Blockout vs Sheer Curtains — and Why Most Rooms Want Both

The quick answer: sheer curtains soften daylight and give daytime privacy; blockout curtains give true darkness, warmth and night-time privacy. They solve different problems, which is exactly why most living rooms and bedrooms end up running both on the one track. Here's how each behaves, and how to choose for every room.

What sheer curtains do

Sheer curtains filter the light instead of blocking it. A fine, semi-transparent fabric hangs in soft folds and turns hard sun into a gentle, even glow. You keep a sense of the outside, the room feels bigger and brighter, and through the day people outside see only a soft silhouette, not detail.

What sheers won't do is dark or private at night. Once the sun's down and the lamps are on, a sheer on its own becomes see-through from the street. That's not a fault, it's the whole point of the fabric, it just means a sheer usually wants a partner on a street-facing window.

What blockout curtains do

Blockout curtains are lined to stop light almost completely. They're the choice for a proper sleep-in: bedrooms, nurseries and media rooms where you want real darkness, day or night. Because the lining sits between the room and the glass, blockout curtains also do quiet work on comfort, holding warmth in on a cold Central West morning and keeping the summer sun off the window.

The trade-off is light. When a blockout curtain is drawn you lose the view and the daylight with it. Drawn back, of course, you get it all, which is why blockout curtains are nearly always paired with something softer for the daytime.

Why most rooms want both

Here's the part people don't expect: sheer and blockout aren't an either/or choice. The setup that solves almost every living room and bedroom is to run two curtains on a double track, a sheer at the front for soft, private daylight, and a blockout behind it for darkness and night privacy. You draw whichever you need: sheer by day, blockout by night, or both pulled back when you want the window full and open.

It's a layered, finished look as much as a practical one. If you've ever seen a room where the curtains feel complete, there's usually a sheer and a heavier curtain working together, often topped with a pelmet to hide the tracks. We make all of it: custom curtains, sheers and drapes are hand-sewn in our Bathurst workroom and hung by our own team, as they have been since 1977.

How to choose, room by room

• Bedroom: blockout for the sleep, a sheer in front for daytime softness and privacy.
• Living room: sheer for the day and the view; blockout behind for movie nights and night privacy.
• Kitchen & dining: often a sheer on its own is plenty, bright and private through the day.
• Nursery: blockout for day sleeps, with a sheer to take the edge off the afternoon.
• Street-facing rooms: always layer, a sheer alone won't give privacy after dark.
• West-facing rooms: blockout earns its keep against the afternoon heat and glare.

A few things worth knowing

Fabric and fullness change the look more than people expect. A curtain gathered to double fullness drapes far softer than a flat one, and the same colour can read warmer or cooler depending on the weave. Linings matter too: a blockout is only as good as its lining, and a quality lining is what gives you both the darkness and the insulation.

Heading style, the way the top is pleated (S-fold, pinch pleat, eyelet), sets the whole character of the curtain. It's worth getting right at the start, because it's sewn in.

See the fabric in your own light

Sheer and blockout fabric both look different in a showroom than they do at your window, at the time of day you actually use the room. So we bring the samples to you. Book a free measure and quote and we'll hold the options up to your own glass, work out which rooms want a sheer, a blockout or both, and measure for a track that carries the layers neatly. Call (02) 6332 2144 or book online.

Frequently asked questions

Can you have a sheer and a blockout curtain on the same window?
Yes, and it's the most popular setup. They run on a double track so you can use either independently: sheer by day, blockout by night.

Do blockout curtains help with heat and cold?
They do. A lined blockout curtain keeps the summer sun off the glass and holds warmth in over winter, especially when it's paired with a pelmet that closes the gap at the top.

Are sheer curtains private at night?
Not on their own. Sheers give daytime privacy; after dark with the lights on they become see-through from outside, which is why street-facing rooms are layered with a blockout.

What does it cost?
It depends on the fabric, the size and whether you layer. Every curtain is custom-made and measured for your windows, so the honest answer is that we'll quote it for your rooms, and the measure and quote are free.