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Blackout blinds typically refer to a type of blind that is made with an opaque fabric which blocks light from shining through. They are typically used in bedrooms and offices, where there is a desire to keep out natural light, however, they can be used in any part of your home for style or for a number of practical reasons. In this guide, we will take a look at how blackout blinds work, their advantages, where they work best and how to style them in any home.

How Do Blackout Blinds Work?

Blackout blinds, sometimes known as ‘dim-out’ blinds aim to provide complete darkness in a room by blocking light that comes from outside the window. The fabric of the blind is opaque and prevents light from filtering through due to extra small spaces in the weave. Lighter coloured blinds may require an extra lining inside to improve the filtering. Despite the name, most blackout blinds aren’t actually blackout at all due to the light leakage around the edges. To reduce this, some blinds have tracks that run along the edges, closing the gap between the wall and window.

The Advantages of Blackout Blinds

Of course, the most obvious advantage of blackout blinds is the ability to keep light out of a room, however, they also offer many more benefits that you may not have previously considered. For example, blackout blinds provide an extra layer that helps to trap heat in your home during the cold winter months. Alternatively, they can be used to keep your home cooler in the summer by blocking the sun’s rays on a hot day.

Another problem with having sunshine beaming through your windows is the impact it has on your furniture. Harsh UV rays can break down the chemical bonds in your textiles over time, causing them colours to fade. Having blackout blinds will help block the rays, reducing the risk of fading which, in turn, increases the lifespan of your furniture.

Blackout blinds are also great options for those looking for extra privacy. Whilst large windows that let in lots of natural light are incredibly desirable, nobody wants their privacy to feel invaded by nosy walker-bys. With blackout blinds, you can enjoy your privacy without compromising on style. Roller blinds can keep your interior looking sleek and modern, whereas crushed velvet roman blinds can add a touch of luxury to your home.

Where Should I Use Blackout

Blackout blinds are incredibly versatile due to the fantastic range of styles and designs they are available in. Whilst it is possible to install blackout blinds in almost any window in your home, they do work better in some spaces than others. 

Bedroom

Sleep is essential for our bodies to function properly and keep us healthy, which is why it is important to make sure where you sleep is comfortable to maximise the amount of sleep you get. Light plays an important role in regulating the circadian rhythm, which is the body’s internal clock that signals when to be alert and when to rest. Light also affects the production of melatonin, the sleep-promoting hormone. 

Blackout blinds work very well in bedrooms as they can help you get better sleep by blocking out the light from streetlamps at night and the sunlight if you work night shifts and need rest during the daytime. 

Living Room

Having big windows in the living room can look great, especially if you have a nice view outside. However, it can be frustrating when you’re trying to watch TV and the light is bouncing off the screen, making it difficult to see. Blackout blinds can prevent the sun from interfering with your TV and movie evenings. A white roller blind can even be used as a big screen for a projector, turning your front room into a mini home cinema.

Home Office

Similar to the living room, if you have laptop or computer screens, the sun’s glare can make it difficult to see and can cause eye strain. In fact, this is so important that as part of the Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, workplaces that use display screens must ensure they are turned away from glare or bright reflections. This can be done by either turning them away from windows and bright lights or by installing blackout blinds to remove the natural light altogether. 

Conservatory and Rooms with Patio Doors

Conservatories are typically mostly made of glass, which is great for looking outside but not so great at offering privacy. Glass can also cause your conservatory to be very cold or very hot, depending on the weather. Blackout blinds can be installed for privacy as well as to trap heat in on colder days and block the sun’s rays on hot days, providing you with a more comfortable setting that can be used all year round.

Nursery

Installing blackout blinds in a nursery can block out the light from outside that otherwise may disturb your baby or young child’s sleep or stop them getting to sleep in the place, particularly during daytime naps.

How to Style Blackout Blinds

At Aspiration Blinds, we have a wide range of high quality blackout blinds available in different styles, colours, patterns and textures to suit your home whilst also helping you control light and temperature. We also offer choices on lowering and raising blinds, with the option to do either manually with a cord, a wand or a pull mechanism, or it can be done electronically via a remote control. With such a wide range of choices, it can be difficult to know which style of blinds will suit your home the most, so we’ve put together a few points for you to consider.

Play with Patterns

Patterned blinds can be eye catching without looking busy. The key is to look at your walls and furniture. If you have plain walls and furniture, patterned blinds in a similar colour palette or in a colour that compliments the walls well can look effective, creating an attractive contrast. Alternatively, you could match your blinds to the pattern of your furniture, making the room feel more cohesive.

Add a Pop of Colour

If you have more muted colours on your walls and floors, blinds can bring a splash of colour into your home. This colour doesn’t necessarily have to be vibrant, pastel shades can look great too. Baby pink curtains/blinds against light grey walls can create a softer contrast, whilst emerald green and teal are more rich in colour and create a luxurious feel.

Hot or Cold

Selecting the right colours for your blinds can depend on the hue of the rest of your room. For example, if your walls and furniture are on the warmer side, cool tones may look out of place. Below is a colour chart to help you.

Although warm vs cool does not always look good, there are some exceptions. Colours at the opposite end of the colour chart compliment each other well, such as blue and orange and yellow and purple.

Select a Style

Blackout blinds come in a range of different styles, such as roller, roman and pleated. Roller blind are more sleek and simple looking, perfect for modern homes that wish to retain straight lines. Roman blinds offer a cosier feel, using high quality textured fabric that tends to be thicker than roller blinds. Take a look at our range of styles here. 

The Perfect Fit

If you’re still unsure about which colours and fabrics would look best in your home, there’s no need to worry. The best place to make the decision on what will look amazing is in the room itself and our advisor from Aspiration Blinds will come fully loaded with samples of various blind types, fabrics and swatches of the entire range. Tooled with years of experience, our advisor will guide you through the features and benefits of our range of blinds and help you to decide which functionality is best suited to your needs.
For guidance on our systems and designs, or to arrange a free no obligation design consultation at your home or place of work, contact us by phone at 01204 301751 or by completing the contact form here.