5 Popular Window Blinds

Window blinds can be found in almost any home you’ll enter. They provide many household functions, from regulating the flow of air and light into your home to providing privacy, helping protect against theft and adding aesthetic value to your living spaces. In this article, we’ll take a look at five of the most common types of window blinds, including mini blinds, Venetian blinds, Roman blinds, vertical blinds and roller blinds.

1. Mini blinds

A mini blind is a type of horizontal window blind that is formed by long and narrow slats. These slats are kept in place by a string that is situated inside the window. While similar to Venetian blinds in this regard, the difference with mini blinds is that they have much narrower slats; in fact, the slats of Venetian blinds are generally twice as wide as mini blind slats. To open and close the slats, you simply rotate a rod — clockwise for one direction, anti-clockwise for the other. To raise and lower the slats you pull on a string; generally, the direction you pull the string dictates whether or not the blinds stay up or go down.

2. Venetian blinds

As already discussed, Venetian blinds are quite similar to mini blinds — they operate in much the same fashion. However, the slats of Venetian blinds are usually a lot wider. With that being said, the definition of Venetian blind differs depending on where in the world you are.

3. Roman blinds

Roman blinds operate by a long cord just like Venetian blinds and mini blinds do. However, the differentiating point of Roman blinds is that they are made of one piece of fabric. They fold themselves towards the front as they are pulled up and are popular in homes that want to add more of a modern feel.

4. Vertical blinds

While all the types of blinds we’ve looked at so far have been horizontal blinds of one form or another, vertical blinds have the obvious difference that the blinds themselves run from top to bottom of the window instead of from left to right. As a result, the blinds are drawn horizontally, usually with the help of a chain. The blinds can also be opened or closed with another chain which is usually smaller than the drawing one. They’re generally made of either vinyl or fabric and usually offer the widest range of choices in terms of colour, texture and style.

5. Roller blinds

Perhaps the most modern, elegant and practical type of window blinds is roller blinds. These are made of one piece of fabric and are connected to a roller at the top of the window, allowing them to be raised and lowered quickly and with minimal effort. They are highly versatile; for example, they can allow privacy without compromising the level of natural light entering a room. They have several other benefits, too, such as temperature control, protection against theft, and offering you the ability to see out of your home without anyone else being able to see in. Many roller blinds can also be automated, underlining their modern style.