Dark vs. Light curtains: the appropriate choice based on the room peculiarities
Curtains have always been a prominent part of any room decor. Besides the practical features, they offer a touch of elegance to the room. Nevertheless, when it comes to the appropriate choice of window treatment, various aspects have to be considered. There is no doubt that there are personal preferences in this sense as well. But are you sure that your preferences match with what the stylists have to say in this respect, especially when you have to choose between lighter and darker shades for curtains?
Stay with us, and we will reveal to you the main peculiarities of each category in part and the aspects you have to rely on when making a distinction regarding which way you have to go in this sense. We suggest you get prepared as we have a lot of information we would like to share with you. Don’t worry. We will provide you only with useful and straight-to-the-subject ideas to help you find a balance between your preferences and the right choice of curtains in means of dark or light shades.
Dark vs. Light curtains: 3 starting steps to be considered
- Curtains function. Light curtains fit best rooms directly kissed by the sun as they are not prone to get faded because of the sun. At the same time, a faster fading is peculiar to dark curtains. Furthermore, lighter-colored curtains are the best option for summer as they do not draw as much sun as the dark-colored ones do, keeping, thus, the room cooler. On the other hand, dark curtains are easier to take care of, as the stains are not that visible. Moreover, this type of curtains is the best option for bedrooms, if you would like some privacy or you sleep during day time. In the latter case, the dark curtains would block the daylight. Nevertheless, when it comes to summer, dark curtains absorb the heat. Thus, this is not convenient if you are willing to sleep in a cool room as well.
- Curtains lining. Lining serves as an extra layer for the fabric by reflecting the heat and reducing the fading. This is especially true about well-lined curtains. When it comes to the color, it should be noted that this type of curtains will filter the daylight regardless of the particular shade, which means that this feature is peculiar to both dark and light curtains.
- Curtains appearance. Light curtains will never be out-of-date. They contribute to the room size and can make it feel larger. Furthermore, they serve as a perfect background for darker-colored objects in the room. On the other hand, dark curtains can offer the room a little bit of drama and add coziness to any room, especially to the larger ones. It should be noted that having dark curtains in your room will make you forget for a long time about the dust that does not affect this particular category of curtains as much.
Light curtains: main peculiarities and practical selection tips
There is no doubt that light-colored curtains have both positive and negative aspects that have to be considered. We would like to draw your attention to both categories so that you are fully packed when it comes to the purchase. First of all, we would like to mention the positive side.
- Light shades of color, such as beige, gray, white, soothing blue, are always up-to-date, and you will always be in trend if you opt for any of them;
- Most of them have a thin structure, such as lace ones, that shapes the room beautifully by making it look larger and adding a touch of elegance to the room decor;
- They seem to be more transparent, thus, offering a clear outside view, which enlarges the room and adds a new element to the general image of the interior decor;
- This type of curtains would fit practically any room decor as the neutral colors serve as a perfect background for any decorative elements.
At the same time, nothing is perfect, and this is true about light curtains as well. We would like to point out some of the drawbacks as we want you to have the whole picture in this sense.
- Light curtains are prone to get dirty easier, and even the smallest stains will be visible. Therefore, they are harder to take care of. Furthermore, there are particular types of fabric that can only be dry cleaned. Of course, you can find this information on the label.
- They are usually hung in rooms with low foot traffic to reduce the dust that is rapidly absorbed by them. Thus, if you are living in an apartment with fewer rooms and would not like to clean your curtains often, we suggest you consider another option.
Dark curtains: main peculiarities and useful selection hints
As the category mentioned earlier, this one also has two sides that have to be considered if you want to make a balanced decision. As you have probably thought, we are going to reveal both of them to you, so you have a clear picture of what is going on in a house with dark curtains. As a starting point, we would like to draw your attention to the advantages of dark curtains.
- This type of curtains is the best choice if we speak about a large house. As large spaces tend to set a formal environment, dark curtains substantially reduce this serious feature and add coziness to a room with high ceilings and large windows.
- Dark curtains are perfect for rooms with fewer decorative elements as they fill the space and make the room look complete. If you opt for this type of curtains, don’t forget to balance the colors.
- There is a universe of possibilities you can choose from when it comes to a particular color. Therefore, dark curtains can fit almost any room decor if they match the colors appropriately.
- They are easier to take care of as they do not get stains this often, and even if there is dust on them, it would not be that visible. Furthermore, most of the dark curtain fabrics are cleaned in the usual way and do not require any other involvement.
Nevertheless, we cannot bounce over the disadvantages of having dark-colored curtains. We would like to point out the most prominent ones.
- Dark curtains can be exhausting for the eyes and overwhelming if we speak about smaller spaces as they tend to draw too much attention;
- They block most of the daylight and make the room appear darker and cooler, in case this is not the result you are willing for;
- Playing with dark colors is not that easy as the slightest mistake in this sense can ruin the whole room decor;
- Dark color curtains can only be matched with neutral colors, making it, thus, impossible to opt for this variant if you already have bold-colored walls.
Dark vs. Light curtains: important points to be considered for a final decision
The fact that a particular shade of color of the curtains is appropriate to be chosen relies on the room they will be hung on. What we mean by room: the amount of light and air that is covered by this space, the number and type of windows, the furniture, and decorative elements. Therefore, we suggest you scroll through the tips we prepared for you in this sense:
- If your room receives a lot of sunlight, consider light curtains as they are not prone to fading, which is not peculiar to the dark ones, and will make the room being bathed by sun rays all day long;
- For those who would like to maintain a cooler temperature in the room, especially in summer, we suggest they opt for dark-colored curtains as they will stop the heat and, additionally, will block part of the daylight if there is any need to sleep during the daytime;
- If you opt for dark-colored curtains, we suggest you make sure they have a suitable lining as the unlined materials can easily absorb the light and the heat if this is not what you are looking for.
Additionally, we would like to draw your attention to an array of photos that reveal some of the features we told you about earlier. Enjoy them and pay attention to how these particularities work in practice in order to make a balanced decision in this sense. Don forget that your choice should match both your preferences and the room you think of when it comes to the right shade for the window treatment.
