What are the best curtains and blinds for your windows?

You’ve managed to choose between the different window designs; casement, sash, French, tilt and turn and bay and bow. Then, you picked your frame material and colour, selected a reputable installer and set the date. Now, the dust has settled and your new windows are installed — mission accomplished.

Having new windows and doors fitted is almost always a good thing, but – like repainting white walls – it can lead to a whole lot of other work around the house. Suddenly, your old sofa needs to be moved to a different wall, that coffee table looks a little out of place — or you need new curtains or blinds!

We’ve found that many of our customers like to fit new curtains and blinds to go with their new windows. Just like a set of windows, they can improve a room’s looks, liveability and insulation. As such, here’s our short guide to choosing the best curtains or blinds for your windows, old or new.

Which are best: Curtains or Blinds?

Ultimately, this is a question of personal preference, whether that’s functional or aesthetic. In terms of looks, blinds offer a more minimalist, simple look. They’re ergonomic and easy to keep clean, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be beautiful. You can go for stylish bamboo blinds and patterned fabric if you prefer a softer, more natural feel. Fully-closed blackout blinds completely block out sunlight and insulate well, but some find them to be too modern or plain for their taste.

Curtains are arguably the more traditional choice, especially in this country. Whether they’re floor-to-ceiling or just fall across the window, thick or thin, plain or gaudy, it’s always satisfying to throw open a pair of curtains. When fully closed and made out of good, thick material, they’re seriously insulating and keep the light out. However, they do always leave a part of the window obscured, even when they’re fully open.

Can you put curtains on windows with blinds?

Unsure? A combination of the two is increasingly popular! You can fit a thin blind – that you can angle to allow your ideal amount of light in – coupled with a pair of curtains. In the day, the blind will preserve your privacy and prevent annoying screen glare while the combination of the two at night keeps the heat in and the dawn rays firmly at bay.

Similarly, you might couple a pair of light curtains with a blackout blind. The delicate curtains offer privacy and diffused light, and the blind can give you full darkness inside, whether for a movie night or just a good night’s sleep.

Choosing blinds and curtains is a personal choice. While it depends heavily on the quality of your glazing and the materials used, it’s probably the case that this “belt-and-braces” is the most insulative way of dressing your windows.

Should every window have curtains?

It might sound unusual, but not all windows do require a covering. It’s a matter of personal preference, but it isn’t unusual to forgo a covering on a small triple-glazed bathroom window made of frosted glass, for instance.

Let’s give another example. Window coverings are around for three main reasons — to keep out light, to preserve privacy and to insulate your home. Going through that list for a skylight window mounted above a landing we can see: there’s no need to keep out light, little chance of worries over privacy and (if it’s a good window) not much heat being lost. As such, there isn’t much reason to fit a curtain or covering.

Start with the windows

Whether you’re looking to fit out a new set of windows or simply jazz-up your current ones, we hope this article has given you food for thought. We don’t know everything about interior design, but we’re always happy to answer any and all questions about glazing, doors and conservatories. Why not give us a call?