Table of Contents:
- Types of Indoor Blinds
- Indoor Blind Materials
- Indoor Blind Considerations
- Where to Buy Indoor Blinds on the Gold Coast
- Conclusion
Buying window furnishings can be an exciting task. They’re an affordable way to give your home a modern makeover whilst providing essential privacy. While curtains are an option, indoor blinds continue to be the preferred window furnishing option on the Gold Coast. Their popularity stems from the sheer volume of options available, their ease of installation, and their affordability.
At Sunwise Blinds & Awnings, we specialise in indoor blinds on the Gold Coast and have provided locals with quality blinds since 1998. Our 20 plus year longevity is a true sign of the quality of our products and the professionalism of our service. We know everything there is to know about blinds, and today we’d like to share some of our knowledge with you.
Continue reading to discover how to go about buying indoor blinds on the Gold Coast in 2021 and beyond.
Types of Indoor Blinds
The first step in buying indoor blinds on the Gold Coast is to know the options available. You don’t want to jump in and buy a particular type of blinds only to realise down the track you would have chosen something completely different had you know about them.
Venetian Blinds
Venetian blinds are a popular blinds choice on the Gold Coast because they are one of the most affordable options. Comprised of vertical slats that sit flat when open to let in light and stand when closed to block out light, Venetians are easy to operate and near in appearance.
There are various types of Venetian blinds also. In our indoor blinds range alone, we have Eco PVC Venetian Blinds, Cedar Venetian Blinds and Slimline Venetian Blinds. Cedar Venetian Blinds are a cost-effective alternative to plantation shutters.
Roller Blinds
Roller Blinds are a great option if you don’t want your blinds to be on show all the time. They comprise a sheet of material that rolls up and down to lowing in light or block out light. When closed, the material is weighed down by the bar, which can be lowered to any height or anchored to the window sill.
Roller blinds can be sheer (translucent) or blockout or be double (known as double roller blinds or dual roller blinds) to provide a sheer layer for privacy and a blockout layer to blockout the light. Sheer Elegance Roller Blinds are a newer version, which offers the best of both worlds; sheer and blockout sections in one roll of fabric.
Roman Blinds
Roman blinds are somewhat similar to roller blinds, however rather than roll, they rise and lower in panelled segments like an accordion to provide more opulence.
Roman blinds are available in an array of fabrics, including sheer and blockout materials. Plantation roman blinds are also available. They feature timber battens that separate each panel to provide a coastal look.
Panel Blinds
Panel Blinds offer something a little different to Venetian, roller, and roman blinds. Unlike these other indoor blinds, panel blinds operate horizontally, similar to traditional vertical blinds. They comprise wide fabric panels that can be up to one metre wide. The panels glide horizontally along a track, like a sliding door, to allow light in (when open) or block out light or provide privacy (when closed).
Panel blinds are available in an array of fabrics, including translucent and blockout materials.
Vertical Blinds
Vertical Blinds may be considered ‘old fashion’, but their longevity is a testament to their ongoing popularity. Vertical blinds comprise many vertically hanging slats that operate horizontally. They can let in light, whether drawn or open, by controlling the angle of the slats.
Modern vertical blinds are available in an array of fabrics and materials. They are also available in different slat widths, including 89mm, and 127mm.
Plantation Shutters
While not a blind per se, plantation shutters do fall under the category of the indoor blind and are a prevalent blind choice on the Gold Coast. With a solid frame and solid adjustable louvres, plantation shutters can move horizontally on a track, enclosing or opening a window or door frame. Their louvres can also be tilted to adjust the level of light let in.
Plantation shutters are available in timber or PVC, which is a more economical option. They’re also available in a range of colours. Find out more about PVC plantation shutters.
Indoor Blind Materials
Different types of indoor blinds are made from different materials. While most are fabric based, other materials are available which may be better suited to your needs.
Fabric Blinds
Fabric is, by far, the most common material used in blind manufacturing purely because of its affordability and the extensive options available. Fabric blinds are available in various materials, including synthetic and natural fabrics, with sheer to blockout properties. Some fabric blinds today can even offer thermal properties for added comfort.
While fabric blinds are affordable and offer unlimited fabric choices, they are not always practical and are may be harder to clean than other materials.
Roller blinds, roman blinds, panel blinds, and vertical blinds are the most popular fabric blinds. You’ll find Sheer Elegance Roller Blinds, Roman Blinds, Roller Blinds, Panel Blinds, and Vertical Blinds in our range, which are all manufactured from fabrics.
Metal Blinds
Metal is a practical and affordable option for indoor blinds. Due to its lightweight properties, aluminium is usually the metal used. Aluminium blinds are easy to wipe clean and are an excellent choice for kitchens and bathrooms.
Aluminium Venetian slimline blinds are the most common metal blind. We offer Venetian Blinds Slimline in our range, which are made from aluminium.
PVC Blinds
PVC is another popular option for indoor blinds due to its affordability and practicality. PVC blinds are the cheapest blinds on the Gold Coast, are available in a range of colours, and are reasonably easy to clean. However, while blinds made from PVC are very affordable, PVC can’t provide the luxury offered by fabric or timber.
Venetian blinds are the most common form of PVC blind. However, due to the popularity of plantation shutters, they are also now available in PVC as a cost-effective option. We offer Eco PVC Venetian blinds and PVC plantation shutters, which are two of our most popular products.
Timber Blinds
Timber is a less common choice for indoor blinds today but offers one of the most opulent results. Timber blinds add warmth and luxury to an area and can be natural or finished in colour. Many different types of wood can be used; however, cedar is one of the more popular choices. Like PVC and metal blinds, timber blinds are also relatively easy to clean.
Venetian blinds and plantation shutters are the most common type of timber blind. While Venetian blinds offer a smart temporary window furnishing, plantation shutters are a more permanent covering, making them far superior. Eco PVC Venetian blinds are also available, which provide the lux look of timber for less.
Indoor Blind Considerations
While choosing the type of indoor blind and material are the two most significant factors when buying indoor blinds, there are other considerations to factor into your decision-making process. To ensure you choose the perfect indoor blinds for each area or window/door of your home, you also need to consider the space or room itself, the reason for needing a blind, and how the blind operates.
Consider the space and room
While it may be easy to fit the same indoor blinds throughout your Gold Coast house, sometimes that isn’t practical. Some indoor blinds work better for windows than they do for doors. For example, a blind that drops vertically rather than horizontally may be problematic over a sliding glass door and vice versa.
Therefore, before you settle on a single type of blind, consider the space and how practical a particular indoor blind will be for that space.
Thank about how it will impact the space aesthetically. For example, you want your living area and bedrooms to offer a warm and cosy appearance. Therefore, opting for roman blinds that provide such properties would be wiser than a roller blind that does not.
In the kitchen, be practical. Consider the grease and fats that will be splashed about and undoubtedly find their way to your window furnishings. You want something that’s easy to clean, therefore try to avoid fabric blinds. Venetian blinds or PVC plantation shutters would be a more practical option.
Consider the purpose
It’s also important to remember why you’re buying indoor blinds on the Gold Coast. It’s not purely for the aesthetics. The pain purpose for investing in indoor blinds is to either provide privacy and block out the sun. Therefore, when buying indoor blinds, think about what you want from each blind in your home.
In your living areas, you probably only want your blinds to offer privacy. You don’t want them to block out the sun, so they have to be dawn during the day. Therefore, choosing a sheer fabric over a blockout material makes more sense in these areas. However, in your bedroom, you will want to block out the sun to have a good night’s sleep. Therefore, blockout blinds are a more practical choice for bedrooms.
You may also have areas that cop hot afternoon sun that you want to block out but allow light in the remaining hours of the day. In such cases, blinds that offer both sheer and blockout options are ideal. Such blinds include dual roller blinds, Sheer Elengace roller blinds, and Venetians blinds, vertical blinds, and plantation shutters that allow you to adjust the slats to filter out the sun.
Consider the operation
In addition to the practicality of the materials, consider the operation of the blinds. Are you able to reach them for manual operation, or do you need to look at indoor blinds that offer motorisation options?
You may have high ceilings or a window in a stairwell that is unreachable. In such cases, the only way to operate the blinds will be through motorised control. Professional blind suppliers on the Gold Coast, like Sunwise Blinds & Awnings, who specialise in custom indoor blinds, will be able to provide a motorisation option to meet your needs.
Where to Buy Indoor Blinds on the Gold Coast
For indoor blinds on the Gold Coast, you have two options – off-the-shelf or made to measure. Off-the-shelf blinds are available from a range of retail outlets. However, the fabric option and sizes are limited. They’re designed to fit the most common window and door sizes and from fabrics they manufacturers believe to be the most popular. While they’re undoubtedly more affordable in price, they don’t offer the same opulence and end result as having blinds made to measure.
On the other hand, made to measure blinds are available via custom order with indoor blind manufacture and provide unbeatable results. Sunwise Blinds & Awnings specialise in made to measure blinds, meaning we make our blinds to your requirements. We can manufacture any type of indoor blind to fit any size window or door and have an expensive fabric selection. Of course, we also offer metal blinds, timber blinds and PVC blinds in our made to measure range.
Whether you’re interested in Venetian blinds, roller blinds, roman blinds, vertical blinds, or plantation shutters, we’ll be able to create a custom solution to meet your requirements.
Conclusion
When it comes to buying indoor blinds in 2021, there are many factors to consider. First, you need to grasp the various types of indoor blinds available and the materials each offer. You also need to consider things like the area or room that each blind will be installed in, the blind’s purpose, and how it operates.
If you’d like to explore your options for made to measure indoor blinds on the Gold Coast, look no further than Sunwise Blinds & Awnings. We’re located in Burleigh Heads and would love to come to your property to discuss your options and provide a free measure and quote.
Call us today on (07) 5520 1830 or visit our showroom located at 1/7 Central Dr, Burleigh Heads.
