Curtains or blinds – which side are you on?
May 15, 2017
We’re such a diverse, multi-cultural population that there is always a lively debate happening somewhere on two opposing views.
  • Dogs or cats?
  • Joburg or Cape Town?
  • Curtains or Blinds?
The latter, of course, only applies to those who have struggled with the challenge of choosing window treatments, and is probably the most difficult decision of the three because there are so many options out there.

It doesn’t have to be hard if you keep these points in mind

When you’re redecorating a room keep in mind that different rooms serve different purposes and we feel differently as we move from one to the next. There are also the practical considerations!

A lounge area for example is supposed to be warm and welcoming, and a lovely soft fabric curtain will give the room a sense of relaxation.

The kitchen, on the other hand is the hub of the house, and is usually filled with light and activity. For this reason, blinds work best as they can be folded up to let as much light in as possible. They can also be wiped clean whenever necessary. This is an important fact to consider as a lot of dust and mould can build up over the years from moisture from cooking.

This is also the reason why blinds work best in bathrooms, too. Curtains in bathrooms can get mouldy very quickly and need to be taken down and washed and then re-hung regularly to avoid being ruined with mildew and causing health problems.

It’s deciding what to use for the bedroom windows that gets people flustered

Usually, the rule of thumb is to avoid curtains where there is furniture under a window, because curtains should always be floor length in bedrooms. Blinds can sometimes feel a little “cold” in a bedroom, though.

It is in this personal space of the bedroom that people often love to express their creativity. Here you can choose exciting African-inspired fabrics that make a bold statement in your safari-themed bedroom.

If there is a privacy issue, soft white blinds can be used in conjunction with curtains, which solves the nosy neighbour problem, without compromising on aesthetics.

If you are still unsure, have a chat to an interior designer with experience in fabrics and even window dressing. There is often more than just the look to consider, such as how much light is required in the room, and the correct weight of the fabric, or thickness of the blind to suit the existing décor or theme.

Curtains, blinds or both – the choice is endless. Do you play by the rules or let your imagination run wild? Have fun either way.

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By Kyra Harper August 15, 2023
Back in March of 2020, Bianca and Jana were dusting off their Fez’s and grabbing the pashminas out of storage in preparation to Rock the Casbah! However, as we all know and vividly remember - with March, came the eventual Covid shutdown, and instead of frolicking down the Moroccan streets, we all shut ourselves inside and watched the days tick by… 3 Years later, and now we can finally say - with conviction - that they’re going to Morocco at the start of September! This blog, filled with excitement and curiosity about all the weird and wonderful curios they might find, and endless sourcing they’ll do, stays as a reminder that sometimes plans change, things go awry and there’s not much you can do about it other than persevere - and that we did! So, here’s Bianca and Jana’s innermost thoughts about the trip, 3 years before it came to fruition, enjoy :) We've got our passports out and Jana has already picked out what she's going to wear each day… Come March [September] we'll be heading north with Air France to the Kingdom of Morocco, bright eyed and bushy tailed as we make our base in the ancient city of Marrakesh (also known as Marrakech to the French, but we're not French, so we'll go with the English version until all that fuss about Brexit is sorted out) - This turned into a year long negotiations trade, and now us outsiders would pay nearly double what we used to if we visit the UK - thankfully our flight is direct!! We'll be looking for inspiration and will be investigating what's there that we could possibly bring back to The Hoed. We can't wait to experience the atmosphere and afro-arabic influences of this amazing place as we visit the celebrated souks and off-the-beaten track artists and craftsmen that make Marrakesh so special. We're desperate to see the beautifully hand-crafted furniture, textiles, fabrics, rugs, carpets, objets d'art, accessories, lighting… anything that catches our eye and could possibly be brought back south. Berber mats and rugs are definitely on our list, as are the kind of furnishings you might find in a gorgeous Bedouin tent. If you think about it, the Bedouin refined the art of "glamping" into an artform - fabulous carpets on the ground, soft, billowing fabrics hung here and there, plump cushions spread on the ground, intricate leatherwork and carved wood, patinated metal… Total Glamping vibes! We just love all of it and will be tracking as much of it down as we can. We'll also have an eye or three out for wonderful ceramics and glassware and wonderful lamps that give off soft, filtered light.  For us it's about workmanship, so we'll hopefully be finding the people who make furniture and ceramics using techniques that have been passed down over countless generations meaning that everything we look at will have its own, and its own special story. Our mission is to share those stories with you and, if it's feasible, bring some of that special workmanship home to the Rainbow Nation. We're most definitely inspired and are sure this is going to be a truly special trip! Counting the sleeps till then! Less than a month to go now - we will be keeping the updates going on our social channels as well as another few blog posts to explain in detail our wild adventures - Stay tuned!
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