What's best: blinds, curtains or shutters?

[Quincy]

Blinds, curtains or shutters?

The choice between blinds, curtains, and shutters is largely a matter of personal preference, as each option has its own advantages and disadvantages. Personally, I have curtains installed as as I find them easy to install, and they were quite cost effective in my case. 

Blinds are a popular option for their versatility and ease of use. They probably offer more precise light control, can be opened and closed quickly, and are available in a variety of materials, including wood, metal, and plastic.

Curtains can offer a soft, elegant look that can add warmth to a room. They come in a wide range of colours, patterns, and materials, and can be used to create privacy and control light.

Shutters provide a classic look and can add a touch of elegance to any room. They offer good light control and privacy, and are available in a variety of materials, including wood, vinyl, and composite. I think that I read somewhere that shutters can also be a good option for those looking to enhance the insulation of their windows, as they can help reduce heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer(correct me if I'm wrong!).

In the end, I think that the best option will depend on your specific needs and design preferences! 

What has worked the best for you, and why? Do you also look at the costs and efficiency? 🙂

I look forward to reading your comments! 

Quincy 

[Quincy]

Very lovely, indeed @Huma0! I agree with you! It'd be a shame to hide the type of windows you have behind curtains. 

I'm not sure if you've mentioned this before, but do you have single glass or double glass in your home?  

[Huma0]

@Quincy 

It's single glazing, so that room does get cold in winter. It would have been a reception room rather than bedroom when the house was built, so it's large with high ceilings and a large fireplace, as well as the big windows.

I recently had the windows repaired so they are less drifty, but I need to replace the insulation strips that go on the edges and I am also going to try the thermal film you can put on the glass.

[Mariann4]

I prefer what G*o*o*g*l*e translate tells me is pleated curtains in English @Quincy 

I don't like ordinary curtains. I feel they steal light and space from a room. They also collect dust. And they are hard to regulate how to keep open/closed when you want some light but not the neighours to see you walking around naked. 

I have had blinds for years. Ended up disliking them too. For collecting dust, wearing out so they wouldn't function properly and also being hard to regulate.

Shutters are not common in Norway as curtains. They are only used for protecting vacant properties, mostly cabins, from the weather.

So I landed on those pleated curtains which can be opened from the top and bottom. They don't collect dust. They are easy to regulate. You can have them completely blocking the light, or just dimming the sun. Living in a country where we have one hour of dusk and no night in the middle of summer, and my guests get the sun directly to their faces at about 4.30 pm, I get really good feedback from guests that the room was the first place where they had complete blackness during the night on their trip. Which is what I was looking for (I get tired of the dark during our looong winter and don't mind sleeping in daylight during the summer nights).

I do however see beautiful places with ordinary curtains where my favourites would be out of style completely... 😊

[Inna22]

@Quincy while i prefer curtains or even nothing for my own house, guests do want something on the windows. Curtains are the cheapest option and most versatile however guests (or their pets and kids) tend to pull on those and rip the rods out which creates need for urgent repairs. Shutters are not a "thing" in my area so that leaves me with blinds. So far all of my properties came with some already installed but if I ever need to make a change or add a property that does not have anything, blinds would be my first choice

[Trude0]

@Quincy  Shutters hardly exist in Sweden (as in Norway, @Mariann4). 

In my own house I had horisontal wooden blinds for 18 years, in my almost floor-to-ceiling windows  (there when we bought the house). Thinking curtains were “not my style”. 

Then we renovated, the blinds did not match the new style, and we needed to decide what to have instead. We chose full length, semi-transparent curtains in a light colour for most rooms. So happy with the choice! They definitely look more elegant than the old wooden blinds, and add to the style of the rooms. In our bedroom we have a combo of heavy, room-darkening curtains (necessary in Nordic countries in the summer, as @Mariann4 mentions), and voiles. Our daughter has thin curtains plus a roller blind.  Outside the top floor living room, where the sun is at its strongest, we also have an automatic awning, for when the thin curtains are not enough.

In my listing, though, which is a tiny house, curtains would just take up too much space and be impractical (floor-to-ceiling windows). So I have vertical blinds. They make it dark enough in the night, and in the day, guests can use them for privacy, but still let in light. 

[John5097]

I'm finally getting rid of the verbal blinds. They are great for tight spaces when there isn't much room on either side and for tall windows over 8 feet high but guest break them as they aren't used to them. I'll be replacing with curtains and one side will have to tuck behind a wall mounted TV. 

The vertical blinds fit this tight space but would not recommend them in an Airbnb. It's the first thing listing in my Guest Guide, how to operate the blinds but still get broken. 

I also have blinds and black out curtains in the bedroom. Guest love their privacy. These are basic big box store. I'll probably at least upgrade these so they are pleated but zero complaints and guest love them and adjust them to suit their preference. I leave the curtains open and blinds adjusted to let in light but can't see inside. These are low enough so they can just pull them closed and no risk of damaging them. 

For the living room just plain curtains will be fine. Guest can close everything so there is no way to see inside at all.

 

[John5097]

Installed the curtains. Not bad. One side tucks behind the TV but this worked out well. Super easy to open and close. They don't go to the floor because there is a baseboard heater under one of them but I like the length.  

I did wash and iron them but still a few wrinkles. Don't hang perfectly straight but guest love to organize and straighten out little things like that. 🙂 

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