When it comes to decorating your living room, one of the final steps is to choose which window treatment or covers is best for you. Most people end up choosing between blinds or curtains, but this can be a tricky decision since there are benefits and drawbacks to both options.
Some deciding factors can include budget, cleaning requirements, aesthetic style, lighting filtration and more. It’s always best to have all the facts in front of you when making a decision and committing to a certain window treatment for your living room. So, in this article we’ll do a comparison of both.
Choosing Between Living Room Blinds or Curtains
Cost
When it comes to cost, generally speaking curtains tend to be on the more expensive side. While that is not to say blinds are dramatically cheaper, depending on the material you choose can cause the cost to fluctuate. Curtains are seen as more of an investment, since they are more substantial and have a wider variety of design and style choices.
While on the other hand, blinds are a more straightforward and affordable option. But this doesn’t mean that their cost cannot vary and go into the more expensive side. Depending on the material of the blinds you chose will heavily influence the cost, other factors can also include type of blind and the size.
Cleaning Requirements
Although curtains are easier to remove and replace, blinds are much easier to clean. Even though the trope of dusty blinds is very much true, blinds aren’t as susceptible to staining like curtains are. Most of the blinds are made of non-porous and smooth materials, which means they are easily wiped down and cleaned if something other than dust was to spill on them.
There are plenty of cleaning products on today’s shelves that can help you care and maintain your blinds. Regardless of the material of your blinds, there is undoubtedly a product made to help keep your blinds looking as beautiful as when you first installed them.
However, when it comes to curtains the cleaning process is a little more complicated. The fabric of the curtain will heavily dictate what type of cleaning regime is necessary. Some curtains may be machine washable, need to be dry cleaned or have other specific cleaning instructions.
Durability and Life expectancy
Now when it comes durbality and how long blinds or curtains will last, this component can be a little convoluted to explain. How long your window treatment will last heavily depend on the quality you purchase. For comparison purposes, let’s say both are matched in quality and cost.
Blinds are often cheaper than curtains although they are less ornamental. They can tend to be more durable in a living room setting. With good maintenance, you can expect your blinds to last up to 8 years without replacement.
Curtains can also have a good lifespan but do require more maintenance. Although curtains do offer more customizable and stylish options than blinds do. No matter how much you try to keep your curtains free of stains, it’s inevitable that they will still be susceptible to everyday wear and tear.
With curtains you can expect them to last about 5-10 years with good upkeep. But it’s important to keep in mind that you may need to replace your curtains as they can become outdated or damaged from wear and tear.
Energy Efficiency
Now one of the biggest benefits of window treatments or cover is the fact they can help keep heat in and cold out. But when it comes to which one is better for energy efficiency, there is no doubt that curtains are the more energy efficient choice.
Curtains also offer better blackout efficiency over blinds since they can maximize their surface area with their fabric. For those who prefer to limit the amount of sunlight that filters into their living room, curtains would be the better option.
Since windows are one area of your home that can be particularly vulnerable to letting air in and out. Curtains can act as an added seal to help keep you warm in winter and cooler in the winter months.
Depending on the size of your curtains and which material they are made of will influence the energy efficiency of your curtains. Polyester and microfibre curtain are one of the best at being an efficient option, as well long curtain that are hung close to the ceiling are better for efficiency.
