Curtains and Blinds: Your Questions Answered

Choosing between made to measure curtains and roman blinds often comes down to how you use the room and the look you’re trying to achieve.

Curtains tend to create a softer, more luxurious feel. They add texture, improve insulation and can make a room feel warm and inviting. From relaxed linen curtains to elegant velvets, curtains are often the go-to choice for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces.

Blinds offer a cleaner, more streamlined appearance. They’re particularly popular in kitchens, bathrooms and home offices where practicality and precise light control are important. Both roman blinds and roller blinds provide a tailored finish while taking up less space around the window.

Of course, you don’t always have to choose one or the other. Layering curtains with blinds combines the best of both worlds - adding softness, privacy, insulation and flexible light control in a single window treatment.

If you’re still deciding, our dedicated guide to curtains vs blinds explores the advantages of each in more detail.

If you’ve decided that blinds are the right choice for your home, the next decision is often choosing between roman blinds and roller blinds.

Roman blinds are made from fabric and fold neatly into soft pleats when raised. They bring warmth, texture and a more luxurious feel to a room, making them a popular choice for bedrooms, living rooms and dining spaces. Because they’re made from the same fabrics as our curtains, roman blinds are ideal if you want to create a coordinated look throughout your home.

Roller blinds offer a simpler, more streamlined appearance. The fabric rolls neatly away when raised, making them particularly practical for kitchens, bathrooms and home offices where space and functionality are key. They’re also a great option for contemporary interiors thanks to their clean lines and minimal design.

When it comes to light control, both options can be paired with blackout linings or fabrics. The decision often comes down to aesthetics - whether you prefer the soft folds of a roman blind or the sleek finish of a roller blind.

Still undecided? Explore our collections of roman blinds and roller blinds to see which style feels most at home in your space.

Choosing the right fabric is about balancing practicality with the look and feel you want to create.

For relaxed, light-filled spaces, linen curtains softly filter daylight and bring an effortless texture to a room. If you’re looking for warmth and comfort, wool and brushed fabrics can help create a cosier atmosphere, particularly in bedrooms and living rooms.

For kitchens and bathrooms, practicality is often key. Roman blinds in durable fabrics such as cotton, hemp or our Revive collection are easy to live with while still adding colour and character.

If you’re looking to make a statement, velvet curtains bring instant depth and drama. Their rich pile catches the light beautifully and adds a luxurious finish to both traditional and contemporary interiors.

Not sure which fabric is right for your home? Order up to 8 free fabric swatches and see how they look in your space before making a decision.

Made to measure curtains and blinds are designed specifically for your windows, ensuring a better fit, better light control and a more polished finish than ready-made alternatives.

Instead of compromising on size, fabric or style, every detail is tailored to your home.

Do I Need Lining Or Interlining?

The right lining can completely change how your curtains or blinds look and perform. From improving privacy to helping regulate temperature, lining is one of the most important decisions you’ll make when choosing window apparel.

Standard lining is suitable for most rooms and helps protect your chosen fabric from fading in direct sunlight. It also gives curtains and blinds a neater finish and improves how they hang.

For bedrooms and nurseries, blackout lining is often the preferred choice. It helps reduce unwanted light from street lamps and early morning sun, creating a darker and more restful space. If getting a good night’s sleep is a priority, take a look at our guide to blackout curtains and blinds.

If you’re looking to improve energy efficiency, thermal lining can help keep rooms warmer in winter and cooler in summer. Adding a lining creates an extra barrier at the window, helping to reduce heat loss and improve comfort throughout the year.

For the most luxurious finish, consider interlining. This soft layer sits between the face fabric and lining, adding weight, fullness and insulation. Interlined curtains drape beautifully and are often chosen for living rooms, dining rooms and period properties where a more substantial look is desired.

For a deeper dive into the different options, read our Ultimate Guide to Curtain Lining.

Absolutely. In fact, combining curtains and blinds is one of the most effective ways to create a practical and beautifully layered window treatment.

A popular approach is to fit a roman blind or roller blind inside the window recess, then frame the window with curtains. This combination offers flexible light control, additional privacy and improved insulation while adding softness and character to a room.

Layering can also help solve common design challenges. Sheer blinds or curtains can filter harsh daylight during the day, while blackout curtains provide privacy and darkness in the evening. It’s a particularly popular solution for bedrooms and south-facing rooms where light levels change throughout the day.

From a design perspective, layering creates depth and visual interest. Interior designers often combine different fabrics and textures to give windows a more considered, luxurious feel.

If you’d like to explore different combinations, take a look at our guide to layered curtains and blinds.

Different rooms have different requirements, so the best window treatment for your living room may not be the best choice for your kitchen or bathroom.

Living Rooms

Living rooms are often where curtains can make the biggest impact. Full-length curtains help soften a space, improve insulation and create a welcoming atmosphere. For larger windows, layering curtains with a blind can provide flexible light control throughout the day.

Bedrooms

Privacy and light control are usually the top priorities in bedrooms. Blackout curtains or blinds can help create a darker environment for sleeping, while interlined curtains add warmth and help reduce draughts during colder months.

Kitchens

Practicality is key in kitchens. Roller blinds are a popular choice thanks to their streamlined design and ease of operation. If you’d like to introduce more texture and softness, roman blinds can also work beautifully in kitchen spaces.

Bathrooms

Moisture levels are an important consideration in bathrooms. Blinds are often the preferred option, providing privacy while maintaining a clean and uncluttered appearance.

Home Offices

Managing glare is often the biggest challenge in a home office. Blinds allow you to adjust light levels throughout the day, helping to create a more comfortable workspace without completely blocking natural daylight.

Ultimately, the best window treatment is one that balances practicality with the style of your home. If you’re unsure which option is right for a particular room, ordering free fabric samples can be a great place to start.

Accurate measurements are the key to ensuring your made to measure curtains and blinds fit perfectly. While it might seem daunting at first, measuring your windows is often much simpler than people expect.

For curtains, you’ll need to consider both the width of your pole or track and the finished drop. Hanging curtains higher and wider than the window can help create the illusion of larger windows and make a room feel more spacious.

For blinds, measurements will vary depending on whether you’d like them fitted inside or outside the window recess. Taking a few careful measurements at the start can make all the difference to the finished result.

To make things easier, we’ve created detailed measuring guides for every product we offer. You can also book a free video consultation if you’d like a second opinion before ordering.

Visit our measuring guides for step-by-step instructions and advice.

We’ve designed the process to be as simple and stress-free as possible.

Start by ordering up to 8 free fabric samples so you can see the colours, textures and weaves in your own home. Natural light can completely change how a fabric looks, so it’s always worth taking the time to compare your favourites in the room they’re intended for.

Once you’ve chosen your fabric, use our measuring guides to take your window measurements. You’ll then be able to customise your curtains or blinds online, selecting everything from headings and linings to tracks and poles.

Every order is then handmade to your exact specifications by our talented UK sewistas. Because everything is made to measure, you’ll receive window apparel that’s designed specifically for your home rather than adapted from standard sizes.

If you’d like some help along the way, our team is always on hand to offer advice. Whether you need help choosing a fabric, understanding linings or checking your measurements, we’re here to make the process as straightforward as possible.

Ready to get started? Order your free samples and begin designing your perfect curtains or blinds today.

One of the benefits of made to measure curtains is that every detail can be tailored to suit your home. From the way the curtains sit on the floor to how fabric widths are joined together, these finishing touches all contribute to the final look.

Curtain Pooling

Curtain pooling is when curtains are intentionally made longer than the distance from the pole or track to the floor, allowing the fabric to gently gather at the bottom. This creates a relaxed, luxurious look often seen in interior design magazines and period homes.

For a cleaner, more contemporary appearance, many homeowners prefer curtains that lightly skim the floor instead. Neither option is right or wrong - it simply comes down to personal preference and the style of your space.

Curtain Hems

The hem is the finished edge at the bottom of the curtain. A well-made hem helps curtains hang beautifully and creates a neat, balanced appearance. The depth of the hem is carefully considered to ensure the curtain drapes properly and maintains its shape over time.

Will My Curtains Have Joins?

The width of your finished curtains is determined by both your window size and the width of the chosen fabric. For wider windows, multiple fabric widths may need to be joined together to achieve the required finished size.

These joins are professionally sewn and are often hidden within the natural folds of the curtain. Once hanging, they are rarely noticeable, particularly on fuller curtains where the fabric naturally falls into soft pleats.

Choosing The Right Finish

Whether you prefer curtains that pool elegantly onto the floor or a crisp, tailored finish, made to measure curtains allow you to customise the details. If you’re unsure which option would work best in your home, our team is always happy to offer advice before you order.

For south-facing rooms sheers allow soft light to stream into living rooms or dining spaces. In bedrooms, and for flexibility, sheers with blackout-lined curtains will ensure light can be blocked completely. For north-facing rooms choosing fabric colours with a warm base will help create a cost space, try warm yellow or red base hues.

Our made to measure curtains and blinds are hand stitched to your bespoke requirements, every detail finished by hand in local workshops up and down the country. Behind the scenes, our team works hard on design details, from fabrics, and headings, to more bespoke requests. Our lead times are specific for each project, to make sure our sewistas have time to cut, pin and sew to the highest quality and finish. The number of windows in a project can also impact lead times, it takes time to hand-stitch quality window apparel. If you have any questions on projects or lead times, get in touch with our team hello@stitched.co.uk.

The maximum width of a blind is determined by the width of the fabric roll. For wider windows, fabric joins may be required to achieve the finished size.

For roman blinds, if the finished width exceeds 120cm (for a standard width fabric), the blind will typically be made with a central panel and two matching side panels. This creates two parallel joins, positioned symmetrically on either side of the main width. By placing the joins evenly across the blind, the finished result feels balanced and intentional rather than drawing attention to the construction.

As with curtains, these joins are professionally sewn and carefully planned to achieve the best possible appearance. If you’re concerned about joins in a particular fabric or window size, our team will be happy to advise before you order.

Motorised blinds offer a convenient way to control light and privacy at the touch of a button.

They’re particularly useful for large windows, hard-to-reach spaces and smart homes, allowing you to raise and lower blinds without cords or chains.

As well as improving convenience, motorisation can help extend the lifespan of your blinds by ensuring smooth, consistent operation over time.

With so many fabrics, headings, linings and blind styles to choose from, it’s completely normal to feel unsure where to start.

That’s why we offer free video consultations. During your appointment, one of our team can talk through your project, answer any questions and help you choose the right curtains or blinds for your home.

Whether you’re deciding between roman and roller blinds, choosing fabrics for a bay window or checking your measurements before ordering, we’re here to help make the process as simple as possible.