“If the eyes are the windows of the soul, then the windows of a house can easily expose the secrets of its owner,” says Sarah Quilliam, head of product design. “Which means you need to get the window dressings right to avoid giving  the wrong impression,” she adds. “The window-coverings market is worth more than £1.5bn a year,” adds  Sarah “and much of that is spent on shielding our privacy.

 But what do you do if you live on a busy street and want to protect your home from prying eyes while showing off your style credentials to the neighbours? well, this was traditionally the job of the net curtain as it stopped people  looking into your house – perfect if you had little or no front garden.  And because of their lacy texture they didn’t prevent the light from flooding in.

 Blinds or ‘half-up’ blinds, in a sheer fabric are the perfect  contemporary alternative to nets. They offer good levels of privacy  during the day whilst allowing in plenty of light. Hillarys latest range is called Pure and is a much anticipated welcome addition to its Sheer Luxury Collection. Fabrics are available in white, cream, beige, taupe and charcoal. Prices start at £69 for a 61cm w x 76cm blind, measured, made and fitted. If you fancy taking a peek at the latest range then why not book your appointment online today!

 Hillarys, measured,made and fitted. Its easy!

The 1930s was an overflowing with icons and using stylised wallpaper can be a great decoration tool, claims a designer, which may interest those seeking new window blinds.

There are different ways of successfully integrating window blinds into interior design and infuse various forms of artwork or photography could be key, a decorator claims.

Talking about the importance of bucking the trend with home decoration, interior designer Andrew Ginger reveals his admiration for Cecil Beaton and stated to the Telegraph: “Not everybody wants to decorate with florals.

“We have always loved the scenic effects of toile de jouy and so thought; why not make some textile designs from his drawings of people?”

Matching window blinds with carefully chosen pieces of artwork, such as photo prints, is something that homeowners often strive for to achieve the style they are after.

Cecil Beaton was a 1930s photographer whose career spanned decades. During his career, he took celebrated photos of the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Twiggy and Marlene Dietrich.

“While piling on leg warmers and layers is one way, there are some simple things you can do to turn your home from a draughty ice palace into a cosy hideaway.

“And according to research from Nottingham University on behalf of Hillarys, homeowners can make significant savings on fuel bills simply by selecting the right window dressing.”

The study compared and evaluated various blind and fabric types and Cascade Romans which fall in lovely soft waterfalls of fabric, topped the study as the most energy efficient blinds of all. They’re perfect for a cosy bedroom or living room, especially if the room is north facing or has several large windows.

Conservatories can almost become‘no go’ areas during the chillier winter months. Pleated blinds with an insulating backing can help to keep heat in so you stay snug and warm whilst saving on energy.

Radiators are often placed under windows and then covered up by heavy curtains that can stop the heat circulating properly. Roman blinds give the luxurious look of curtains but fit snugly into the window recess, keeping radiators free to do their job effectively.

We have just launched our brand new collection of Roller blinds! We’ve listened to what you have to say and have put together a great range, offering more choice than ever before. Don’t just take our word for it, we have over 200 Roller fabrics to choose from, including new sheer fabrics, new pulls and more beaded options and a metal chain option in three shades, we are sure you’ll be impressed.

Our Blackout blinds collection is bigger and better than ever before!

Blackout blinds are a great way to block out the winter sun and are perfect for lazy lie-ins. We have increased the choice of our plain collection and back by popular demand are two old favourites – Dancing Bears and Night Sky – perfect for a baby’s bedroom, nursery or playroom. You will find smart contemporary prints that will look great in other rooms too, we have also introduced subtle designs that give a pearlised finish and a subtle shimmer at night when the lights are on.

For something a little special!

We have introduced three completely new ranges of sheer fabrics that gently filter the light and offer a stylish alternative to net curtains. These fabrics are great for allowing light to filter into a room and still provide privacy.

Make an appointment with a Hillarys advisor to view the complete range.

Simply upload a favourite photo (why not use one of the kids on holiday this Easter?) or browse our picture library for inspiration including shots of food, nature, animals and great scenes.

Your blind will be made to fit your window perfectly and will be delivered to you within only 10 working days.

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Pleated blinds are perfect for both traditional and modern decors and can be used to fit almost any window making them ideal in Velux windows or conservatories. Our pleated collection also includes performance fabrics – special backings to keep the temperature down in the summer, and retain the heat during the winter months.

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If you want a bit of pulling power in your home, you’ve got to get vertical… that’s the message from Sarah Quilliam, head of product design at Hillarys. She is of course talking about vertical blinds, the current bestseller at the UK’s leading supplier of blinds and shutters. And March sees the launch of a brand new collection, the highlight of which is a striking mix n’ match range that allows you to mix n’match the louvres to create your own bespoke blind. You can combine prints with plains or any number of co-ordinating or contrasting colourways within the selection.Other ranges in the collection include Shimmer, Retro and Textures. Prices start from £45 (50cm wide x 90cm drop) measured, made and fitted.

Sliding panels

Hillarys is adding sliding panel blinds to its product portfolio. A stunning modern alternative to curtains and blinds, a sliding panel will add an extra dash of contemporary style and function to windows. They’re an effective way of controlling the light and also work really well to screen off sections of a room to create a totally new space – with very little effort. The system is available in a wide range of beautiful fabrics to suit any style or taste from orange and aqua to charcoal, suede, a basket weave effect and a retro seventies style print. Prices start from around £400 for a patio door sized blind. Ring 0800 916 6516 to find out more.

Motorised pleated roof blinds

All Hillarys pleated roof blinds can now be motorised making it easier to open and close them whenever you need to control the light or temperature, all at a touch of a button. The motorised system also allows you to operate your roof blinds in zones, having some open, some closed – perfect for when the sun moves round throughout the day. Keeping your pleated roof blinds ‘active’ by opening and closing them regularly will also help to preserve the lifespan of the fabric by maintaining  the fabric’s ‘pleat memory’. Motorisation makes it much easier to do this, especially in harder to reach places. Hillarys now offers four different options to operate roof blinds, with something for every need and budget, including a manual wand, crank, power crank and now motorisation.

Perfect Fit

This is a no-drill, fully framed blind option for 20mm pleated blinds and 25mm venetians where the blind fits exactly into the window frame to give a neat appearance without the need for drilling into the window. Call Hillarys on 0800 916 6516 or click on www.hillarys.co.uk to arrange for an advisor to visit your home or for more information.

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Each blind type for Velux or skylight window comes with its own unique characteristics – there are over 90 Venetian blinds available in 15mm or 25mm slat widths, 18 different Pleated blinds in 20mm or 25mm pleats, and 50 different Roller blinds including blackout blinds.

Roller blinds are great for bedrooms and lounges, combating problems such as light flooding the room in the mornings and reflection on television screens. Pleated blinds are available in translucent fabrics to create a soft ambiance, or performance fabrics to reflect light in the summer and retain heat in the winter. And in humid rooms like kitchens or bathrooms, Venetian blinds are the ideal solution as they are made from heat resistant aluminium and available in an array of colours.

Our blinds for Velux windows range comes in the same great fabrics as our original ranges – therefore if you have a kitchen with Velux windows you can use our specially designed rollers in the skylights and our Roller blinds in the windows.

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Q: My kitchen windows are extremely tall and look out onto the street, what can of blind can you suggest that would suit my modern kitchen?

A: Rollers or aluminium Venetians would be perfect as they keep out prying eyes and allow you to filter the light, as for fitting in with your modern appliances, chrome or wood-effect Venetians would be ideal. 

Q: I have a period window and am reluctant to cover it up, as it is such a pretty feature, however would like some privacy from the outside street. How do I solve this problem?

A: Try accentuating period windows with simple roller blinds or pleated blinds, these can be fitted inside the frame and come in a range of translucent fabrics perfect for showing off your window whilst allowing some privacy.

Q: I want stylish blinds for my bathroom and kitchen but am worried that the humid conditions may be a problem if I choose wood Venetians, can you help?

A: Wood Venetians are one of our most popular choices as they are stylish and practical, however they will ‘move’ according to the temperature so if you do not mind this Wood Venetians are the ideal choice. However if you are still concerned Aluwood Venetians are perfect, they look like wood but are actually made of aluminium – which will easily withstand condensation and wipe clean, therefore combining practicality and style. 

Q: My daughter always splashes water around when she’s in the bath, are there any blinds that are waterproof?

A: PVC Vertical blinds are the solution to your bath time problems, as they are water resistant and easy to wipe down. They even have an anti-static finish, which prevents dust – making them perfect for any room of a family home. 

Q: I have a bay window in my living room, I want blinds to control the light however I do not want to loose the bay feature, is it possible to find blinds for awkward shaped windows such as mine?

A: Yes it is possible and in fact you have a few different options. Vertical blinds can be made with a perfectly fitted curved head rail allowing the blind to sit inside your bay window eliminating the need for separate blinds for each window pane. Alternatively pleated blinds can be fitted to almost any shaped window, even those on the roof of your conservatory. Shutters are also a good solution; they fit snugly into the bay and offer a stylish uncluttered look that would compliment your window.

Or how about using blinds as a room divide? Vertical blinds can be a simple way of dividing up a room, perfect for modern houses with open plan living and dining rooms or in shared bedrooms to personalise the space for each person. Blinds as room dividers are the ideal solution, simply open and pull to one side when you want to let in the light and socialise or close when you prefer privacy. These simple ideas can completely change the look and feel of your house, quickly effectively and best of all at great prices!