What are the best curtains and blinds for your windows?

Can you put curtains on windows with blinds?

Yes! There’s no issue with mixing curtains and blinds. In fact, going for a combination is quite popular.

This option allows you to combine the best qualities of both curtains and blinds. For instance, your blinds will allow you to control the amount of light that gets into your room while your curtains will give you the option of having a little more privacy. Plus, if you’re not a fan of blackout blinds, a curtain and blind combo will allow you to create a similar effect.

If you go down this route, you might want to think carefully about how your curtains and blinds will look and work together, rather than choosing what you like the look of as a stand-alone fitting.

Curtains for bay and bow windows

We’ve just discussed how there’s no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ option when it comes to curtains and blinds, but there are a few exceptions you might want to consider.

For instance, we don’t recommend fitting blinds on your bay or bow windows. As each of the individual windows would need a different blind, they’d require a lot of fiddling around to open and close them — something you might grow to resent!

This being said, a straight curtain rail across the top of the window won’t cut it either.

You’ll need a specialised bay window curtain rail that bends with the shape of the whole window or a bendable plastic or metal track for each curtain. You’ll also need to think carefully about whether you’d be better off opening your curtains by hand or with a cord. For example, hand opened curtains might be suitable for your small bay window, but a cord-pull will be the easier choice for opening curtains on very large windows.

You can even use the curtains on your bay or bow windows to make an aesthetic statement. Take a look at some floor-length options or consider a bold colour or print. 

Top tip: if you want to stop nosey neighbours peeking in from across the street, you could even add a voile curtain behind your main one!

Are blinds as warm as curtains?

Long story short — it depends!

While you’d probably think that curtains are the clear warmer choice, it all comes down to the materials used.

While Venetian blinds aren’t very insulative at all, blackout blinds will be warmer than a thin set of curtains. Thick fabric curtains tend to keep in more heat than most blind types, but still, your window glazing will be the biggest determining factor in this. 

If you have single glazing, we recommend opting for blackout blinds or some very thick and insulative curtains. Better still, think about upgrading your windows with double glazing. This will be much more effective at improving your energy efficiency in the long run. 

Just had some high-quality double or triple glazed windows installed? The curtains or blinds you choose will be less important. Most of the work will be done by the windows!

Should every window have curtains?

Despite all this curtain talk, not all windows require a covering. It’s not unusual for frosted bathroom windows or modern floor-to-ceiling windows to be left without.

Curtains and blinds are great if you need to keep out light, preserve privacy, or insulate your home. So, if you don’t need to do any of these things in some of your rooms, there’s no reason to fit a covering if you’d rather not have one.

Thinking about getting new windows and need some inspiration? Take a look at our brochures. Want to learn more about the most energy-efficient windows for your home? Give us a call or drop by our Honiton showroom for a chat with our friendly team.