With so many options to choose from it can often be hard to select the best blinds for your home. However, there’s a few key considerations to ensure the blinds you pick are the perfect fit for you – read our handy guide below to learn more.
Measure Up Your Blinds
Before you measure for your blinds, consider whether you would like them to hang inside, or outside, the window recess. Inside is often better for small rooms, as it prevents the window treatment from overwhelming the space around it. This is also the option to opt for if you plan on pairing your blinds with curtains, to keep things neat and tidy.
For larger rooms – or in places where it’s vital you block out the light, choosing a blind that hangs outside the window recess is best.
We’ve written a handy guide on measuring for blinds to help you – but if you get stuck our team are happy to help as part of your free at home consultation.
Light & Privacy
When selecting your fabric and blind type, it’s worth considering your lighting and privacy needs.
For open spaces like lounges and dining rooms, allowing in the most light possible, while protecting your privacy is a key concern. Sheer blinds like our Allusion range are made of elegant voile fabric, that allows in the light without allowing in the stares of nosy neighbours or peeping passers by. Flexible shades like our Mirage or Vision blinds allow you to control the amount of daylight entering your home with 2 independently moving layers.
Some blinds can also diffuse light to create softening, cosy effect like the Luxaflex Duette range.
Read the Room
Different rooms will have different demands on their window hangings. Bedrooms benefit from blackout blinds that aid a good night’s rest, where living rooms often require more natural light, making them better suited to thinner materials or more flexible systems.
In rooms with large windows or bi-fold doors, you can make your window into a feature with statement panel blinds, or make the most of the natural light with vertical blinds that tilt and turn to allow in light.
For conservatories or rooms with awkwardly shaped windows, more bespoke solutions such as perfect fit pleated blinds are ideal. These blinds fit into a frame that clips onto the window, allowing the blinds to move along with your window or door, no drilling or screwing required.
For high- traffic rooms, like bathrooms and kitchens you’ll need something resilient and easy to clean. Our faux wood Venetian blinds are wipe clean, fire retardant and moisture resistant, making them the ideal choice.
It’s also considering the décor of the room you’ll be adding the blinds to. A sleek modern décor is well complemented by a streamlined blinds style – like a roller shade, where a more traditional interior is best served by something classic, like wooden blinds. You’ll also want to consider your décor and style when selecting your colour and fabric.
Pick your Colour
We’ve written a few articles before about the symbolism of colour, but it bears repeating – the colour you for a room can impact the mood of the people who use it.
Greens inspire a feeling of freedom, where blues can create a feeling of tranquilly. Blue toned pinks and lilacs are excellent for rooms where socialising occurs, where cheerful yellows and oranges can boost the mood and help creativity flow in the study.
When selecting your colour of blinds, you’ll also want to consider if you want to make your windows pop with a stand-out colour, or whether you want your window dressing to blend into the colour scheme of the room. A pop of colour can brighten up a room and create a focal point in the space, just ensure you match the colour to a tone within the room’s accessories or décor. Plain colours, especially white, can help open up a room; aim to choose a shade that blends with your walls – to enhance the feeling of space.
If you anticipate selling or renting the property soon, more neutral colours can encourage potential renters or buyers to see their own stamp on the property – where bright shades may deter them from seeing the place as their own.
Get Hands On!
It’s worth testing out fabrics and styles before you make a decision – that’s why we invite customers for a free consultation at our Cardiff and Bridgend Showrooms before they purchase.
Test fabrics by holding them up to a window to see how well they block out or diffuse light. Patterns often look different in real life than on a computer screen, so even if you’re sure of what you want – it’s worth looking at the style in person if you can.
You can also try out our home-automation systems in our Cardiff Showroom – or arrange a consultation with our interior design experts – for help in choosing the best blinds for you.
Go Hands Free!
Smart home technology is moving forward in leaps and bounds and blinds aren’t being left behind.
Smart Home kits from Somfy allow you to control your blinds from an app – allowing you open and close them at the touch of a button, or select predefined times of day when you’d like to let in the light, or shut it out.
For more information on our range of blinds, click here.