Because blinds leak more heat from a room, they also decrease indoor heat gain more efficiently in the summer, by around 45 percent, which can lower your AC bills. Curtains, which leak less heat, reduce indoor heat gain by only 33 percent in the summer.
No, you don't need curtains with blinds for any functional or aesthetic reasons; certainly not in the same way that most of us would say that you'd need curtains or blinds as well as a voile or net at the window.
Designers consider window shades and blinds essential for many reasons. But there are so many options — how do you choose the right ones? Most windows need a little help from window coverings to manage light levels or provide privacy. But sometimes it's just about making them look their best.
Enhanced Room Darkening and Privacy
When the blinds are turned up, that is, the rounded side faces out, there's better light control as there are minimal gaps between the slats. Want to enjoy restful sleep in the middle of the day? Turn your blinds up.
Turned Up: Rounded Side Facing Out
Pros: More privacy: by turning the blinds up, you limit the amount of visibility space directed towards the room. People won't be able to see inside when passing by. Better light control: limiting visibility also means limiting lighting.
Blinds can be lighter or darker than your walls, but there are a few things to keep in mind before choosing a color. To ensure that everything blends well together, the blinds and walls should be at least one shade lighter or darker than each other, but most importantly, they should also be a similar tone.
Curtains will give better light control but blinds may be more practical in a smaller space. If you decide on a blind, have it made longer and wider than the window to minimise light drift. Curtains are best installed close to the ceiling or better still, with a pelmet above to stop light from escaping.
People wanting a healthy night's sleep should ALWAYS close the curtains or blinds and switch off the bedroom light, according to a new study.
They were mainly used to block out the cold and were constructed of wood or fabric. With new fabrics and patterns, window coverings have become more adaptable and simple to use. Window blinds are a common option for many homeowners today because of the variety of designs and hues available.
"Blinds offer the most light control with a variety of tilting options. Blinds or shades can be paired with drapery to enhance windows in any part of the home." While each type of window treatment has its own unique set of characteristics, all of them can be used to transform any room.
Full-length curtains are best suited for spacious rooms while blinds are a better option for compact spaces and other moisture-laden areas like the bathroom and kitchen. Note that if there are any furniture pieces like a bed, or a sofa below the window then it is advisable to go for window blinds.
Maximize Natural Light
Or, if you really want to let the light shine in, opt for bare windows! Whether you choose sheer curtains, cafe curtains or nothing at all, maximizing natural light is a trend that's here to stay.
While window treatments can help to add value to your home, there are some cases when the opposite holds true. If the blinds or shutters are outdated or in disrepair, that may end up lowering the value. Likewise, inexpensive plastic blinds purchased at hardware or home goods stores won't add anything to your home.
Shades are much more customizable than blinds. They're available with upgraded fabric collections, fabric wrapped valances to cover hardware, fabric fold styles, fabric liners and lift systems like top-down/bottom-up, cordless or motorized.
Aside from their aesthetic value, window blinds give you more control over the outside light and enhance privacy at a reasonable price. But you should be aware of their drawbacks too including their sensitivity to damage and the need for frequent maintenance.
Additionally, those bacteria that were kept in the dark were also more closely related to respiratory diseases than those that stayed alive even with exposure to sunlight. So not only are you benefiting from the vitamin D that comes from the sun, but it could also be saving you from respiratory disease as well.
Leaving them closed during the day makes it look like there's no one at home so best to leave them open and get security lighting. Try not to leave valuable items, such as your TV, stereo or computer, where thieves can see them.
Blinds provide the option of allowing maximum light into your darker rooms at all times, without sacrificing on privacy within the home. The simpler the style, the brighter a room will look, so opting for venetian, roller blind styles or traditional shutters is the perfect way to brighten up your darker rooms.
Blinds tend to come in a narrower range of materials and styles and only in solid colors; this minimalism makes them better suited for the modern look of the Scandinavian, industrial, and coastal interior styles.
Using blinds will almost always make a room look bigger than it would do with curtains, both because curtains protrude into the room more and have a fussier appearance than blinds, and they generally cover more of the walls around the window too.
Close curtains and blinds
If you're on a budget consider only thermal lining the rooms with direct sun. White or light coloured curtains and blinds are better at reflecting heat and light away from your home. If you have thick, dark curtains, closing them will only trap heat in the room.
If the window is on the ground floor, the blind should be closed slats up. Otherwise, people can see in from the floors above. If, however, you are on an upper floor and the slats are up, anyone can see in from the ground floor. For that reason blinds on an upper floor should close slats down.
Light colors, on the other hand, are perfect for making the most of your room's square footage. In fact, for the best results, consider choosing shades with white or off-white fabric to maximize this effect.
The short answer is: it depends! We recommend sticking to a common element in terms of color, fabric, or style. For example, if you want some blinds and some shutters, you could use the same color wood. For homes with varying styles in each room, you may want to focus on cohesion on a room-by-room basis instead.