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The humble window blinds are getting ever more popular. We explore the reasons behinds this trend. Let’s get inspired!
Blinds are revolutionizing interior design. They’re quickly gaining popularity over fabric curtains and shades as they bring an elegant and classy appearance that can make a home look and feel special. Besides that, they also offer control over light flow into the room while guaranteeing privacy. Their surge in popularity can also be attributed to the wide range of options they present. As far as wooden blind essentials go, this alone has so many choices to consider such as the color, shade, vertical or horizontal placement, if they’re plain or patterned, the material used, and even the cost.
Here are a few more reasons why blinds tend to be a popular choice among many homeowners:
What's Inside
Lets Homeowners Have More Creative Freedom
As mentioned, blinds have various options when it comes to colors, sizes, light-filtering features, and contrasts, whether they’re going to be used as office, bedroom, or kitchen blinds. This can be beneficial to homeowners who may want to exercise more freedom and creativity when it comes to their windows and how these can affect the overall ambiance of a room. For instance, using wooden blinds introduces a rich textural value besides bringing a sense of nature in rather modern homes.
Cuts Down Energy Costs
Aside from being aesthetically pleasing, the use of blinds also cuts down the cost of energy in a household by filtering sunlight that enters the house. Therefore, a homeowner has complete control over the amount of light, as well as heat, in each room. Depending on the type of blinds used, a room can still get an adequate amount of light in while locking out most of the heat. Thus, the cost of temperature control is significantly reduced.
Moreover, blinds don’t need much maintenance compared to curtains as the latter need to be frequently washed when they’re dirty. Blinds simply need some light dusting, thus saving you the trouble of using a washing machine or paying for a washing service.
Offers Privacy
In some cases, you might want to brighten up the house by letting natural light in, but you’re uncomfortable with the thought of your neighbors or passersby getting a peek inside your home. This is why blinds can be a better choice for homeowners as they provide privacy while allowing you to control the amount of light entering a room. Top-down, bottom-up blinds block the view from the outside while still allowing occupants of a house to have a view of treetops and the sky.
In homes where buildings are too close, blinds can guarantee that neighbors won’t be able to peek inside your house. Despite this, rooms remain well-lit compared to when curtains are used.
Easy To Clean
Every homeowner likes a clean house, and nobody wants to spend an unnecessarily long time tidying up. In the case of curtains, the cleaning process involves washing curtain fabrics regularly. On the other hand, blinds are easy to clean and maintain. For this, you can use an ostrich feather duster. The general idea is to use a duster that reaches in and out of the blinds’ slats. Flip the blinds and dust the concave side for more effective cleaning.
It’s also advisable to use cotton gardening gloves or wet wipes when cleaning blinds. Run your fingers along the slats using a cleaning product, or add a wood cleaner to your cleaning equipment. With wood, avoid using strong cleaning chemicals as these can discolor the blinds.
Provides Safety
Safety is paramount in any space, and this can mean incorporating safe window blinds. Blinds are often lightweight and can bend slightly, so they flex rather than crack. In case of an accident, anyone standing near window blinds will likely incur less physical damage. In the event a fire occurs, curtains burn more easily compared to blinds. In this case, blinds might slow down the spread of the flames if ever the house does catch fire. In the interest of safety, a homeowner would be more likely to favor blinds over curtains.
Can Minimize Respiratory Illnesses
Blinds are a healthier choice over curtains, especially for people with respiratory illnesses. Blind slats have a smaller surface area compared to curtains, so the latter gathers more dust. Dust accumulation in the house can pose various health risks, such as sneezing, a runny nose, silicosis, and pneumoconiosis, among others. For homeowners who have respiratory illnesses or family members suffering from the same, blinds can be a healthier choice compared to curtains because they’re easy to clean and illnesses are easily prevented.
Durable and Rust-Free
Blinds that are painted and well-coated are generally more durable than curtains and could last for decades. Painting protects these blinds from rust, corrosion from acid, or termites in the case of wooden blinds.
On the other hand, curtains can get easily destroyed. They’re often subject to rodent attacks, wear and tear due to frequent laundry, discoloration, corrosion from acid, and even staining. Thus, blinds tend to be a more popular choice among homeowners as they would generally prefer a window treatment solution that will stick around a long time and won’t incur costly replacements.
Provides Various Color Options
Blinds also have amazing color options that can either blend in or provide contrast to a room. Blinds with brighter colors tend to fit home office spaces and playrooms, while dining rooms can look better with dim-colored ones. Curtains, on the other hand, don’t give as much freedom for the homeowner to play around with designs, as well as light-filtering. With blinds, there are many options for colors, patterns, or even a new design altogether.
Cost-Effective
As mentioned, blinds are more durable and would require fewer replacements in the long run. The market value of curtains and blinds both depend on their material and quality, but curtains experience wear and tear depending on how frequently they’re washed. On the other hand, blinds remain good as new after cleaning. When damaged, blinds are still cheaper to repair since they only require changing the broken slats.
Blinds are a modern and trendy window treatment but don’t get sold on that alone. As discussed above, they’re durable, easy to clean, and can even save on energy while still giving you maximum control over light adjustment inside your home.
For homeowners who love to play around with interior design, blinds offer more flexibility by helping them incorporate their desired themes and finishing touches. On the other hand, curtains can be costly to maintain and can even pose as a potential health hazard to those who may have respiratory illnesses.
These are just a handful of reasons why blinds tend to be popular among homeowners. Do you know more?