Go The Blind Side
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday February 7, 2002
There is a quick solution to filter sunlight or ensure privacy with your windows.
BLINDS are to furnishings what jeans are to fashion. Affordable as well as stylish. Compared with other window treatments they are the least visually and spatially bulky - an important consideration in smaller homes and apartments where every centimetre counts.
Easy to roll or pull up, blinds are excellent choices when there's a view to enjoy. Yet where the view is nearing dismal, such as the neighbour's brick wall, blinds can be equally effective in filtering the scenery - or lack of it - and still provide a source of light.
Blinds appear in an extensive range of materials, with both soft and hard finishes - bamboo, timber, rice paper, PVC, aluminium as well as the vast range of fabrics - giving you a choice to suit not only your taste but also your budget.
Styles include holland (the classic roller blind), venetian (wood, metal or plastic), Roman, Austrian and festoon (usually fabric), matchstick and bamboo (a nice cheap choice).
The biggest manufacturers of blinds are Luxaflex, Verosol and Silent Gliss, whose products are favoured by architects, designers and decorators. The largest retailers of ready-made blinds are Freedom, Ikea and Lincraft. For custom-made blinds the list of large retailers includes David Jones and Mansours.Smaller decorator or blinds shops can also access a variety of products and provide design advice and installation.
To get a price guide if you choose the custom-made option, measure the size of your windows and you should be able to get an estimate over the the phone.
Before heading off shopping , sketch and measure the critical dimensions of your window, doing it twice to make sure the numbers are right. And take swatches of anything that requires matching. Not only measure the size of the opening, but also how far it is off the ground and the size of the architrave surrounding it. (This tip comes from experience - having made several futile trips back and forth to the blinds shop.)
ROLLER
The roller blind or holland blind, designed in the 1950s and used initially in bathrooms and kitchens in modernist architecture, became more popular in the '60s and '70s with the wider range of decorative textiles and metallised fabrics available. Its classic look and simple operation have brought it back into favour. There are two types of mechanisms - the spring-loaded or the chain controlled - and like a venetian blind, it can be fitted inside or outside a window opening.
The success of the roller blind does depend on the material because unsuitable fabrics will roll unevenly. There is a good range of fabrics available, however, from a sheer mesh-like gauze to a thick black, giving varying degrees of transparency. Metallised fabrics (metal-backed) have the ability to act as thermal insulators as well as light blockers. They reduce heat and glare in summer and help stop heat loss in winter.
Price: PVC roller blind (93cm x 183cm), $7.27.
VENETIAN
These blinds have the ability to provide privacy while still allowing filtered light into the room. They are available in wood, aluminium and plastic in horizontal slats, with the slat widths varying from 25mm to 100mm. They can be easily bought in kit form from large hardware shops and homeware retailers. Custom-made ones are more suitable for large or unusual shaped windows or where non standard finishes are required.
Price: Aluminium venetian blind (90cm x 210cm), $45. Timber venetian blind (90cm x 210cm) at $139.
ROMAN
Roman blinds draw up into a series of large folds and have a pleated look when up and a flat appearance when down. In kit form they generally come only in white or off-white. A blind shop will be able to make them up using any sort of fabric.
Price: uncoated roman blind (90cm x 180cm), $23.99. Thermal lined roman blind (90cm x 210cm), $83.90.
MATCHSTICK OR BAMBOO
These are both cheap and practical. Using a simple pull-up mechanism, they can come in natural, stained or painted finishes and generally in kit form. For unusual window shapes have them custom-made.
Price: flat bamboo blind (90cm x 180cm), $28.99.
AUSTRIAN AND FESTOON
These are the most flamboyant of the blinds family. The ruching of the fabric makes them look almost like curtains while still functioning as a blind. They are usually made to order because of their elaborate nature, yet they use the similar pull-up mechanism as Roman and venetian.
Price: on application.
All prices from Lincraft Home Furnishings, 1800 640 107.
© 2002 Sydney Morning Herald
