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Blinds and Shutters

The really useful guide to blinds and shutters

The Really Useful Guide to Dressing Your Windows

Windows exist purely to let in the light and the way they're dressed plays a large part in the way light affects the room. And as light is one of the biggest influencers of mood and the way we feel, it is hugely important that we window dressings to help create the
ambience and atmosphere we want.

Far more than just a decorative feature, window dressings must provide a mix of privacy and practicality as well as reflecting your own personal style. Available in many different finishes and styles, blinds will give you all three, and when not in use, they can be folded or rolled-up or pulled to one side to take up minimal space and give a clean, uncluttered look at the window.

Blinded by the choice? Apart from curtains, what types of window treatments are available?

Romans
Roman blinds give a clean-cut contemporary finish to any room.
The pleats form a soft, layered effect when the blind is raised - perfect if you are looking for a more contemporary alternative to curtains. A lightweight unlined version is also available which provides a sleeker, more streamlined finish at a fantastic price. The Cascade Roman is the most luxuriously dressed-up addition to the
Hillarys 'Roman' family with extra folds of fabric that stay in place even when the blind is fully drawn.

Best rooms: Bedrooms, dining rooms and lounges.

Woodweave

Tactile natural materials including jute, bamboo and wood are carefully selected from renewable sources and woven together to give a wonderful rustic effect that allows light to softy filter through. The overall effect is a relaxed and mellow atmosphere that works well in both contemporary and traditional living spaces. Hillarys Woodweave blinds work just like a Roman blind, folding up neatly and firmly
locking into place.

Best rooms: Woodweave blinds are best for providing diffused light throughout the home, especially in conservatories, dining rooms,
lounges and studies.

Rollers

Functionality combined with style, Rollers provide just what you want from a blind in any room of the home. Delicate translucent fabrics
provide a modern alternative to conventional net curtains while the huge colour choice makes it easy to co-ordinate with existing or new
schemes. Rollers are also available with blackout coatings - perfect for children's rooms or if you are a nightworker and need to sleep duringthe day.

Best rooms: any room throughout the home! Rollers are particularly practical in kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms (blackout and dimout
fabrics are great in the bedroom). They are also excellent where use of the window sill is required - or they can be used effectively
as a simple room divider or shelf cover-up.

Verticals
Practical, versatile and stylish, vertical blinds now have enormous pulling power. Having well and truly moved out of the office and into the home, they offer brilliant control over how much light is filtered into the room. They are now the UK's top selling blind with almost one in two homes having at least one room that features a Vertical!

Best rooms: ideal throughout the home, particularly patio and French doors, conservatories and lounges.

PVC Verticals
PVC blinds are hardwearing and practical with an anti-static finish that helps prevent dust and even if they do get dirty, they're easy to wipe clean. They are water resistant, so ideal for kitchens and bathrooms where other blind types could go mouldy. They are also heat reflective, so they help keep things warm in Winter and
cool in Summer.

Best rooms: Kitchens and bathrooms.

Venetians
Venetian blinds have horizontal slats, are usually made of wood or aluminium and offer great light control in any room. Hillarys also offers an Aluwood range - these are made of aluminium with a wood effect that are perfect for hot or steamy rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms.

Best rooms: again, they can be used in pretty much any room, looking good especially in kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms and offices. Wooden Venetians are ideal for creating a natural look in lounges, dining rooms and bedrooms.

Pleated
Filtering light to provide a perfect ambience in any room, pleated blinds are a lighter weight variation of the Roman blind. They look fabulous in any room but are particularly useful in conservatories as they can be made to fit the shaped windows in the roof, cutting out excessive heat and light and also protecting your furniture from the sun's damaging rays.

Best rooms: Perfect for conservatories but also consider for any other room in the house! Don't just think conservatories when you
think pleated!

Shutters
Widely regarded as the ultimate in window dressings, shutters are contemporary, chic and very versatile. They offer fantastic light control
and work in any number of different room settings and house types, from traditional and period to modern and minimalist. They also work really well in city living loft style apartments where the windows are often large and a main feature of the living space. Shutters help to keep the look clean and sophisticated whilst providing all-important privacy. Not only do they add value to your property, but like a key piece of furniture, they make a real style statement and will be instrumental in determining the look you wish to create. They
are also extremely practical and hard-wearing with a longer life span than either blinds or curtains and therefore an excellent investment.

Best rooms: look great in any room but really work brilliantly in rooms with large windows.

Are different varieties of blind better suited to different rooms and different shaped windows?

Most blinds are extremely versatile but as a general rule of thumb, Verticals are particularly good for large windows or patio doors. Rollers are excellent where use of the windowsill is required or can be used effectively as a simple room divider or shelf cover up.
Venetians are often seen in a modern environment however the wide choice of colours, textures, and finishes really offers something for everyone's taste.

Aluminium Venetians are fantastic in a room where condensation or humidity is an issue and Wooden Venetians bring warmth and style to living spaces. Also embracing the trend for all things natural in the home, Woodweave Roman style blinds made from wood, bamboo
and reed, allow light to diffuse through - particularly good for working spaces like a study.

Made from soft furnishings fabrics and fully lined, a Roman blind gives the practicality of a blind with the feeling of a curtain. It's also available unlined for a sleeker look and as a luxurious Cascade which has waterfalls of softly folding fabric, even when down.
Pleated blinds are perfect for conservatories and skylight windows.
Sophisticated, contemporary and adding real value to your home, Shutters are the ultimate window dressing and look great in most room settings.

 

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