There is no doubt that blinds and curtains can be one of the easiest and cheapest ways to stamp your personality on a room. There are some fantastic styles and fabrics available at the moment and it can be hard to resist making an impulse buy. But resist!
Deciding on the right covering for your window should not just be about grabbing the first thing that catches your eye. Each window is important for different reasons and you should consider this before you decide on your covering. Let me explain what I mean.
Will your window need to be used regularly to air a bathroom? Is the window important for letting in light into a dark room? Does the window let passersby and thieves see into your room?
Each of these different functions will need a different style and weight of window covering. By covering I don’t just mean thick, thin, long or short curtains. There are other options which can provide a more versatile covering and some more style. Decide what type of covering you need first and then choose a pattern and fabric that suits your room.
Good For Privacy
Thick curtains are a good choice but they have to be closed to work and then you can’t see outside and your room is really dark! Thick fabric is expensive and can take up a lot of space.
Consider some Venetian Blinds instead. If you aren’t sure what they are think about all those blinds you have seen made of thin vertical and horizontal strips. Not only can the whole blind be raised and lowered but they often have a second level of control where each strip can be slanted. Prices are really low and easy to buy. The new family favourite, The Range, has a good value basic selection (if a little unexciting).
This allows light in and you to see out but stops those outside seeing in. These days there are some really funky metallic options and some warm neutral versions made from wood so you can make a style statement too.
Let There Be Light
Curtains are an option because they can simply be drawn back during the day. Curtains don’t allow you to control the amount of light you let in – they are either open or closed!
Blinds let you choose the amount of light you want in your room. Roman, Roller and Venetian blinds all allow some variety of adjustment. On very bright days dazzling and scorching light can be stopped, as the light level and direction changes your blind can be easily adjusted to let in more light.
Let There NOT Be Light
Does light disturb your night’s sleep? Do you work irregular shifts and need to sleep during the day? Then only black out options will do. It is hard to get black out curtains to form a good seal against your window and as a result light will creep round the edges. What you can do is buy a blackout roller blind and cut it so it fits your window exactly. If you think this sounds complicated let me reassure you it isn’t – have a quick read of ehow to see how easy it is. Pull it right down when you want to sleep and then open it the rest of the time.
I Want Fabric!
Blinds do have a reputation of being a bit industrial as they are typically made from plastic and metal. If you are looking for a more natural or floral design scheme you might think blinds are out of the equation entirely. However you should look at wooden blinds and fabric blinds fist.
Budget options are usually made from bamboo but you can buy blinds in different shades of wood and there are some absolutely beautiful wooden blinds on offer. Wooden blinds can be used in a soft natural design scheme but they equally good in modern schemes where can provide some warmth to your room.
If it has to be fabric then there are still suitable adjustable blinds. Roman blinds are traditionally fabric. They do not have all the adjustment options of Venetian and vertical blinds but they do allow a range of horizontal positions so you can adjust the room light and privacy levels. Using a sheer fabric is a good way to introduce a privacy screen without blocking the light. The basic roller blind comes in a huge range of colours and fabrics. These are normally the cheapest way to cover your window and you can change them each year as an economical way to freshen your room’s design.