You’ve been given free rein to re-decorate a sunroom or enclosed porch where people gather year-round, so you want it to look beautiful yet, feel comfortable for all. In particular, you’d like to find indoor and outdoor blinds and/or shades to keep the light and heat out while preserving the views. How do you start the selection process?
Choosing colours
Before you start searching, think about how to choose blind colours. You might begin by asking, “Does the area need a bit of colour because it is drab”? Or, “Are the walls are too dark making the area look small and gloomy”? The colours you choose will impact how big your room will appear. To make your area look more spacious, it is best to choose light colours in shades, blinds and wall paint. If you want a very uniform look, you may want to match your shades with your window trim and moulding. Or you can do one colour in different tones for the wall, trim and blinds. To spruce up the area with summery, beach cottage colours, opt for white, ivory, pale grey and beige. To add accents, you can add bolder colours such as melon pink, lime green, aqua, or navy in accessories such as pillows, chair covers, or pottery.
Selecting fabrics and materials
Blind fabric suppliers, Ricky Richards have a range of textiles suitable for outdoor blinds and awnings. These are also textiles specifically designed for protection from the Australian sun and allow adequate clear views or complete privacy if you prefer.
Ricky Richards sells three Barrington canvas fabrics ideal for awnings. The grey back version has 17 striped designs with neutral bases and bold contrast colours. If you want a beachy vibe, you can check out jubilee green back canvas, which has a pink and sage green striped design. Ideal for outdoor blinds and awnings, poly/cotton canvas fabrics are great for climate control and lowering solar heat. If you’d prefer one colour, the Barrington plain canvas comes in 18 lovely neutral and muted hues.
In Ricky’s Outlook collection, you will find high-quality colourful materials. Mode Zero is PVC-coated, polyester mesh that provides high privacy and sun protection. It is used in external blinds as well as umbrellas and awnings and is available in six colours. This is a great choice if you need to block out all sun from your space. If you want to be able to see outside, yet retain privacy, Mode Privacy mesh fabric will meet your needs. Used mostly for exterior blinds and awnings, it is available in 12 colours.
If you want less opaque indoor window options, Ricky’s has Pro Stick Window, which is a clear cling block out film for interior glass which can be printed on to show unique designs. It does not leave a residue once it’s removed and it can be repositioned. Ricky also sells self-adhesive textile, SQUID for window glass and door panes, including the Chalk Latex which provides privacy from the outside and visibility from the inside (during daylight hours only), can lower inside window temperatures an average of 3° celsius and can be printed on using latex inks.
Types of blinds and shades
Blinds and shades may sometimes refer to the same thing, however there is a difference between these two products. Blinds tend to have slats that move from side-to-side or up and down. Types include vertical blinds. Shades tend to be made up of a single piece of fabric and can be used outdoors too. These include pleated shades, roman shades and solar shades.
How To Use Window Shades
Roller shades are very user-friendly. You can pull them down by hand to the height you desire. When you want to raise them, you just push the bottom edge upwards.
Single-string shades and blinds have one external cord that is pulled down to both lower and raise them. Once you have your shade at the desired height, you can lock it in place by pulling the cord to the right side. To unlock, you pull the cord to the left, and then you can adjust the shade again to where you want it.
Cordless blinds and shades are also very easy to use! They look the same as cord shades however, the cord is internal. All you need to do is pull down or push up the bar attached at the bottom.
Where To Buy Shades
If you are interested in purchasing high-quality shade products for interior or exterior applications, look no further than blinds and shades featuring Ricky textile collections. Browse our website or get in touch with our team of experts so they can find you the best fabric for your needs today.
