Not curtains: hard blind options

The so called ‘Fancy’ trims of the past with different ‘cut-outs’ designs, and various scallop shaped valances have departed except for traditionalist settings. But blind manufacturers tend to offer only metal bottom rails as a contemporary finish. These are not a good option for bedrooms as a breeze may cause them to rattle against metal window frames. Recently there have been various additions to the bottom rails to solve this problem such as plastic beading in the back of the bottom rail.

Andersons’ solution is simpler. We offer fabric covered bottom laths in both single and twin but with a groove effect and no stitching showing. These are a more customised contemporary look, more decorator, less utilitarian.
Motorisation of roller blinds is increasingly utilised because: It is more and more affordable; battery powered motors are now capable of handling even the largest blinds (no electrican cost involved); there are more very large blinds; the convenience of operating multiple blinds in an area either individually or as a group; blinds in inaccessible positions (atrium levels) are more common; apps are available for programming the opertion of blinds when away from home.

All of the above applies equally to motorisation of roman blinds too, by the way.

News flash! ‘Top down’ operation of roller blinds is now available from Andersons, chain operated or motorised. The blind opens from the top down. This can be ideal for street exposed windows for example. See the discussion of Honeycomb blinds later.

The fabrics generally available today are a sad remnant of what once was in the early days when we had many glorious European fabrics, and several prize homes in my experience employed verticals as the latest thing, especially with cathedral ceilings.

There is movement at this station however with one major European fabric supplier Louvolite recently showing a stunning collection of print designs for vertical blinds to join with their already superb range of textured fabrics. The vertical blinds day will come again, I suspect.

There have been a couple of advances in the hardware. Monowand control does away with drawcord and rotation chain. The one wand is used to tilt the blades and draw the blind across the opening. Bottom link chain which is the bane of anyone with aged verticals tends to be dispensed with also, which is fine if verticals are treated the way they should be and kept out of the breeze.

However pleated blinds are a very specific look, and generally find specific applications. They remain a solution for ‘difficult’ window shapes such as circle or half-circle, and angled top or bottom, where solutions are not easy to come by.

Their big claim for attention is their ability to function as ‘top-down’ or ‘bottom up’ opening, or both. Top down opening can be just the ticket in some situations and has been unique to honeycombs and pleateds until now!

Enter Andersons top down roller blinds, motorised. We have a prototype has been operating on the workroom front glass window for about 12 months. I’m not aware of anyone else offering this option.

The Vision blind, also known as ‘Zebra’ or ‘Multiblind’ is a roller blind with two layers of fabric with alternating sheer and opaque fabrics which can be adjusted to create a see-through or blockout effect.

The Visage is like a large venetian with vanes of solid fabric set between two layers of see through gauze type fabric to create a very interesting effect. Also known as ‘Transition’ and ‘Silhouette’ and ‘Luminette’.

Under this heading we must mention woven timber blinds. A rarity today but still available, these were known as ‘Bayliss’ blinds around the same era as the Verosol blinds, and for a similar reason.

The woven timber is available in block-out or basically transparent textures depending on whether the timber laths overlap or not. They are painted or stained to suit. One of the remaining suppliers offers a range of exotic grasses, reeds, bamboo etc for startling effect but no doubt specific application. The blinds operate in roman blind format as a rule.