For many people, the start of a new year is the perfect time for a makeover – either of themselves or other aspects of their life. This article isn’t concerned about dietary tips, giving up smoking or cutting down on alcohol after all those great deals at the local supermarket. Nope, we’re happy to leave you to decide if these things need a spruce up in your life or not.
Today we’re looking at ways you can bring a fresh look to your home if one of your New Year Resolutions involves tackling something about the way your house looks. For us here at Blindingly Obvious, this is certainly on our radar. Whilst ours has nothing to do with blinds (too many books, shoes, clothes and paperwork are on our New Year hit list!) you may be thinking about how your new year is the perfect time for a new look indoors. If it is, here are a few things to get you started.
Chuck out those old curtains today!
Whilst the heading above may sound a bit drastic, if you’ve resigned yourself to being proactive and getting things started, it’s a fundamental way to instantly transform the way a room looks. Sure, curtains have their place but when push comes to shove, there’s far more room for manoeuvre with brand new blinds.
How about Roman Blinds?
As the name suggests, Roman Blinds have been around for a long time… since Roman Times in fact! The general consensus of how it all started is that those cheeky Romans were fed up with stuff from the outside world constantly invading their home. First, there was all the dirt and dust being kicked up by pedestrians and horses outside in the street. In such a dry and arid landscape, there was an awful lot of dust floating around. Without glass windows, the dust would constantly drift in through open windows and settle on furniture, food and clothing etc.
Then there’s all that Italian sunlight and accompanying heat to contend with. If you fancy a siesta (afternoon nap), having bright sunlight streaming in through an uncovered window is not the best way to help you nod off.
They say that necessity is the mother of invention so it’s no surprise that one of the locals had the bright idea of soaking strips of linen in water and hanging it over the open window. This not only blocked out most of the sunlight but also kept the room cooler too. The dampness of the cloth also proved invaluable by catching most of the dust particles that would have otherwise entered the room. As the idea caught on, it wasn’t long before elaborate designs began to appear on them as people sought to make their new Roman Shades a little easier on the eye.
Anyway, now that the history lesson is over, let’s look at the practical aspects of inviting a piece of Roman history into your home. Similar to most blinds, one of the prime functions of any window covering is to block out the sun and give you more privacy. In short, Roman Blinds form even stacks of material when raised but are smooth, without overlapping, when lowered to cover the full height of your window. They differ most other types of blinds in that they fold into neat little stacks when raised. We offer a huge variety of colours and patterns to choose from and you can also opt for a Blackout Lining to keep your room dark at night. If you’ve already got curtains and want to keep them Roman Shades are a great addition to any curtained window.
Wooden or Aluminium Venetian Blinds
We won’t start by giving you more history lessons about the origins of Venetian Blinds, we’ll save that for another day but suffice it to say, they didn’t originate in Venice!
Depending on the look you want to create, both materials have numerous plus points. Our Wooden Venetians come in a variety of slat sizes, are Eco-Friendly (the wood originates from sustainable forests) and can have split controls on the left or right-hand side. They come in a variety of colours and shades and the subtle grain of the wood gives each slat an illustrious and unique look.
Our Aluminium Venetian Blinds also come in a wide range of colours, patterns and textures. Ideal for uPVC conservatory windows, they’re also available in Perfect Fit, Intu and Neat Fit, which simply clip into the beading of the window. Similar to their wooden companions, they’re available in various slat sizes and have the same control options.
Panel Blinds
If you really want to go out on a limb and create something dramatic to really kickstart your new year, then our Panel Blinds may be just the thing you’re looking for. They’re particularly well suited to large windows or patio/bi-fold doors and can also be used as room dividers as well. Out of all the blinds we sell, our Panels provide you with the best option for stamping your own unique style and flair in your home.
Other options
We’ve given you a few ideas to get you started but we also offer a range of other types of blinds as well. If you feel inspired to explore what type of blind is best for your home, be sure to check out the other alternatives on offer as well. You don’t have to worry about measuring and fitting them as this is included in our price. We can visit you in the comfort of your home and give you a few tips along the way. Get in touch today to book a free, no-obligation appointment or give us a call for free, friendly advice.