Barren windows look bleak and hideous and diminish the entire look of your home. Window coverings are essential for maintaining seclusion and provide you with control over how much light enters your house. Preserving the aesthetics of the entire house is just as vital as maintaining the privacy and light management. Opt for window treatments that enhance the beauty of your house apart from providing a comfortable and private environment. Curtains and blinds are the two popular window coverings that people like to install in their homes. It is your personal choice to go with either blinds or curtains. This informative blog shows efficiently portrays the difference between curtains and blinds so you can make an informed decision regarding window hangings for your happy place.
Light Control
The choices for controlling light with blinds are numerous. Modern window blinds provide two diverse ways to control light and are available with either vertical or horizontal slats. The lift cable that hangs on the side of the blind can be used to lower or raise the blinds per the user’s requirements. Vertical blind vanes can be moved from one side to the other using the lift cord. Furthermore, to adjust the slats, you can rotate the tilt wand on the left side of the blind. Although blinds offer more light-controlling options, their design allows some light to pass through the slats even when they are firmly closed.
Curtains do not come with many light control options. To completely block out the light for a good night’s sleep, you can pair lightweight sheer curtains with heavy-weight fabric curtains. The combination will block all the light entering from outside and provide you with a private and comfortable environment. When it’s daytime, and you want to enjoy some sunlight, you can tie back the heavy curtains and let the sheers hang to block out the sun’s glare. You can look for best curtains Singapore.
Style Versatility
Curtains come in various layouts, textures, colors, finishes, patterns, and tones. Depending on the aesthetic you wish to give your area, you can select any design, from gorgeous sheer curtains to curtains with geometric patterns. Market-available curtains come in five typical sizes. Measure the area between the floor and the window’s sill to determine the size suitable for your space. You can select a range of pleat styles, including box pleats, rod pockets, pinch pleats, eyelets, goblets, and tailored pleats, according to your preferences. Hanging curtains will give your room a stylish, cozy, and textured look.
Blinds, on the contrary, have a limited selection of colors and patterns. Typically, they are composed of jute, metal, wood, or cloth and come in plain hues like black, brown, and white. Adding custom blinds for windows to the space imparts a neat appearance and a less obtrusive feel. The blinds go well with modern, industrial, and Scandinavian minimalist interior design themes.
Check out:
- Korean Combi, Zebra & Rainbow Blinds Singapore (4.9 Rating)
- #1 Venetian Blinds in Singapore: Wooden, White, HDB & More
Maintenance
Cleaning your window treatments after a particular time breathes life into your decorated room. But scouring blinds and curtains comes with its benefits and drawbacks.
Due to the slat-based construction of blinds, dust typically collects between them. They are simple to clean manually with a microfiber cloth or duster, but the cleaning process takes time and must be done frequently. This procedure becomes even more tedious if you have installed blinds at multiple locations. Additionally, owing to rough use, the blind’s strings may become knotted, necessitating repair by a specialist.
On the other hand, cleaning curtains is relatively simple because you can either send them for dry cleaning or wash them in a washing machine. The challenging part comes when you have to take them off the poles for washing and put them back on after being cleaned. Furthermore, the pleats must be ironed or steam-pressed to prevent wrinkles and keep them in proper shape.
Durability
Modern blinds, when well maintained through proper cleaning, can last much longer, almost fifteen years or even more. The synthetic materials used to make the blind, such as vinyl, plastic, aluminum, or wood with a polymer coating, increase its lifespan and keep it from being damaged by sunlight and everyday wear and tear. These materials also give the blind resilience.
The fabric of a curtain is more prone to stains, dust, and mold. Additionally, the curtain textile readily gets decolored due to its constant exposure to sunlight. That is why owners replace home curtains every ten to twelve years.
Soundproofing Ability
Curtains prove very beneficial in providing a buffer against the noise coming from outside the room. It dampens the voices and provides you with a peaceful environment. In particular, thick curtain material prevents noise from penetrating your living space.
If we look at the blinds, on the other hand, the gap between the slats allows the sound to pass through them and can make your room a bit noisy. In particular, on a windy day, a blind can hit the wall and produce a rattling or knocking noise, which can also affect the stillness in the room and disturb your peace.
Cost
Choose premade blinds and curtains if seeking a less expensive window treatment solution.
Blinds are relatively less expensive as they are manufactured using fewer materials and take even less time to install. If you want to buy blinds at a lower cost, then go for plastic blinds, and to give your room a more luxurious look, opt for wooden or high-quality vinyl blinds.
At the same time, having curtains made to a customer’s specifications would cost extra. It takes a lot of fabric to manufacture curtains, and it also takes longer to install them. If you hire a professional to suspend curtains, it will take him approximately an hour to assemble everything, mount the rods, and hang curtains on them neatly. You can choose cotton curtains over silk and linen to lower the overall cost.
Consider the pros and cons of both blinds and windows if you’re still unclear about which window covering would give your room a more classy appearance.
Blinds
| Pros | Cons |
| Affordable | Not efficient in blocking light and sound |
| Provide more light control options | Have less variety in design |
| Easy to clean and maintain | The cleaning process is time-consuming and required at regular intervals |
| High durability | Can be boisterous on breezy days |
| Go best with minimal decor |
Curtains
| Pros | Cons |
| Only affordable when you chose ready made curtains | Less durable than blinds |
| Available in many designs, textures, patterns, and styles | Custom-made curtains are expensive |
| Can camouflage with a variety of interior decor themes | Not suitable for areas that receive lots of moisture like kitchen and bathroom |
| Efficient in blocking light and sound | Less light-controlling options than blinds |
| Less time is required for cleaning | Laborious to clean |
If you are still in doubt, you can install both to maximize the benefits. For no-mist areas of your room, you can go with curtains that match the decor. You can choose blinds for rooms with high moisture levels, such as bathrooms and kitchens, where mold growth is likely to occur. Furthermore, you can create a combination of both, like installing blinds first and then suspending the curtains. It will give your place a more private, soundproof, and intimate setting.
