It’s that time of the year again! Some are complaining endlessly about soaring mercury levels but many others revel in the little joys of summers. Holiday vacations for kids and teenagers, time to enjoy your favorite book on lazy afternoons at weekends while sipping fresh mango shake, relishing cool slurpy ice-cream in the comfort of your balcony… These are the perks of summer for those who love to revel in the splendor of the season.
Keeping one’s home cool and refreshing is the biggest summer challenge for most parts of India, where the Sun god shines generously. When it comes to smart ways of light control, blinds and shades is the way to go.
MATTERS OF CHOICE
Light Control & Privacy
Choose your kinda blind/shade depending on whether you want to block light as much as possible or keep the room bright and breezy. Opt for blackout roller shade for greater darkness and utmost privacy. Blinds are best if you want adjustable slats to let the sunshine in or not. They look chic and offer flexibility in use.
Should You Color Coordinate?
Having zeroed in on the type of blind/shade, the first question that comes to mind is what color to choose. The answer lies in your lifestyle and interiors. If you like to keep changing the décor of your room occasionally, go for neutral tones that go well with different color schemes. But if you are sure that you are going to keep the theme and décor of the room constant, then you can coordinate the hue of the blinds/shades with dominant color theme.
What’s Your Budget?
It is about outfitting just one window or the entire home? The window size matters here. Large windows will obviously cost more than smaller ones. Customization will further add up to the costs. Fabric and vinyl blinds are the most cost effective whereas faux wood and wood are priced on the higher side.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Always remember, vertical blinds collect much lesser dust that horizontal blinds owing to the positioning of the surface. Vinyls are easiest to clean. Roller shades are another good option as they are almost sealed when rolled up. Among horizontal blinds, cellular or honeycombs are a smart choice for the ease of cleaning when compared with mini blinds. Shades in textured fabrics and weaves conceal dust better.
TYPES OF BLINDS/SHADES
Vertical blinds or track blinds are vertical hanging slats attached together. The slats come in different materials and styles such as the aluminum, faux wood, fabric, cellular screen and plastic.
Best for sliding doors and floor to ceiling and patio doors.
Roller blinds are aesthetic and versatile and available in a variety of colors and styles. These blinds are usually made of plastic material. These are ideal for controlling morning light.
Best for any room including kitchen and bathroom
Roman blinds are quite similar to roller blinds. These can be moved up and down as desired.
Best for bedrooms
Venetian blinds are one of the widely-used ones with horizontal slats, attached one above the other. The slats are suspended by a chord and can be rotated to 180 degrees to adjust light. These blinds are available in a variety of materials such as metal, wood, plastic among others.
Best for bathrooms and washrooms
Woven wood shades are natural-looking and chic options for dining area, especially if it overlooks a garden or green patch of land. Roman shades have wide pleats that fold flat when raised by a cord. These are apt for dining and living room. Solar shades are made from a sheer weave that protect from UV rays but don’t completely block light.
