Meanwhile, our seasons are changing. We now have a short heatwave summer, followed by a more traditional rainy one, which sometimes turns into a reasonably pleasant summer by British standards. However, with heatwave summers becoming the norm, now is an excellent time to discover the best blinds for south-facing windows.

Awnings are the best blinds for south-facing windows

An awning provides the best shading for a south-facing window. Awnings prevent the sun from getting to your window in the first place. This keeps the room and the rest of the house cooler. And a house that’s already cool won’t need to use energy on air conditioning. An awning also increases your living space. When you are outside enjoying your garden, you stay shaded. You and your guests will also stay dry should a traditional rainy summer strike. An awning is easily the best blind for a south-facing window.

Allusions are the best blinds for south-facing windows

If you have south-facing bifold or sliding doors, Allusion blinds will be the answer to the age-old conundrum: how to pass through patio doors without getting tangled up in a blind? Made up of individual panels that are part vertical blind and part voile curtain, you can pass through the Allusion blind and your sliding/bifold doors with ease. Meanwhile, those staying inside maintain their coolness and privacy. With Allusion blinds as the best blinds for your south-facing windows, everyone’s a winner.

Reflective blinds are the best blinds for south-facing windows

Cellular blinds can be made with reflective material so the sun’s rays are reflected away from your room, keeping you and your environment cooler. Cellular blinds, with their honeycomb design, also help with insulation during winter, so Cellular blinds are quite the win-win when it comes to the best blinds for your south-facing windows. With these valuable qualities, cellular blinds are an especially economical and ecological choice for larger windows too.

A Roller blind can be equally adept, as they are also available in reflective materials. You might also want to check the lightfast rating of the fabric. The higher the lightfast rating (the highest is 8), the more the fabulous colours on your decorative blind are protected from fading.

Blackout blinds are the best blinds for south-facing windows

If you’re looking for blackout blinds, the first thing to be aware of is no one window dressing can guarantee complete blackout. Having two window dressings may seem extreme, but one window dressing can’t cover all your needs. Blinds allow you to control light and privacy, protect the fabric on your furniture, make your neighbours jealous, make your home more ecological and economical, help you get a good night’s sleep and shutters will even add a layer of security to your home. You ask too much from one window dressing!

However, blinds and curtains can be made from blackout fabric. Roller blinds can also be installed with side channels that prevent light from sliding through that gap usually left between the edge of the blind and the recess simply because the blind’s mechanism needs a few millimetres to itself. Hanging the blind outside of the recess can also stop light slithering in.

Duo vision blinds are the best blinds for south-facing windows

Duo vision blinds are similar to Roller blinds, only they have two layers of material, one sheer and one opaque. The two fabrics glide past each other, and you control how the two fabrics overlap, thereby controlling how much light and shade you have. This is similar to the control you have with Venetian blinds. So why aren’t Venetians the best blinds for your south-facing window? Unfortunately light will seep through the holes necessary for the cords on a Venetian blind. While this can be overcome by using tape, you could just go for the Duo Vision blinds and have this dressier version of Venetian blinds as the best blinds for your south-facing window.

The post The Best Blinds For South-Facing Windows appeared first on Blind Technique.

Modern kitchen ideas start with design

Kitchen design used to be based around the sink, the fridge and the hob. Having them situated at three points of a triangle allowed easy access to the main points of the kitchen.

But the modern kitchen has evolved into an entertaining, dining, living and workspace, and is often the laundry area too. However you incorporate modern kitchen decor ideas into your home, make sure it works for you. The triangle may be outdated, but it’s still a useful place to start.

Incorporating modern kitchen decor ideas can be easy

For the budget-conscious, a lick of paint or just changing the cabinet doors can make all the difference. Don’t forget to switch out brassy ornate handles to something sleek in chrome.

Keep the update going with new blinds. You can keep your kitchen safe and immaculate with fire and moisture-resistant fabrics. Roller blinds are easy to keep clean. Faux wood Venetian blinds are attractive and scratch-resistant. Aluminium Venetian blinds are shiny, perfect for your high gloss kitchen and highly durable, so be sure to include a modern blind amongst your ideas for your modern kitchen decor.

Modern kitchen decor ideas are for small kitchens

Japandi – the simplicity and elegance, the contentment and cosiness, of Japanese and Scandi design combined, could be the perfect way to bring modern kitchen decor ideas into a small kitchen space.

A painted ceiling will make the space look taller. So will slender, tall cupboards. Heavy patterns will overwhelm a small space, so let simple patterns and texture add depth and character – the perfect roll for a blind. Perfect Fit blinds click directly onto a uPVC window frame so takes up little room, and you can have roller, Venetian, pleated or cellular blinds.

One type of flooring may contribute to flow, but zoning will highlight how many different spaces there are in your home. Choose a large bold pattern to emphasise your modern kitchen decor.

A lot of storage in a small space can overwhelm it. Soften the look with cupboard curtains. Open shelves will also create a sense of space. Sliding doors will be much less of a bother too.

Consider a banquette if seating is a must in your modern kitchen decor. And size doesn’t mean you can’t have a breakfast bar. It may be small, but a tiny peninsula popping out of your kitchen top still provides extra dining room.

As for colour, by keeping it to monochrome, or just two other colours, your small space can still give a stylish punch to your home, showing everyone you can pull off modern kitchen decor, no matter the size.

Modern kitchen decor ideas are for big kitchens

Modern kitchens have grown into the main area of the home. The kitchen’s utilitarian role has to sit naturally next to the cosiness of the living area, and the chicness of the entertaining space.

Different shades of one colour, or colours that contrast and complement each other can zone the area, while a repeating pattern or texture keeps the design cohesive – and your blinds or curtains can play a big role here.

If you have bifold or sliding doors, Allusion blinds will be a major consideration. Chic and practical, Allusions are part voile, part vertical blind. They provide shade and privacy yet still allow you easy access through your doors, the individual panels allowing you to slip in and out anywhere.

Awnings are another serious contender. Not only will they increase your living space in summer, the shade provided by an awning is greater than any blind or curtain. By covering the window from the outside, your home stays cooler. Not only do you stay comfortable, but you keep the air conditioning bill down too.

Whether you’re planning a new modern kitchen, or updating your current one, you can make your kitchen space work for you and be stylish and comfortable, by incorporating these ideas into your modern kitchen decor.

The post The Best Modern Kitchen Decor Ideas appeared first on Blind Technique.

How does one even get to silver as an option for your interior design? You find white too white but grey is just too grey … and you now find yourself actually contemplating silver. Surely not. It’s too, well, silver.

Silver brings brightness, sophistication and glamour – a subtle glamour at that. Silver interior design brings both shine and depth to a neutral or minimalist decor. Combine silver with a muted colour and you have elegance. Add silver to a vibrant scheme and enjoy the opulence.

Dark corners come to life with silver interior design, and bright areas shine even more as the silver catches the sun. Silver suits both a modern or a classic look, easily enhancing a scheme with accessories such as lamps, candlesticks, and of course, curtains and blinds.

Which spaces benefit most from silver interior design?

Any space, of course. If you want it, you will make it work. It’s just that a small dark box room, once a tiny maligned waste of space, can punch far above its weight with a silver interior design.

The lightness of silver will capture and reflect what light is available, whether from natural light or a lamp (a silver one, to match the blinds). If your only natural light source is a small window, you won’t want the window dressings to take up valuable space. Venetian blinds will fit neatly, and with a choice of colours, including silver, from the slim slats of the aluminium range, you’ll easily match the blinds to the other silver accessories. With Venetian blinds being the most flexible of blinds, you can have the slats fully open for optimum light, and then tilt the slats at your choice of angle for privacy.

Bathrooms and kitchen-diners are perfect spaces for silver interior design

The durability of aluminium Venetian blinds is perfect for the kitchen and bathroom. They won’t warp in the extreme temperatures bathrooms and kitchens generate. They also won’t rust in these heavy moisture environments and are easy to keep clean.

Kitchen-diners are spaces where you need light, but also cosiness. Neutral schemes always look good in a kitchen, making the space fresh and clean. Silver interior design will bring smart chicness to the dining area where you want your guests to feel comfortable – and impressed. Add a sleek or baroque-style silver mirror to the guest bathroom, and your guests will continue to be impressed, and jealous, at how you’ve carried your style into the bathroom, rather than just leaving it to its utilitarian function.

Large spaces also benefit from silver interior design 

Large windows? High ceilings? Floor-to-ceiling windows?! The Allusion blind might be exactly what you need. Part voile for shade, part vertical blind for adaptability of light and privacy, you’ll be well protected from the glare and heat of the sun. The silver-grey Allusion blind is one of our most popular products. It gives protection and chicness in one fell swoop and makes a stunning accompaniment to your silver interior design.

If you have a room with a lot of furniture, or a lot of knick-knacks on display, you can alleviate the sense of clutter by keeping the area bright, and silver will lend an easy hand. Again, let a silver fabric on a blind or curtain (such as the Lombardia range by Chatham Glyn) lend itself naturally to your other accessories.

On the other hand, a large room with a neutral design can end up feeling cavernous. By including silver in your interior design, you instantly introduce some glamour. Combined with greys and blues, the silver will stand out beautifully with your simple and elegant style.

Other metallics can be included in silver interior design

Are you after an especially rich and opulent look? Silver can be the primary metallic, and then select something to contrast it, like polished brass or gold. Cohesion in the look can be maintained by using similar textures, patterns and shapes. Remember, these metallics will capture and reflect the light, so play with the lighting, where it shines, and the material the fixture is made from. And whatever else you do, shine bright.

The post Popular This Month: Silver Interior Design appeared first on Blind Technique.

Your patio doors also create a wall of glass that lets the baking sun in, and when winter comes you’re so much more likely to feel the cold from outside. Your patio doors can also expose you more to nosey neighbours. And what’s the point of opening your living space to nature when that means insects and pigeons can come in too?

Thankfully, by choosing the best blinds for your patio doors, you’ll be protected from neighbours, insects, cold and heat, and you’ll be free to enjoy the benefits of patio doors. So here’s a brief guide to help you decide which blinds are best for your patio doors.

Vertical blinds are the best blinds for your patio doors

The big plus of having Vertical blinds for your patio doors is that they’ll aid your ease of egress through those doors. It’s so much easier to slide between the fully opened louvres while balancing cordials and gin without having to worry about getting entangled in doors and cords.

The most desirable of vertical blinds is the Allusion blind. Part vertical louvre, part sheer curtain, these blinds allow you to slip in and out wherever and however your doors open. And when the louvres are fully opened, the sheer panels still provide shade and protection from out-of-control birds and mutant insects. With Allusion blinds, you can stay cool and safe and have your patio doors wide open. They are easily the best blinds for your patio doors.

Perfect Fit blinds are the best blinds for your patio doors

Perfect Fit blinds are literally perfect, and therefore the best blinds for your French and bifold doors – but not so much for sliding doors, as they’re likely to obstruct the movement of the doors.

Material includes thermal options to help keep you warm, which can also reflect heat away during the increasingly hot summer months. There’s also the choice of Roller or Venetian blinds for your Perfect Fit frame.

For sliding doors, the classic roller blind will do the job and be as neat as a pin in the process.

Shutters are the best blinds for your patio doors 

Shutters protect! When you want to shut out the black expanse of your garden at night, just close your shutters and feel safe and cosy instead. Shutters are a literal wall of security for your glass wall. Made to withstand an onslaught from chisel to hammers, you’ll be safe and sound. Shutters also add value to your home, so they’re always a good investment. Timeless in style, shutter blinds are the best blinds for patio doors – except for bifold doors. It depends on how much room you have in the recess and how much room the doors take up when folded up and wide open. Chances are, bifold doors and shutters combined will just take up too much space and crash into each other.

An Awning is the best blind for your patio doors – and it’s not even a blind!

An awning is not a blind, but it does a very similar job, and sometimes to better effect. It will block more of the glaring sun and does so before its rays reach your window and overheat your room, therefore keeping more of your home cooler. An awning will also block the view of any nosey neighbour who happens to overlook you, not just when you’re in your house but when you’re enjoying your patio too.

Not only that, but an awning pulls off the nifty trick of actually increasing your living space. Why have a conservatory when you can enjoy the al fresco lifestyle? Enjoy a warm evening and maintain your privacy. And so what if there’s a summer shower? You, your guests and their cocktails will be well protected.

Your awning will need a little looking after. Be sure to leave it open to dry after rainfall, and don’t forget to retract it when strong winds are forecast. Alternatively, you can always install a sensor that will automatically retract your awning when strong winds are detected.

However you choose to shade yourself and your house, you can enjoy your outdoor space without compromising your indoor space. We can help you find the very best blinds for your patio doors.

The post What Blinds Are Best For Patio Doors? appeared first on Blind Technique.

The time for New Year resolutions is Springtime since that’s when the new year actually begins. See yourself change as the world around you blossoms into colour and growth. But in the meantime, it’s January. So what can cheer us during these dark days and colder nights? For the purposes of this blog, it’s neutral interior design. No, really, shut up. After all, we’re surrounded by neutrals right now, with slush and sleet … Was that my soul shrivelling up?

No, wait, enough of this bashing of neutral interior design! Without neutrals, we’d just have an exhausting clash of headache-inducing vibrancy 24/7 and no one really wants that. And yet, neutrals just aren’t hue whisperers. They’re colour statements in their own right. And they have cool names, like Wolf and, er, Pebble, to show you how exciting – and calming – they are.

Where on earth do I start with neutral interior design?

How about earthy colours? Sand, clay, terracotta – terracotta?! Is something so rusty red a neutral? Damn straight that earthy tone is neutral. Neutral colours just aren’t black, white and grey, no matter how many shades there are. Even if you left your design to the basics, you still have cream, ivory cornsilk, and midnight, raven and onyx to play with. From warm white to ice, or from calming to dramatic black, there’s a surprising array of colours to choose from when it comes to neutrals for your interior design.

So where to start? First, you want to decide on your undertone – cool and relaxing or warm and cosy? For calmness, you’ll be looking at neutrals with hints of blues, violets and pinks in them. For warm and cosy, you want yellow or red undertones. Again, this is going to give you a surprising variety to choose from. To make things easy, neutrals can’t help but match each other. But while there’s no danger of your colours clashing, you can create a sense of imbalance. You can mix cool and warm, just be sure one is the primary so you get the full effect and beauty of using neutrals in your interior design.

Can I have bolder colour with my neutral interior design?

One way to have colour with your neutral interior design is to have accents of bold colour here and there – cushions, lampshades, blinds and curtains, or maybe an entire feature wall. If you stick with smaller accents of colour, watch them pop amongst the neutrals. The pros say to keep it to two or three brighter colours only, all the more to highlight them amongst those subtle neutrals.

What role does texture play in neutral interior design?

A very important one. Different textures and patterns will add depth to your neutral interior design. Layering is the name of the game here, from rough to smooth – of course your cream couch looks amazing beside a bare brick wall, and that pristine porcelain vase belongs on your rustic wood table. Do you have a huge space? Say hello to big patterns. Small space? Tiny patterns won’t overwhelm it. Wallpaper, fabrics, floor coverings and of course, window dressings can all play their part in adding depth and warmth to your neutral interior design. The layering of your window dressings brings opulence and style while also being practical by adding insulation or helping to create a blackout effect.

Are there benefits to a neutral interior design?

A neutral interior design will help you keep the room clutter-free. You won’t be leaving something out of place in this haven of serenity. And with less clutter, you’ll be able to enjoy the architectural features your home naturally has. Those bare floorboards fit perfectly! The natural beauty of your home can shine through with a neutral interior design, and be all the more luxurious for it.

The post Popular this month: Neutral Interior Design appeared first on Blind Technique.

Allusion blinds are the ones that allow you to pass through your sliding or bifold doors without getting tangled up in blinds or curtains along the way. Ironically, Allusion blinds allow you to do this by bringing blind and curtain together in one fabulous window dressing.

So what are Allusion blinds actually?

Allusion blinds are made up of two parts – Yes, one part curtain and one part blind! 

First, there are the louvres that act just like vertical blinds. The louvres can be positioned at any angle so you have control over light and privacy. Meanwhile, each louvre is part of a panel which also consists of sheer material (the curtain part), that allow the louvres to be fully opened, allowing in the maximum amount of light, while still allowing you privacy. Not only are you protected from prying eyes while your blinds are fully opened, the sheer panel also protects you, and your home, from bugs and insects.

Each panel hangs separately, with no cord or chain at the bottom, allowing you to pass between them at any point, so you can have any number of doors open or closed for ventilation and for access to your outside space. This is what makes Allusion blinds perfect for your sliding, bifold or patio doors. The stunning verticals will show off, or conceal, your beautiful wall of glass, or frame or conceal your view of the outside world. Large windows and doors can let in all the sun during summer, and your Allusion blinds will control just how much light. Then in winter, they can make your room more cosy and help keep the heat in.

You say Allusion, I say Illusion

Allusion blinds and Illusion blinds are exactly the same blinds. I’m pretty sure some folks say Illusion because they misheard Allusion. Louvolite created the Allusion blinds and they say Allusion so I don’t know what the Illusion crowd can really bring to that debate. But google Illusion blinds and you will find Allusion blinds.

Louvolite first unveiled Allusion blinds at the 2018 R+T trade show in Stuttgart. These young blinds took the shutters, doors and shading system show by storm. Verticals you can walk through! Air, light and privacy all at the same time! It didn’t matter what they were called – everyone was talking about them.

Allusion blinds go with any decor

That may seem like a bold claim to make. It’s also an accurate one. The Allusion blinds come in a neutral colour palette of white, creams, grey and black so they can’t help but compliment the primary and secondary colours of your decor. Their granduer add a chic statement to any room.

You can also choose between manual operation with a wand, extra safe for children and pets as there’s no cord for them to get tangled up in, or you can choose motorised for those days you simply can’t, won’t or just don’t want to get up from the chaise lounge. If your fingers are in desperate need of rest, just call out to Alexa to close or open your blinds for you, so you can fully enjoy your relaxation time.

Despite all this luxury, Allusion blinds aren’t just for splendifying your home. Their chicness easily and perhaps surprisingly  transfers to your workplace. Not only will they lift any office or conference room, their versatility will be a bonus when it comes to controlling light during any meeting or powerpoint presentation.

How do I maintain my Allusion blinds?

Thanks to the anti-static qualities of the fabric, Allusion blinds collect substantially less dust than any other fabric window dressing.  No one wants to spend time cleaning, so thankfully the maintenance of your Allusion blinds can be kept simple. You only need give them an occasional wipe down with a damp cloth, or simply vacuum them.

We don’t advise you take them down – you’ll have to put them back up again, and in the same order they were originally installed. And you don’t want to get those hangers wet so unless you’ve spilled red wine down them, just leave them be. And enjoy. And have a nap while a significant other takes them down, gives them a gentle hand wash to get the sangria out, and pops them back up again before they wake you for a delightful lunch.

The post Types of Blinds: What Are Allusion Blinds? appeared first on Blind Technique.

Allusion Blinds are a relatively new style of blind that can be compared to a vertical blind in terms of the hardware and operation yet have a very different look due to the fabric. You could easily be mistaken in thinking this is a voile curtain as the appearance is very similar. It offers a new a welcome addition to the range of window blinds that we offer at Blind Technique.

Allusion blinds are perfect for larger openings and can be made as one continuous blind of up to 6 meters wide. As the trend for open plan living spaces continues so does the popularity of wide expanses of glass in the form of bi-folding or sliding patio doors. The Allusion compliments this type of installation perfectly by opening fully for that uninterrupted view that has become top of everyone’s design list! Equally, it provides adjustable amounts of shading and privacy to provide the versatility required throughout the day and throughout the seasons.

Here are a few things you may wish to consider about this type of blind when choosing your bespoke blinds. Once you know your initial wishes, contact us. 

As ever, Blind Technique is here to help.

Features – Allusion Blinds

–  Pelmet option to finish the look and hide the headrail
–  Effortlessly controlled as standard with a control wand
–  Substitute for a cord or motorised control
–  A stylish contemporary choice for a modern home
–  Increasing choice of fabrics
–  Locally made by Blind Technique with British components

Benefits – Allusion Blinds

–  Ultimate control light and privacy – full view, daytime view with privacy, total privacy
–  Individual panels of fabric which can be parted to walkthrough
–  Offers a good level of dimout when adjusted to total privacy
–  Modern and sophisticated colour palette of fabrics
–  Practical and modern choice for interior design 

FAQ’s – Allusion Blinds

1.   Who makes Allusion Blinds? – We manufacture Allusion Blinds at our workshop in Eastcote, Middlesex, the components are British made too by Louvolite, our main supplier of components and hardware.
2.   Can these blinds be motorised? – Yes, although we would recommend the manual wand-controlled option.
3.   Can the fabric be retrofitted to my vertical blind track? In theory yes but we wouldn’t recommend it. This is because the spacing between the carrier trucks in the headrail is different.
4.   I have children, are these blinds suitable? – Most importantly our wand operated Allusion Blinds are 100% child safe as there are no dangerous looped cords. However, they could become a fun game for children to run through and hide and like all soft furnishings this could damage the fabric.
5.   Are they suitable for smaller windows? – They can be installed on standard sized windows though we would not recommend on very small openings. It is also worth bearing in mind that, like vertical blinds, you lose the space on your window sill.
6.   How are they operated? – Using the wand you simply push or pull to open or close the blind and twist the wand to rotate the fabric louvres and achieve full privacy. It is also worth noting that you can choose the stack side for this blind so that the blind closes to the right, to the left or is split like a traditional pair of curtains.
7.   How do I get a quotation? – We are always happy to discuss your requirements and give you some helpful advice. We can also prepare a quotation for you or arrange a free consultation. Please speak to one of the Blind Technique advisors to find out more.

If you have read to the end of this handy guide – thank you!

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