Should You Get Blinds or Curtains for the Living Room?
When it comes to the window treatment of the living room, curtains are the best way to go. They have their way of softening the amount of light acquired by the space and manage to appropriately blend with the interior design. Even though, curtains and blinds are like oranges and apples. They should be carefully considered depending on your need to improve how a space looks and functions. Both have their own way of adding flavor to the windows. They may be the last thing to be considered in the living room but they make a huge difference to the entire look of the space. Allow us to evaluate both curtains and blinds to choose which one works best as a window treatment for your living room.
Blinds
Using blinds as a window treatment is one way of lifting the functionality and aesthetic of the windows. It is a traditional means of managing the amount of light the living room acquires. Whether it be vertical or horizontal, blinds never get old of being a versatile option in the living room. They come in a variety of colors, designs, and materials that just make any space warmer and with just the right amount of light. Besides, living in a vibrant space allows a more productive and more relaxing environment for the guests and the household to enjoy. Blinds will be evaluated according to their safety, material, maintenance, design, and control of light to weigh in whether or not they will work best for the living room window treatment.
Safety
Blinds often come in heavy composition because of their means of attachment to the wall. Apparently, this is what makes it dangerous for households with children and even pets. When tugged continuously and roughly, it can end up falling off the wall and can get caught up with the cords and blinds. Safety standards should remain to be in consideration, especially in households with kids and pets. They are left to be innocent. The living room is the most populous and multi-purpose space at home. Thus, all window treatments and furnishings should not compromise the safety of the users.
Material and Composition
As it is a traditional means of spicing up the windows at home, blinds are quite flexible in terms of material and composition. They come with limitless options of patterns, styles, and colors suggesting the variety of materials they are often composed of. This makes it a perfect way of managing lighting without compromising the aesthetic value of the space. As time goes by and technology progresses, they come up with newer innovations and compositions of blinds that make a huge difference to the entirety of the living room space. They either come in horizontal or vertical composition. In some cases, they also come in cordless and seamless compositions. It is what makes it an elegant choice to conceal the sunlight.
Its composition manages in energy conservation at home. Blinds help in trapping and maintaining air from the windows. They act as insulation as it protects the house from unwanted air seeping through. It helps in making the space easy to cool down or heat up making it an ideal choice any season of the year. Having blinds will help in managing the amount of sunlight acquired and minimizing the amount of heat from the humid air outdoors.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Compared to curtains, blinds are the easiest forms of window treatments. It saves you the hassle of taking them down and washing them to free each piece from dust. You can either take them off and wash them or you can also leave them hanging as you wipe each down with a cloth. Superior cleanliness must be maintained at all times considering the build-up of dust that accumulates over time. It can compromise one’s respiratory health. Dusting it every now and then should be taken into account. Quick wet and damp wiping will do the trick. In comparison to curtains, there is no need to have them thrown in the wash once in a while. When it comes to convenience, blinds seem to be the smartest option considering there is no need to change often.
Design
As time goes by, homeowners are getting more and more aesthetically conscious of how their houses will look. The more updated designs we have in the 21st century make it more convenient to design living spaces that tap both aesthetic and functionality. Having blinds in the living room offers a range of classic, elegant, minimalist, and maximalist designs for window treatments. They may look hard and stable but they make a huge difference to the living room considering how customizable they are. It offers limitless designs that work for any interior design style. Some are worried about having blinds interfering with their design. When in fact, they draw more attention to the windows than any other window treatments.
Control of Light
Blinds have their way of conveniently managing the intensity of light acquired by the living room space. It works for both a productive and relaxing environment. As a multi-purpose space at home, the living room’s lighting should depend on the activities it covers. Ensure that each zone gets the amount of light required for it to function effectively. Always remember that without proper lighting, it could affect the activities done in the living room. Having the slats open and close allows a customizable light control and privacy from the outdoor environment. Compared to curtains, they can control the amount of light peeping through each slat. Curtains, on the other hand, can only be opened or closed with minimal light peeping through. You will either open or close them.
Curtains
Curtains increase the glamour and style of the windows of the living room without comparison to the other window treatments. They offer limitless options varying in design, cut, length, color, pattern, and material. These options will allow you to find which one would suit your tastes best and complement the entirety of the space. Having curtains is like dressing up the windows with textiles that flow down to the floor. Their flow is dependent on the chosen material. Their softness and stiffness will define its aesthetic value as to how they glam up the space. Curtains are about offering more design possibilities which we love about adding flavors to the living room.
Safety
Compared to blinds, curtains are made lighter in weight. The curtain rod is way lighter compared to the rod of the blinds. In case of fall or detachment, they are not much of a hazard to the children or pets. Accidents may happen but it will not jeopardize the safety of the household. For households with kids and pets, having curtains is a smart choice to spice up your windows. Apparently, due to its material, it can accumulate more dust and dirt compared to blinds. It will require more change and more laundry than usual. If not, it can compromise the upper respiratory health of the household.
Material and Composition
There are over a thousand samples of fabric for the curtains. Each fabric type works differently than the other considering how variating fabrics define the amount of light acquired by the living room space. When it comes to the type and composition, one must be selective in order to check which one would suit the aesthetic of the living room. Each material establishes a different texture, exposing qualities, weight, and durability. These may be simple considerations but it makes a huge difference with the light and heat acquisition of space. When it comes to curtains, there are more options to choose from than blinds. Common materials and compositions include polyester, cotton, acrylic, silk, linen, rayon, lace, voile, brocade, and velvet.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Each type of fabric comes with a designated washing method. Just like furniture, curtains are sensitive too. Not all are washing machine-friendly. In washing all types of curtains, opting for handwashing would be a smart alternative choice. It may take a lot of time and effort to do so but it is the best choice to deep clean the textiles. Thick or thin fabric materials, we recommend using mild detergent or detergents designed for delicate materials. Curtains are usually thicker than usual which means they dry longer compared to blinds when washed. After cleaning, immediately hang them evenly and leave them to air dry.
Design
When it comes to window treatments, choosing what curtain to use may be the last thing on your mind in designing the space. It is the cherry-on-top that is needed by the living room. In terms of design, expect endless options to choose from. Choose a design that you think would complement the entire interior of the living room. Be selective in terms of color and material, to blend well with the windows. It is also up to the design of whether or not you get to achieve the desired outlook of the living room.
Control of Light
In terms of controlling and managing the light acquired by the space, it is not achieved through using curtains. You can either have them opened or closed but not to the point of having enough light to dominate the space. The acquired light will either be too vibrant or too dark. If that is the case, we would highly recommend working with two layers of the curtain. Layer a sheer curtain above a thick one in order for it to work any time of the day.