The Sunshine Coast boasts a pretty special lifestyle – laid-back yet sophisticated, often embracing the beauty of nature while enjoying modern comforts. When it comes to window treatments, striking the right balance between functionality and style is key. Here's a guide to the best windows, shutters, and blinds for your Sunny Coast home.
Maximising Views: Fortunate to have stunning ocean vistas or lush hinterland views? Floor-to-ceiling windows are a must-have for framing the best that the Sunshine Coast has to offer. Aluminium framed windows are a popular choice due to their durability in the coastal environment.
Stacking Doors and Bi-Folds: Blur the lines between indoor and outdoor living with expansive stacking doors or bi-fold doors. These allow for seamless access to patios, decks, and balconies, creating a sense of spaciousness and connection with the outdoors.
Plantation Shutters: Timber shutters add a touch of timeless elegance and sophistication to any Sunshine Coast home. They offer excellent heat and sound insulation, making them ideal for regulating the indoor temperature year-round. Choose lighter coloured timber shutters like white to create a bright sense of openness and complement the clean coastal aesthetic.
Polyresin Shutters: For a more budget-friendly option that offers great durability and weather resistance, consider polyresin shutters. They are available in a wide range of colours and styles, allowing you to find a perfect match for your home. Opt for light, neutral colours in a plantation shutter style for a classic look.
Aluminium Shutters: Aluminium shutters are another excellent choice for coastal areas due to their exceptional resistance to rust and corrosion. They offer a sleek, modern aesthetic and are perfect for creating a contemporary beach vibe. Consider a powder-coated finish in a light colour like white or a soft grey for a clean and airy look.
Venetian Blinds: Venetian blinds offer exceptional light control and privacy, making them a versatile choice for any room. Choosing a light, reflective colour like white or cream can help bounce light around the room and create a sense of spaciousness.
Panel Glide Blinds: Panel glide blinds are ideal for large windows and sliding doors. They offer a chic and easy to operate option for light control and privacy. Panel Glide blinds come in a huge range of fabrics and colours to complement your own individual style and décor, and are available in block-out, privacy and sunscreen opacity to give your room the perfect ambience and protection.
Awnings and Outdoor Blinds: Extend your living space and create a protected outdoor area with outdoor blinds. Extend your poolside living with easy-to-operate, stylish folding arm awnings. Choose Zipscreens to create an amazing indoor-outdoor vibe and seamlessly connect your living spaces. While balcony blinds offer both privacy and weather protection, often beneficial in our coastal environment.
Sun Protection: The Queensland sun can be harsh. Look for window treatments that offer UV protection to safeguard your furniture and flooring from fading. Consider installing awnings or shade sails over particularly sun-exposed windows for added protection.
Insect Control: Living on the Sunshine Coast means co-existing with nature, including insects. Opt for window treatments that allow for ventilation while still deterring unwanted visitors. Look for blinds with fine mesh inserts or consider installing insect screens on your windows and doors.
Moisture Resistance: The Sunshine Coast experiences high humidity levels, particularly during summer. Choose window treatments made from moisture-resistant materials like aluminium, vinyl, or certain types of fabric. Opt for blinds with a smooth finish that is easy to wipe clean and maintain.
From breathtaking views to a relaxed coastal vibe, your Sunshine Coast home deserves window treatments that enhance its style and functionality. Let us help you create that cohesive coastal look, with an interior that reflects our beautiful Queensland coastline.
If you’re looking for assistance while selecting the best window treatments for your home, our team of specialists at Factory Direct Shutters Awnings and Blinds are here to support you.
We bring our mobile showroom to you to select the best solutions for your home or workspace.
What are you waiting for? Contact us online or call now on 1300 077 125 for an obligation-free measure and quote, or free advice on the right product for your space.
Choosing an outdoor awning or blind made from quality materials makes all the difference in how long they last. Too many people choose cheap, lower-quality materials, not realising that money saved now, may be wasted not long into the future when weathered outdoor materials need to be replaced far too soon!
When finding the right materials for your outdoor awnings and blinds, the first thing you should ask is what their purpose is going to be. In this blog we’ll explore the best outdoor awnings and blinds fabrics and materials for you to make the right decision, so that you can install outdoor awnings and blinds that look fantastic and will stay that way for years to come!
PVC is perhaps one of the best options in terms of maintaining uninterrupted views of the outside world, and can also reduce a fair amount of glare. It’s incredibly important to invest in quality PVC though, as it is with the rest of the fabric options listed here.
PVC material is a perfect weather protection option balcony blinds. These blinds are ideal for enclosing pergolas, verandas, outdoor living areas and restaurants. They provide privacy and protection from weather and come in a range of fabrics, from clear PVC material to sunscreen protected and acrylic canvas options.
Block out screen material provides excellent levels of privacy and protection from the harsh conditions outside and make a bold statement on your home. If you want 100% privacy or full light blocking, block-outs are the way to go. These blinds are wonderful for West facing properties which need to moderate the afternoon sun and protect furniture.
Mesh is one of the Sunshine Coast community’s most popular choices for outdoor awnings and blinds! Mesh awnings and outdoor blinds are typically made from PVC and so they are tough against rotting or fading. Mesh screens allow you to see through your windows while gaining protection from the more elements like insects, bugs, harsh sun, and rain, without compromising on comfort.
Mesh is available in a range of density and opacity and allows plenty of fresh air to flow through your outdoor area. Folding arm awnings are generally made from acrylic mesh, for its lightweight benefits and being able to be pulled taut and to prevent sagging.
These highly durable fixtures are made from powder coated aluminium that can be colour matched to your home design and infrastructure. Aluminium metal awnings can add a lot of decorative appeal to a home and provide wonderful shelter for over doorways and windows, giving you protection from rain and sun. Fixed outdoor aluminium louvres and screens are also a fantastic solution, providing privacy on busy streets or public facing windows, while still letting fresh air to flow.
Canvas is one of the oldest and toughest styles of awning fabrics around. Canvas still has high heat refracting properties, so it’s perfect for window awnings and anywhere where harsh sun is a concern. When it comes to canvas, striving for quality is all important, given the harsh conditions they’ll encounter.
Shade cloth is a superhero when used to protect areas against the sun, but also comes in a range of colours which serve differing purposes. Fabrics which are dark coloured tend to absorb heat, while reducing the sun’s glare, while sunlight reflects off lighter colours.
We stock an extensive/superior range of stylish external awnings and outdoor blinds designed to fit and match your home or office’s style perfectly. You’ll find the best solution with these Factory Direct Awnings and Blinds:
It’s important to choose materials that will not only have a fantastic impact on the appearance of your home, but also on the environment. Our stockist Phifer for example focuses on using recycled materials, designing energy-saving sun control fabrics, and minimises their negative impact on the environment during manufacturing as much as possible.
All of this focus on eco-friendly practices not only allows you to reduce your carbon footprint, but also provides insight into the integrity of such a company. If an organisation goes to such great lengths to ensure the environmental sustainability of their products, you can bet that the quality of material they create will be of an equally incredibly high standard.
After deciding which outdoor awnings blinds to install, it’s important to find the best quality stockist and installer is still important. Like many products, where the fabric is sourced from makes a huge impact.
At Factory Direct Shutters, for example, we take a lot of pride and have 20 years’ experience, sourcing top quality materials of the highest quality available anywhere. This includes procuring fabrics from leading companies in Australia and Asia, as well as renowned U.S. brand Phifer. Our extensive research and experience in trade makes all the difference when it comes to the quality of the product we provide to our customers. Quality is something everyone should consider when finding their outdoor blinds’ supplier and installer.
When it comes to Awnings and Outdoor Blinds, we've got the answer at Factory Direct Shutters, Awnings & Blinds! We know the best materials and styles to suit your home or office and can bring our showroom with materials and styles direct to you.
Contact us today on 1300 077 125 for a free measure and quote and start beating the Queensland sun!
If you love entertaining outside and making your patio or entertaining area as multifunctional as possible, outdoor blinds like Zipscreen Blinds and Zipscreen Extreme Blinds are worth considering. Zipscreen blinds are outdoor blinds which seamlessly connect indoor spaces with the outdoors, making outdoor living possible, regardless of weather conditions.
By fully enclosing your outdoor entertaining areas these genius zip-up blinds also keep the insects out while ensuring privacy, comfort and usability all year round. Zipscreen and Zipscreen Extreme blinds can be fully motorised and there are ample fabric options and colours to choose from, plus complete blockout screens for total privacy and even industrial-strength PVC for a clear outlook so you can still take in any views. In this blog we take a look at the benefits of external blinds and feature Zipscreen Blinds as a great solution to make your home or business more comfortable and protected.
When looking for outdoor blinds online or visiting a store in person, it’s important to be clear on why you want to buy them. Check out your patio, deck, or veranda and consider what’s missing and what you may want versus what you need. Questions to ask could include:
External blinds provide year-round comfort, and convenience extending the living room to the backyard for optimum functionality and relaxation. Here are a few reasons outdoor blinds have become so popular:
No matter what type of outdoor space you have, there’s blinds to suit your needs and match your style with outdoor blinds in a huge range of designs, sizes, and colours.
External blinds like Zipscreen Blinds can protect you from too much sun, wind, and rain. Thanks to the wide range of outdoor blinds options, you can entertain, even during harsh weather events.
Small living area or tiny home? No worries! External blinds can extend and maximise your interior spaces, creating more usable spaces for entertaining and relaxing.
By enhancing your home’s appearance with outdoor blinds, you can increase your property’s useable space and attractiveness and its value with potential buyers.
Installing external blinds helps protect your furnishings from the elements. Outdoor and indoor furnishings will last longer with less fading, damage, and wear and tear.
Outdoor blinds protect your home from sunlight, keeping your home or office both cooler in hotter months, while maintaining warm temperatures in cooler months to significantly reduce your power bills.
Block out external blinds come in a range of colours and provide plenty of privacy, while making your home or commercial space look amazing.
One of the best outdoor blinds to expand your indoor living area outdoors are Zipscreen Blinds. These versatile outdoor blinds are the perfect solution for outdoor spaces you need to protect in your home or business. They can be used to enclose balconies, verandas, and other outdoor areas for entertainment purposes for use in all weather conditions. Below we take a look at some of the features that make them a winner!
Most zipscreen blinds are customisable for different purposes. Therefore you can get a perfect fit in terms of size, material type, colour, and design. Zipscreen external are also perfect for commercial areas like cafes and restaurants which benefit from privacy and extended seating areas outdoors.
No matter what the style of zipscreen blind you choose, they are quite easy to install. And you can make them easier to use too with automation. They come in different transparency levels providing you with the option to choose the amount of privacy you will need when the blinds are down.
Another major benefit of zipscreen external blinds is that they can be spread over large surface areas. They also remain in the good condition over long periods of time no matter how often they are rolled and unrolled. They can be partially unrolled to allow rays of light and the breeze to flow through the covered area too.
Zip screen external blinds are flexible and can be used in different settings including home patio areas, courtyard, balconies, verandas, units, cafes, restaurants, office areas, and other business settings. This makes them an ideal choice for almost all kinds of outdoor spaces.
Zipscreen Extreme Blinds are a perfect choice for larger outdoor areas which need strong protection from the elements. They can be installed at up to 7m wide without needing divider posts, making it the right choice for big balconies, veranda, and pergolas and other outdoor spaces such as outdoor café and restaurant dining areas. These robust outdoor blinds also feature side guides to ensure protection from all climate conditions and privacy.
Both our Zipscreen and Zipscreen Extreme outdoor blinds come with a five-year warranty and our expert tradespeople will fully install them for you.
If you are looking for convenience, quality and reliability, along with expert advice, ask us about Factory Direct’s outdoor blinds solutions. We have a huge range of Zipscreen Blinds, Zipscreen Extreme Blinds, Folding Arm Awnings, Shutters, Roller Shutters and Balcony Blinds available.
Are you ready to extend your living area outdoors and protect your entertaining area from the elements? We can help you select the best solutions to protect and enhance your home or business for ultimate comfort and convenience.
Get in touch online or give us a call on 1300 077 125. Our experienced, friendly team will be happy to bring the mobile showroom to you and help you select the perfect solutions to enhance your home.
As the weather slowly warms and the days lengthen through spring, our lifestyles will naturally begin to gravitate outdoors. We’ll open up the sliding doors to our patios, balconies and decks, embracing once again the indoor-outdoor flow of our living spaces. We’ll break out the barbeques and serve dinners on the back deck. Or, we may venture outdoors early to watch the sunrise over a morning coffee.
Alfresco dining is back on the table, and now is the perfect time to give those tired outdoor spaces a spring makeover to maximise their functionality and comfort in time for summer. The right blinds or awnings can make a huge difference to the look and feel of your outdoor living areas.
You can create shade, filter the sunlight, or opt for a complete block-out solution to stem the flow of light entirely. You can gain protection from the wind and rain, and keep those pesky insects at bay. You can also create privacy or enhance the security of your outdoor spaces when required.
How do you know which styles of outdoor blinds or awnings will be best for your space? Here is an overview of the most popular styles of outdoor weather protection, and the best applications of each.
Zipscreens are modern, minimalistic and seamless. A perfect complement to the mild south-east Queensland climate, they provide for harmonious connections between indoor and outdoor living spaces. Zipscreens are insect and bug proof, and ideal for decks, patios and balconies.
Secured on either side by zip channels, they remain taut and won’t billow or flap in the breeze. They can also be fully motorised for ease of use. Depending on your preferred functionality, zipscreens may be customised in a range of fabric options. Coloured shade-cloth or block-out fabrics filter the sunlight and provide privacy. Alternatively, industrial-strength PVC creates a completely clear and weatherproof option.
As stylish as they are functional, our zipscreens all come with a five-year warranty and professional installation.
Blinds are another great option, offering both privacy and weather protection for alfresco living spaces. Perfect for enclosing pergolas, verandas, balconies and even cafes, balcony blinds come in a wide range of fabrics and styles.
There are cord and pulley blinds, which are manually cord operated and roll up from the bottom. For small to medium-sized spaces, multi-stop channel blinds are a great option, as are spring roll-up blinds. Both of these styles are manually operated.
For larger spaces, the best options include straight drop, heavy-duty side channel, or wire-guide blinds. The latter two options can be motorised, and all operate to a maximum panel width of between 5800—6000mm. Finally, zip-up café blinds provide weather protection in outdoor dining spaces.
Out extensive range of balcony blinds can be further customised through your choice of fabrics and materials, from sunscreen to clear PVC to acrylic canvas.
Where your alfresco living spaces extend beyond the coverage of a permanent roof, folding arm awnings provide an excellent shading solution. Perfect for pools as well as alfresco patios and entertainment areas, these awnings can be retracted when not in use, or when you want to allow extra sunlight into your outdoor space.
Folding arm awnings can cover an area up to 6.5 metres wide with a 4-metre projection from the side of the building on which they are mounted. They can be manually operated, or motorised for an extra touch of convenience.
All our awnings feature a five-year warranty and are professionally installed by our qualified tradespeople.
Roller shutters provide total light-blocking functionality, and corresponding insulation benefits to protect your home’s interiors – when closed – from harsh sunlight and summer heat. They offer additional benefits of privacy, security and protection from the elements.
Robust, sleek and stylish, roller shutters are a versatile and highly functional option for enhancing your outdoor living spaces, particularly in areas where privacy and security are important.
Our Australian-made roller shutters are available in a range of colours with your choice of motorised or manual operation. They are equally well suited to residential and commercial applications and come with a five-year warranty.
Are you ready to give your outdoor living spaces a fresh spring make-over? We have over 20 years’ experience in tailoring outdoor shade and weather-protection solutions to suit the south-east Queensland climate.
Call us on 1300 077 125 or get in touch online to book in a time for your free measure and quote. One of our friendly consultants will be happy to talk you through the best options for maximising your outdoor living space.
“We deeply appreciate the recognition from the ProductReview judges in awarding us the these accolades among our Australian competitors for 2022,” Justin Ralph, Director of Factory Direct Shutters said.
The annual awards highlight products and services that the ProductReview community have rated highly and are completely independent from the platform’s commercial offerings.
Factory Direct Shutters and Blinds has over 300 5-star customer reviews on the ProductReview.com.au platform, with an overall average rating of 4.7 out of 5.
“We’re extremely thankful to our customers for taking the time to rate us so well among a competitive industry,” Mr Ralph said.
“It’s a huge pat on the back for our team and for the quality of our products too.
“Ultimately this win goes to our people for always going over and above for our customers. There will be a round of cheers and celebration at all our stores this week!”
ProductReview.com.au is Australia's most comprehensive consumer rating site. The platform allows customers to rate, review, research and compare brands, products and services.
The judging process involved performing qualitative analysis and comparisons to gauge a sentiment score and the following criteria:
Mark N. ~ Everything They Promised
We were very impressed by the product knowledge of the consultant who came out to advise us about window coverings for our new house. The recommendation was perfect, the shutters arrived ahead of the scheduled time and the installed not only cleaned away the packaging. He even vacuumed the floor after the job was completed. Nice to deal with a company that lives up to their promises.
We bring the showroom to you. Call us today to make an appointment 1300 077 125.
There’s loads to be gained in terms of improved productivity and enhanced mood when the right lighting and comfort are in place to create an inviting atmosphere. Blinds are available in a range of materials like wood, vinyl, PVC, aluminium and natural fabrics. Whether you’re keen to cut out the sunlight, to create privacy or create a particular vibe, there’s a solution for a range of needs and preferences. In this blog we explore the best blinds to install at work to make it feel more like home.
Window blinds have their advantages and can become appealing design elements in their own right with the right blinds in place. Panel glide blinds are one strong option to create a beautiful and memorable design aesthetic in your workplace.
Made from a series of cloth panels that slide back and forth, they offer you optimal light control and privacy. Designed for larger windows or sliding doors, these custom-made blinds add wonderful functionality and versatility to any room with the the ability to create a room divider. They overlap slightly and can be configured to open and close in any direction.
These blinds provide a contemporary alternative to vertical blinds for covering large windows or sliding doors. Check out our range of different material and colour options available for panel glide blinds like solar screen, woven fabrics, and patterned fabrics.
Curtains are stylish, convenient, affordable, and diverse in their style potentials. Fine-tune your indoor with our stylish curtains, drapery and valances. Window treatments are incredibly important for professional interior design aesthetic in the workplace and curtains can assist in creating a stunning and relaxed feel.
Get creative with curtains at work to soften harsh or sterile feeling window dressings which add beauty and framing to your windows.
Where walls once divided the space, curtain panels at workspaces can also help open and close off areas in a unique and less rigid way while also allowing for multi-purposes in an area which are warm, fun and stylish.
Roller blinds use a single sheet of cloth on a roller mechanism, customised to be adjustable for different window sizes and orientations. They’re highly functional, elegant and do a fantastic job of cooling an area from the sun and creating shade. Roller blinds are made from one continuous sheet of fabric. This leads to a clutter-free, stylish look. Choose from complete blockout roller blinds, light filtering blinds, and UV protection sunscreen roller blinds.
They’re affordable, immediately make a positive impact to a space and are easy to include a install in almost any office design scheme or style. They also are available in multiple formats for extra functionality.
Blockout roller blinds are perfect for conference rooms where total light block is required. Whereas sunscreen roller blinds are recommended for workstation areas and open office spaces to keep the comfort and temperature controlled – they’re super efficient at reducing UV harm, cutting sun glare and creating warmth by blocking cold in the Winter months.
Standard vertical blinds are available in neutral colours like grey, white and beige but to create a unique look to match your brand colours, there’s a vast range of colours to choose from. Vertical blinds popular because they’re durable, budget-friendly, and easy to maintain as their vertical design requires less cleaning. They’re perfect for larger glass windows and door areas. These blinds also provide maximum light control and are suitable for sliding doors.
Venetian blinds allow more control over light and privacy with their sleek, tilting blades. They’re available in several materials like wood, aluminium or PVC and can be customised to suit your office space perfectly. Aluminium venetian blinds create sleek and modern look while wooden venetians create a softer, graceful vibe. Venetian blinds are also recommended for boardrooms and CEO spaces where privacy is necessary as these blinds can be fully closed blocking any visibility into and out of the room they’re installed in.
Almost everyone has used a typical plantation shutter. They do a wonderful job of capturing the breeze, while also allowing light to filter through or to create privacy and security. They remain a timeless and stunning solution for office window coverings. Shutters are durable, affordable, and straightforward to install.
Shutters are easy to clean and come with a range of different width options, building materials, colours and installation style treatments to transform almost any space. An added advantage of the shutter is privacy. They’re one of the best options to provide the privacy at work.
Office window blinds are typically used for privacy and security, but in order to create a professional and welcoming environment they need to be aesthetically modern too. Blinds can help transform your workspace from a sweltering hot zone with issues of privacy to one which feels somehow calmer, cooler and more functional. There’s a lot which can be done with the right window dressings!
For any sort of presentation, you’d need total light blockout and privacy. Blockout Roller blinds are an ideal solution in this case for boardrooms and meeting spaces as these blinds block light and warmth out of the space completely for total privacy.
While working on computers or other screens, the glare of the sun hitting the screen can become a distraction. For glare, installing adjustable internal blinds with some opacity are a wonderful solution.
Light filtering window shade and vertical blinds are excellent for managing the temperature. For heat reduction lighter coloured blinds are preferred as they reflect the warmth more efficiently.
Design trends at work are continually evolving and changing, but a lot of blind options are timeless in style and elegance. Consider how the location of your office and your industry could positively influence the design choices made in your window dressings. Many businesses have moved away from the attitude of maximizing the office’s physical space to embracing an employee-centric and wellbeing design. Leaders are seeking designs and window fittings to increase happiness and productivity at work and increase staff retention.
We bring the showroom to you so you can check out all the best options for your office space. Contact us on 1300 077 125 today for your free measure or quote.
