Blinds are a type of window covering fixed to the inside or the outside of a window. They are not only used for privacy reasons but also help in controlling the amount of sunlight entering the room. They also enhance the décor of your room making it appear more attractive by giving it a modern look.
Generally, window blinds come in three different styles, horizontal blinds, vertical blinds, and window shades.
Window shades:
The most popular window shades are roman blinds, cellular shades and roller blinds. These blinds are offered at very reasonable prices and are available in a wide range of colours. patterns or plain fabrics to coordinate with your décor and soft furnishings. Roman blind kits are a great ideal if you want to make your own unique window blinds.
The honeycomb style of the cellular shades looks like natural honeycombs produced by bees when you look them from a side, hence their name! They are becoming an increasingly popular choice because they are energy efficient and are available in a wide ranges of colours and very affordable prices.
Roller blinds are simple and yet most popular style, since they can easily be pulled up or down to the required height with their convenient clutch system. With a vast range of colours, styles and patterns roller blinds are often chosen to compliment swag and tail curtain styles.
Vertical Blinds:
Vertical blinds, with their vertical slats hanging downwards from the head-rail at the top can be opened from either side as well as the middle. With choices as to where they are stacked fully open, on either the right or left hand side of the opening of window or door making them the ideal choice for patio doors and conservatories. The material used for the vanes of vertical blinds is usually fabric which helps to keep out unwanted sunlight and reduce heat build up, particularly in conservatories. These blinds are also available in different colours, designs and textures to compliment interior design styles.
Oak 35mm Vitesse Wood Slat Venetian Blind
Oak 35mm Vitesse Wood Slat Venetian Blind
Horizontal Blinds:
The horizontal blinds, also called Venetian blinds, come in a wide range of colours, materials and sizes. The popular styles are metal blinds and wooden blinds which are available in different slat widths. Wooden blinds offer a refined and dignified formal look to windows, making them a popular choice in both traditional and modern styles of homes as the wood colour variations available blend beautifully with the room’s furniture making it extremely striking and very stylish.
PVC horizontal blinds are in great demand due to the versatility and ease functioning. These blinds are made in plastic material and enhance the beauty of the windows with their impressive colours ranges, sophisticated looks and optimum versatility, as they are moisture proof they are the ideal blind for bathroom and kitchens.
Aluminium is used to make metal blinds and the width of the slats is usually 6mm to 8mm gauge. The latest designs are perforated metal blinds which offer an unusual look along with some fantastic lighting effects as the natural light peeps through the perforations.
Choosing the right window treatment is becoming increasingly exciting, if not challenging time! There are greater choices of styles, functionality and colours than ever before. There are indeed many different window blind options available for you to create the living space you want. If you are remodelling or building, or just want to upgrade the office, window blinds can help you with privacy and spying eyes as well as having the flexibility of controlling the amount of light entering a room.
It is important to know the function of your window blinds before buying. For example if you opt for wooden blinds they will be fundamentally different than curtains. Some need to be operated by different wands or cords, which may not be suitable for those who are vulnerable, as they can potentially cause a safety risk.
With all these different styles, colours and material, where do you start? The most common type are Venetian blinds in different materials but there are also other choices such as:
* Mini Blinds are thin, slender horizontal blinds that can be stacked together by pulling a cord.
* Roman Blinds are large fabric covered blinds that fold up or down on top of each other.
* Venetian Blinds are thicker wooden or metal horizontal blinds.
* Roller Blinds are fabric blinds which are ideal for kitchens and bathrooms as they can be rolled up to varying lengths to enable as much light as possible to flood into the room during the day.
* Vertical Blinds are ideal for conservatories and patio doors as they can be stacked back to enable easy access and help reduce heat during the warmer months
Most importantly is functionality. Window blinds actually act as insulators. If you live in a cold climate they are ideal for helping to retain heat. Having blinds will help insulate your home by trapping the cold air between the window and the blind, an effective economic consideration as well as design.
Using blinds covered by fabric will save you on heating in the winter and on air conditioning in the summer by keeping out the heat. It is one of the easy ways to save on your energy bills and can be used proactively by opening the blinds in the day to let sun in and closing them at night to keep the heat in.
Chalk Hardwood Venetian Blind-35mm Slats
Modern design trends at this time focus on light, fresh colours and minimal designs to decorate your windows. Modern blinds are becoming trendy for use in almost all rooms. The most common is still the classic white Venetian window blinds, but as always, the window blinds should match or coordinate with the rest of your room’s furniture and decorating.
Window blinds are also very useful in rooms with humidity such as your bathroom or kitchen. They come in both horizontal and vertical form and many have protective coatings to keep dust from settling easy.
In addition to these types there are now modern blinds that are operated by remote control and that can be set to open or close the blinds at particular times in the day. Very practical in combination with energy saving blinds.
Modern window blinds come in many sizes and shapes, therefore the final choice is really down to what suits your style of room the best, while having good functionality and affordable costs.
If you have following brands in mind, talk to us today!We might just have it in our stock!
Accents de Ville
Amy Coe
Apex
Austral Textiles
Australian Cotton Collection
Bali
Blair
Blair
Bricos
Camengo
Casamance
Charles Parsons
Charterhouse
Cloudy Bay
Croscill
Crowson
Domestic Textiles
Elliott Clarke
Fabric Convention
Fabric Library
Fabrico
Factory Direct Drapes
Filigree
Focus Fabrics
Freckles
Fr-One
Graber
Grandin Road
Gummerson
Gus & Max
Harlequin
Harris
Hoad
Hunter
Hunter Douglas
JW Designs
Ken Bilmer
Keys
Kibby
Kirsch
KS Textiles
Levolor
Mainfine
Materialised
Maurice Kain
Maxwell Rodgers Fabrics
Mendip Silks
Mereton
Millennium Textiles
Mokum
Monkwell
Montgomery
Morris and Co
Nautica
Nettex
Orvis
PC Guardian
Pottery Barn
Pottery Barn Kids
Primrose Textiles
Private Collection
Rio Fabrics
Rowe
Sanderson
Seekers
Silk Trader
Simonson
Sleeping Partners
Slender Morris
Solar
Sonata
Tachitica
Tex-Style
Thomas Kinkade
Trabeth Textiles
Umbra
Unique Fabrics
Vision
Warwick
Waterford
Waverly
William Fabrics
William Morris
Williams-Sonoma
Wilson
Winco
WoodStock
Zepel
Zoffany
Remodeling your home can be a fun, but stressful occasion. You and your significant other may have differing opinions about what would be best, what colors to paint, what kind of furniture to buy, what has the best resale value, what works better, etc. Whether or not this is a contentious topic, it is still an important one. You want your home to look as good as it possibly can, while remaining affordable and efficient. So, on the topic of blinds and curtains, which one does work the best? And which offers a higher resale value on your house?
You have many options available to you when deciding on blinds or curtains. You can find blinds that are horizontal or vertical, mini or regular. Curtains come in a variety or fabrics and styles. So let's go through the basics of each one and discuss the pros and cons.
Advantages of Blinds
- Can match almost any style room, regardless of changes you make to the wall colors or décor
- Available in many styles, including fabric and roller blinds, Roman blinds, Austrian blinds, festoon blinds, pull-up blinds, balloon blinds, horizontal and vertical blinds
- Available in many materials, including plastics, bamboo, wooden, metal, or stiffened fabrics
- Depending upon the style, they can be quite inexpensive
- Reveal much more of a window than curtains
Disadvantages of Blinds
- Horizontal blinds can be very difficult to clean and keep clean
- Do not keep all the light out during the day
- Can be very expensive
Advantages of Curtains
- Available in many different fabrics and styles that can match your room, including linen, sheer fabric, heavy fabrics and tapestries
- Available in many lengths, including valences, floor length, mid-length, and window length
- Can be much more efficient at keeping light out of a room
- Can give a room a cozier feeling
- Can give a room an airy feeling
Disadvantages of Curtains
- Can be difficult to match if you remodel your room or make changes to the furniture and wall hangings
- Can be quite expensive
Other things to consider are your budget, the color of the room and the color you're looking for in window coverings, the setting of the room and the area of the window. If you're the kind of person that often changes the color of your room, it may be a better idea to get blinds because they're more likely to match every change you make. If you never change a room once you've painted it (or very infrequently), curtains would be an acceptable option for you.
Another option available to you is to just use both blinds and curtains. Choose blinds to keep out the light and to be flexible with matching your room, and add thin, airy curtains as an accent.
As far as resale value of a home is concerned, it all depends on the room itself. If you have beautiful curtains hanging in a room with a hideous color paint on the walls, little decoration and dirty carpet, it is not likely that the curtains will make much of a difference. But if you have an attractive, well decorated room that happens to have well chosen blinds or curtains hanging up, it will likely improve the resale value of your home.
Blinds are often a better choice for resale as they will go with the new tenants décor, and they will not have to try and match your curtains.
The most important thing is to choose something that you will be comfortable around. Choose blinds or shades that compliment the room, without drawing too much attention to them. Choose blinds or shades that are within your budget. And lastly, choose something that you and your significant other can happily agree upon.
The curtains or blinds of a window can make or break the interior design of any place, whether a house, an office or even a restaurant. Curtains and blinds can make homes look sophisticated and feel comfortable. It is thus important that people have an understanding of the importance of choosing the right curtains or blinds for their windows.
A change in the curtains or blinds of a window can make a difference in the total atmosphere of a home. Homeowners who are in a tight budget can fix up their windows and they can already get an instant change in their interiors at lesser cost.
Curtains and blinds are both aesthetic and functional because they keep the privacy of a home while improving its interior. It also keeps dust and prying eyes away from your home.
The type of curtain that should be placed in a window should match the interior design of a home. A classical home design calls for silky window curtains that can add elegance to the home. However, homeowners who prefer country style interiors should opt for curtains with flowery or other designs depicting the outdoors or the countryside.
The choice of curtain should also be influenced by the type of room where such curtains would be placed. A girl’s window can be decorated with dainty curtains while a man’s bedroom can be decorated with a no nonsense curtain that matches the color preference of the room occupant.
There various curtain designs to choose from depending on the preferences of the homeowner. There are unlined curtains; hourglass curtains and no sew curtains. The homeowner can also choose form a variety of colors and design for the curtains.
However, a homeowner can choose the right curtains but ruin the overall effect if the window is left dusty and unkempt. It is important to keep windows clean and free of dust before adorning them with curtains or blinds. It should be noted that curtains can attract dust and other allergens so better make sure they are regularly replaced and washed,
For those who have allergies, the best way to decorate windows is through the use of vinyl blinds. Vinyl blinds are not as susceptible to keeping dust as long as they are wiped with a clean cloth daily. Like curtains, there are various types of vinyl blinds to choose from. There are vertical blinds and there are horizontal blinds. You can also have your windows fitted for the exact blind size.
Whatever kind of window treatment you choose to install, make sure that it serves its purpose, both functional and artistic.
Source
Choosing whether you want blinds for your windows or curtains can be a difficult decision. There are, of course, pluses and minuses to both window treatments, so in the end it is your personal preference that should be the ultimate factor as to which one will work the best with your home's interior. Curtains are what many would consider the traditional choice. They offer both a decorative look as an accent while still offering you the same degree of privacy. Additionally, since curtains are available in virtually any color and in most any style you can imagine, you are certain to find curtains for every last window in every last room.
When considering the style you want your curtains to reflect on the interior of your home, you must make sure you are also considering the functionality of what you are getting. For instance, if you think that thin see-through curtains offer the look you want, you should make sure you decide on some sort of functional backup as well that will offer your home privacy as well. Shades are a great option since they can be drawn overnight so that those in the area cannot simply look right into your home. This problem, though, may not be as prevalent if you choose a curtain made of thicker and more opaque material instead. Either way, you may want to consider having a backup to your curtains to ensure your own peace of mind.
While the style and flexibility of curtains can make them a great choice for your home, it is important to also consider their shortcomings as well. For one, there is the issue of privacy as mentioned before. Curtains offer little or no privacy when compared to blinds. Additionally, the maintenance on curtains involves actually taking them down to clean them by hand or in a washing machine. Take into account the time required to dry them and you are investing a great deal of time in simple maintenance. The real problem is that you have no choice. You have to take down and clean your curtains periodically; otherwise their appearance can decline quickly.
The alternative, of course, is to choose blinds. With blinds instead of curtains in your home, you not only get privacy, but you also get the ability to adjust them to allow your preferred amount of light into the room. Though the styles of blinds are fairly limited in comparison to curtains, there is a great deal of flexibility available to you in the way of color. With blinds, as opposed to curtains, you can draw them, drop them, or simply adjust the slat angles to get as much light or as much of a breeze as you desire. Additionally, you can clean your blinds without taking them off the windows. Instead, you simply need to wipe them down with a soapy cloth.
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