The benefits of blinds and shutters go beyond decoration. Of course, they can be completely opened or completely shut, but they are versatile products which can provide shade and privacy to just certain parts of your window too, unlike curtains.

When you think of blinds and shutters, you probably visualise a product which covers the whole of your glazing. But did you know shading products which cover just one section of a window are also available?

The key benefit of these blinds is to increase privacy without compromising on natural light. For example, if your home or business is based on a busy street, shading just the lower part of your window is a good way of protecting yourself and your family – or colleagues and clients – from prying eyes during the day, without having to block out all of the natural light.

Natural light is good for us and reduces the need for artificial light during the daytime too.

In such a situation, café-style shutters (below) are perfect. They cover the lower section of your glazing, allowing natural light to flow in freely through the top section. The louvres can also be tilted to ensure privacy and control light, and the panels can be retracted completely if you want to let the light flood in or need to clean the glazing.

Image: Louvolite

Tier-on-tier shutters (below) are also a suitable solution. These are made-up of two separate panels which can be operated independently of each other. Both panels can be retracted to let the light in or both panels can be put in place in front of the glazing, with the louvres tilted shut, to darken the room. Alternatively, just the top section can be retracted for a similar effect offered by café-style shutters.

Image: S:CRAFT

Pleated or honeycomb blinds (below) work in a similar way but go one step further and can be left in a “free floating” position e.g., light comes in from above and beneath the blind, but the centre section of the glazing is shaded. Some products even fit in the bead of the window so you can shade every section of glazing and have blinds in different positions. If this window is an opening one, the blind stays against the window glazing when opened.

Image: Nantmor Blinds & Shutters

There are plenty of options when it comes to shading the lower portion of your window and it’s always best to speak to an expert. To find your local BBSA member, enter your post code.