When decorating your home, it's always important to consider your soft furnishings and window treatments. There's lots of nuances, in your window treatments, but we're really talking curtains or blinds - which one is the correct choice for you?
Both options have pros and cons, the majority of British households will opt for the tried and tested curtains, however, blinds have a lot going for them too; especially when we're looking at luxury roman blinds.
Price
Let's kick off at an obvious starting point, blinds have a lot of different price points, roman blinds generally being the most expensive option right down to basic roller blinds. As with everything, you get what you pay for, are you looking to add a sense of sartorial elegance into your home with your window treatments? Cheap roller blinds are not going to cut it, you'll be looking at the more expensive, but ultimately much more prestigious roman blind style.
A rule of thumb is that bespoke roman blinds are generally more expensive than made to measure curtains. Although a curtain will use more fabric, there's more to a blind and it requires some expertise to create a beautiful roman blind. So if you're on a window treatment budget but need something bespoke, curtains are probably going to be the better option.
The Added Cost Of A Roman Blind
Again, you get what you pay for. Precisely made to measure roman blinds are a luxury item, which is always going to carry a higher cost than something off the shelf at Dunelm. That is not to knock off the shelf soft furnishings, but there is an element of expert manufacturing that goes into bespoke products. In addition to this, they will fit your window perfectly, this is not always the case with a set from a furniture shop.
Due to the extra attention to detail and expertise which comes with made to measure roman blinds, there is an argument to be made about the product quality, this goes for all bespoke items, not just roman blinds. A well made bespoke item is, generally speaking, going to be of a higher quality and therefore last longer than a mass produced item.
Versatility
The obvious choice for many spaces is a set of curtains. They're extremely flexible, with a whole host of curtain styles to choose from depending on whether you're looking to add some dramatic flair to your space or maintain a sleek minimalist ambiance - there is a curtain style perfect for you. So, when it comes to adapting to fit any space, curtains really come out on top.
That being said, made to order roman blinds can work to fit most spaces. By their nature, roman blinds are at home in most spaces, for a space that requires a minimalistic window dressing, the standard roman blind is more than capable of achieving this look. For something a little more dramatic, the cascade, or waterfall, style blind adds that bit of something extra to a room.
How Made To Order Curtain Styles Change A Room
The varying styles of curtains can instantly change a room. A sense of refined simplicity is reinforced by curtain styles such as eyelet or wave, their soft pleats allow the fabric to speak for itself, whereas a cartridge curtain finds a happy medium between formal interior design and minimalism.
Traditionalists will look to curtain styles such as pencil and deep pleat, timeless styles which suit any room and offer a comfortable feeling.
For those looking for a little drama from their soft furnishings, there are a variety of pinch pleat options that add to the formality of a space.
Practicality
"Good design must primarily serve people" - Thomas J. Watson
Both roman blinds and curtains have their pros and cons when it comes to practicality. Curtains require little else than a pole or some tracks and you can hang them, simple. Bespoke roman blinds do require some additional installation, they're not as unviversally plug and play as curtains are. However, roman blinds do have some great practicality features going for them.
If the space at the sides of the window is limited, roman blinds could be a great option for your window treatments, all the workings and fabric is gathered at the top of your window meaning that you can make the most of your space. There are curtain styles such as wave and eyelet which are suitable for when space is at a premium; for truly maximising your space, roman blinds are the way to go.
Cleaning your window treatments is a chore that is easy to put off, it's a bit of a hassle. When cleaning your made to measure curtains, you need to take them down before cleaning them and hanging them back up again. Cleaning roman blinds is a much easier task, simply close them and use an upholstery attachment on a vacuum cleaner to clean your blinds, a small bit of cleaning solution and a damp cloth can be used to get rid of any stains caused by children's sticky fingers!
Choosing Curtains Or Blinds
Made to measure curtains and blinds both offer a lot when decorating a space. The various styles of curtains mean that you can adapt them to fit any space and fabric, you even have the flexibility to go for the translucent voile styles. Roman blinds are at home in just about every interior style, as an added bonus - they're great space saving window treatments. What is clear is that whatever your choice, a made to order window treatment is likely your best option, especially when it comes down to quality.
Still struggling to choose between blinds and curtains? The answer's simple...have both! Who says you can't have your cake and eat it!?
