3 Ways Curtains Add More To Your Decor Than Blinds

Curtains or blinds? There are so many arguments for and against either. And in truth, there's no golden rule stating that you need to have one or the other - and in fact, a mixture of the two can often be the best combination (we’ve got a mix ourselves, let it be known).
Nevertheless, in terms of home decor style, it’s arguable that with curtains, you can do a little more - which often equates with more impact. Here are a few reasons you might want to opt for curtains over blinds in at least a few rooms of your home.

Drapery hardware adds more substance

When blinds are attached, they tend to be built into the window alcove with a main box-like thing right at the top. You can get blinds literally built into the window panes as well, which is great for a clean, clutter-free look. However it can also be a little stark.

Contrastingly, curtains come with lots of customizable details that span beyond the curtains themselves, like drapery hardware, for instance. What does this mean? Referencing this drapery hardware guide, it refers to things like the curtain rod, wall brackets, curtain rings, and so on. Effectively, it's all the added features of curtains that are required to hang them up. The range of different designs for rods and rings, can add some really cool design elements to your home, which can elevate the entire ambiance of a room and tie in other parts of the interior design as well. 

Blinds can't really do anything like this. They can be stylish and beautiful, but a good set of blinds are often meant to blend in or subtly complement the decor but aren’t usually design features themselves. When done right, curtains can provide that little bit of extra style needed to add more substance to your interiors. 

Curtains are available in so many different styles and designs

Ok sure, the same can be said of blinds - perusing any of the blind buying guides show that there are lots of variations to consider, from box blinds, Venetian blinds, and so on. You also have different designs and colors at your disposal as well. However even then, blinds can't compete with the diversity of curtains. 

Curtains can be bought in different materials, textures, thicknesses, opacity, tones, length, and so on. You can also customize a great deal more - and can even have two pairs of curtains that look entirely different styled to suit different rooms. The possibilities are literally endless.

Furthermore, another huge benefit of this is that you don't always need to make a trade-off with curtains. Because they can be easy to take off and replace (depending on installation), you can even have multiple curtains to cycle through. This is excellent as you can pick curtains that match the seasons and breathe new life into your home when the weather changes. Thick winter curtains add homeyness in the colder months, but thinner, lighter ones can brighten up your home in the summer. 

You can style curtains in multiple ways

When you have blinds, you're inherently restricted in how you can style them. They are either open or closed, and that's really just about it. Curtains are slightly different in that you can style them in at least two different ways and create a completely different feel in the room.

Closed curtains can help the room feel more closed off and together. It's great for setting a homey mood or creating more intimacy. Opening allows lots of natural light into your home. You can also tie your curtains back or leave them untied when they're open. Untied gives off more relaxed vibes while tied seems a bit classier. It just feels as though the way you style your curtains does a lot more for the interior design of a room than blinds do. 

The placement of the curtains can make a huge difference as well. Setting them higher on the ceiling (even a foot or two above the window itself) can give your ceilings the illusion of additional height and can make the room feel spacious and large, for example. Another fun interior design trick is to curtain an entire wall, giving the illusion of grander windows and adding texture when closed.

However, this post isn't designed to shut down blinds completely (pun intended). As mentioned, there's no reason you can't choose curtains for some rooms and then add blinds to others - they work well in different areas of the home - and layering the two can also create a unique depth to a room.

Play around, see what you’re drawn to, and don’t forget to think outside the window…