Skip to main content

Curtains vs blinds: Which one to choose?

When it comes to dressing up the windows, curtains and blinds are two popular options that homeowners can choose from. Both have their own set of advantages and disadvantages, and it's important to consider these features before making a decision. Here's a detailed comparison between curtains and blinds to help you make an informed choice.

Space-saving and dimensional requirements

Blinds are an ideal space saver for small homes as they can be fitted into the dimensions of the window. On the other hand, curtains are free-flowing and take up more space than blinds as they protrude beyond the window. So, if you have limited space, blinds could be a better option for you.

Picture by Jon Tyson

Control options and maintenance

Blinds can be controlled manually with a cord or string, or they could be automatic, being controlled with a remote control. However, they need to be handled carefully so that the string doesn't break while opening or closing. Curtains, on the other hand, are usually heavy drapes and are controlled manually. They are comparatively maintenance-free and easy to clean.

Cost

Blinds, along with their operating device, are more expensive than curtains. So, if you are on a budget, curtains could be a more affordable option for you.

Shading and light penetration

Blinds are very accurate when it comes to shading and do not allow penetration of light. However, curtains allow filtration of light from the sides and the central gap. So, if you want complete darkness in your room, blinds are a better option.

Ease of cleaning

Slatted blinds are easy to clean with a cloth, but other types of blinds have to be removed individually before washing, which becomes a cumbersome process. Curtains, on the other hand, are easier to clean and put back on the windows.

__________________________________________________

FAQs:

Which one is better for small spaces, curtains, or blinds? 

Blinds are an ideal space saver for small homes as they can be fitted into the dimensions of the window.


Which one provides complete darkness, curtains or blinds? 

Blinds provide complete darkness as they do not allow penetration of light.


Which one is easier to clean, curtains or blinds? 

Curtains are easier to clean and put back on the windows.

Comments

Also read

Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Why does Mrs Dalloway still speak to you after a hundred years? A human reading of Virginia Woolf’s novel A reflective and thoughtful review of Mrs Dalloway that explores why Virginia Woolf’s modernist classic continues to resonate. From memory and mental health to love, regret, and time, this article examines characters, themes, context, and craft while questioning whether the novel still challenges and comforts today’s reader. Why does a novel about one ordinary day linger in your mind for years? This long form review of Mrs Dalloway explores through its quiet power. You will find analysis, critique, history, and personal reflection on why this book continues to unsettle and comfort readers alike. Can a single ordinary day hold an entire life? Have you ever reached the end of a day and wondered where it went, and more unsettlingly, where you went within it? That question sits at the heart of Mrs Dalloway , Virginia Woolf’s 1925 novel that dares to suggest that the smallest moment...

Spill the Tea: Noor and the Silence After Doing Everything right

Noor has done everything she was supposed to do — moved out, built a life, stayed independent. Yet beneath the neat routines and functional success lies a quiet emptiness she cannot name. Part of the Spill the Tea series, this story explores high-functioning loneliness, emotional flatness, and the unsettling fear of living a life that looks complete from the outside. The verandah was brighter than Noor expected. Morning light lay flat across the tiles, showing every faint scuff mark, every water stain from old monsoons. The air smelled of detergent from a neighbour’s washed curtains flapping overhead. On the table, the paneer patties waited in a cardboard bakery box I’d emptied onto a plate. A squeeze bottle of ketchup stood beside it, slightly sticky around the cap. Two cups of tea, steam already thinning. In one corner, a bamboo palm stood in a large terracotta planter. Thin stems. Too many leaves. Trying very hard to look like it belonged indoors. Noor sat down and pulled the chair ...

Why do we crave bookshops when life falls apart? A deep reading of Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop

This article reflects on Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum, a gentle novel about burnout, healing, and second chances. Through Yeong-ju and her quiet community, the book reminds you that meaning often returns slowly, through books, people, and ordinary days that begin to feel like home again. Why do so many of us secretly dream of walking away from everything? At some point, usually on a crowded weekday morning or during yet another meeting that could have been an email, you wonder if this is all there is. You did what you were told. You studied, worked hard, built a career, stayed responsible. And yet, instead of contentment, there is exhaustion. Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop begins exactly at this uncomfortable truth. Hwang Bo-reum’s novel does not shout its intentions. It does not promise transformation through grand revelations. Instead, it sits beside you quietly and asks a gentler question. What if the problem is not that you failed, but that you nev...