10 Tips for choosing window treatments

The first thing you need to do is to establish what you want your window treatments to do: you may want to stop people being able to watch you eat for example? Or you might worried about the midday sun giving too much heat to your living room. For the first problem, roller blinds or curtains will most likely be most effective. For the second, venetian blinds offer far more control over the amount of shading. 

How much moisture in there in the room: Bathrooms and kitchens often have a lot of steam, so curtains are not the best option for these rooms as they can get damp.  Wooden blinds can warp from the steam too so they too may not be the best option. Instead try using metal or plastic blinds or maybe frosted glass. 

Make sure they complement your personal style: It’s important to take into consideration how you have decorated the room, is it modern and open, maybe you would favour lighter shades for the blinds, or is sophistication what you want, drapes are ideal for a timeless classy look.

Patterns: There are a greater range of options for patterned window treatments with roller blinds, roman blinds or curtains. They offer far more designs than Venetian blinds or micro blinds generally.

Consider the view from outside: you may to match your treatments to your décor; you should bear in mind what effect they will have on your view. For example a countryside landscape would most likely suit curtains or wooden blinds to keep a natural feel, whereas metal blinds can give your city flat a more modern futuristic feel.

Temperature: Your home may get cold easily. Thick drapes or honey comb blinds can offer great insulation for your home. If it gets too hot however then blinds or light curtains will offer protection from the light but let in a cooling breeze too. 

Shape of the Windows: Some window shapes are easier to find treatments for than others. Basic square or rectangular windows are very simple to cater for; other shapes however are more suited to curtains. You can now find blinds to fit almost all windows which helps a great deal. 

Safety: Window treatments are not the most dangerous of objects, but they can unfortunately, pose a couple of risks. Any window treatment with long control cords like a lot of blinds have the risk of catching and even strangling young children and pets. While long drapes that are situated near heat sources are flammable and may catch fire. Thinking about the positions of heat sources as well as using short cords or cord tidies when using blinds is essential. 

Cost: The final but just as important point is to consider how much you are willing to spend. Venetian or roller blinds generally are the cheapest options, with curtains and roman blinds being significantly more expensive. But this depends a lot on what shops you can find online as well as in the shops. 

Michael Turner is writing on behalf of Roman Blinds Direct an online supplier of roman blinds.