Alternatives to vertical blinds

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Although vertical blinds are very popular, they are not a solution that everyone would like. Many people are bothered by their length, the downside may also be the way they are controlled. Fortunately, curtains and drapes are not the only alternative to vertical blinds. There are also a few other interesting products on the list of solutions that are worth looking into.

First, fabric blinds

Fabric roller blinds have been dominating the market of window covers for years. This should not be a surprise to anyone, because the list of their advantages is extremely long. Among the most important ones, the following attracts attention:

• Decent price – Fabric roller blinds are the cheapest window covers available on the market. Their most basic version can be purchased for a maximum of several dozen euro.
• Rich colors – today there are no longer any restrictions in this regard. Blinds can be neutral in color, but they can also be exceptionally characteristic solutions that dominate the room.
• Easy and safe controls – fabric roller blinds usually reach only to the level of the window sill, and they adhere closely to the window. Regardless of whether they are controlled manually or automatically, you do not have to worry about the safety of the household members, which is not so obvious in the case of other window covers.
• Simple cleaning – Today, internal fabric roller blinds are prepared to prevent dust from settling on them. However, even the most serious stains can be dealt with. The advantage in this case is a simple design that makes stained blinds easy to dismantle.
• Uncomplicated assembly – Roller blinds can be installed by yourself even if you do not have much experience. Installation is so simple and not time-consuming that an experienced team usually does not dictate excessively high rates.

Fabric roller blinds available for sale today have the advantage that they do not have to fit only on classic windows. Made to measure customized solutions can also be adapted to non-standard windows – both in terms of their size and shape. What is worth emphasizing - by choosing such a solution, we do not have to incur high costs.

The advantage of fabric roller blinds is that they are also produced in a version for special tasks. This is exactly what blackout blinds deserve. Models of this type are offered in a wide range of colors, so they do not lose their characteristic decorative function. Their most important task, however, is to protect the room not only from the sunlight itself, but also from the sun's UV rays. The blackout function is therefore invaluable in rooms in the attic and those located on the south side. It allows for greater comfort, and at the same time prevents the room from heating up as quickly as with vertical blinds on hot days. It is worth emphasizing that the blackout function typical of fabric roller blinds is also a proven way to protect walls and furniture. These often lose their color in contact with too intense sun.

Secondly - day and night roller blinds

If you are looking for an alternative to verticals, you want to see what the most modern window covers look like. day and night roller blinds may prove to be particularly interesting solutions. After all, they are known not only for their high aesthetics, but also for their high effectiveness when it comes to protecting the room from excessive sunlight. It is not difficult to guess that the list of their advantages is long.

• Unique appearance – day and night roller blinds are made not of one, but of two layers of material. While one of them is transparent, the other is often referred to as opaque. The fabric creates stripes that are arranged alternately. This allows you to let light into the room exactly in the way that suits the household members best at the moment.
• Possibility of freely adjusting the position of the fabric – day and night roller blinds - unlike fabric roller blinds in their classic version - can be used to change the angle at which the sunrays enter the room. A few simple moves make it possible to create ideal conditions for work and study as well as for rest of residents in the room.
• Design that allows installation in any room – blinds do not have to appear only in the living room. They are associated with living rooms and offices, but there is nothing to prevent them from being placed in the kitchen, especially if it is not only a fairly large room, but also a sunny one.
• High quality – Day and night roller blinds may not be the cheapest solutions available on the European market. Their high quality however, makes the purchase financially profitable and as such deserves special attention on our part.

Day and night blinds are often compared to curtains and drapes in their much more modern version. Their transparent fabric part perfectly imitates a curtain, and the opaque one works perfectly as a blackout curtain. However, there are a lot of differences between the two types of window covers, and the next ones seem to speak in favor of day-night roller blinds. These are, for example:

• much less complicated activities related to keeping the blinds clean,
• ease of control,
• aesthetic appearance and no risk of bending or stretching fabrics.

Day and night blinds are also described as safer in those homes where pets and small children are present. As already mentioned, their rather high price may be an obstacle for some people. However, it is worth remembering that it will be followed by the unquestionable quality of this type of solution.

Thirdly, pleated blinds

If day-night blinds seem too heavy to us, and classic fabric blinds - not enough functional, we should consider whether or not we could be interested in pleated blinds. Pleated blinds are a modern and original proposition, and at the same time universal enough to be perfect regardless of the style of the room to which it is to be placed in. In the contrary to other window covers, pleated blinds allow for setting the material so that the lower part of the window is covered, while the upper part is unobstructed. Such a configuration allows for us to be free of intrusive looks from outside, while allowing the natural sunlight in. Besides, functionality is not the only advantage of pleated blinds.

• Versatility – pleated blinds can be placed not only in windows of unusual size, but also in those that do not have a typical shape. This involves the need to invest in a custom-made solution, but even such blinds are not overly expensive.
• Effective protection against heat – pleated blinds prevent the rooms from heating up in the summer months. They make it more pleasant to use them, so they are an increasingly common sight not only in private homes, but also in companies.
• Simple assembly – pleats can be installed by yourself. If you do not want to screw them to the glazing beads or directly to the window frame (which is not always possible, especially when they are installed in a rented apartment), you can opt for non-invasive pleated blinds - installed with the use of special holders.

Unlike many other window covers, pleated blinds can also be installed in the children's room without fear that they may pose a threat to an overly creative toddler. They do not have strings and chains that can be broken during one of the games, or beads that a toddler could not only break, but also swallow. Their control is intuitive and does not require much effort, so an older child can decide for himself how much light should enter the room at a given moment.

Fourthly - wooden blinds

People who are considering an alternative to vertical blinds often do not complain about blinds as such. They appreciate many vertical solutions, but they want a more stylish one. Finding it doesn't have to be difficult at all. Wooden blinds come to our aid - stylish, elegant and at the same time practical. What makes wooden blinds have so many supporters, even despite the fact that they are not cheap solutions, is primarily the material that was used for their production. Wood is solid and durable, and its care is not at all a complicated task. Unlike many other types of blinds, those made of wood do not add unnecessary austerity to the room. On the contrary - they are solutions that provide more coziness and a more family atmosphere. It is not difficult to guess that there are more advantages to them.

• Possibility of adjusting colors to individual needs – wooden blinds are sold in many shades, thanks to which they can be introduced to a Scandinavian style room as well as to a more classic space.
• Excellent thermal insulation – wood absorbs sun rays, but it can also retain heat inside the house. Therefore, it provides invaluable services both in summer and winter.
• Effective protection against prying eyes – a person who decides on wooden blinds decides about their setting and how much sunlight they let through at a given moment. At the same time, they can be sure that the blinds will hide what is happening inside the house from outsiders at any time.

People considering the purchase of wooden blinds must not forget that wood is a natural material, and this entails certain consequences. Already during use, you should take care of their appearance by performing maintenance procedures recommended by the manufacturer. Wooden blinds are easy to be kept clean, unless of course we forget about regularity in keeping them clean.

Fifth - curtains

Curtains are associated with a return to the classics, which does not have mean that the ones that are available for sale today are the same as the models that our older relatives reached for. What distinguishes them is, among others:

• Ease of donning – the so-called curtains on rings are becoming more and more fashionable, which can be quickly placed in the perfect place without fear that they will not form beautiful folds.
• High quality materials – the curtains we use today are made of antistatic materials. In practice, this means that no dust settles on them, and thus - we do not have to worry about the fact that smaller or larger dirt will be constantly visible on them.
• Rich colors – curtains - thanks to the multitude of materials from which they are made and the richness of their colors can they be included today among solutions that are able to blend in with almost any interior design style. It is up to the buyer whether he chooses a solution with a smooth texture or a patterned material.

When buying curtains, we can choose to enjoy one solution for many years. However, if we feel like a bit of madness, we are dealing with one of the few solutions that allow us to achieve this goal. Modern curtains are not expensive, replacing them just because we liked something a little different, so it should not be unusual.

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