Horizontal and vertical blinds: how to choose

Wooden blinds do not suit a bathroom, because damp and changes of temperature warp natural wood slats. Choose aluminium blinds there, which are fully resistant to damp and corrosion, or PVC blinds with a wood-effect finish. Both are easy to wipe with a damp cloth and do not take up mould. If you still want the look of natural wood, there are treated bamboo blinds, but they do not last as long in damp as aluminium. For bathroom windows, also choose blinds with stainless-steel mechanisms, because standard spring mechanisms soon suffer from damp. The designer can help choose blinds to suit the size and style of your bathroom.

Vertical blinds suit large panoramic windows and sliding balcony doors, where horizontal blinds would be too heavy or awkward to use. Vertical louvres make a room look taller, with a clean effect of vertical lines. They let you control the direction and strength of the light precisely by turning the louvres through 0 to 180 degrees. Vertical blinds are especially practical in offices and studies, where screens need protecting from glare. Fabric louvres also absorb some sound, which reduces echo in large rooms. The louvres can be 89 or 127 millimetres wide, depending on the size of the window and the look you want.

For office projects the fitting can be scheduled to fit the rhythm of the office. For larger orders (10 or more windows) the fitting day and hours are agreed in advance, so that the work gets in the way of daily business as little as possible. Fitting one window takes about 20–30 minutes, so an office with 20 windows can be fitted in a single working day. Fitting costs €15 per blind. Before fitting, the windows are measured and a detailed quote is prepared with all the costs. From order confirmation to installation, curtains, roman blinds and other blinds take 3–4 weeks, and tracks 1–2 weeks. Our warranty covers sewing and tracks for 12 months, and mechanisms and motors, electric ones included, for 24 months.

Clean wooden blinds with a dry dusting brush or a soft microfibre cloth, wiping each slat separately. Never use wet chemical wipes or spray cleaners, because damp can make the wood swell and warp. Dust every 1–2 weeks, and give the blinds a deeper clean every 3–4 months with a slightly dampened cloth, drying them straight away. How long they last depends mostly on the room: in a dry room, away from damp and direct sun, lacquered or painted wooden blinds keep their looks far longer than in a damp kitchen. Slats can be 25, 35, 50 or 65 millimetres wide, and the colours include natural wood textures and painted versions.

Yes. Motorised blinds can be controlled by a remote or a phone app, which lets you set the tilt of the slats and the height of the blind. Schedules can follow the time of day, the position of the sun or the temperature in the room: the blinds can close by themselves when the sun reaches a certain angle and open at sunset. Somfy and Brel both make motors for indoor blinds. Motors and mechanisms carry a 24-month warranty.