how to dress our windows? Want to get rid of blind.

[titferbrains]

We have been living here for 4 years and I've always hated the blind in our bedroom, it's a sort of greyish beige. It doesn't keep out enough light so that now it's summer, the light peeping in from the side of the blinds sometimes wakes me or keeps me awake.

The blinds have blackout fabric.

I would like to put something else there which will do a better job of blocking out light - but not sure what to do. Our house is quite modern in style, no cornicing etc so curtains seem too fussy. All the houses I see in Livingetc seem to have no curtains or flimsy roller blinds and I really need the room to be properly dark to sleep.

Curtains just seem so old fashioned. If I get another black out blind like we have, will it look very strange if we make it wider than the current one so that more light is blocked out?

Also cannot decide what type of fabric. Main decoration is our lovely cheery bedlinen -
similar to this and this

and I don't know whether to go for a block bright colour for the blind, or a bold print a la Marimekko, or something more plain like a stripe, or something more neutral maybe with bright pretty ties.

I am very indecisive which is why I've had blinds I hate for so long!

If this isn't the place to post this kind of question, can anyone recommend another site for interior design forums?

Walls in the room are very pale blue but hope to get them re-painted v soon, probably white.

The problem with light leakage will not be solved by a wider blind (sorry)
it will have to sit to the front of the window and there will still be a gap.
The only answer is carefully made blackout-lined curtains with a box pelmet.
I know that you do not want this. Blackout blinds for velux windows work very well because they fit into a side channel and close completely over the window. I wonder if you could adapt them in some way to fit your window?
If so, then I would try to make them as unobtrusive as possible and go for White, presuming you have a White trim.

These are old fashioned sash windows. It's one large that's over a metre wide and nearly 2m tall.

I just never see houses that are like mine inside that have curtains, they always have some rubbish blind or nothing at all.

If the blind won't sort the problem then I guess I'll have to look at simple curtains again. Will maybe speak to a curtain making company to get some advice.

cant you fit a roman blind into the recess? that would block out more light.