6 Reasons to Have Blackout Curtains in Your Apartment

We must admit, we are a bit obsessed with window treatments. With such a variety of styles and materials available, they are a great way to introduce texture, colour and pattern into a room.

In this article, we focus on blackout curtains. True to its name, this luxurious drapery is designed to prevent any hint of the outside world from intruding into the sanctuary of your home. Here are six reasons why these curtains will work well in your apartment.

1. Block out sunlight and keep your apartment cool during the summer

Most modern apartment buildings are designed with beautiful large windows. Great as these are in opening up your space, the glass, unfortunately, lets the dazzling afternoon sunlight pour unfiltered into your home.

Pair that with mirrored furniture and white walls, and you end up with an intensely bright, overheated space. Fancy trying to get anything done in those conditions!

The solution? Blackout curtains. By reducing the light filtering into your rooms by as much as 24%, these curtains help keep your rooms cool during those hot summer days.

2. Help you get a good night's sleep by blocking out noise and light

If you are an urban dweller chances are the constant hive of activity and glowing city lights are what attracted you to your current apartment. However, the bustling crowds don’t make for a good night’s sleep nor are they ideal for the moments when you need some quiet.

Blackout curtains are made from a thick, heavy fabric which blocks out noise significantly. It is easier for our bodies to produce melatonin, the hormone that regulates sleep when we are in quiet and calm environments.

This makes this drapery a must for anyone whose sleep cycles are easily interrupted by changes in noise levels. Our interior decorators often take it a step further and have an equally weighty lining added to the curtains to ensure a peaceful slumber any time of the day.

3. Protect your furniture from fading in the sun

We often do not realise the harsh effects of the sun on our furniture until it's too late. In our experience, we have found that without the right protection, homes with multiple windows tend to require regular refurnishing, repainting and refinishing.

The wooden furniture becomes dull over time whilst any colourful items become faded. Wooden floors are equally affected and will need constant repolishing.

Because blackout curtains regulate the sun rays coming into your room, they become an important barrier of protection for your prized possessions. At the very worst, fabric couches and chairs may begin to tear under the strain of the sun.

4. Keep your privacy by preventing people from looking into your apartment

Apartments do not come with acres of garden, so chances are some of your rooms are in full view of the public. The average person will require a bit of privacy every now and again.

Standard curtains are semi-transparent and silhouettes can be seen when the inside is brighter than the outside. Fortunately, the dense, close-knit material of blackout curtains entirely protects you from being seen by outsiders under all light conditions.

Privacy can become a matter of safety, so we recommend investing in high-quality blackouts for an affordable way to protect yourself.

5. Provide insulation against cold weather in the winter

You may have noticed that your rooms feel warmer when your curtains are closed than they do when they are drawn open.

Blackout curtains are excellent thermal insulators. The same way they prevent heat from coming into your home in summer is how they keep the cold out in winter.

This way, your air conditioner can do less work keeping the home warm. With skyrocketing energy bills, this is a welcome advantage!

6. Can be used as a makeshift room divider to create more privacy

Studio apartments and lofts do not come with the luxury of doors for every room. That’s fine when you live alone but, add a guest and you may need to section off parts of the space for privacy.

Solid room dividers are not always a feasible option due their size, so curtains become a perfect alternative. Blackout curtains will provide maximum privacy, without taking up much-needed floor space.

Best of all, when not needed, the makeshift barrier can be destroyed easily with a simple pulling back of the drapes.

Let us help you choose!

As we mentioned earlier, at FCI, we absolutely love all things to do with window treatments. Your mates won’t be too keen to talk curtains for more than a minute, so come in and chat with us. Our dynamic team of interior designers will help you drape your apartment to a sophistication that will become the envy of many.