Venetian Blinds

Venetian blinds are a classic. They consist of simple wood, aluminium or fabric strips strung together with two cords at one side of the blind. The cords help to open and close the blind with the help of a pulley mechanism.

Wooden blinds give a classic look and make a room look warm and welcoming. Aluminium blinds on the other hand brighten up a room as they can be powder coated in a variety of colours. Depending on the thickness of the strips, the blinds regulate the amount of light entering the room.

Venetian blinds are very easy to maintain. All you need to do is wipe them with a damp cloth. You need to take care during the monsoons as wooden blinds might warp and aluminium ones might rust.

Also Read: 15 Tips for a Fuss Free Home

Woven Blinds

These blinds are also known as chic curtains and are the trendiest in the Indian market. You can transform the look of your room with bamboo blinds, chatai (mats) blinds or even matted blinds strung with coloured beads.

Generally these blinds are manually rolled up and tied with a lace. Hence, they are not suitable for kids' rooms.

Try using them in your living room or master bedroom. They will give your home that rustic charm. These also go well with the Zen style of living.

Also Read: Window Fashion

Roller Blinds

Roller blinds, as the name suggests, roll up around a rod at the top of the window when open. They slide up easily with a simple pulley mechanism.

These are generally made of stiffer fabrics so that they fall better when shut. Try floral prints for your living room. You could opt for darker fabrics for the bedroom, which give more privacy.

Their simple operation makes them ideal for kids' rooms. When rolled up, they allow maximum light to enter the room making it very bright. You could have bright colours or funky prints for kiddie bedrooms and play areas.

Also Read: Funk Up Your Kid's Room

Unlike curtains, roller blinds do not blow with the breeze. They rest directly on the frame of the window, which makes them convenient for the kitchen too.

Roman Blinds

If you want to ditch the curtains and still use fabric, then roman blinds are just the thing for you.

Aluminium rods are stitched to the back of the fabric, which help it roll up in folds when the blind is open. The fabric needs to be lined in order to conceal the rods. Roman blinds require much more fabric than roller blinds do.The entire mechanism costs anywhere from Rs.120 to Rs.200 per sq. ft.

For roman blinds to fall well, use thick fabrics with a soft feel. Choose attractive fabrics with stripes or zigzag patterns. You could even use solid bright colours for your kid's room or self embossed fabrics to give your living room a rich look.

Nowadays, roman blinds are even made of mats (chatai) and bamboo.

You could accompany these with scalloped valances to make the windows more decorative.