Rob's Home and Garden Blog

Choosing Blinds for Your Home

by Martha Reed

You may be looking for home window coverings and have ruled out curtains. Instead, you might be more interested in sleeker blinds that don't have so much flowing fabric. Three popular options are roller blinds, vertical blinds and Venetians. Each of these alternatives is outlined below.

Roller Blinds

Though roller blinds have been around for many years, they're evolving all the time, becoming more useful and offering more decorative options. For instance, rather than installing a single-blind, you can install dual roller blinds that provide more versatility. They combine a blackout blind with a sunscreen or a light filtering blind in one unit. With a double-blind, you can darken a room, or you can allow diffused light into the space in the daytime while preserving privacy.

Roller blinds come in a vast host of patterns and colours. They offer uniform shades like beige, grey and cream. However, you can also install patterned roller blinds with baroque designs, for instance, for a room with plush, classic decor. Otherwise, you could fit a geometric pattern for an art deco aesthetic. Thus, roller blinds have moved with the times, and they offer numerous ways to control light flow and decorate your room.

Vertical Blinds

If your home has expansive window and glass door areas, your best blind option may be vertical blinds. These give an elegant impression, in part because they make the ceiling appear taller with their vertical slats. These blinds are perfect for blocking sunlight because the sun shines downwards, and they don't have horizontal gaps that can let the light in. Plus, the slats are relatively broad, and you can adjust their angle to control light flow.

Vertical blinds also come in different materials. Some styles use sheer curtain-like fabric. These create a softness across the windows that you don't get from roller blinds or Venetians. Vertical blinds are also available in heavier materials such as vinyl.

Venetian Blinds

Venetian blinds consist of horizontal slats that give a classic look to a room. They suit diverse decors as the slat material can alter the aesthetic. For example, stained timber Venetian blinds work in eclectic, bohemian and rustic rooms. At the other end of the scale, you could install sleek aluminium Venetian blinds for a professional home office in cream white or grey. Venetian blinds also come in vinyl which suits humid rooms like kitchens and bathrooms. These slats can be textured to mimic white painted wood, but they won't rot as natural timber may. You can angle the slats to direct light flow upwards or downwards. You can also set the louvres horizontally to lighten a room or close them to darken the space.

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