Best window dressings for blocking out light on bright mornings
With mornings getting lighter and brighter, invest in the right curtains, blinds and shutters to safeguard your 8 hours of nightly rest.
Image: Hillarys
After a winter that has at points felt neverending, it’s sometimes hard to remember a time when the temperature was above single digits and evenings and mornings were light and bright. However, if you long for longer lay-ins, you might find it a little more difficult in the coming months, especially if you don’t have window dressings that effectively block out light.
If you need to give your window treatments an upgrade, here’s what you need to know about choosing the best styles to keep too-early sunrises at bay.
Shutters
Image: Thomas Sanderson
Shutters are a popular window dressing choice for the bedroom, but similarly to Venetian blinds, they are lots of tiny gaps inbetween the individual louvres that let light in. Whether or not this level of light bothers you is a personal choice, but there are ways to upgrade your shutters to make them completely blacked out.
The Hillside Waterbury white shutters above from Thomas Sanderson are fitted with Duette Lava blinds for full coverage. Better still, these blinds can be operated by remote control, meaning less fiddling with your shutters when it comes to settling down for the night in your bedroom.
Image: Shutterly Fabulous
Solid panel shutters are also successful at blocking out more, as they don’t have the individual louvres for light to creep in through. However, when it comes to a bedroom that needs privacy, solid panel shutters are all or nothing. You’ll have to open them when you want light and close them when you want privacy.
Blinds
Image: Blinds Direct
Fabric blinds, whether roller or Roman, fitted with black out lining are among the most effective ways to block out light. Whether you’re having a blind professionally made and installed, or doing one yourself, something to consider is where you fit the blind. Depending on the style of the window frame, you could fit your blind onto the window itself, or on the outer of the window frame.
Curtains
Image: Clarissa Hulse for Blinds 2go
Black out curtains are super effective for the bedroom, especially if you run them floor-to-ceiling. With curtains, consider layering up window treatments to get the most use out of your space. A sheer voile or blind, like this beautiful ombré number from Blinds 2go is perfect for preserving your privacy, but also letting the light in for when you do want to enjoy a leisurely Sunday morning spent in bed.
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