How to Choose the Right Blinds for Your Home
When it comes to purchasing blinds for your home there are a few factors that are important to consider. Your blinds serve the practical purpose of providing shade and privacy in your home, but they are so much more than that. They also add a lot of style to your home and they tie together your overall decor. They will have a major impact on the look and style of your home, so it is important to choose the right ones.
Here are some important things that you should keep in mind when you are seeking out the right blinds:
What Type of Blinds to Choose?
One factor to consider is the transparency of the blinds. Would you prefer somewhat sheer blinds so that some light can still enter the room even when they are closed, or would you prefer “blackout” style blinds that will block out light for a peaceful sleep? Sheer blinds will give the room an overall light and airy look, while thicker opaque blinds will be more “cosy.”
Also, think about the overall style and decor of your home. Is it more formal, or does it have a laid back, casual look? Does your decor have a lot of bright colours, or is it subtle and understated? Does your overall design have a modern style, or is it more traditional? The blinds that you choose should match with the decor of your home, otherwise they could look out of place.
Here are a few of the types of blinds to consider:
• Roller Blinds – Roller blinds are a classic option for your windows, versatile enough to work in both traditional and contemporary homes. They can come in a range of colours and densities, add a sleek finish to any room, and have easy installation and operation, including with either a rod, chain or even automated. From sheer to block out, from single layer or double layer blinds (one sheer, one blockout), blinds are
• Roman Blinds – Roman blinds are fabric window coverings that are raised and lowered by a cord system. When raised, the fabric will gather in even horizontal folds. They offer privacy and protection from the sun.
• Venetian Blinds – Venetian blinds are a simple and staple blind, giving you full control over how much light enters the home. Also, they are low maintenance, easy to install and come in a wide range of materials and slat thickness (micro or regular).
• Panel Glide Blinds – Made from the same fabrics are roller blinds, panel glides offer the advantages of either drawing back to the side, or having a centre part, instead of drawing up and down like roller blinds. Similar in mechanism to vertical blinds, panel glide blinds offer an excellent option for large window areas and sliding doors, allowing people to move from inside to out without any obstruction.
• Vertical Blinds – These are blind with vertical hanging slats that tilt from side to side. They are particularly good for wide windows and sliding glass doors, drawing back to stack on the side rather drawing up and down, and offer the most versatility and control over your view and privacy through different angling.
What Materials are Best?
Blinds come in a plethora of materials, all designed to provide a different look and functionality for your room. We recommend starting with choosing the right style for the window or door first, then choosing which material is most functional for your situation and room.
For example, if you choose a Venetian blind, you have the options of timber slats, aluminium slats or PVC slats. Timber is great for living areas and bedrooms, but PVC and aluminum are the most durable for high humidity and wet areas such as bathrooms and behind kitchen sinks. Roller blinds and panel glide blinds are made of robust fabrics that are easy to clean, making them a good choice for high traffic areas such as living rooms and kitchens where wear and tear is likely. Roman blinds can be made in a wide range of decorator materials, from sheer fabrics to tight weaves to control light and air flow, making them a good all-rounder in all rooms and high customisable style wise.
What is Your Budget?
Another important aspect to consider is your budget. How much can you afford to spend on blinds? Will you be outfitting just one of your windows, or your entire home? Will you be adding custom designs and details, which will end up costing more?
How much can you spend on each window? Remember, you don’t have to budget the same amount for every window. You might choose to allocate more of your budget to the most visible windows, then spend less on the windows that are not as noticeable. Make sure that you determine your budget in advance so that you won’t be tempted to overspend.
What are the Pros and Cons of Blinds?
When you have narrowed down your choice to a couple of different types of blinds that you could potentially use in your home, the next step is to consider the pros and cons of each option. Take into consideration factors such as the style, the look and how labour intensive they will be to maintain.
For example, some of the pros of the blinds are that they are mostly low maintenance, easy to install, durable, blend well into most decors and are affordable for a wide variety budgets. Examples of disadvantages may be that they don’t work with the style of your window or door, or that they don’t match the existing decor of your home. Consider your view and whether having blinds that draw from top to bottom or side to side will give you the privacy you want, or whether traditional curtains that draw into the centre would better suit your needs.