Blackout Blinds: Great For Master Suites

One of the best places for blackout blinds are in the master suite of a home. Often, once new homeowners remember that they need to purchase window coverings for their home, the master suite is left until last, often with bed sheets, Styrofoam sheets, or tinfoil. Blackout blinds are a cost-effective way to reduce the amount of light coming in through a window. But, to get the most effective result from your blackout blinds, you’ll need to make sure they are installed in your bedroom and any connecting room.

Sounds silly, right? Of course you would install blackout blinds in all connecting rooms. You’d be surprised how many people don’t. There are many people who will install blackout blinds on only one or two windows where the light is coming in the brightest. However, you may not realize how much light is coming in through other windows in your room because the other bright windows overpower it.

For the best result from your blackout blinds, you should install them on every window, even if you don’t think much light comes in through one. In a master suite, this means you need to cover all the windows in your bedroom, any sitting areas, the bathroom, and the closet. Once your room is darker, you’ll notice every other source of light.

Blackout Blinds in Media Rooms

Media rooms really got popular when everyone had money to burn. Now that money is tighter, media rooms may seem like something we can’t afford. While we may not be able to afford the media room of the past with the huge projector screen and movie-theater seating, there are things you can do to make your room feel more like a media room.

Media rooms are dark. Consider painting the room a darker color: dark grays, browns, or reds really give the "theater" look. Since many of us don’t have an extra room in the basement with no windows, you’ll also want to cover the windows. This is where blackout blinds come into play.

First, decide on your favorite type of blackout blind. I suggest a darkly stained wood blackout blind or a darkly stained faux wood blackout blind. These will really add to the "moody" atmosphere you’re trying to create. If that’s too dark for you, consider a lighter stain or painted blackout blinds. For a really dramatic look, I suggest choosing cloth tapes over routeless blinds, and selecting a light color for major contrast between the cloth tapes and darkly stained wood. Choosing routeless blinds will give you a seamless look and doesn’t cost any extra (cloth tapes may).

For extra help in blocking out all of the light, you should consider choosing an outside mount for your blackout blinds. This means that the blinds will cover the entire window, not hang inside the window casing. This is great to keep light from seeping in from between the blinds and window casing. You can create a very dramatic and contemporary look by extending your blinds 6 – 8 inches past the window casing. When you open the slats, it will look like a very contemporary media room.

There are many different ways you can use blackout blinds: they don’t need to be your mother’s standard window blind.

Ways to Incorporate Blackout Blinds into Your Design

There are so many ways for you to incorporate blackout blinds into your design. I’m going to give you three different ways you can use blackout blinds in your design – whether you want to celebrate your view, celebrate the simplicity of blinds, or blend them in seamlessly.

1. If you have a great view that you want to see sometimes, just not when you’re sleeping or watching TV, blackout blinds are a great choice. You can raise them up completely to have an unobstructed view or open the slats so they’re perfectly horizontal. This will allow you to see the view but still maintain some privacy. When you’re trying to sleep or watch TV, you can close the blinds completely and you won’t have to worry about light seeping in or a glare on the TV screen.
2. Blackout blinds can be beautiful. If you choose a 2, 2 ½, or 3 inch wood blind, no one can say that they aren’t beautiful. Whether you choose stained or painted, wood or faux wood, you’ll be making a statement. Choosing routeless blinds will give you a more seamless look while choosing a contrasting color for your cloth tapes will really make your blinds stand out. Consider mounting your blinds outside of your window and extending them 6 – 8 inches past the window casing on every side. This can really make a statement and celebrate the clean lines of blackout blinds.
3. If you want your blackout blinds to blend in seamlessly, choose your color carefully. White faux wood blinds are selected often because they provide a clean look without standing out too much. You can also choose stained wood or faux wood blinds that match your color palette and wood choices. Routeless blinds are the way to go, since cloth tapes are unique enough to catch someone’s eye.

When looking at blackout blinds, consider what you’re going for before deciding on a type. Blackout blinds can do more than just block out the light, they can help complete your room.

Blackout Blinds: Routeless or Cloth Tapes?

Let’s go over the basics: what are blackout blinds? Blackout blinds can be made from wood, faux wood, or aluminum. The biggest difference between blackout blinds and regular window blinds is that blackout blinds don’t allow as much light to come into the room. Blackout blinds aren’t 100% effective. Light may still seep in between the slats or on either side of the blinds: from the space in between the blinds and the window casing. However, blackout blinds can make a huge difference in any room and can significantly reduce the amount of light coming from any window.

When choosing blackout blinds, one of the biggest decisions you will have to make is whether you want your blackout blinds to be made routeless or with cloth tapes.

Routeless Blackout Blinds
You can’t go wrong if you decide to go with routeless blackout blinds. Routeless blinds give you a clean and elegant look for your window. Instead of having the operating strings go through each slat, they go around the slats so you don’t have additional spaces for light to come through. Routeless blinds will give you an uninterrupted look that can blend in seamlessly with any décor style.

Cloth Tapes on Your Blackout Blinds
Blackout blinds with cloth tapes provide an interesting look for your room. The cloth tapes actually cover the routed holes where the strings to operate the blinds go. This way you don’t see any strings, you only see the cloth tapes. The great thing about cloth tapes is that you can choose a color that compliments your color palette or that contrast with your blinds to create a starkly unique look.

Whether you choose cloth tapes or routeless blinds, you will get a great blackout blinds product. You should consider ordering a free sample of the cloth tapes or blinds material in the colors you want just to make sure it is exactly what you want.

Insulating Your Home with Blackout Blinds

When you know that you lose 33% of your home’s energy – whether it’s heating or cooling, through your windows, it can be depressing. However, installing blackout blinds to your windows can really help. The biggest reason it helps is because it creates a barrier of air in between the blackout blinds and the window glass itself. When closed, it allows less energy to be lost through the glass because there is a constant amount of air caught between the blinds and the window. This benefit is increased when the blackout blinds are mounted outside the window casing, since there are fewer places for air to get close to the glass.

In the wintertime, it’s a good idea to keep your blackout blinds open during the times the window gets sun. This can help heat your room without as much help from your heater. However, once the window stops getting a lot of sun, you should close the blinds because you can start losing heat immediately. The blackout blinds come in handy to block out the sun when you’re sleeping or to block out the city lights.

In the summertime, you want to keep the blackout blinds closed as much as possible when the window gets full sun. This can help keep your rooms with blackout blinds significantly cooler than other rooms because the sunlight isn’t able to leak in.

The biggest feature of blackout blinds is that they are flexible. They can block out all of the light or just some of the light as needed. You have more opportunity to adjust blackout blinds than you do blackout shades, so don’t just think about the energy efficiency. After all, if you can’t use the room how you would like to, there’s not much of a point having it there.

3 Main Differences Between Blackout Blinds and Blackout Shades

A lot of people look for blackout blinds when they are really looking for blackout shades, and vice versa. Unless you’re in the industry (or have spent a lot of time researching them) you probably don’t care about the difference. You’re just looking for a solution to block the sunlight from coming in through your windows.

1. Blackout blinds are window blinds. This means they have slats that can tilt 180 degrees horizontally in addition to opening and closing. Blackout shades refer to window shades that can only open or close. Blackout shades block out more light than blackout blinds. However, blackout blinds have more flexibility to let light in when you want to and maintain your privacy (see Difference #1) vs. blackout shades.
2. Design aesthetic. Blackout blinds offer a cleaner look than blackout shades. Blackout shades are made from fabric and offer more color and style choices. You have two options with blackout blinds: routeless, where the strings go around the slats rather than through holes, or cloth tapes, where you have fabric covering the string holes. Blackout shades on the other hand, are made from a thicker fabric that doesn’t allow light to come through.
3. Maintenance. Blackout blinds are far easier to clean since they are made from wood or faux wood and can be easily wiped clean with a duster or a damp cloth. Blackout shades on the other hand, are made from fabric and can be much more delicate and more difficult to clean.

So really, when you’re deciding between blackout blinds and blackout shades, you need to determine how much flexibility you want in letting in / blocking out light, how much privacy you want to maintain (blackout shades, when opened, offer no privacy) and the look you’re trying to achieve. You should also seriously consider how much time you want to spend maintaining your blackout blinds or shades because that plays into how long they will look great and last in your home.

Blackout Blinds: How to Incorporate Smaller Slats into Your Design

I typically suggest that people go with larger slats when they’re looking for blackout blinds. The larger the slat, the fewer the slats: and the fewer number of times light comes through. However, there are some people who would prefer a smaller slat. There are two sizes you can consider.

Regular 1 inch slats are the size of traditional mini blinds. These are a classic choice for a window covering although they are not often chosen for blackout blinds. These are easier to blend into a room, since most people have them and take little to no notice. You may not be able to get cloth tapes made for 1 inch slats, so be prepared to just ask for routeless blackout blinds. I also suggest an inside mount, not outside, since that will provide a cleaner look and make it easier if you decide to hang drapes later on.

There is also micro blackout blinds or micro mini blinds. These have ½ inch slats. Surprisingly, these are unique enough that they can make a huge statement if you install them in your room. While these are great for small windows, French doors, and areas without much clearance, they may not be as good for large windows. Plus, it can be difficult to find them in routeless versions to say nothing of versions with cloth tapes. Be prepared to do a lot of research if you’re looking for micro blackout blinds.

If you’re looking for your blinds to blend in and not be noticed, 1 inch blackout blinds may be your ticket. However, keep in mind that their ½ inch counterparts may make more of a splash than you anticipate. All in all, if you’re looking for a smaller slat for your blackout blinds you should try and see them in person or order a sample so you know what you’re getting yourself in for.

Blackout Blinds: How to Incorporate Larger Slats into Your Design

To me, blackout blinds aren’t blackout blinds without slats that are at least 2 inches wide. But these larger slats can sometimes worry people. Most people are used to blinds with a 1 inch slat, like your traditional aluminum mini blinds. I’ve often heard, well, won’t those blackout blinds stand out more?

Not really. Larger slats for your blackout blinds look great in any type of design. Since there are less slats overall, they look cleaner and less “fussy.” Plus, if you get them in a color or stain that compliments your room, they, just like other mini blinds, will blend in perfectly with your décor.

The hardest part about choosing blackout blinds isn’t the slat size. That’s relatively easy to picking out the color. If you’re concerned about your blinds standing out in your room you want to stick with a neutral color that compliments your color palette. You can choose a dark or a light stain; it’s choosing a pink or teal color that will make a huge difference. After all, anything that is too colorful will definitely stand out, regardless of the slat size.

If you don’t want your blackout blinds to stand out, choose a routeless version rather than cloth tapes (which are unique enough to withstand a second or third look).

However, many people want to celebrate the larger slats and the clean and classic look they provide. If you’re one of them, consider choosing cloth tapes that are opposite of your slat color. So, if you have light slats choose a dark tape or vice versa.

The biggest thing I suggest is to get color samples of your blinds and cloth tapes before you purchase them. Most online stores offer free samples (online stores are the cheapest for blackout blinds). Make use of the free samples since they don’t accept returns. And enjoy your blackout blinds!

Why Use Blackout Blinds in Fall and Winter?

In most states it can seem counterproductive to have blackout blinds in the fall and winter since there is little sun… every bit of sunshine is often rejoiced and reveled in. However, blackout blinds don’t just block out the sunlight. While it’s dark outside for most of the time, it may actually be more difficult for you or your children to sleep.

That’s because you still have the environmental lights on. City lights, street lights, lights from neighbors… all of those lights add up and can be more distracting when it’s pitch black outside at 6 p.m. That’s where blackout blinds can really help save you.

Blackout blinds, whether you choose routeless or with cloth tapes, are really helpful because they give you the option of how much light they filter out. So, you can choose to make your room pitch black (great in the summer) or you can choose to tilt the slats closed slightly to reduce the glare and environmental lighting.

It’s silly to think that you’ll be switching out your window coverings every fall and spring (or winter and summer) and blackout blinds are a fantastic investment for the summertime. The great thing is, unlike blackout shades, blackout blinds will allow you to choose the amount of light you want to let in while still maintaining your privacy. So you don’t need to worry that you’ll be blocking out some of the precious sunlight in the wintertime – you get to choose how much to let in and when.

Get yourself comfortable now and ready for the summer with blackout blinds.

Blackout Blinds: What’s Best?

With all of the options you have for blackout blinds, you may be asking yourself what’s the best? Well, of course the answer you don’t want to hear is, it depends. It depends on you, your style, and your needs. But here’s a quick breakdown of your different options and what should consider for each.

Blind Type
You have the option of Faux Wood, Wood, or Aluminum. All are durable and relatively easy to clean and maintain. My favorites are faux wood because they are more affordable (cheaper) than wood blinds and more durable and easier to clean than aluminum blinds. Actually, they’re more affordable and more durable than wood blinds and look exactly like wood blinds. So why pay more?

Slat Size
I suggest larger slats for blackout blinds because the larger the slat size, the fewer chances light has to seep through. Try staying with a 2 inch or more slat. Plus, the larger slats look cleaner and like more of an upgrade than regular mini blinds.

Routeless or Cloth Tapes
Blackout blinds come with a routeless option, which means that the operating strings go around each slat like a ladder rather than through holes drilled into the slat or with cloth tapes that cover the operating strings and holes. Routeless blinds give you a very streamlined and seamless look while cloth tapes can give a more formal or contemporary edge, depending on the type of cloth tapes you choose.

Finish
You’ll need to choose if you want painted or stained blackout blinds and the color. Lighter stains are typical of traditional, country, rustic, and arts and crafts styles, while darker stains care typical of traditional, formal, and contemporary styles. It really depends on what else you have in the room, your blackout blinds won’t make or break your style. Order a color sample (usually free) for the best results.

Overall, what’s best is your opinion. Go with your gut instinct and don’t obsess over it. After all, blackout blinds are just window blinds – and who really pays that much attention to them?