At a basic level, Roman blinds and vertical blinds are remarkably similar in terms of what they bring to the home. Both are designed to add depth and dimension to the room, enable the homeowners to effectively and efficiently control light levels in the room, and create a smooth, streamlined look when fully open. However, there are a number of differences between the two kitchen blinds which mean that one style may fit our needs and our preferences better. Here’s the pros and cons of both styles:
Image: Warmington & North
Roman Blinds
Kitchen Roman blinds are often made of plain or patterned fabric (sometimes even bamboo) and can be pulled down from the top of the window frame to cover all or part of the window depending on requirements.
Pros:
Made from fabric, Roman kitchen blinds can often be lined to the desired thickness. Therefore these blinds can provide as much coverage as necessary based on how much sunlight you typically receive when you’re most likely to be cooking, eating, or socialising.
The Roman blind has yet to meet a kitchen it doesn’t suit. It can be made out of fabrics to suit its surroundings, regardless of whether you have a very traditional, farmhouse, shaker-style kitchen or have decided on a very modern, minimalist handleless look. It can also make your window appear larger.
If you’re a night owl, Roman blinds can help you keep the noise down during those late night hours. The quiet, smooth mechanism ensures that you can open and close the blinds silently, without disrupting sounds that might wake the family up if you’re up and about at night.
Image: WindowsDressedUp
Cons
We like having a great deal of control over our surroundings, yet this style of kitchen blind doesn’t really allow for this. The blind can either be open or closed, unlike vertical kitchen blinds that have a bit more scope. With Roman kitchen blinds, it’s very black and white, with very little grey area between.
There’s one very big issue with fabrics in kitchens – they tend to pick up any strong, lingering smells such as raw onion or fish, for example. Fortunately, common fabrics such as cotton can easily be washed, but this increases the maintenance needed to keep them fresh and clean.
Image: BarryGittins
Vertical Blinds
Vertical kitchen blinds are commonly made from wood or synthetic fabrics, which are great for the kitchen. They open and close sideways, and can be angled to give greater control over light filtering.
Pros
Many types of kitchen blinds, such as roller blinds and Venetian blinds, typically suit a more modern home. The vertical blind is one of just a few styles that really works well in traditionally-styled kitchens, taking us back to the 1970s with its classic appearance that’s forever in style.
Vertical blinds are simple. They’re easy to use on tall windows as the mechanism is located to the side, rather than on top, and they’re also easy (and cost effective) to replace as it’s possible to replace only a single, damaged panel, rather than needing to replace the whole thing.
These blinds give you much more control over how much light is allowed through your kitchen window at any given time. The panels can quickly be angled to control light flow, rather than simply offering an ‘open’ or ‘close’ option. They’re remarkably flexible in terms of usage.
Image: BlindDesigns
Cons
If your kitchen is ‘on display’ to your neighbours, vertical blinds don’t quite offer the same level of privacy as Roman blinds due to the individual panels. You may become more conscious of who can see into your kitchen, especially at night when you have the kitchen light on.
The ways a vertical blind operates may be problematic long term. The sound of wooden or PVC slats opening and closing can be distracting, while these types of blinds can be more susceptible to excessive wear and tear over the years due to the opening and closing movements.
Which Kitchen Blinds are Best?
Unfortunately, that’s a difficult question to answer. ‘Best’, in this instance, is very much subjective. As we can see both styles of kitchen blind have their own unique advantages and disadvantages, so what it comes down to is your own personal preferences in terms of materials, light filtering, and privacy.