Blindingly beautiful

 With good blinds, you can make your home look like a million bucks without actually spending them! Sudha Jain lists out some options.

Window blinds give a whole new look to your home. If you are thinking of renovating or moving into a new house now, treating the windows with blinds or shades will add subdued glamour to your home.

While you can still use curtains — most Indian homes do — blinds for windows, from smart, modern patterns to elegant ones can take your interior design notches above the ordinary. Most importantly, you have to choose the right kind for you decor.

Blinds are versatile and durable and they provide a convenient solution to all your window covering needs. Blinds come in both horizontal and vertical settings and in a variety of materials such as fabric, metal, wood or plastic. You also have the option of a roller blind, which has one continuous piece of fabric.

Blinds also offer attractive benefits such as greater control over room lighting and a tight closure to increase the privacy in your room. With a multitude of style options available including cloth tapes, cord cleats, and adorning valances, window blinds can provide the perfect finishing touch for your home decor.

Style statements

Window shades are stylish and there are functional window treatments that come in a variety of styles. They’re great on their own or can be layered with other window coverings to add depth and versatility to your window. All shades offer a cordless option for ease of use and are designed with practicality in mind. 

Window shades come in light-filtering and room-darkening styles to give you greater control over privacy and light control. They’re also easy to clean and carry inherent insulating properties to keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Various types of blinds serve different purposes.

While wooden blinds make your home look stylish, faux wooden blinds resist humidity while looking great. Composite blinds are durable.

Aluminium blinds are maintenance-free and come in a variety of colours. Vinyl blinds are durable and easy to clean. Roman blinds add a touch of romance by incorporating the elegance of draperies. Sheer shades gently filter in the sunlight while blocking out the UV rays.

Here are some options you can try for your home:

Ethnic chic: Dress your windows with roller window blinds made with bamboo. You can border these with rich fabrics like brocade and silk for a striking contrast and a plush look. You could also get a roller blind in a fabric like raw silk with an ethnic print. Go for this option if your furniture is traditional, carved or antique.

Mediterranean village: For a cool Mediterranean look, choose blinds for windows in wood, and paint them white. To enhance the look of your room, paint a wall turquoise and use white furniture. And voila! You bring a Greek island right into your room. Wooden blinds, however, are a little more high maintenance, needing regular polishing to combat wear and tear.

Urban minimalism: If your sensibilities are oriented towards minimalist art deco trends which are so ‘now’, choose a roller blind with geometric prints. You could choose from a variety of fabrics, including leather, cotton or polyester blends. Make sure that your room has furniture in straight, sleek lines and that the blind serves as an accent piece.

Functional elegance: If you are looking for simple, functional blinds, pick vertical ones. Usually available in neutral tones like white, beige and grey, these are ideally suited for a home office or an audio visual room. These only go with large windows and are often low on maintenance and can easily be cleaned.

You could also choose Venetian blinds in  neutral shades, but dirt collects very quickly between the slats. These require constant cleaning.

The right window

When you pick blinds for your home, make sure that they are as low-maintenance as possible. It helps if you have a window that is monsoon-proof and dust-proof, because this will make your life a lot easier. Choose a good UPVC window for all these benefits and to conserve energy.

With good blinds, you can make your home look like a million bucks without actually spending them!