There are many choices to consider and decisions to be made when arriving at the perfect look for your new blinds. The colour and material of the blinds will be the most dominant and visible aspects, but there’s another that is very important and not as well-known. That is whether you’ll choose inside mount or outside mount blinds. They each have advantages and are both good choices, but which one is best for your decorating project?
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Visit U Blinds Australia for the widest selection of blinds and shutters, and window treatments of all kinds. Our friendly, experienced staff knows what works, and they’re ready to hear your requirements and suggest ideas. Visit one of our convenient showrooms today. Call 1300 303 391 with your enquiries, and to schedule a visit to your location by our mobile showroom.
Inside Mount
With inside mount, the blinds will be cut to fit just inside the window frame. This is a very clean, almost minimalist look, and it goes well with many modern interior design themes. Depending on the orientation of the window, some direct sun may make its way through the small space at the edges of the blind – this may or may not be an issue. Inside mount works best with windows that don’t have protruding latches or locks, because the blinds usually sit quite close to the windows and might catch on anything in their path of movement.
Outside Mount
An outside mount installation has the edges of the blinds overlapping the edges of the window opening – the blinds may or may not cover and hide the window frame completely. That is an aesthetic decision – it works the same either way. Outside mount is a more traditional and perhaps more luxurious look. It is well suited for upscale interiors with design detailing like decorative mouldings and wainscoting. It can also be a more economical approach because the blinds do not necessarily need to be cut to a precise width – a standard width may work just fine for more than one window.
To Pelmet or Not to Pelmet
Pelmet is a great word to know when doing a crossword, and it’s also the name of the thin strip of material placed horizontally across the top of blinds to conceal the hardware and fittings of blinds and curtains. Also called a valence, it is applicable to both inside mount and outside mount installations. Some curtain sets will already have a pelmet, possibly even a rather large one, but some have none at all, so you may need to make this design decision when choosing your blinds. A pelmet can be made from almost any material – it often matches the curtains or blinds, but could also be used to create a point of contrast, and it may be made from an entirely different material such as wood.
Sunlight As a Design Element
Outside or inside mount blinds can be used for much more than simply blocking light and visibility. In fact, they may be used to let some light in all the time. For example, blinds made from sunscreen material are very popular in both inside mount and outside mount, to control our intense Australian sun without ever blocking it out entirely, filling rooms with pleasing diffused light by day and greatly reducing visibility by night. When we want a set of blinds to go from letting the sun in all the way to major light control, a heavier blinds material – possibly even wood slats – will be favoured, in an outside mount setup. When closed the blinds will cover the entire window opening – so they can block nearly all light even without curtains.
So Many Choices
Interior blinds today are available in a very wide variety of different looks, they can be made from many different materials – and they can be adapted to both inside mount and outside mount installation. You can get exactly the look you want when you work with a top supplier. From the highly practical to something fit for a dreamscape, it’s all here for you.
We Have Your Style
U Blinds Australia is the place to find outstanding window treatments that will make your interiors come alive. Whatever you have in mind, we’re ready to assist – with our huge selection of looks and styles, and with free fitting and quotes. Call us on 1300 303 391 with your questions, and stop in to one of our great showrooms in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Hobart.