While curtains are great home decor items, they can also be very functional.
Depending on the type of curtain, some curtains can darken a room, some can make a room appear larger, some curtains can insulate a room, and some can help circulate air indoors.
Some curtains are made to block light. Dark curtains in general block more light compared to light-colored curtains.
Here is how dark curtains work:
Dark curtains can block light. Essentially they help make a room darker by blocking light, but not pitch-black dark. Most of the time, the weaves of dark curtains still allow some light to come through, but they do block a significant amount of light that is enough to darken a room.
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Do All Dark Curtains Block Sunlight?
Dark curtains are great if you want to block just enough sunlight to make a room dim. All dark curtains can block sunlight to an extent, but they cannot make your room completely dark. They do not work like blackout curtains.
Dark curtains have thick fibers and can have some lining to block light.
But they are not as thick as blackout curtains, so they can still allow a small amount of sunlight to pass through the fibers.
Take note that just because dark curtains can block sunlight does not mean that they can also block UV rays. Not all curtains that block sunlight can block UV rays.
So if you want a dark curtain that blocks both sunlight and UV rays, make sure that the curtain you will be buying has light-filtering properties. Check the label as it usually indicates if the curtain can filter out UV rays.
If you want to dim your room just enough to give it a cozy atmosphere but not make it pitch-black, then dark curtains are a very good solution.
Read more here about how much sunlight Blackout curtains block.
Are Dark Curtains Better than Light for Sunny Areas?
Dark curtains and light curtains have different functions.
Light curtains can let light in and bounce them away if a room is getting a lot of unwanted sunlight and heat. Bouncing the light away will actually help make the room cooler.
Meanwhile, dark curtains can block light but not heat. For sunny areas of the house, dark curtains can block the light and make the room dim.
Some light can still pass through but these curtains can significantly make the room just a bit dark.
However, depending on the fabric, dark curtains can even add to the heat. Some dark curtains are bad insulators so if it is hot outside, they can make the room feel hotter.
If you want to make a sunny area darker, dark curtains are still better than light curtains. Dark curtains work better to block light and darken a room.
Just remember to get dark curtains in a fabric that is a good insulator, like cotton or polyester, so your room will not feel hot on sunny days.
Or better yet, you can also layer a light curtain with your dark one. The light curtain can help make the room feel cooler when it is hot outside.
The light curtain will also act as a barrier between direct sunlight and the dark curtain, so the dark curtain will not fade due to sun exposure.
Are All Dark Curtains Thick?
Generally, dark curtains are thicker. This is because they are made of thicker materials than light fabric, so they can block light. These materials have thicker fibers.
However, dark curtains are still not as thick as blackout curtains.
Blackout curtains have thicker linings and are made of thicker fibers which make them darken a room completely.
Do Dark Curtains Make a Room Feel Smaller?
Almost everyone knows this fashion tip. That if you want to look smaller or slimmer, you have to wear darker clothes. This also applies to home decor.
In general, dark-colored furniture and dark-colored decor items can make a room feel smaller and more stuffy. Meanwhile, light-colored furniture and decor items can make a room feel much larger.
This is why interior design experts usually use light or white curtains for small rooms.
This is to make the room appear bigger and feel airier.
Dark curtains have a tendency to make a room feel smaller. This is because they keep the light out.
If you want a room to feel small, then go for dark curtains. Dark curtains create an illusion of a smaller room. This is particularly helpful if you want to make the room feel small without placing a lot of clutter or furniture in it.
Making a room appear smaller also helps make it warmer and cozier.
Do Dark Curtains Heat up a Room?
One common misconception about dark curtains is that they would keep the heat out and make a room feel cool because they tend to block light that comes through.
However, that is not the case. Dark curtains actually heat up a room. This is because dark colors tend to draw in heat from the outside and pull it into the room, making the room feel warmer.
This is why dark curtains work best for air-conditioned rooms. If the room has air-conditioning, it would not be affected by the hot temperature outside.
So if you want your room to feel cooler even on a warm day, light curtains would be better. These curtains will keep the heat out of your room and will let air circulate better.
If you want your room to feel cool on a hot day but you also want to darken it, layer a light curtain with a dark curtain. This way, you get the benefits from both these curtains.
Place the light curtain on the outer layer, which is closer to the window. This is the light curtain that can bounce off the light and the heat to cool down a room.
Then place the dark curtain on the inner layer to block the light and make the room dim.
Are All Dark Curtains Blackout?
Dark curtains can block light from entering a room and are somewhat effective to make a room darker. They also provide privacy. However, not all curtains are blackout curtains.
Dark curtains can simply be ordinary non-transparent curtains that come in a dark color. While these are not blackout curtains, they can still significantly darken a room to an extent.
But they will not make a room fully dark or pitch-black.
This is because they do not block completely block light. Some dark curtains can still allow a small amount of light to pass through.
If you want to make your room completely dark, then it is best to buy blackout curtains.
Blackout curtains are noticeably thicker than ordinary dark curtains. They may be dark in color but they can also come in other colors, which are not necessarily dark hues. For example, there are blackout curtains that come in red, blue, or green, but they can still make a room completely dark.
Other Benefits
Apart from making a room dark, blackout curtains have other benefits.
These curtains can help make your household more energy efficient as they help insulate a room, and they can effectively block UV rays from the sun.
They can also help soften background noise coming from the outside.
Plus they can remove the glare on TV screens and computer monitors so you will have a better viewing experience.
To summarize, dark curtains can block the light coming from outside but only to a certain extent, and not as well as blackout curtains can. Plus they can only block light but not the heat, so they actually make the room hotter.
If you need curtains to block the light and make the room feel cooler, it is best to get blackout curtains.
Blackout curtains may be more expensive than ordinary dark curtains, but they provide so many benefits so they are worth it.
Sources:
Dark Curtains vs Light Curtains
Dark vs. Light Curtains: The Appropriate Choice Based On The Room Peculiarities