When someone says either curtains or blinds, many automatically envision drab, dusty fabric blandly hanging down a window, neither adding any life to the room, nor doing a very good job at properly covering the window.
But curtains and blinds can fulfill fashion and function, keeping the outside world from looking in, keeping the light out when desired, all while creating warmth and adding style to any room in the house.
For a contemporary home, there are so many ways to incorporate these style features and add unique flair to different rooms, and they don’t even all involve using them for windows!
If you’re looking to add a touch of new style to your contemporary home, try out one of these three ideas of how to use curtains or blinds in your home:
- Bed canopy: The quintessential princess bed is the dream of every little girl, but in a contemporary home, it’s nearly an essential.
Canopy beds are whimsical and elegant at every age. They serve as creative spaces for younger kids, a private den for a teen, or a transformative aspect for a master suite. Also, even for younger kids, these don’t have to be limited to just girls. Think of making an awesome space-themed cover, like in a half-canopy for a little boy. With the variety of fabrics that curtains can come in, there’s no limit to design options when it comes to creating a canopy.
Utilizing some sturdy curtain rods can help you make a canopy bed out of a normal bed. You don’t need to buy a whole other piece of furniture. And with curtain rods, you can hang the curtains in different directions and at different heights. They can form the traditional four-poster bed canopy, or be used on the wall at just a slight angle to create a half-canopy or a true do-it-yourself headboard.
Blinds can help you accomplish the same look. While they aren’t as moveable as the fabric of a curtain, you could hang in a box style, and just keep the sides rolled up. It gives the illusion of privacy and can be a neat design feature, especially in small homes or apartments where rooms or spaces have to be shared and it would be nice to separate the bed area.
- Nooks: Moving onward from the bed, blinds and curtains can be used to create a room within a room. It’s room-ception if you will.
Reading spaces and quiet time areas are the most popular designs, but utilizing blinds and curtains as a room divider can help create a relaxing and fashionable area. This is where a heavier blind could be more useful if acting as a room divider. This can help block noise, and give the appearance of a wall without the cost and hassle of installing one. For a lighter touch, as well as numerous color options, go with a curtain. You can design a canopy style on the floor by hanging them from the ceiling with curtain rods, or use them to visually designate a section of wall where space will be used differently.
This can be beneficial for kids who are growing. Younger children may have originally had to share the room with siblings. But, as they get older, a little privacy is usually appreciated. However, creating another room or moving into a larger home is not always an option.
A set of blinds or larger curtain can provide the privacy wall that siblings might be craving in a separate bedroom. The idea of using curtains or blinds is also perfect in an open concept floor plan, which is what most contemporary homes are designed with. While open and flowing rooms can look beautiful, sometimes there’s just too much space. Use a curtain or blind to designate a nook or to cut a larger space into smaller ones, be it a bedroom or living room.
- Cabinet curtains: Curtains and blinds have recently found a new space to enter the picture — the kitchen! By adding a unique touch to cabinetry and functioning as the cover instead of traditional cabinet doors.
Country kitchens are most well known for this, but in the quest to add personality to kitchens, more contemporary homes are incorporating this style too. Swapping traditional wooden doors with a fabric door can immediately add interest to lackluster cabinets that need an update. Plus, no one has ever said they smashed their finger in a curtain or smacked their head on a left open curtain door. Although gingham fabrics are most often used, light and airy fabrics can be used for a softer touch.
Another bonus point is that when someone spills food or drink in the kitchen and it splashes, you don’t have to spend time scrubbing down the doors. Simply remove from the curtain rod and toss the fabric in the wash.
For a more bohemian feel, you could use blinds the same way. The woodwork of blinds would go perfectly to add warmth in the kitchen. They could be used around an open style island, for instance.
With a variety of textures and colors that you can find for blinds and curtains on today’s market, there are so many ways to feature them and add both beauty, warmth, and versatility to any room of a contemporary house. Fabric and woods are known for being visually arresting points, so why not employ an easy design upgrade with them?
