How to choose the best blinds for your home

I have been selling custom window coverings, blinds and draperies for over 16 years and I know it can be overwhelming to choose the best product for your home. Here are some tips that I use to narrow down the options!

1) Privacy & Light Control - Do you back onto a green space or condo unit? If privacy is most important consider blinds such as “ Silhouettes or Banded Shades to maximize on privacy while giving you more function for light control through veins that tilt or bands that align. If privacy isn’t a huge concern, roller shade screens that you can see out while they are down and roll up for a clear view could be a consideration.

2) UV Protection - you just renovated your home with new hardwood floors & luxurious finishes. Keep these elements looking new by covering your windows with a product like a Silhouette, Banded or Pirouette shades give you ultimate UV protection. When the shades are down and tilted open the sheer screens on these products dissipate the glare of the sun and minimize harsh rays on your flooring and furniture.

3) Aesthetics - Your personal style, home decor and architectural elements are always considered when selecting the right window covering for your windows. If your home is very modern for example choosing a roller screen or a Banded shade might be the perfect look to compliment the linear and simple elements, while a Silhouette or Pirouette can feel more traditional and elegant in a space.

4) Room Darkening or Light Sensitivities - If you work shift work or sensitive to light there are a variety of products alleviate this problem, but the best is the honeycomb Duette shades. A foil on the inside of the cells, no light can escape. Available through Hunter Douglas, they offer lightlock rails that eliminate the line of light on the side of the blinds for complete darkness.

5) R-Value - Current windows are much more energy efficient than they once were however, there is still a lot of heat loss through them. The overall best product to increase the R-Value of your home which can reduce your heating and cooling bills by 50% is the famous honeycomb shade. The pocket style design is where heat and cold air is trapped to keep your home warm or cool and is my # 1 recommendation. Consider this option if you are in an older home and your are not replacing your windows in the near future.

Thank you for reading my tips for choosing the right blinds for your home.

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