The short answer
Choose by room. Blackout curtains suit bedrooms and rooms with strong sun. Sheer curtains suit living areas where you want soft daylight and daytime privacy. For most homes, the best answer is to layer both.
Blackout curtains: when they are the right choice
- Bedrooms, nurseries and shift-worker rooms where darkness matters.
- Media rooms where daylight causes glare.
- Windows facing the afternoon sun, where a lined layer helps keep the room cooler.
Check that the curtain has a real blackout lining, not just a dark fabric. See our blackout curtains and bedroom curtains.
Sheer curtains: when they are the right choice
- Living and dining rooms where you want a bright, soft look.
- Windows that need daytime privacy without losing the light.
- As a second layer in front of blackout curtains.
Sheers give little protection from strong heat on their own. See our sheer curtains.
Layering both on a double track
Hang sheers on the inner track and blackout curtains on the outer track. In the day, open the blackout layer and keep the sheers closed for soft light and privacy. At night or in the afternoon heat, close the blackout layer.
Room-by-room quick picks
- Master bedroom: blackout, with sheers if you like soft daytime light.
- Living room: sheers, plus blackout on west- or south-facing glass. Living room curtains.
- Kids room: blackout for naps. See our large windows guide if the glass is big.
- Home office: sheers or blinds to control glare. Roller blinds also work.
See them in your own light
Colours look different in your own light. At a free home visit we bring real fabric samples so you can compare them against your walls and windows, then price your windows on the spot. See how the visit works.
Sources and notes
- General guidance based on how lined and unlined fabrics behave. Individual results depend on your windows.