Outside of painting a room or adding a large area rug, curtains and blinds are one of the biggest ways you can transform a room. They are vitally important to any room makeover and can immediately establish a sense of softness, a pop of color, or added drama with bold pattern to really tie a your space together.

I must admit selecting curtains or blinds has always been a struggle for me Should I go with curtains? Should I go with blinds? The two questions that always stunt my decorative process. I typically gravitate towards curtains. Unfortunately, deciding on pattern, color, or texture always has always been the hardest part of the process.

I know how confusing it can be to choose window treatments, so today I’m breaking it all down for you and sharing what has worked for me when choosing window treatments.

BLINDS, SHADES, DRAPES OR CURTAINS?

Typically the first thing that comes to mind when choosing window treatments is determining whether you want blinds, curtains, shades or both.

I love this depiction of the difference between blinds, shades, drapes or curtains from The Spruce.

Let’s start with the basics. Curtains are fabric panels that are most often sold in pairs. You’ll find curtains in a wide range of widths, lengths, fabrics, colors, and patterns.

Blinds on the other hand come in several varieties made from plastic, wood, or fabric and help control the amount of light let in.

Drapes like curtains, are fabric panels and typically sold in pairs. The key differences between drapes and curtains, is that drapes are lined, sometimes with heavy fabric to block out all outside light, making them ideal for bedroom use.

Shades are soft fabric panels that attach to a frame or rod from the top. They are typically sold individually and come in a wide range of lengths, widths, colors, and materials and are custom to fit within your window frame.

Now that we have the basics out of the way, here are the 3 tips to consider when making your selection.

Tip 1: Think about which look you like better. Do you prefer one over the other?

Tip 2: You should consider functionality of the space. Do you need more privacy? Light control? Does the space face the road or is in clear sight of your neighbors? With blinds, you can adjust the amount of light you let in, while with curtains you may not have that flexibility. If you like to keep the space feeling clean and open blinds work great! However, if you want to add more texture and your personal style to the space using curtains is best.

Tip 3: Remember when hanging your window treatments hang them “high and wide.” This will make your windows feel as tall as possible. Thinking about this might make you decide between one or the other.

Want my opinion? The best of both worlds is to go with both blinds and curtains. Did I go that route? No, but I am considering it for the future!

So there you have it! 3 tips to consider when selecting window treatments for your home!