Autumn layers: warmth and privacy for darker evenings
The evenings are drawing in and there's a real chill in the air once the sun goes. With the lights on after dark anyone walking past gets a clear view into your home.
A blind and a pair of curtains used together deal with both problems. By day the blind looks after privacy and daylight and finishes a bare window so it looks dressed. Soft texture, warm colour or a pattern that ties in with your cushions all change how homely the room feels. Once evening comes, curtains on a pole or track add the extra warmth.
Why layer up now
Days are shorter, so the lights go on earlier and you start noticing cold air around the window. Putting curtains over a blind gets you:
- One more layer of fabric to hold heat in overnight
- Soft daylight by day and darkness when you need it
- Privacy from the street by day and a settled room in the evening
- Warmer, deeper colours that look right under the lights
Three good options for the glass
At the glass you can choose a roller, pleated or Roman blind. None of them gets in the way of curtains.
Roller blinds do the everyday job well. Pull one down for privacy or roll it up to let the view back in. Light-filtering fabric keeps a bright room bright, while blackout is the one for sleeping or watching films. Behind lined curtains, a roller in a warm shade is a setup that works well year round.
Pleated blinds sit in a slim stack when raised, so they don't fight with curtains for space. Baileys pleated fabrics come with blackout and energy-saving options that help keep the heat in during winter.
Roman blinds are fully lined and can be made with blackout for bedrooms. Hung inside the window recess (the space inside the frame) a Roman looks tidy. The soft fabric brings a cosy feel too, whether you add curtains or not.
Without curtains, go by the room: a blackout roller for a bedroom or a Roman if you prefer soft fabrics.
Who does what
What you want from the blind by day
- Nobody seeing in from outside
- Glare taken off without losing the view
- A dark bedroom or TV room when needed
What you want from the curtains at night
- Heat kept in once the heating is on
- Darkness or just a softer light
- A window that looks properly finished for the evening
What to look for in the fabric
Choose blackout where light must stay out. For curtains, a medium to heavier fabric falls better than a thin voile in autumn and a lining helps keep in the heat.
Soft neutrals, deep greens and rust look good long after daylight goes. Ask to see samples in the evening too, as colours shift a lot between daylight and the lights coming on.
Living space and sleeping space
A living room has to cope with bright mornings and private evenings. Most suit a warm-neutral roller and curtains in a deeper tone. If the room turns chilly by early evening an energy-saving pleated blind is a better base. A Roman is there if you'd rather have soft fabrics. With a bay, think about curtains first.
Bedrooms need proper darkness, which a blackout roller or Roman gives you. Curtains drawn over the top then keep the warmth in.
Baileys supplies every blind made to measure, so it suits the window exactly and light doesn't creep around the edges.
Kitchen, bathroom and beyond
A window that catches the low sun is better with something you can raise and lower easily. Spare rooms and landings you use less rarely need more than a light-filtering fabric. For kitchens and bathrooms choose a PVC roller or fauxwood blind, as both handle steam and wipe clean.
Begin with whichever window bothers you most.
Come and see us in Spennymoor
Call into our showroom at 34 High Street in Spennymoor or book a free appointment and we'll come to you with samples anywhere in the North East. Ring 01388 813267 and the team will help.