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Original poster

Blinds.......I have questions

24 replies

nutcracker · 21/06/2004 14:04

I want blinds for the windows in new house but not sure which ones.
Quite like the whicker/bambo ones but have noticed that they sometimes look a bit tatty.

Also like the wooden slat ones.

Which have you got and why ?? Oh and have you still got curtains too just to dress the window ??

OP posts:

Bagpuss30 · 21/06/2004 14:11

I have a metal venetian blind in my living room window but it has a wood pattern printed on it (like laminate does). The reason we went for that is that we liked the wooden ones but, the chap that put it up for us said that they eventually get tatty, and are about twice the price of the one we had. Really like it over all and would buy again as it is also thinner than wooden ones are so seems lighter in the window. We also have curtains to dress the window.

Upstairs we have blackout blinds in all the bedrooms but have curtains over the top too.

Nutcracker, are you moving soon?

HTH

Original poster

nutcracker · 21/06/2004 14:14

We are moving on Thursday Bagpuss

Am definatly getting blackout blinds for bedrooms.

Good idea though about the metal wood effect ones hadn't thought of that.

OP posts:

Bagpuss30 · 21/06/2004 14:15

Easy to clean too .

Good luck with the move.

Twinkie · 21/06/2004 14:17

We have those crap swag things that get filthy - am inthe process of getting them all changed as we do different rooms inthe house - never ever ever get them - they are impossible to keep clean and if you wash them they never go up right or look the same again!!

Roman Blinds are nice, fresh and modern and seems easier to clean!!

Branster · 21/06/2004 14:17

yes i agree, wooden ones look the smartest for a living area. i would still use some long light curtains though (have a look in Ikea they do some reasonably priced ones in neutral colours) just to give it a homely feel to the room. don't know hwre you'd buy some blinds for, they are generally expensive but have a look on the B&Q site (if it still exists)

Branster · 21/06/2004 14:18

Blyme nutcracker, you're in shopping overdrive here!!

zubb · 21/06/2004 14:19

where do you get blackout blinds from??

Branster · 21/06/2004 14:21

john lewis in quite a few colours. i believe mothercare sell them too

CountessDracula · 21/06/2004 14:21

www.discountblindcentre.co.uk do good cheap wooden blinds.

zubb · 21/06/2004 14:22

thanks branstar

Original poster

nutcracker · 21/06/2004 14:22

LOL Branster, arranged a little loan this morning so i am in shopping heaven

They had some nice wooden slatted ones at Ikea i think, will go have a look in the book.

OP posts:

Original poster

nutcracker · 21/06/2004 14:27

Cheers CD will have a browse.

One more question...
If my living room is fairly light colours (ie beige and pale choccie color) with choccie coloured sofas and light wood furniture, then which colour for blinds ??

Light or dark wood ??

OP posts:

Bagpuss30 · 21/06/2004 16:15

Ours matches the furniture and the floors - beech/walnut colours. Looks OK but can be a bit overpowering in full sun. Can you wait until you are in and then see what works best with the light?

DelGirl · 21/06/2004 16:21

I have wooden blinds in my living room which are cherry wood to match my furniture. They are expensive but do look nice and are easy to clean. I haven't dressed the window tbh as I don't have very high ceilngs and it's a deep bay but I think they look great and am going to have them put in the bedrooms too. The only thing is you probably wouldn't be able to take them with you if you move.

sponge · 21/06/2004 16:48

We had wooden ones in our old house. They looked great and didn't become tatty at all. They do get dusty though. I wouldn't go for the really pale wood ones as they are more likely to look dirty quickly.
I didn't put curtains with them as I liked the clean, simple look of them.
The trouble with the metal ones is that in time some of the slats get bent and they never go back. I have them in my office and they look shit now.

CountessDracula · 21/06/2004 17:22

white ones look quite nice, we had them in our old bedroom (plantation ones). Give a sort of clean swedish look. Or cream.

noddy5 · 21/06/2004 17:25

I have cream roman blinds with natural hessian curtains looks nice and not as bare as a blind on its own

hana · 21/06/2004 17:33

we have roman blinds in most of the rooms and they look very simple. I've blacked them out in the bedrooms so sleeping is a bit easier. Havn't had them cleaned though - I've put the wooden dowling in so would have to take them out and then have them drycleaned.......prob not a bad idea actually, they've been up a few years now......!

maisystar · 21/06/2004 18:24

i have got the cheap bamboo blinds from argos and i really like them !!

upstairs have got the same blinds with black out material glue gunned to the back - black out blinds for £10!

(i am poor though )

Original poster

nutcracker · 21/06/2004 21:47

Ohhh i'm glad you've said that Maisystar, i am poor too so Argos will be just fine for me.

That idea of gluing balck out fabric too them is brilliant.

OP posts:

Original poster

nutcracker · 21/06/2004 21:48

Do you find that they go out of shape at all though ??

I really like the bambo ones but have noticed in some peoples windows they look a bit tatty and wonky.

OP posts:

maisystar · 21/06/2004 22:07

they aren't tatty, can sometimes be wonky a bit maybe but just need staightening! takes 2 seconds and you can't go wrong for £5!!

i have got long white muslin curtains as well which are lovely - they were £11 from ikea.

good luck with the move

Ange8 · 21/06/2004 22:14

I have bamboo blinds in my dining room: a word of warning - if they're down in the evening and the light is on in the dining room, you can see straight through them. They're OK to diffuse light during the day, but not much good for privacy!

phatcat · 21/06/2004 22:27

I've got wooden blinds on every window - I hate curtains! Very easy to keep clean with a feather duster. Resist the urge to keep pulling them up and down though - it's easy to get the strings messed up and also the strings can chafe (and eventually snap).

One thing to bear in mind with very young kids is the danger of the strings ( a little boy in Scotland accidently hanged himself on string blinds recently ). After this I tied up all the strings on the windows my ds can access so there's nothing dangling.

HTH

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