Choosing the RIGHT Blinds!
How to choose the RIGHT blinds for your home??
Often, as the sun FINALLY emerges after the long winter months, it blares its rays into our homes. Aside from the obviously wonderful emotional benefits, there are a few drawbacks to its intrusive behaviour. Rooms warm up, more than we want them to and watching our televisions with the intense glare becomes impossible. We worry about our wood floors fading, our silk drapery rotting and our precious early hours of sleep. While sheers can act as a barrier, true control is measured by the hard working blind. And all the while, we really don’t want that pesky blind interrupting our hard laboured décor. Here are some different blind options, and the pros and cons related to their functions.
Horizontal Shades
Royal Wood Shutters By Elite WF available through Monaco Interiors
Pros:
1. You can purchase most with a privacy feature, which lessens light coming into the room
2. There is this great wand or rope that allows you to “turn” them and move them up or down, to your preferred level of light control
3. Relatively inexpensive, unless you move into the real wood zone
4. The aluminum ones are fairly narrow and will fit inside most window frames
5. Real wood is a good insulator, keeping out the heat in summer and cold in winter
Cons:
1. A bit old fashioned and cheap looking if you go aluminum or, dare I say it, vinyl
2. Not so super aesthetically pleasing, unless you go the real wood way
3. Aluminum blinds will bend, dent, and are NOT insulating, just the opposite, aluminum and vinyl will conduct heat
4. Lots of chords, ropes, strings
5. Real wood blinds can be very heavy to lift if you want total window clearance
Sheer Blinds
High-Light Shades by Elite WF available through Monaco Interiors
Pros:
1. Sheer blinds are quite unobtrusive, and when pulled up, barely noticeable
2. They offer good protection from the heat, sun’s rays and come in room darkening options which are great for watching TV
3. Suit almost any décor, come in a variety of fabrics and colours
4. Wand turns or moves sheer slats to optimize light and privacy control
5. Great insulation properties
Cons:
1. A bit hard to clean, usually professional cleaning is recommended
2. Pricier than many other options
3. The head-rail (top of the blind) is quite thick, so for inside application, you require a deeper set window
4. No great for total darkness in bedrooms as light seeps out between the slats
Roman Blinds
Custom Roman Blinds by Monaco Interiors
Pros:
1. Can be custom ordered in ANY FABRIC you want and multiple styles, so great for design dilemmas and sprucing up a space
2. More fabric on your windows adds more insulation and more options for complete darkness
3. Can be mounted anywhere and still look nice, so your window size and depth does not matter
Cons:
1. Only functions as an UP or DOWN blind, no in-between
2. Can be pricier depending on fabric choices
3. Lots of strings, so not great for active children
Shutters
Richwood Shutters by Elite WF available through Monaco Interiors
Pros:
1. Great if they work with your design ethic, and can enhance your look with “tableaux” additions
2. Wood shutters are natural insulators
3. Can be open or shut, and slats move up or down for privacy and light control
4. Can be made in any colour or stain your heart desires
Cons:
1. Bulky and for patio doors, frames take up a lot of space
2. Good, long lasting shutters are a definite investment, cheaper shutters warm and discolour. Vinyl shutters are the worst culprit of this.
3. Require space/clearance for opening and shutting the doors
Roller Shades:
Roller blinds by Elite WF available through Monaco Interiors
Pros:
1. Many fabrics to choose from, including solar shades which reflect the sun to increase insulation properties
2. Fairly inexpensive in comparison to other blinds
3. Look can be clean and modern, or traditional depending on style and fabric choices
4. Head-rails mid-width so fit into most windows
Cons:
1. Light control is based entirely on fabric choice and up or down level of blind, no in-between
2. For fancier applications may look too plain
Key Points
There are many other blinds to look at, but if you keep these points in mind when shopping, you’ll always end up with the right one for you.
1. How much Privacy do I need?
2. How much Light Control is necessary?
3. Do I need insulation from heat or cold?
4. What “look” am I after?
For more images of blinds take a look at our Blinds, Shutters and Tableaux Section https://www.monacointeriors.ca/portfolio/blinds-shutters-and-tableaux/
Tableaux Shutters by Finecraft Shutters available through Monaco Interiors
Have a terrific day!
XR
