket.
For more information on maximising your energy efficiency, read our article – Adelaide eco-friendly blinds: How to reduce your home’s carbon footprint on a budget
Curtains protect your furniture and flooring from sun damage
While you might like to make the most of the stunning Australian weather and bask in the sun, your furniture and flooring don’t. Upholstered and wood furniture, and even your flooring, can be damaged by direct sunlight.
UV rays can fade or bleach the colour of your home’s interior and cause scorching or fading on furniture and floors. Curtains stop the sun’s rays from hitting the inside of your house, keeping your space vibrant and burn-free.
Curtains offer complete control of privacy
Want to look out your window but don’t want the neighbours looking in? Sheer curtains not only allow the light to filter into a room, but they’re also perfect for daytime privacy. What if you want your bedroom to be a safe haven from prying eyes and give you complete darkness as you sleep? With blockout curtains, you can have both.
And as curtains are commonly installed over the window’s recess rather than inside it, there are no gaps on the side – giving you even more privacy from passersby.
The benefits of blinds
Blinds are cost-effective
Curtains require lots of fabric and time to manufacture. Blinds, on the other hand, are generally simple in design, so they need less materials and manpower to put together. This works out in more savings for you – in both time and cash.
New homeowners building a house from scratch might opt for a home full of blinds to leave room in the budget for other things. Or a project manager may choose blinds over curtains for their big commercial project and relocate the extra cash to something else.
Blinds are easy to maintain
No one wants to spend time cleaning and maintaining their window coverings. Blinds are a perfect choice for those who live busy lifestyles – or simply want a low-maintenance home.
Most blinds only require a quick wipe down with a microfibre cloth to stay dust-free. And their simple construction means that any operational issues – like a loose chain or uneven roll – can be fixed within minutes.
Blinds take up less window space
There’s nothing more breathtaking than a home with a view. Large floor-to-ceiling windows have made a huge comeback in home design and are the peak of luxury. Windows like these need a covering that’s sleek, minimalist in design and takes up as little room as possible so as not to ruin the stunning scenery. This is where blinds come in.
When rolled up or pushed to the side, blinds take up little, if any, window space at all. This leaves the window completely open and unobstructed, allowing you to enjoy your window in all its glory.
Things to consider when choosing between Adelaide curtains and blinds
- The size of the room. Full-length curtains can make a room appear larger and give it a grand, luxurious feel. While smaller rooms look less cluttered with neat blinds.
- Your furniture placement. Blinds are best over desks, beds or sofas – that way, you can still operate the blind without moving any furniture.
- How much light control and privacy you’ll need. Are your new curtains and blinds going into a bedroom needing total darkness and privacy or a dining room where security isn’t such an issue? Some rooms may need two layers of window coverings – one sheer layer for the day and a blockout one for the night.
Need help deciding between curtains and blinds for your Adelaide home? Give us a call!
Bob Burns Blinds has an extensive range of custom-made Adelaide curtains and blinds to suit all sizes and requirements, whatever your budget. Our great range of interior blinds, as well as curtain fabrics and styles, ensure that we can offer something for everyone. Get your free measure and quote here.
