For window treatments, blinds and curtains are two options available to you. You can use blinds to achieve a minimalist look, rustic feel, or any other theme you desire.
Curtains come in unique designs and offer both aesthetic and practical benefits.
The budding designer in you may wonder whether you can put curtains over blinds.
And we are here to answer this question.
You can put curtains over blinds for a more elegant/sophisticated look. Also, combining blinds with curtains offers you more control over light and privacy in the room.
It’s important that your curtains and blinds complement each other to create a cohesive appearance and achieve the style or theme you intend to achieve.
In this article, you’ll learn more about combining blinds and curtains, how to hang curtains over blinds, whether people can see through blinds and curtains combo, and so on.
Your windows treatment knowledge is about to increase massively, so stay tuned.
Can you put blinds and curtains together?
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While we’ve already answered this question in the answer paragraph, we’d like to provide more detail in this heading.
Combining windows and blinds can help create a unique and flexible decor while granting you more control over light and privacy.
That said, there are some style guidelines you have to follow when combining blinds and curtains.
The first thing you have to consider when using blinds and curtains together is the type of blind you have or intend to use on your windows. Venetian and roller blinds are the most popular type of blinds, and they combine excellently with curtains to provide an aesthetically pleasing effect.
You’ll also have to consider the color of your curtains and the material it is made of.
Another style guideline concerning curtain-blind combo is to not combine pair print with print.
And if you must use prints, then it’s important to use print for either the curtain or the blind and use a solid color for the other. Pairing print with print may make a room look smaller.
This can be a bad thing depending on your preferences.
It’s all about using colors and patterns that work together. For example, timber blinds feature warm colors and will combine well with curtains featuring solid colors.
How do you hang curtains on top of blinds?
There are two ways you can install curtains on top of blinds. The first involves installing brackets on the cornice. Cornices are used to disguise the top of blinds and are often made of plastic.
Sometimes, they are covered with fabric. Get a set of outside-mounting brackets and install them at either end of the cornice. Make sure the brackets are firmly holding in the cornice.
You’ll also need a curtain rod which you’ll place in the bracket to complete the setup. Using brackets has several advantages like ease of installation.
You don’t need to drill holes in your walls or need any extra tools. It’s also easy to move curtains back and forth when they are installed on brackets.
The second method involves installing curtain rods on top of the blind, and this requires you to remove the cornice. All you need to remove the cornice is just a screwdriver.
The advantage of this method is that you get a fully mobile setup. However, you’ll need to drill into the wall to mount the curtain rods.
After installing the curtain rods, you put the curtain on it, and you are ready.
How do you hang curtains over blinds?
You can go about hanging curtains over blinds in two ways.
The first is to install a tension rod in the space between the cornice and your blinds. Then you put the curtains on the rod.
On inspection of your cornice, you’ll find out that there’s a space between the cornice and the blind where a tension rod can fit into.
Since not all blinds have cornices, install one if you want to hang your curtains over your blind using this method.
Another thing to note about using a tension rod is that it can’t hold large weights. And this means that you should use light curtains with them.
The second method of hanging curtains over blinds involves using velcro as a no-drill option (for stationary curtains).
One side of the velcro will be attached to the cornice, while the other side goes to the top of the curtain’s exterior.
It’s important that the velcro strips are evenly line up, after which you attach your curtains to the cornice.
You should use velcro if you want a stationary curtain that’s mainly aesthetic in function as you won’t be able to slide your curtains back and forth.
After deciding on a hanging method, the next step is to measure the width and height of the curtains.
How do you layer curtains and blinds?
The key to layering curtains with blinds is to have enough contrast. This way, the two will complement each other instead of clashing.
Blinds usually come in neutral paint colors or wood stains. This gives you the option to choose curtains with any design or solid color.
You can put other finishes like rugs into consideration when choosing the color of your curtain.
Can people see through blinds and curtains at night?
Whether you can see through blinds and curtains at night depends on whether the materials used to manufacture them are transparent, translucent, or blackout.
Sheer curtains provide little privacy during the day and almost none at night. When it’s dark, and you put the lights in your room on, sheer curtains allow passersby to see through.
However, thicker curtains will do a better job as regards privacy at night.
The need for privacy has led to a tremendous demand for one-way see-through blinds, which allows you to enjoy the view outside while protecting yourself from prying eyes.
That there is more light outside during the day than inside the room is the main working principle of this type of blind. But come nightfall, the situation changes.
You put on the lights in your room, and there is more light inside your room than outside and what was an advantage during the day quickly becomes a disadvantage.
If you are using only blinds on your windows, then it’s a good idea to go for those that are not so see-through.
Some blinds allow you to adjust their opacity which is the amount of light that passes through them, giving you more control over your privacy.
The last thing you want is to be outside your home at night and find out that people can easily see through your room with lights on. Not cool.
People using only blinds can combine two different blinds for better privacy at night.
And for those using a blind-curtain combo, a see-through blind can be combined with a thick curtain to keep prying eyes away at night.
Before you buy a curtain, ask to see a hanging sample shade. This will show what to expect during the day and even at night.
Window treatments are a very important investment, and you should do the research and speak to an expert to get exactly what you desire.
Should window blinds tilt up or down for privacy?
You can close blind slats in two directions, and that’s the vertical (up) and horizontal (down) directions. The direction you choose to close your blind slats depends on your preferences.
For privacy, it’s best you tilt your blinds up as doing this ensures the rounded side (i.e., the convex side) is facing outside, which creates less space for someone outside to see through.
This is especially beneficial at night when you have lights on as it will still be difficult to see through the blinds.
There are more benefits to tilting your blinds up than just having more privacy, as you have better light control in your room
Tilting your blinds downturns the convex side in and makes it easier for people to see through the blinds, especially at night when your room is lit. What tilting blinds down lacks in privacy.
It makes up for it in aesthetics as the inside appearance of your room will look more appealing with blinds tilted down.
However, there are blinds like some faux wood blinds that look more appealing when turned up since they have a finished top edge and the unfinished edge hides in the upward position.
The position you tilt your blinds also influences the energy efficiency in your home. With your blinds tilted up, heat is directed upwards towards the ceiling and away from the living areas.
This helps in keeping a room cool and comes in handy in summer. Tilting your blinds down helps keep heat better in a room by it towards the living areas, making it great for winter.
