Blinds

When we moved into our new house, one of the first things we did (after unpacking) was to shop for blinds. I had no idea there were so many window covering options. At first my wife and I were completely overwhelmed with the number of choices. After a few days of shopping and online research, here's what we learned:

• You need to decide if you want blinds or shades.
• You can choose to buy made to measure or ready made.
• Choose between room darkening blinds, blackout blinds, or regular blinds.

What's the distinction between blinds and shades? Blinds are "hard" window coverings. They have panels, usually made of wood, plastic, or metal, that can be moved to block or admit light. Venetian blinds have horizontal panels; the entire blind can be raised or lowered, and the panels can be opened or closed to admit more or less light. Vertical blinds, as the name suggests, have vertical panels; instead of raising or lowering the entire blind, they work more like drapes where you can move all the panels to the side. As with venetian blinds, the panels can also be adjusted to admit more or less light. Other kinds of blinds you might consider include roller blinds, top down blinds, and roller blinds. Some blinds are also designed for special applications, like bamboo patio blinds and blackout blinds.

Shades, as opposed to blinds, are "soft" window coverings, usually made of some kind of fabric. They can be raised or lowered to allow more or less light. Usually shades work on a roller system, so the shade rolls up to admit more light and unrolls to cover more of the window. Shades can open at the top or at the bottom, and there are even some shades that open at both ends.

Other kinds of window coverings you might consider include awnings, curtains, and draperies.

Once you've decided between shades and blinds, you need to decide between ready-made and made-to-measure. Most kinds of blinds and shades are available ready-made to fit standard window sizes. If your house has standard windows, ready-made window treatments should work for you and will be less expensive than made to measure. If you have non standard windows, or if you have special requirements that aren't available with ready made window treatments, you'll need made to measure, which will generally be more expensive.

A third consideration is how dark you want the room to be when the blinds are closed. We have blackout blinds in our bedrooms, which makes it easier to sleep late in the summer when the sun comes up early. If you'd rather rise with the sun, you can use regular blinds or shades. Also consider regular blinds in rooms where you won't be sleeping, but you want the privacy of preventing passersby from seeing into your home. Room darkening window treatments are about midway between blackout and regular; they darken the room more than regular blinds, but some light can still get through.

To sum up, you'll need to choose between blinds and shades. You'll also need to consider whether you can buy ready made window treatments, or if you'll need made to measure. Finally, you need to decide whether regular, room darkening, or blackout window treatments are right for you.

I hope this article will help simplify the process of shopping for blinds. Go out and find the blinds that are right for you!