There's a question we hear in almost every home we visit: sheer or blockout?
It sounds like a simple choice. But the honest answer is, it depends. On the room, on the light, on how you actually use the space. In a lot of Australian homes, the right answer turns out to be both.
This guide will help you work through it, room by room.
Sheer curtains are lightweight, translucent fabrics that let natural light filter through while softening it. They give a room warmth and airiness without closing it off from the outside. During the day, you get the light, without the glare, and without feeling exposed.
Blockout curtains do the opposite. They use a thick, lined fabric that stops light from coming through entirely. Close them, and the room goes dark. They also add insulation, keeping warmth in during winter and heat out in summer.
Neither is better. They just do different things, and which one you need depends on what you're asking the room to do.
This is where blockout curtains earn their reputation.
If you're a light sleeper, have young kids, or just value proper darkness when you sleep, blockout curtains in the bedroom are one of the most practical decisions you can make. They block street lights, early morning sun, and the glow from neighbours' windows. The result is a room that's genuinely dark when you need it to be.
Many people also want soft, filtered light during the day without fully opening their blockout curtains, and there are two good ways to achieve that. The first is a dual-track setup: a sheer on the front track, blockout behind, each running independently. The second is pairing sheer curtains with a blockout roller blind on the same window, a popular option if you want to keep the curtain treatment lighter and more minimal. Either way, the principle is the same: full control, without compromise.
Best for bedrooms: Blockout curtains, with a sheer layer for daytime flexibility.
Living rooms are a different story. Most people want as much natural light as possible in here, it's where you spend your days, entertain, and want the space to feel open and welcoming.
Sheer curtains for living rooms work beautifully. They filter direct sunlight, reduce glare on screens, and give a soft, diffused quality to the light that makes a room feel considered. They also offer a level of daytime privacy, people outside can't see clearly in, even with them drawn. Fabrics like Creto, Corniglia Glacial, and Chios Moonlight are consistently our most-requested in living spaces, all light, understated options that work across a wide range of interiors.
The question is whether you also want the option to close the room off at night. If you do, adding a blockout layer, whether a second curtain track or a blockout roller behind your sheers, gives you that flexibility without changing the daytime look of the room.
Best for living rooms: Sheer curtains, with blockout added for evening privacy if needed.
Blockout, without much debate. Daytime naps depend on it. Early risers are managed by it. And as kids get older, they'll thank you for the darkness on weekend mornings.
For versatility, a blockout roller blind behind a simple sheer curtain works well here, easier to operate for kids and a bit more practical to clean than a full dual-track setup.
Best for kids' rooms: Blockout curtains or roller, with a sheer for daytime light.
Sheer curtains suit dining rooms well. The light feels warm and inviting at lunch; in the evening, when the lights are on inside, most people draw them for privacy without wanting to close the room off entirely.
If privacy is more important in your dining space, a close-weave sheer gives you more coverage without the weight of a blockout fabric, a practical middle ground that still lets some light through during the day.
Best for dining rooms: Sheer curtains, or a close-weave sheer for more privacy.
More often than not, the real answer to sheer vs blockout is both.
The most common way to do this is a dual-track curtain system, two tracks, one behind the other, each running independently. Sheers on the front for filtered daytime light, blockout behind for full privacy and darkness when you need it. The visual result looks intentional rather than cluttered, and because everything is custom-made to fit your exact windows, it sits properly rather than looking like an afterthought.
The other popular option is pairing curtains with a blockout roller blind on the same window, sheers or a standard curtain up front, roller behind. It's a practical choice for rooms where you want the warmth of a curtain without the bulk of a full dual-track setup.
Both approaches are worth seeing in person before you decide. The right combination depends on the window size, the room, and how you use the space day to day.
One thing that's telling about what works in Australian homes: our most popular fabrics, by a significant margin, are neutrals. Warm whites, naturals, and soft greiges dominate.
For sheers, Creto Cotton is our single most-ordered curtain fabric, a clean, crisp-looking fabric with a soft drape that suits almost any room. It's the kind of neutral that works without you having to think too hard about it.
For blockout, Gambier Frost is consistently our most-selected option, a warm, off-white fabric that gives full light control without making the room feel closed in. Most people aren't going dark for the sake of it; they want proper darkness when they need it and a light, airy feel when they don't.
For those who want more depth, Lusana Onyx and Manarola Haze are popular choices, particularly in bedrooms and living rooms with a more contemporary palette.
It's a fair question, and worth answering directly.
The biggest difference between Victory and most other curtain retailers is how the process works. We don't have a showroom you need to visit, and we don't ask you to order samples, guess at measurements, or figure it out yourself. Our decor consultants come to your home, bring the full fabric range with them, and work through the options with you room by room, in your light, against your walls, with your existing furniture in front of you.
Every curtain we make is custom-made to fit your exact windows. Not off-the-shelf, not close enough, made to measure, every time. And we handle everything from measure to installation, so there's nothing for you to organise.
We're rated 4.0 on Trustpilot, and the feedback we hear most consistently is that customers valued having a real expert in the room, someone who could look at the space, understand what they were after, and help them make a confident decision without any pressure to buy.
If you've ever ordered curtains online and been disappointed by how they looked in person, or spent an afternoon in a showroom and left more confused than when you arrived, this is a different experience.
There's no single right answer to the sheer vs blockout question, and we'd be wary of any guide that pretends otherwise. The right choice depends on your home, how the light moves through each room, and what you need from your window coverings day to day.
Book a free in-home measure and quote, and one of our consultants will come to you with everything you need to decide, fabric samples, honest advice, and a quote before they leave. No obligation.
