A British bedroom asks a lot of its window. It has to hold back the 4am summer sunrise, soften the orange glow of a streetlamp, and put up some resistance to the cold coming off a single-glazed sash. Velvet curtains and blackout blinds both answer that brief, but they answer it differently — and the better choice depends on the window, the room, and how seriously you take your lie-in.
Light Control: Where Blackout Blinds Pull Ahead
If darkness is the priority, blinds have the advantage. Blinds sit close to the glass, so there is far less space for light to creep around. A recess-fitted blackout roller or pleated blind will leave you with slim bright lines down each side and a strip at the bottom; a face-fitted blind, mounted on the wall in front of the recess, reduces those gaps further still. Some blackout blinds come with side channels or a cassette, which all but eliminates the leak.
Velvet is not blackout by nature. It is dense and it blocks a good deal of light, but an unlined velvet curtain over a pole will still glow at the heading and spill light down the sides. To get a velvet curtain close to true blackout, you need a blackout lining, a track rather than a pole, a generous overlap where the two panels meet in the middle, and a track that runs well past the window frame on both sides. Do all of that and it works beautifully — it just takes more planning than ordering a blind.
Worth knowing: blackout fabric stops most light, while dim-out fabric softens it. Check which one you are buying, particularly for a baby's room or if you work nights.
Warmth, Draughts and Single Glazing
Older British housing stock — Victorian terraces, 1930s semis, flats with original sash windows — loses heat at the glass and around the frame. Here the two options work in slightly different ways.
Curtains work by trapping a layer of still air between the fabric and the window. The heavier and better fitted the curtain, the better that works, which is why interlined velvet is such a good performer in a cold bedroom. For the best result, hang the track close to the ceiling, extend it 15–20cm beyond the recess on each side, and let the curtains either puddle very slightly at the floor or finish just above it. If a curtain hangs over a radiator, expect much of that heat to travel up behind the fabric rather than into the room.
Blinds create their own pocket of trapped air right against the glass, and cellular or honeycomb blinds are especially good at this because the honeycomb structure holds air in the same way as a quilt. The catch is the gaps. A blind that stops short of the frame lets cold air slide past it, so face-fitting and side channels matter as much for warmth as they do for light.
Neither option replaces double glazing or proper draught-proofing. Think of them as the last layer, not the cure. If your home is listed or you rent, check before making anything permanent.
Noise: What Actually Makes a Difference
No window covering will soundproof a bedroom facing a main road. What reduces noise is mass, coverage and airtightness, and this is where heavy velvet earns its keep. A floor-length, interlined velvet curtain that closes fully across the window takes the hard edge off traffic and neighbours' bins at 6am; a thin roller blind does almost nothing. Cellular blinds with side channels offer a modest improvement, mainly by sealing the gap.
There is a secondary benefit that is easy to overlook: soft furnishings absorb sound inside the room. A bedroom with generous curtains sounds calmer and less echoey than one with bare glass and hard blinds, even before you open the window.
Style: Two Very Different Moods
When velvet wins
Velvet suits rooms with height, generous windows and a bit of history — bay windows, high ceilings, cornicing, sash frames. Deep colours such as bottle green, aubergine, navy or ochre look particularly good, and the pile shifts in the light throughout the day, which is half the appeal. Pencil pleat and triple pleat headings give structure; eyelet headings look looser and more contemporary. Bear in mind that velvet is bulky, so in a small box room it can feel like it is taking over.
When blinds win
Blinds come into their own in compact rooms, modern new-builds, and anywhere the lines want to stay clean. They are also the practical answer for awkward windows: tilt-and-turn frames, roof lights, narrow casements, and windows where a curtain track would crowd a wardrobe or a door. If you love velvet but not the bulk, a velvet Roman blind gives you the texture with a much smaller footprint.
Maintenance and Everyday Practicalities
How much upkeep you are willing to do should carry real weight in this decision.
- Velvet curtains. Dust sits on the pile, so vacuum them on a low setting with an upholstery brush every month or two, and steam them to lift flattened pile. Check the care label before doing anything else — many velvets are dry clean only, and some dyes fade in strong direct sun.
- Blinds. Far simpler. A microfibre cloth or a vacuum brush attachment once a fortnight keeps fabric blinds presentable, and most can be spot-cleaned with a mild solution. Hard slats wipe down in minutes.
- Fitting. Velvet is heavy. A long pair of interlined curtains can weigh several kilos, so fix the track or pole into masonry, a lintel or timber studs — not plasterboard alone. Use enough brackets and check them after a month.
- Child safety. If you choose blinds with cords, fit a cleat and keep the cords well out of reach of children. Cordless and spring-loaded blinds avoid the issue entirely, and are the safer choice in a child's bedroom.
- Fabric quantity. For curtains, allow roughly twice the track width in fabric. Anything less and velvet looks flat and lets light through at the centre.
Layering: The Answer Most UK Bedrooms Land On
You do not have to choose. The most comfortable bedrooms tend to use both: a blackout roller or cellular blind fitted into the recess for light control and a layer of insulation at the glass, with a velvet curtain on a wide track in front for warmth, noise absorption and character.
The order matters. Fit the blind first so you can measure the track around it, mount the track high and wide, and make sure the curtain does not rub against the blind when both are closed. Use the blind for summer mornings and the curtain for winter evenings, or close both when you want the room genuinely dark.
Which Should You Choose?
If your main complaint is light — a streetlamp, an early sunrise, a baby who wakes with the birds — start with a face-fitted blackout blind with side channels, and add curtains later if you want the softness. If your bedroom is cold, noisy or full of period detail you want to show off, interlined velvet curtains will do more for the feel of the room, provided you fit them properly and accept the laundry label.
For most people, the honest answer is a blackout blind plus velvet curtains on a track that extends past the window. You get the darkness, the draught control, the quiet and the look — and you stop noticing the window altogether, which is exactly what you want from a bedroom.
