Interior design

Fight of the Blinds: Vertical Blinds vs. Roller Blinds

Many homeowners are always looking for ways to decorate their homes. One part of a home that can be especially tricky to decorate is the windows. Luckily, this can easily be done with blinds.

Window blinds are a great decoration tool because they can help to provide privacy while still allowing light into the room. They can also be a great way to help the room feel warmer and more comfortable. However, a debate that often comes up is whether or not vertical or roller blinds are better.

This article will weigh the choices between vertical and roller blinds. Read on below to get started.

How Vertical Blinds Work

Vertical blinds are the type of blind that many of us are most familiar with. Vertical blinds are usually made of fabric, which is a thin material that can be moved up and down.

They are installed by having their brackets each attached to the wall, and then the blind is rolled up. Once the blind is up, a pin is held in place at each end of the blind. Once all the blinds are up, they can be lowered by pulling down on the top or bottom.

Vertical blinds can be great for keeping sunlight out of a room, but they also provide a great way to add decorative elements to a room. Vertical blinds are available in an almost endless amount of styles, so there are plenty of ways to decorate your home with vertical blinds.

Advantages of Vertical Blinds

If you're getting vertical blinds, you can enjoy the following benefits:

Ease of Use

Vertical blinds are extremely easy to use. They're also easy to install, making them great for even an inexperienced do-it-yourself person.

Made of Various Materials

Vertical blinds have many materials available for the fabric they're composed of. Because of this, it is easy to find a fabric for vertical blinds to match the style of your home.

Widely Available

Vertical blinds are one of the most widely-available types of window coverings. It's very easy to find vertical blinds in a store or online.

How Roller Blinds Work

Roller blinds are made up of two parts. The vertical blind is located in the middle of a roller hung by brackets on the wall. The vertical blind is then rolled up and down when the roller is moved up and down.

Roller blinds allow plenty of light to enter the room while rolled down. However, they provide an element of privacy when rolled up completely.

Advantages of Roller Blinds

If you're getting roller blinds, you can enjoy the following benefits:

Improves Privacy

Roller blinds have an element of privacy when completely rolled up. This works well for many people who want to keep sunlight or other unwanted objects out of a room.

Easy to Clean

Roller blinds can be much easier to clean than other types of window coverings because they're composed of just two parts.

Incredible Versatility

Roller blinds are very versatile in how they are used. For example, you can use them vertically in a window, as you would with a vertical blind, or you can use them horizontally.

They can also be placed in a door or cover an entire window. Additionally, you can roll up just one or two sections of a roller blind to create a minimalist design in a room.

Which Should You Get?

Both vertical and roller blinds offer many benefits, so it's up to you to decide which one makes more sense for your living situation.

If you want a blind that looks good and still provides plenty of privacy, then a vertical blind is the best choice. They're easier to install and very affordable, which should accommodate the average consumer.

However, if you want a blind that provides more privacy and works well to keep out the sun, then a roller blind is the better option. They're easy to clean and assemble, and they're perfect for providing a private atmosphere in a room.

Regardless of what you choose, either one will serve well for decorating an aspect of your home.

Conclusion

Ultimately, it's up to you to decide whether or not vertical or roller blinds work better for you. If vertical blinds work for you, you can enjoy the benefits they provide. If you prefer roller blinds, you can use them to add a touch of style to your home or make your home feel more private.

If you're looking for cassette blinds in the UK, Direct Fabrics has got you covered! We offer a wide range of products made of top quality materials, all for affordable prices. Simply go to our website and take your pick!

Soundproofing a Commercial Office Space: A Brief Guide

Most offices offer open floor plans to encourage collaboration and communication within teams. Aside from that, it is considerably cheaper, so more and more offices are opting for this option. However, open floor plans are usually noisy.

What do you do if you want to keep the noise to a minimum? Continue reading to find out.

Why Soundproof an Office Space?

The main reason to soundproof your office is to reduce the amount of noise that trickles in from outside. The two main sources of noise are outside traffic and commotion from workers. It can be incredibly frustrating and disruptive to hear the traffic or conversations of your completely different colleagues.

Noise travels through open doors, ceilings, and even through walls. So, even if you are in a separate room from the noise source, you will be disturbed. Even though you might think that you can cope with a bit of background noise, it will undoubtedly impact your workflow.

What Are the Materials Needed for Office Soundproofing?

The materials needed for office soundproofing depend on what you are trying to do. Essentially, you are trying to block noise from one place to another. Here are three main options when soundproofing an office:

1. Carpet and Upholstery

You can use carpet and upholstery to quieten hard flooring or wooden flooring. If you do not want to carpet the entire office, you can use carpet runners. A carpet is an excellent option if you need to soundproof several rooms.

Rugs and carpets are especially effective at absorbing sound. So, if you use carpet and rugs to soundproof an office, you will also soundproof the room and make it cosier for workers.

2. Sound Masking

Sound masking is another great way to reduce the effects of outside noise. Sound masking involves adding noise in the same frequency range as the noise coming from the outside. This is an excellent way of soundproofing an office because it uses white noise to cover up the outside noise.

To soundproof an office effectively, there should be a lot of noise covering all frequencies. If there is not a lot of noise covering all frequencies, then the two sounds will simply cancel each other out.

3. Acoustic Panels

Acoustic panels are the best option for soundproofing an office. These panels are designed to absorb sound, not just cover it up. Acoustic panels are great for soundproofing an office, because they reduce sound by up to 80 percent.

However, acoustic panels need to be installed by a professional. This is because the panels need to be attached to the corners of the walls. It is very difficult to install acoustic panels by yourself.

4. Acoustic Curtains

Acoustic curtains are another great option for soundproofing an office. Acoustic curtains are designed to cover windows and doors. They are similar to acoustic panels because they reduce sound by up to 80 per cent. However, they are much simpler to install.

Acoustic curtains are much cheaper than acoustic panels. However, if you want to cover several windows and doors, it is recommended that you use acoustic panels instead.

Final Thoughts 

Noisy coworkers, traffic and other background distractions can be incredibly disruptive. If you work in a noisy office, you can use these tips to soundproof your office and get back to work peacefully before you know it.

If you need  acoustic curtains to help in soundproofing your office, contact us today at Direct Fabrics. Our acoustic curtains are laboratory tested to 95% acoustic absorption and reduce echo and reverberation throughout a room. Message us today for a free quote.

Design Basics: 7 Things You Need to Know about Roman Blinds

There are many blinds to choose from but roman blinds are one of the most popular types of window treatments. Aside from shielding your interiors from the sun and providing privacy, they add a touch of elegant minimalism in any space.

Let’s take a closer look at Roman blinds for commercial establishments.

1. Roman Blinds Are Easy to Operate

Roman blinds are one of the easiest window treatments to operate. You can control them to open and close whenever you want. Meaning you can draw your blinds in the mornings to let the natural light into your home and let it down as the evening draws in. You can use a cord, chain or chain and pulley to pull your blind up and down; you can also have a simple pull cord to operate your blinds.

2. They Are Available in the Fabric of Your Choice

Depending on the look you want to achieve for the space, there’s a fabric that will suit your Roman blinds well. Roman blind fabrics are very easy to keep clean, so they won’t give your cleaning staff a hard time.

3. They Are a Flexible and Adaptable Window Treatment

It’s perfect for those spaces that don’t lend themselves to space-consuming curtains. Roman blinds are easily adaptable to the space’s function, whether for rest and relaxation, learning, working, and more. They can fit in the smallest windows and be positioned using a cord, pull cord or nylon chain.

4. Can Suit Any Style of Window

Roman blinds are available in any size you need. Whether you have a bay or rectangular window, or you want a wide or narrow blind, you can find a style of roman blinds to suit the property’s existing windows.

5. They Are Great for Saving Energy

With the vast majority of Roman blinds available, you can pick one in a light fabric, making them excellent for temperature control. They can be let down when it’s hot outside, keeping the interiors nice and cool. This then helps your AC to not work double, saving you energy costs. You can also choose a lined fabric to trap in the heat, keeping your property cosy and warm on cold winter nights.

6. Available in a Wide Range of Colours and Patterns

You can choose from a wide range of styles and colours for Roman blinds. They are available in various patterns too. You can match your Roman blinds to your current décor or have them compliment your existing colours and design.

7. They Are Very Easy to Install

Roman blinds are available in various styles; some you can easily cut to size and fit yourself, some will require a little construction knowledge and may need to be fitted by a blind fitter. Either way, most Roman blinds are very easy to install, so if you’re handy with a screwdriver, you could fit them yourself.

Conclusion

Roman blinds are definitely a good choice for spaces that need a minimalist window treatment. They can perfectly complement your interiors’ theme and design, too. These window coverings are great for temperature control, are easy to install and easy to operate.

If you are looking for a high-quality roman blind kit for your office, Direct Fabrics has the solution for you. We supply soft furnishings for commercial environments certified to British and International flame retardant standards. We also provide curtains, blinds, fabrics, bedding, tracks and more. Get a quick quote today!