The first thing I look for when buying a place is a sense of light and air which usually comes from the windows. Curtains and blinds are often an investment so you need to choose wisely for each room for length, pattern, texture and practicality.

Blinds

I am a blinds person – curtains to me are often fussy, dusty and old-fashioned. However, I have seen some mistakes when selecting the right blind. First, work out how much light you want in and want to block out and if you want pattern or plain. Pay as much as you can afford and don’t be afraid to think out of the box. I have used cheap bamboo blinds and IKEA paper blinds with great effect. Our tiny French apartment had lovely traditional shutters.

Don’t forget to carefully measure the length and width of the window. Either choose to hang them inside the window and measure from there or if outside, from the edge so they cover to block out light. If you need two blinds, make sure you measure how close you want them to be to avoid letting light in or being too close. Don’t be afraid to use a drill, you can always refill holes or use Commander strips if the blinds are not too heavy.

Curtains

They are like trousers, don’t have them too short, make sure the length covers the window sill or is touching the ground. I am not a fan of draping curtains as it is not great Feng Shui practice but some like a look of luxury. There are pelmets and draping if you like a grand design but I prefer something simple and clean.

Tips & Tricks

  • As with hanging pictures, give some space from the ceiling but not too low and either touching the bottom of the sill or touching the floor.
  • They can look great as a ‘door’ for areas such as laundries and niche spaces.
  • Pattern or plain – being a major investment, you may wish to choose a neutral colour. Or you may choose that to be the statement of the room – the wow factor, but make sure they balance with the decor of the room.
  • If you have large windows, consider how much light you want to keep out. I have seen people use both curtains and blinds in large windows together for framing and practicality.
  • Consider block out shades were needed to protect pictures and furniture – there are various degrees available these days.
  • With curtains, a rule of thumb is to avoid having too little material to ensure you have enough volume in the window. There are plenty of measurement calculators you can search for.
  • I have used IKEA and Zara Home curtains but I love thinking outside of the box. In the past, I have bought bamboo blinds from Chinese shops and even used iron-on hem tape on table cloths with great effect.

Living Area

Living rooms are often areas where window treatments can be expensive. They need to be durable and something you can ideally live with for a long time. Our Berlin apartment felt like a tree house in the warmer months. We faced the sun and love the light and blue skies that the windows let in. We decided to make this the wow factor and chose plissé blinds with a soft Asian pattern motif to mirror the trees. They let in enough light and created enough shade while adding a softness to the wooden frames.

 

Kitchen

If you are lucky enough to have a kitchen window, consider the view. If it is lovely, hang a sheer blind or curtain that frames the view. As kitchen window treatments are prone to pick up oil and grime from cooking, blinds are probably a better option than curtains. Ensure they are easily cleaned.

Bedroom

You need as much block out of light that you can get! We chose plissé blinds again with 100% light block. They are functional being a neutral colour but we knew we would make the bed linen the key statement. In our tiny French apartment, we had a strange nook we are using for storage. We used a sheer Zara Home curtain with a rod placed as high as we could to give a sense of a door and the curtain’s texture softened the room.

 

Bathroom

Think water and humidity! The blind or curtain needs to be mildew resistant. Anywhere with condensation is a battle. We actually have this issue with our bedroom blinds and I am still sourcing how to clean off mildew.

A Door

Our laundry was in a niche with a high ceiling making it impossible to build in a door. We gave up and bought an IKEA full length curtain and it was a practical solution.