6 Things to Consider When Choosing Blinds.

The window is often the last element to be considered when decorating a room, but it can actually make a big difference to a room’s overall style. Blinds have continued to be a popular alternative to curtains, providing a fashionable and versatile option, maximising living space and allowing you to control the degree of sunlight, shade, heat reflection and privacy in a room.

There are many types of blinds to choose from including roller, roman, vertical, Venetians in both wood and metal and pleated blinds including those used in conservatories to control the heat. This versatility makes window blinds an informed choice for any room in the house.

The key to buying the right blind is to identify your specific requirements.

Here are six tips for selecting, measuring and caring for window blinds:

1: Is the blind for a bedroom where you require a dark room? For bedrooms look at roman blinds which are available with blackout linings. They also have no holes or slats that let in the light.

2: Are you choosing for a humid room, such as a kitchen or bathroom? Avoid natural materials such as linen, silk and wood which can rot, twist or fade in humid conditions. Instead opt for an Aluminium Venetian blind that doesn’t rust, faux wood blinds or roller blinds made from waterproof PVC.

3: Is your room overlooked or lets in a lot of bright light? Venetian and Vertical Blinds are excellent at directing away bright sunlight yet allowing light into the room, whilst bottom-up roller blinds provide just the right balance between privacy and light.

4: How do I measure my own blind? Decide whether you want your blinds to fit inside or outside the window recess.  For outside recess measuring the width and drop of the area over the window, you want to cover and provide these exact measurements.  For a blind to fit inside the recess take three measurements across the width in millimeters (top, middle and bottom) and three measurements for the drop (left, middle and right) and use the smallest measurement taken for both width and drop. (Click here for a more detailed guide)

5: Always use a metal tape measure! When taking measurements, fabric tapes can stretch and be inaccurate and always take your measurements in millimeters and not inches or centimeters as there is nothing worse than ordering a blind that then does not fit your window.

6: Cleaning blinds isn’t as hard as it sounds, but some types are trickier than others. Venetian and faux wood blinds can be kept clean and free from dust with a damp cloth. This makes them perfect for those messy areas. Pleated blinds, vertical and roller blinds can be dusted using the brush attachment on a vacuum on a regular basis. Soft fabrics may need a more specialist cleaner, so get in touch before taking them to the cleaners!