After 10 years of marriage, there are finally curtains in my home! Well, not in the entire house but only on a couple of windows. I’ve desired to have them from the beginning but since we were in a state of transition for several years, we just never felt like purchasing curtains to leave behind for new homeowners.
Now that we’re in a home that we hope to be in for quite some time, we’re taking the plunge and slowly buying window treatments.
During the curtain purchasing process, I’ve come to the conclusion that there are a couple of things to consider when dressing up windows.
Curtain Style
The biggest consideration in my mind is how they look:
- Should they add color, shine, pattern, pizazz?
- Should they blend in with the surroundings?
- Are they scaled appropriately for the size of the room?
You know, the important questions.
Energy Savings
The responsible adult in me has to ask another question. It’s certainly not as fun as the style question but it’s just as important:
- Can the window treatments be used to save on energy costs?
Thankfully, there are a host of options available these days that tend to both questions. They look good and save energy!
When searching for blinds or curtains we can look for descriptive terms like “thermal” and “blackout” to determine if they will actually help insulate windows. Blinds won’t look much different than their less energy-saving counterpart but the curtains will most likely be lined with a thick backing. The look of the fabric, though, is still beautiful and will fit most any home decor style.
Upfront costs are a reality.
Of course, there will probably be a heavier cost upfront when purchasing energy saving window treatments so you may want to be selective with the windows you start with.
For instance, we have one room on the second floor that gets heavy afternoon sun. The temperature in that room can be as much as ten degrees warmer than the rest of the house when the blinds are open. So, that’s one of the first rooms that curtains were added. When the blinds and curtains are closed during the high heat times, the temperature in that room stays consistent with the rest of the house. This one change has made us actually want to hang out in that room!
Money spent on the front end will be recouped on the back end.
By closing blinds and curtains during specific times of the day (especially when no one is home) will certainly reduce the amount of time your heat and air unit has to stay on. I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how great of news that is when it comes to the amount of money you have to spend on your electric or heat bill!
Did you think about energy savings when decorating your home with window treatments? Do you keep curtains closed during certain times of the day? Do you have other ways to save money when it comes to windows?
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Ooh, I forget to think about energy savings with curtains. I do try to leave them shut when we’re not home, but I don’t think about it specifically when I’m getting ready to put curtains up. Thanks for reminding me.:)
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