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Top Tips on Choosing a blind

Our family business was founded in 1921, so we have a wealth of experience in window decoration and are well known as a leading creative force in the roller blind industry. We understand that choosing the right blind for your window might seem daunting, so we are happy to share our years of experience and offer our Top Ten Tips for choosing a blind :

1. How much privacy do you need?

Roller blind fabrics can go from thin lace-like sheers to full-on blackouts, so depending if your windows overlook a busy street or an open field there is sure to be a fabric for you. A sheer makes an ideal daytime blind if you are overlooked, as it will give you privacy yet still let lots of light into your room. While a blackout will always be better for bedrooms, kid’s rooms or bathrooms where you need privacy or a way to block-out light. Most prints, textures or plains fit in in between.

ciro sheer roller blind fabric bathroom roller blind

2. What decorative style are you looking for?

Roller blinds have been used for 100’s of years so are a traditional form of window dressing. Today there are looks for every style of interior whether contemporary apartment or cosy cottage. Blinds roll up very small, so are the most discrete no-fuss way to dress a window, yet they can be coloured, patterned or textured. At New House we are design-leaders especially in textured roller blind fabrics, often in natural yarns that are designed to look great in both traditional or contemporary homes.

textured roller blind fabric printed roller blind fabric

3. Need to control light levels?

What is the room used for? Is it a media room that you'd like darkened, or is it that strong sunlight is from fading your furnishings and making your ipad/laptop difficult to read? We have a huge range of fabrics from the thinnest translucents to full-on blackout, with many thicknesses of weaves in between. They all absorb UV and natural light, with the rule-of-thumb being that the denser the fabric or darker the colour, the more light and UV they absorb. We have technical specs on all our fabrics, so if in doubt please get in touch.

solo delicate grey with bobbi ball 1 maidens hair roller blind fabric

4. What room is the blind going into?

Are you buying a blind for a kitchen or bathroom? Modern blind fabrics come with coatings that keep the fabric smooth and help it roll up nicely, however if your blind is in a damp or steamy environment it is always best to go for a 100% polyester fabric. For elsewhere, traditional yarns like cottons or linens with interesting textures should be fine.

organic stripe roller blind textured design 1 roller blind fabric in window with print

5. Always consider safety for children.

Loose or over-long blind & curtain cords can be a strangulation hazard for young children. So it is always best to play safe, and fix cords securely to the wall with a solid cord-trap device like our Halo. Alternatively, choose an inherently safe blind like a traditional spring roller, or motorised blind where there are no cords for toddlers to get caught in.

halo cord tidy blind child safety device

6. What is your budget?

Unlike voluminous curtains, blinds are terribly discrete and a less expensive choice for screening windows. But the general rule is that the bigger the window the more expensive the cost, and specialist patterns such as burn-outs can be more expensive.

7. Need a blackout?

Blackout roller blind fabrics come in every colour so are first choice for bedrooms, kid’s rooms, or bathrooms. They are also extremely popular in high-tech media and cinema rooms, especially where the blinds can be automated or electronically controlled. For most day-to-day use a standard blackout roller blind is fine, but you may see a little light seeping in round the edges of the blind. If you need total blackout in your room, then you may need a system with sidechannels.

blackout roller blind fabric in a window

8. Measuring windows.

If you are doing-it-yourself, the important measurement for blinds is always the recess width (or the max size your blind fits into including the brackets). Stay away from old-fashioned cloth tape measures that can stretch & shrink. If you have older windows, it is also wise to measure at both the top and the bottom of a window, as it’s amazing how often older windows are not as square as you think! Alternatively, phone or email one of our good stockists who will help.

9. Energy saving.

It’s a much overlooked fact, but a simple roller blind can be one of the easiest ways to save energy or cutting fuel bills. A daytime blind in summer reflects sunlight and heat back out of your room, keeping it cool. While in winter, a blind creates an insulating airgap over the glass helping to keep everything snug and warm.

japanese linen roller blind fabric

10. Accessorising your blind.

Have fun dressing up your window blind by giving it individual style with decorative trimmings and pulls. Our in-house designers create more blind accessories than anyone, and have a huge range of pulls and decorative trims in every colour. Just adding a bright coloured blind pull like one our bright painted wooden pulls, or modern braid onto the bottom, will make your blind look sensational!

stainless steel ring roller blind pull 1 assorted blind pulls

colour pop braid on yellow solo blind 1 rio braid and navy bobbi ball pull 1

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