We all know that beautiful window furnishings can completely change the look and feel of any room, creating atmosphere and adding another textural layer to your interior colour palette.
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However many people don't consider how much of a difference blinds and curtains can also make to the thermal properties of your home. It's definitely worthwhile looking into which types of blinds and curtains will make a difference to your energy bill.
"Putting the right blind into your home reduces the cost of having your heater running at full capacity in the winter months and vice versa in the summer," says Matthew Walsh, managing director of Tuiss Blinds Online.
Here are some of the best options for thermal insulation (aka keeping warm in winter):
Blockout curtains
Did you know that curtains with a blockout lining provide the best thermal insulation out of all window furnishings on the market? They provide a huge benefit all year around, offering complete privacy, total light control and energy savings in both winter and summer.
On those cold winter nights, think of them like a big warm blanket on your windows, making sure your entire home stays toasty and warm. With so many different colours and prints to choose from, you can choose to have your curtains be a subtle feature in the space, or be the absolute hero with a fabulous designer fabric to make a statement.
Honeycomb blinds
The ultimate energy saving blind, the blockout honeycomb blinds feature little pleated pockets that are lined with aluminium. These pleated pockets effectively trap the energy in the cells, giving you the ultimate thermal protection for your home.
The heat gets trapped in the cells during winter to keep the room warm, so your heater doesn't have to work overtime to keep you nice and cosy, meaning you're also saving money on your power bills. A nice little bonus with this design is that they can also help muffle sound - so if you live on a busy road, these ones would be a great choice.
- Read more: Check out how you can save with the latest deals on interiors, homewares and DIY products with discount codes from Australian Coupons.
Blockout blinds
Opting for blockout lining on your blinds not only keeps the sun from interrupting your sleep-ins on the weekend, but the lining provides a great barrier right at your window to keep the cool winter air out, and the warm heated air in the room with you.
Again, this also works in the summer months to keep your home nice and cool. At Tuiss Blinds Online you can choose to upgrade to a blockout lining on curtains, roman blinds and roller blinds, even including the electric Smart Raise blinds.
Outdoor blinds
We often think of outdoor blinds in the summer months to keep the heat out of our homes, but the Shade It outdoor window blinds from Tuiss Blinds Online also provide an additional layer of thermal protection in the winter.
Outdoor blinds help with insulation for year-round temperature regulation. With a one per cent open weave, the fabric of the outdoor blinds at Tuiss Blinds Online still allows for a view to the outdoors, while providing UV and sunlight protection.
Layering
Think of it this way, just as you layer up your clothing on those cold days to stay nice and cosy, you can layer up your blinds and curtains too.
Just because you've opted for a blockout roman blind or a honeycomb blind doesn't mean you need to miss out on the soft dreamy look of curtains. A popular trend is installing a soft sheer s-fold curtain over the top of a blockout blind, giving you the ultimate flexibility when it comes to both thermal insulation and light control. Add an outdoor blind to this combo and you've got all bases covered.