The Issue: Windows

The blind leading the blind?

If you walk through our city you could be forgiven for thinking that it’s curtains for curtains. The number of properties that have chosen wooden blinds, or their fashionable friends plantation shutters, as window dressings is incredible. Whole streets seem to have adopted them as an alternative to drapes and the fashion seems in no way to be in decline. So why?

Well as a blind user I can certainly point out the main assets.

Firstly blinds are tidy, they always look neat. A quality curtain with the right amount of fabric used to make them look good will also take up more space. They come forward off your windows if they are not recessed and need clearance if they are to fall properly and look good.

Blinds are easy to keep clean too, a quick going over with a nozzle on your vacuum will do the trick every now and then. Unlike curtains they do not hang on to odours either and whereas with curtains to clean them you have to take them down and even send them away to be dry cleaned, often for quite a long time, blinds can be cleaned in place.

Blinds have a smart and contemporary feel

Blinds can offer the combination of light and privacy too. If you don’t have a front garden and the pavement is busy, a blind will certainly cut down on the number of people who idly gaze into your home, and let’s face it we all do that. A blind can be tilted to an angle that will let in light and not let in those prying eyes. It could be said that the blind has seen the end of the net curtain.

Blinds have a smart and contemporary feel and have had for many years, it would seem that this is a fashion that is here to stay. So are there any down sides to fitting blinds? The only one that we can think of is that in combination with a solid floor a room can have a distinct echo. This is easily remedied by using rugs and soft furnishings to soften the sound but other than that blinds are a blindingly good solution for windows.