Blackout curtains can filter out the neighbor's motion sensor garage lights, and whenever flies fly by, it will extinguish, thus helping you sleep better. They can also prevent cold air from leaking through windows in summer and prevent cold wind from intruding in winter.

　　Sounds great, right?

　　But here comes the problem

　　Most blackout curtains are ugly.

　　The curtains that are finally hung on the poles are the third pair of blackout curtains I bought for the bedroom in my new house. The third pair I like even dislikes the fixed towels that were hung in their positions before.

　　It seems that all blackout curtains are cheap and hard-like a mysterious happy hour cocktail. It doesn't matter what brand, color or style.

　　So, why should I bother about blackout curtains? How about ordinary curtains or simple transparent curtains made of beautiful patterned fabrics?

　　Trust me, I have tried this strategy. But living with someone means compromising. My boyfriend wants a dark bedroom and doesn't care how it happens. Blackout curtains, a towel hanging on the window...maybe tarps.

　　compromise? I can choose whatever I want... as long as they don't turn on the lights. After many searches and trial and error, I found the holy grail of blackout curtains. They blocked the light of the street lamp unfortunately placed outside our window, and did not make me want to cry because of ugliness.

　　The way to find blackout curtains that are not ugly

　　Many blackout curtains feel stiff and unyielding because of the lining on the back of the curtain. This kind of lining can block the light, but it also makes the curtains hang very hard. Use these techniques to filter out the bad choices to find the blackout curtains that are affordable but don't look like they are.

　　1. Choose filter curtains instead of blackout curtains

　　The shading capabilities of blackout curtains vary, ranging from true shading to filtering. When searching, I found that curtains labeled "filter" are less rigid and tend to offer more colors and patterns. Remember, filter curtains will not cause a real blackout, but will still block light. Their prices are also often lower than full blackout curtains.

　　2. Looking for a drape and heavy fabric

　　This fabric makes curtains look luxurious and cheap. When buying blackout curtains, I noticed that many of them are made of cheap-looking fabrics.

　　Look for curtains made of fabric with a certain weight. Curtains with high-quality heavy fabrics tend to drape better and look more luxurious because they are fluid and sporty.

　　Most shops display sample curtains in the aisles, so you can better see the patterns, fabrics, and how the curtains are hung. Be sure to check these.

　　3. Use double curtain rods

　　Draw this. The breeze from outside the window shed light curtains. I am not going to let those breeze, alluring curtain dreams disappear completely. Solution: Double curtain rods.

　　Double curtain rods include two curtain rods on the same bracket, so you can stack two sets of curtains.