It really doesn’t seem to matter what the general style of your house is – whether it is traditional, art-deco mid-century or ultra-modern, there will always be a place for curtains. Whilst blinds, shutters and mirror window tinting are extremely popular, especially in rental homes or low-maintenance holiday homes and apartments, curtains provide an element of luxury and warmth which other window treatments simply cannot match.
Your curtains add so much to a room’s decor
Curtaining material comes in so many different weights, patterns and styles that it can sometimes be hard to choose exactly what you want to achieve the desired outcome. It might be that you want a boldly vertically or horizontally striped material to give a room the impression of additional height or length, a subtly patterned design which blends seamlessly into the wall colours and furnishings, or a textured natural material which adds an element of simplicity and homeliness to any room.
Why not combine blinds and curtains?
Those who advocate for the simplicity of shutters and blinds are perfectly right to do so, as blinds and shutters offer clean lines, convenience and do not take up unnecessary space, whether open or closed. To me, though, a house with no window coverings other than blinds or shutters can present a somewhat institutional appearance, too clinical and office-like. The easy way to soften blinds would be to pair them up with curtains at the sides of the windows, which could be decorative – i.e. never actually opened or closed – or functional. Curtains can offset plain blinds with a matching or contrasting colour or pattern, or even tone down a patterned blind with a neutral side frame. I am a great fan of combined roller blinds and curtains, as the blinds can cut the heat and UV rays of the sun during the day, preventing them from fading your curtain edges, whilst the curtains can be closed for cosiness and additional warmth at night. Roman blinds, on the other hand, which fold upward in pleats, rarely need any other embellishment as they are decorative in their own right.
Choose whether you want a coordinated or contrasting effect
The colours, textures, lengths and patterning of curtains is an entirely personal matter, but should always match the general furnishings of any room through similar colours or contrast colours which pick up on soft furnishings such as rugs, scatter cushions, ornaments, etc. If your room scheme is primarily orange and red, for instance, curtains or blinds which are predominantly blue or green will clash rather than offer a contrast, as yellow, rust or peach will do. When you enter a room, you will see the whole area in its entirety, and colours which simply do not belong in the general colour scheme can be jarring or simply make you uncomfortable. It comes down to our innate need to have colour coordinated surroundings. Because full-length curtains take up so much of the window and wall space around the window, they should be appealing and attractive. Curtains with self-lining are wonderful, as there is no clear indication of the usual cream or white backing to lined curtains which sometimes shows when curtains are open or closed. Because the lining is necessarily thinner than the curtain itself and is exposed to strong sunlight when shut during the day (perhaps to cool down a very hot room during the summer), harsh UV rays will degrade the material over time, and tears, splits and holes will inevitably occur. This is when roller blinds and curtains make for the perfect partnership!
Loose curtains and gusting winds are not a good combination!
Curtains, I must admit, are a problem when it comes to having your windows open during very windy weather, as they will blow freely into the room if not held back securely on a wall-mounted tie-back. I recently had a bedside lamp knocked to the floor and shattered when a strong gust of wind through the open window blew the open curtain onto the nearby lamp and dragged it off the table. My fault, I guess, for having a light-weight curtain which is VERY prone to blowing in every direction when the Cape winds are gusting! And unless roller or roman blinds are fully up in such winds, they will bang and clatter against the wall and their mountings, which is extremely annoying. Closing the windows is definitely not an option in a house where fresh air is passing through all the time.
Match your window coverings to your lifestyle needs
I guess the real point is deciding what your lifestyle choices are and then covering your windows appropriately. Curtains can be tied back and secured in gusty conditions so that they do not flap everywhere when the windows are open. Blinds, on the other hand, can easily be damaged by constant friction within their housing in the same weather conditions. Whether you opt for curtains, shutters or blinds, the right decision is certainly a personal choice and there is an extremely wide choice in the marketplace for any option. You really don’t have to look far to find the solution which suits you best. For more information on curtain or blind specialists, have a look at Uptasker’s articles on these subjects.
