Choosing the Right Blinds: Everything You Wanted to Know Were Afraid to Ask
August 8, 2018
Choosing window treatments is one of the most important design decisions you can make in your home. Blinds create the lighting and atmosphere you want in different seasons and at different times of day and are instrumental in regulating temperature—keeping rooms cool in summer and retaining heat in winter. They reflect your own taste and style as they filter light and prevent glare.
But which ones should you select for the various rooms in your house when there are so many options to choose from?
Our professional staff at Arlene’s will help walk you through your choices of Hunter Douglas blinds and window shades, letting you know the pros and cons of various types as well as the styles and colours on offer.
To get you started finding the best blinds, here are answers to some common questions about the differences between window covering types.
Blinds, Shades and Sheers— What’s the Difference?
Generally speaking, blinds are made of slatted, adjustable vanes that you can adjust to let in light. They can be oriented horizontally or vertically, and are made of hard materials like wood, aluminum or, as with the unique Hunter Douglas EverWood®, a synthetic polymer made to resist warping and fading.
Shades, on the other hand, are made of softer materials, in one continuous piece with no gaps. These can be made of fabrics of just about any colour or type—cotton, linen, or synthetics. They are usually raised up or down by winding on a top-mounted roller dowel, but, as with Roman shades, they can instead gather at the top of the window in large, attractive pleats.
Sheer blinds, like Hunter Douglas Luminette® or Silhouette® window treatments, incorporate specially crafted sheer fabrics. Window sheers transform harsh sunlight into a beautiful ambient light and can bring an ethereal quality to rooms that have large windows or sliding doors.
Should I Choose Blinds or Shades?
Your personal taste will be the guide here, and our decorators can come to you to do an in-home consultation to help you make an informed choice.
Blinds offer a range of adjustment levels— the slats can be shut tightly for privacy and blocking light, or tilted to let in as much light as you like. They can also be pulled up completely to the top of the window, fully opening up the view.
If you choose blinds, the slats tend to come in three sizes: 1/2-inch, 1-inch and 2-inch. The wider slats give a classic look, like plantation shutters. Thinner slats offer a more sleek, contemporary profile. The 1-inch slats that are in the middle split the difference, and are often your most affordable option.
Shades, because they are made of one piece of material, are either up or down— they have no adjustable slats. Depending on the fabric you choose, however, they can block almost all the light, or allow a softened light to shine through.
Hunter Douglas honeycomb cellular shades, like their Duette® style, are also engineered to provide energy efficiency in cold or warm climates. Also known as honeycomb blinds, they trap air in their pockets, insulating your window areas and helping lower energy bills.
What are the Pros and Cons of Horizontal Blinds versus Vertical Blinds?
There are some practical things to consider when choosing between vertical and horizontal blinds. Vertical blinds tend to work better with very large window areas, as with sliding doors. Sliding doors open from side to side, so vertical blinds that mimic that movement are a good choice.
Like horizontal blinds, vertical slats can be opened to let in light, or they can be moved all the way to the side to allow an unobstructed view. They are easy to keep clean and dust-free, and vertical blinds made of softer fabrics have the advantage of being noise-free when sliding doors are opened to allow in wind.
Another option for large window areas and sliding doors are panel track blinds, which give a sleek and contemporary look. The Hunter Douglas Skyline® gliding window panels are an excellent option that comes in over 600 roller and screen-style fabrics.
At Arlene’s, we offer a wide selection of Hunter Douglas blinds, shades and sheers that we will custom-tailor to suit your windows and sliding doors:
- Honeycomb shades
- Roman shades
- Woven wood shades
- Roller shades (screen and banded)
- Blackout shades
- Shutters
- Vertical blinds
- Horizontal blinds (wood and metal)
- Sheer blinds and shadings
- Pleated shades
What’s the Deal with Motorized Shades and Blinds?
Arlene’s can add motorization to virtually any window treatment. Motorization units offer remote controls to raise, lower, tilt or draw your window coverings. They are especially handy on tall or hard-to-reach windows in areas like stairwells or great rooms.
These systems bring a new level of customization: you can program them to remember where you like your blinds set— at halfway or two-thirds covering your window, for example— and return them to that setting with a click of a button.
Motorized systems can be installed via a wall switch, or via a wireless system. You can even choose a system that allows you to control them with an app on your smartphone. You’ll be able to raise or lower individual units, or you can select a group (or groups) of window coverings to move together— even in multiple rooms.
Motorized systems are surprisingly affordable, and can be created with no additional electrical wiring. Talk to us about which one is right for you.
One Last Question: What are Window Films?
Professionally installed window films greatly enhance the energy efficiency, look, and functionality of your windows.
Window films reduce glare by up to 87%, making it easier for you to watch television or work on a computer. They also protect you and your family by holding shards together in the case of an accident or storm shattering your window.
Window films also protect the rest of your home. Most fabrics, furnishings and artwork can be damaged simply by allowing daylight to pass through an untreated window. By blocking more than 99% of all UV rays, window films with UVShield™ technology are made specifically to protect your home, preserve the colour of your furnishings, fabrics and carpets, and help protect fine antiques, woods and works of art from discoloration and fading.
At Arlene’s our window films are available in a variety of light and subtle shades— so you’ll be able to enjoy your view without even knowing it’s there.
Come in to Arlene’s Today — and Visit our New Website for 10% off on Arlene’s New Furniture Offerings!
Visit our Burnaby and Langley showrooms to learn all about your best choices for window treatments. We’ve been here for 35 years and we are the experts in Metro Vancouver not only for window coverings but also for bedding, and now for furniture as well! Our just-launched website now features hundreds of new furniture items.
To celebrate our anniversary, we’re offering ten percent off any furniture purchase on our website—and we’ve expanded to delivery offer to Vancouver Island and the Okanagan.
We look forward to helping you make your home everything you want it to be!