Who says that you can only use one type of curtain for each room? You can have more than one curtain in each room depending on what you are using the curtains for, as you can actually combine sheer and blackout curtains.
This is something that you often see in hotel rooms, which have one layer of blackout curtains and an inner layer of sheer curtains.
But how do you combine sheer and blackout curtains?
To combine sheer and blackout curtains, you need to use special kinds of curtain rods that will allow you to have multiple curtains in one room. A good example is using a double rod that has one rod for thicker curtains like blackout curtains and one rod for lighter curtains like sheer curtains
By using double rods, you can turn your room into a hotel-like experience as you can use different curtains depending on your mood and preferences.
You will have a delightful combination of sheer and blackout curtains that will give you more options in terms of the lighting and the insulation you need.
So, let’s get to know more about how to combine sheer and blackout curtains.
What are the differences between sheer and blackout curtains?
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Before we get to talk more about how you can combine sheer and blackout curtains in one single window, let us first discuss what makes these curtains different.
Knowing the differences between sheer and blackout curtains will make it easier for you to understand the beauty of being able to combine both curtains in one single window.
For starters, sheer curtains are the type of curtains that are very light and thin because they are made from materials that will allow plenty of light to pass through.
Sheer curtains differ in terms of thickness, but they usually allow more light to pass through compared to other curtains.
There are even sheer curtains that are actually more translucent than other curtains, and that makes them a privacy concern for a lot of different people.
Still, sheer curtains are great for those who prefer to allow a bit of light to pass through without actually exposing the entire room to the sun and to the public.
Blackout curtains are the type of curtains that are made to be thicker and heavier than most others because their purpose is to essentially give your room a blackout kind of experience in the sense that these curtains block the sun out.
That means that they are very thick and are made from multiple layers of dense fabric to make sure that the sun cannot easily pass through the curtains.
These are the curtains that you usually find in hotels so that they will give the hotel room a more private and intimate feeling.
In homes, blackout curtains are used to protect furniture from getting sun-bleached and to add a layer of protection against the elements whenever it is too hot or too cold outside.
As you can see, the difference between the two is night and day because sheer curtains and blackout curtains are almost total opposites.
Sheer curtains are most likely very thin and will allow more sunlight to pass through. Blackout curtains are very thick to where they are great for privacy and insulation.
Are sheer curtain rods good for privacy?
Sheer curtains here on Amazon!
So, while sheer curtains are very thin and light, does that mean that these curtains are bad for privacy?
After all, if they are too translucent, it becomes useless for you to cover your windows with these curtains whenever you want to have a sense of privacy in your home.
Sheer curtains are able to allow filtered light to pass through the window in the sense that the curtains are great at blocking out harmful sun rays but will allow a bit of light to brighten the room up.
This also means that they are not really the best for privacy because they are slightly transparent. Don’t expect these curtains to totally block your neighbors’ view.
Another problem with sheer curtains is that whenever you have your light on at night, your neighbors can easily see your shadows through the curtains.
Therefore they are not easily the best for privacy and why some people would double them up with blackout curtains.
Sheer curtains are great for whenever you want to have a bit of natural sunlight in the room, especially when you don’t want to rely on artificial lighting but also don’t want to fill your room up with harmful sun rays.
Can blackout curtains help insulate the room?
Blackout curtains here on Amazon!
Meanwhile, as useful as blackout curtains are for your overall privacy and in blocking the sun out from the room, are they also just as effective at keeping your room insulated from the outside weather?
Yes, blackout curtains are the best at insulating your room because they can keep the heat and the cold out during summer and winter, respectively.
And whenever it’s the peak of the summer, blackout curtains are also great at making sure that the air-conditioning stays indoors.
There are even thermal blackout curtains that are great at weatherproofing your windows during either summer or winter as they are made of thicker material.
The problem with blackout curtains is that they are too good at keeping the sun and the elements out of your room.
So, when you want to have a bit of sunlight in your room without totally opening up the room to the elements, you won’t be able to do so using blackout curtains because it’s either you keep the light out, or you allow all of them in.
So mix your blackout curtains with sheer curtains so that you will have more options.
Should you match your sheer and blackout curtains?
So, now that you know why to combine your sheer and blackout curtains, you are probably shopping for both curtains by now.
However, one question you might wonder is whether you actually have to match your sheer and blackout curtains in terms of design and color.
In that regard, there really is no reason for you to completely match the two curtains in both design and color.
You should make sure that you are actually using sheer and blackout curtains that don’t clash with one another so that you won’t have a room that looks awkward.
Of course, when choosing sheer and blackout curtains, you should also take into consideration the overall design and motif of your interiors such that these curtains should be able to match the interior design.
So, as long as your sheer and blackout curtains don’t clash with the interiors, they will also most likely complement one another.
But then again, it doesn’t hurt to match your sheer and blackout curtains as well.
How to layer sheer and blackout curtains
Double curtain rod here on Amazon!
Finally, let’s get to talk about how to actually layer or combine your sheer and blackout curtains to achieve that hotel-like experience in your room and to give yourself more options for the lighting and the insulation you prefer in the room.
So, the best way for you to combine sheer and blackout curtains are through the use of a double curtain rod. Double curtain rods are actually rods with one thicker rod meant for the heavier curtains.
Meanwhile, there is also a thinner and lighter rod behind the thicker rod so that you can use a light curtain behind the thicker curtain.
By using such a rod, you will combine sheer and blackout curtains in one single window as the blackout curtains should be installed in the thicker rod at the front, while the thinner curtain should be reserved for the lighter sheer curtain behind the blackout curtain.
However, you can still go for a reverse setup if you have a double curtain rod that comes with rods that are equally thick.
That way, you can place the sheer curtain in front and the blackout curtain behind it for a more intriguing and daring setup because, when both curtains are closed, the sheer curtain gives the room a lighter look.
Then again, we recommend you go with the classic approach with the blackout curtain in front and the sheer curtain behind it.
A double rod system is brilliant for layering different curtains, depending on your preferences.
However, you can also go with a wraparound curtain rod if you prefer a design that will provide the best kind of privacy for your room while also blocking out any light that passes through the window.
While double rod systems are the best at combining sheer and blackout curtains, that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to do the same with single rods.
You can still combine the two curtains together with a single curtain rod system, but the problem is that doing so won’t be as easy because you would have to actually half-baked the two.
What that means is that you would have to place the sheer curtains in the rod first and then install the blackout curtains in the ends after the sheer curtains.
So, what happens here is that you won’t be able to fully close the blackout curtains because of how the sheer curtains will be at the center of the rod when you try to close the blackout curtains.
This will allow a bit of light to pass through the curtains. Another downside is that it also doesn’t give you as many options like a double rod system to adjust the curtains because of how you will sacrifice a bit of privacy and sunlight protection when using this method.
