Many people spend thousands decorating their room, but forget about one important aspect, window coverings.

Boring old curtains seem to be the default for most homes, although curtains are relatively lacklustre in comparison to the versatility of window blinds. Although blinds originally started out in offices and other corporate buildings, the huge range of different types, fabrics and colours have allowed them to become part of the home too.

There are blinds suitable for all applications from loft windows to commercial skyscrapers, with some blinds spanning up to 5 metres wide. No matter what your application is there will be a blind to suit.

Types of Blind

Below is a list of the most popular blinds, there are many other more niche specific types such as bathroom blinds.

Roller Blinds

If you are looking for a simple, yet stylish blind then roller blinds are perfect for you. They are controlled easily, you simply pull the article down to the level you want it. This allows you to control the amount of light you let into the room.

Roller blinds are often used as blackout blinds because when the correct blackout fabric is used you can block out a very high percentage of the light.

Another advantage of roller blinds is that because they aren’t too complicated they can be purchased at relatively cheap prices.

Vertical Blinds

Do you need cheap, yet effective blinds? If so then vertical blinds are the solution.

There are a huge range of fabrics available for us in a vertical blind system, including light reflective, flame retardant, blackout and the standard dim out. If you are looking for a cheap window blind vertical blinds are probably perfect.

Vertical blinds are suitable for most applications, unlike some types of blinds, vertical blinds can cover widths of 5 meters and over, which is quite a length when you think about it!

You can operate them easily using a cord system, one cord to group the blinds to the sides of the window and one to adjust the tilt on the blinds.

Venetian Blinds

Every room in your house could benefit from venetian blinds, there are water resistant materials for bathrooms, wipe clean fabrics for the kitchen and stunning real wood or wood effect venetian blinds for bedrooms or living rooms.

Venetian blinds are manufactured from a series of horizontal slats connected by vertical cords. Using the controls you can tilt the blinds to control the light or close them to block it out, when you want completely free up your window you can raise the blinds so they group nicely out of the way at the top of the window.

Aluminium is usually the material of choice for the slats as it is a lot easier to manufacture, this coupled with the savings compared to real wood and you end up with a stunning product at a bargain price.

Wooden Blinds

There two different types of blinds that can be referred to as wooden blinds. Wooden venetian blinds and woven wood blinds.

Woven wood blinds are created by weaving natural materials together to create a natural feel. Bamboo is the perfect material for woven wood blinds and is probably the most commonly used.

Wooden venetian blinds are simple an upgrade from the aluminium wood-effect blinds, they are a premium range blind and can be a quite expensive blind. If you are on a budget there are a lot of cheaper options such as faux wood blinds.

Conservatory Blinds

After spending thousands on a conservatory it can be disappointing not being able to use it on summer days as the large panes of glass are allowing too much light through and creating an extremely uncomfortable environment.

Blinds can be a perfect solution to controlling the light entering your conservatory. Blinds such as the pleated type can be excellent at controlling the light due the fabric properties.

Conservatory blinds can be quite expensive so it is important to research the different types and the effects of each. That way you can be sure you purchase a product that suits your wants and needs.

Roman Blinds

When in use roman blinds look very similar to roller blinds, only when not in use can you really see the difference. Instead of ‘rolling up’ like roller blinds, they fold up at the top of the window in a series of folds. The folds are created at equal length by rods in the back of the blinds.

Roman blinds are one of the more stylish blind types, the range of fabrics available is amazing, including woven wood, patterned and blackout fabrics.

Blackout Blinds

Blackout blinds do exactly what they say on the tin. Black out light. They are perfect for mornings when you don’t want to wake up to a glaring beam of light, or when you can’t get your children to go to sleep because it’s still light outside.

The simplest form of blackout blind is a roller blind using a blackout fabric, although this is a cheap and easy way to achieve light black out, it is not 100%. Light will still enter through the sides and bottom of the blind.

For 100% blackout which is needed in places like home cinemas you will needed more advanced blackout blind systems, which employ the use of side rails to secure the fabric and stop light seeping in through the sides.

Pleated Blinds

Do you have an odd shaped window? You will probably want to take a look at pleated blinds. They are widely used in applications such as conservatories where not all windows are rectangular.

Another feature about pleated blinds which makes them well suited to conservatories is that they are specially treated to endure the damaging effects of the sun.

Pleated blinds can also be used to create subtle light effects, such as diffusion. They are usually available in transparent, opaque and semi-opaque fabrics. Another option is to use pleated blinds and curtains together.

Custom Blinds

When people refer to ‘custom blinds’ they can be referring to one of two things made to measure blinds or digitally printed blinds.

Made to measure blinds are often referred to as custom blinds as opposed to their alternative ready made blinds which are only available in certain sizes.

Digitally printed blinds are the ultimate in customised blinds. Basically you can have any image printed onto a roller blind. This can be great for increasing brand awareness or capturing the beautiful seaside in your window.

VELUX Blinds

VELUX are the number one manufactures of roof windows, to compliment this product they also sell VELUX blinds through their website and a chain of suppliers.

Roof windows are perfect for lighting up otherwise dark and gloomy attics, VELUX Blinds are made to cover and compliment skylight windows perfectly, they come in many varieties the most common being roller blinds.

These blinds are perfect for blocking out light but this luxury comes at a price, VELUX blinds are very expensive due to their intricate design and high quality.

Blind Features

Blackout

For rooms which require darkness in daylight hours blackouts are perfect, whether it is to avoid waking up to a blinding ray of sunshine or to dim children’s rooms while they are trying to sleep.

Another use for blackout blinds is in home cinemas, conference rooms and other areas where you would prefer total light blackout. They are available in roller and roman blind types.

Dim out

If you purchase any roller, roman, panel or pleated blind you will probably have purchased a dim out fabric as they are standard on them types of blinds. Dim out fabrics are perfect when you don’t want complete light exclusion but you still want the privacy of a blackout blind.

Wipe clean

Due to the design of blinds they can easily become full of dust and dirt, and in areas such as kitchens and play areas the problem can be even worse.

Luckily there is a good selection of wipe clean blinds. Obviously the wood and aluminium blinds can be wiped clean, but you may be surprised to hear that certain fabrics can also be wiped clean.

Anti-bacterial

In certain environments such as hospitals, schools and healthcare environments there can be very strict rules about the properties of each furnishing. Blinds are one product that can abide to these rules thanks to the anti-bacterial coating which is now available. For more information look into commercial blinds.

Light Reflective

In rooms with a lot of windows on summer days (yes, we still have those!) the heat created from the sun can be extremely powerful, even damaging to some things. Luckily there are blinds specially created to reflect this heat and solar glare back out of the room, leaving your room cool and un-damaged.

Flame Retardant

I think the advantages of flame retardant blinds speak for themselves. Whether you choose them for comfort of mind, or to comply with legislation, they can be obtained pretty cheaply nowadays.
Anti-Ligature Blinds

Although it may sound strange, even blinds have dangers involved. The main concern with blinds is that some types utilise cords, which if someone trips and falls into they could potentially strangle themselves on. Obviously the chance of fatality can not be ignored, so on some blinds you have special options which eliminate this risk. These blinds are also widely uses in mental health hospitals and prisons.

Blind Fabrics

Suede

If you’re looking for a very fashionable blind to compliment your décor and add a soft texture to your windows suede blinds are the way to go,

Wood

The perfect covering for any window, anywhere. Wooden blinds create a simple yet sophisticated look with a material that will never go out of style. They are a long lasting durable product, which is one of the reasons they have become so popular.

Woven Wood

A modern looking material giving a natural and airy feel to the room, gracefully constructed when open these blinds bunch at the top of the window.

Made from woods, bamboos, grasses and reeds woven wood blinds a natural-looking choice for covering a window. These natural blinds can be cleaned effortless and go hand in hand with the décor of almost any room.

Aluminium

Aluminium is the most popular material for venetian blinds, this is down to it being extremely light weight and relatively cheap, meaning you can have extra wide blinds made in aluminium at affordable prices. Aluminium blinds are also easily cleaned with a simple wipe.

Polyester

The standard fabric for most fabric blinds is polyester, such as roman, roller, pleated, vertical and roman blinds. Polyester is used as the standard because it is a relatively cheap fabric and provides a good dim-out effect.