Things to consider comprise the degree of privacy you required, the décor style of the room in which the blind will be featured, child safety, your budget, installation issues, and how much maintenance they will require. It would be prudent to also consider a blind’s appearance from the outside of your home.
Blinds serve both an aesthetic and a functional purpose, and so the aim is to choose a blind that will serve both of these functions well. Blinds serve a number of various functions – they can prevent a room that receives a lot of sun from overheating, protect valuable furniture from fading in the sun, provide privacy, and keep a degree of sunlight out thereby making it more comfortable to work on your computer, watch your TV during the day, or sleep in late.
Different materials
Aluminium: If neat aesthetics and durability are your concerns, then aluminium blinds will fit this double billing. The modern ranges of aluminium blinds are both attractive and durable, and require very little maintenance, except having to dust them every now and again. They are widely available in every conceivable colour imaginable. They are also very versatile, giving them the ability to blend with almost any décor style and colour palette.
Anti-glare: For rooms with computers and TVs, anti-glare blinds are the answer. They comprise a form of roller blind, with a transparent film fitted to the roller that is made from thin layers of polyester and possibly aluminium, which rejects infra-red rays to reduce glare and gives the blinds a heat-reflecting quality.
Wood: Wooden blinds provide the perfect window treatment for a variety of different spaces. They offer extraordinary versatility in their aesthetic and functional values. They are attractive and can be manufactured to fit almost any window shape, they are durable, and the amount of light that penetrates the blinds can be easily controlled from complete blackout to very bright.
Fabric: Fabric blinds are probably the least durable, but offer the widest range of potential styles and designs. What’s more, is that they are often less expensive than the other alternatives. Choosing a strong fabric, such as upholstery fabric for example, is a must-do, as is opting for a fabric design that won’t date too quickly.
Different styles
Pleated blinds: Pleated blinds use a simple cord system to open or close them, and control the desired amount of light into a room. They are simple in their function, and can be completely folded when not required. They are usually made from opaque fabrics and can easily be custom-made to fit into almost any décor scheme. They are often hung low, and can be used in conjunction with drapes and valances. Pleated blinds ought to be relatively understated in their appearance, and should be complimentary by design and colour to the rest of the interior composition.
Roller blinds: Arguably one of the most popular types of blinds, roller blinds perform exactly as their graphic moniker implies – they can be rolled up or down, depending on how much light a person desires. They come in a wide array of colors, materials, including bamboo, wood, grasses, vinyl, and fabric, to name a few. The degree of sunlight retardation depends largely on the type of material that is used for the blind.
Roman blinds: Roman blinds are made from fabric that can be lowered or raised as desired. The mechanism that allows these simplistic blinds to function is elementary – cords are threaded through a series of ringlets on the back side of the blind, threading the cords that allow the blind to be lifted and dropped at will. Roman blinds are ideal for blocking out light when they are closed, and fold up out of the way to allow for a complete viewing from the window when they are open.
Venetian blinds: Venetian blinds have a simple construction – they comprise multi-directional slats of horizontal and overlapping material. When completely closed, Venetian blinds can effectively eliminate all external light. Alternatively, they can be adjusted to allow varying degrees of light into the room. They can be manufactured from wood, lightweight aluminium and PVC. Many wooden window shutters, although not strictly a blind, have the same workings as Venetian blinds and operate in a similar fashion.
Vertical blinds: The trend of bringing the outdoors in and letting as much sunlight infuse into our living areas as possible, has led to an increase in a number of unusually large windows of various shapes. Although natural light is coveted, it is not always wanted – it can damage furniture and plants, and can make working on your computer or watching your TV really uncomfortable in the daytime.
Oversized windows also lead to privacy issues. To cover these large expanses of glass, it is not always practical or cost-efficient to treat them with horizontal-style blinds or curtains – and hence the creation of the vertical blind as a solution to this problem. Vertical blinds are ideal for windows that are wider than they are tall, as well as for very tall windows and windows that need to be easily accessed. The adjustable vanes can be easily adjusted to access window catches and more importantly allow light in. Vertical blinds can be made from fabric, plastic and aluminum, and can be fully automated so the amount of light allowed in is automatically adjusted. – Antonella Desi
Pictures courtesy of:
Blinds Connection: www.blindsconnection.co.za
Crawfords: www.crawfords.co.za
H. Delahunt: www.hdelahunt.co.za
QC Blinds: www.qcblinds.co.za
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