Among Blinds shades shutters, blinds are generally an unusual choice for home décor if we think of the conventional looks. However, the technology and design for blinds have evolved. There are a plethora of alternatives for creating a customized window dressing with optimum style and functionality. The choices vary in terms of options of materials, size, and shape of the windows or the operation of the window.
The material choices
For window blinds, one can either choose natural wood blinds that are made of basswood, or faux wood blinds that are generally composed of composite wood or PVC. The material you choose for the blinds will largely depend on the budget, weather conditions, and if there are kids at home. However, you can be assured that the design, life, and looks will remain uncompromised. If there is extreme heat or humidity in the region, or there are children and pets and the blinds may experience some rough use, then faux blinds are a wise choice. You can choose the synthetic material blinds in other colors besides the natural wood colors to suit the room décor.
Vertical or horizontal blinds
There are three broad categories of blinds – horizontal blinds, vertical blinds, and combi shades. The horizontal blinds are slid up and down while the vertical blinds slide sideways for open and close actions. Further, among these, there are alternatives to choose from blinds with slats of different widths. Narrow slats are suitable for small windows, while broad slats are ideally preferred for large windows.
Combi shades also have top-down operations, and they combine the looks and functionalities of both styles of window treatment. The Zebra combi shades combine the appearance and functionalities of shades and horizontal blinds. They have individual slats integrated with a single material, that neatly stack up on top when the shades are drawn open. They are modern and have a unique layer of alternating strips of thick and sheer fabric that favor an elegant yet minimalist décor.
Depending on the size of the window and the space available around the window frame, one can opt for vertical or horizontal blinds. For very small windows, generally, vanes are inserted instead of blinds that can be fully open and shut. The Combi shades offer more varieties in terms of fabric, material, and color one can choose.
Smart Home or Silent Motorized
With custom shades and blinds, one has the choice of corded, cordless, motorized, and smart home integrated operations. The corded and cordless blinds are the traditional alternatives. Motorized blinds have also been around for some time, and they allow the user to operate the blinds using a remote control. They are mostly preferred large windows, skylights, or commercial window blinds. Motorized windows are generally recommended for houses with children and pets too as no cords are dangling from the window treatment. Cords have been known to be a choking hazard for children and pets. The smart home alternative gives you the freedom to control your window treatment with a mobile app or using Amazon Echo, Google’s Alexa, or Apple’s Siri voice controls. They enable users to set alarms, open the vanes, or close the blinds shades shutters remotely, even if nobody is at home.
Customizing the utility
There are alternatives among blinds for sun blocking, blackout blinds, and insulating the rooms, which are energy-saving functionalities. Blinds can be customized to match the needs of the rooms. Thus, before selecting the blinds, it is important to understand the location of the room. This includes the direction the window is facing, its view, the décor, and other similar finer points. This will help with the functions and aesthetics of the room. For instance, if the room is north or east-facing, then one would want greater cover from the harsh sunlight that will filter through the rooms for the better of the day.
Blinds may not offer the wide choices that come with custom shades, but they have many merits. They are easy to install, take up less space around the window frame, and are easy to maintain. With well-chosen blinds, you can be assured of a window treatment that will endure.