Why a blind and curtains make sense this autumn
It's darker earlier now and a little colder every week, so autumn has properly arrived. With the lights on after dark the street gets a clear view of your living room.
Sunrite started out making blinds in Edinburgh in 1972 and the advice for this time of year hasn't changed much. Fit a blind close to the glass for privacy and daylight and you also dress a bare window properly. Soft textures, warm colours or a pattern that works with your cushions all change how homely the room feels. Hang curtains on a pole or track and they take over after dark for extra warmth.
What a second layer gives you
As the days shorten you spend more of the evening with the lights on and any draught around the window becomes obvious. Adding curtains over a blind means:
- Less heat escapes through the glass overnight
- Daylight stays gentle and you can shut it out when you choose
- The blind keeps the room private by day and the curtains shut out the dark in the evening
- Deeper shades that still look rich once the lights are on
Three blinds worth knowing
The first decision is whether you want a roller, pleated or Roman blind at the glass. All three fit comfortably behind curtains.
Roller blinds keep things simple. Pull one down and nobody sees in. Roll it up and the whole window is yours again. Go light-filtering for a bright room or blackout where you sleep or watch TV. Paired with lined curtains a warm neutral roller works well year round.
Pleated blinds are worth considering if warmth is the main concern. The honeycomb type has a double layer of fabric forming cells that hold air at the window, which helps a cold room keep its heat. Because they stack up so slim they sit happily under curtains.
Roman blinds are made from a single piece of fabric that gathers into folds as you raise it. Every Sunrite Roman is fully lined and there's a blackout option if you want it. Fitted in the window recess (the space inside the frame) a Roman looks tidy and brings a soft, cosy feel whether or not you add curtains.
Not planning on curtains? Choose by room: a blackout roller for sleeping, honeycomb for a cold window or a Roman if you prefer soft fabrics.
What each one is for
What the blind does in daylight
- Stops anyone outside looking in
- Takes the edge off glare while keeping the view
- Darkens a bedroom or TV room even at midday
What the curtains do after dark
- Hold the warmth in when the heating's running
- Make the room completely dark or simply softer
- Frame the window so the evening feels settled
Getting the fabric right
Blackout fabric is what you need wherever light has to stay out. For curtains a medium or heavy fabric drapes far better than voile at this time of year. Add a lining and you've got another layer against the cold.
Warm neutrals, forest green and rust tones stay rich into the evening. When the samples come out, check them after dark too. Fabric that looks one shade at lunchtime can look quite different once the lights are on.
Where you relax and where you sleep
In a living room you want brightness in the morning and privacy at night. Start with a roller in a warm neutral and curtains a shade or two deeper. If the room turns cold by early evening a honeycomb blind is the better base layer. A Roman suits you if you prefer soft fabrics. If you have a bay, curtains tend to look more natural there than a blind.
For bedrooms, darkness comes first. A blackout roller or Roman goes at the glass with curtains in front to hold the heat. Where the window is especially cold swap in a honeycomb blind and let blackout curtains take care of the dark.
Sunrite supplies every blind made to measure, so it fits the window it's going in and light doesn't creep around the edges.
Other windows around the house
Windows facing the low autumn sun need something you can raise and lower easily. A back bedroom or study you use less can take a light-filtering fabric. For kitchens and bathrooms choose a PVC roller or a fauxwood blind you can wipe down, as both handle steam.
There's no need to tackle the whole house. Pick the window that annoys you most and start there.
Book a free appointment
Sunrite cover Edinburgh and the Lothians as well as Aberdeen and Elgin. Book a free appointment and one of our local experts will come to your home with samples and measure up. Call 0131 665 9933 for Edinburgh and the Lothians or 01224 575 201 for Aberdeen and Elgin.