Curtains, Sheers, Blinds & Shutters: The Complete Guide
Curtains, sheers, blinds and shutters all dress a window, but they do it in very different ways. This guide walks through the main options, how they control light and privacy, and how each one is fitted, so you can choose with confidence. Every product mentioned here is custom made to measure by our in-house team.
Curtains
Curtains are the most versatile window treatment, available from full blackout to soft and decorative.
100% blockout curtains
Made from dense fabrics or a special lining, blockout curtains stop light passing through for a genuinely dark room. They also help with insulation, noise and privacy, which makes them ideal for bedrooms and media rooms.
Semi-blockout curtains
Semi-blockout fabrics cut roughly 50 to 90 percent of light, giving a softer, more ambient feel while still reducing glare and adding privacy. They suit living rooms and kitchens where you want to take the edge off the brightness without going fully dark.
Linings and backing
Adding a backing layer boosts light control, insulation and privacy, and gives the curtain more body. Heavier curtains need the right track and hardware to carry the weight, which we size as part of every order. Explore the full range of custom curtains.
Sheers
Sheers are lightweight fabrics that filter daylight and add a soft, airy elegance. There are two broad types.
Privacy sheers
A semi-opaque weave that lets natural light in while keeping people from seeing inside during the day, great for living rooms, bedrooms and studies. At night, with interior lights on, pair them with a blockout layer for privacy.
Transparency sheers
An almost see-through weave that maximises light and that delicate, romantic look. They offer little privacy on their own, so they are usually layered with heavier curtains or blinds. See our sheer curtains range.
Heading styles
The heading sets the character of a curtain or sheer. S-fold (wave) pleats create soft, continuous curves for a modern look that stacks back neatly. Pinch pleats are tightly gathered at the top for a tailored, formal finish that suits dining and living rooms. Both can be made in sheer or heavier fabrics.
Blinds
Blinds are a slim, practical way to control light and privacy.
Roller blinds are a single piece of fabric on a tidy roller, available in blockout, light-filter, sunscreen and waterproof fabrics. Vertical blinds use tilting louvres that slide aside, which makes them ideal for sliding doors and very wide windows. For total darkness in a modern room, blockout blinds are the go-to. See the full range of custom blinds.
Plantation shutters
Unlike curtains and blinds, plantation shutters are solid panels with wide adjustable slats, usually in timber-look PVC or aluminium. Tilt the slats to fine-tune light, airflow and privacy, all in a clean, built-in look that lasts for years and suits living rooms, bedrooms and wet areas. Browse shutters.
Motorisation
Most curtains and blinds can be motorised, so you open and close them by remote, app or voice, and set schedules to open at sunrise and close at dusk. It is perfect for tall void windows and hard-to-reach spots. See motorised curtains and motorised blinds.
Installation and tracks
How a treatment is fitted changes the look as much as the fabric does.
- Recessed (within frame) fit sits the blind neatly inside the window recess for a clean, integrated finish, ideal when the recess is deep enough.
- Face fit (on frame) mounts on or above the frame, which suits shallow recesses and blocks more light by extending past the window.
- Ceiling and wall mount for curtains and sheers let you run the treatment floor to ceiling, great for high windows and a clean, minimalist look.
- Single, double and curved tracks carry one or two layers (such as sheer plus blockout), with curved tracks shaped to bay and angled windows.
Get expert help
Not sure which combination is right for your windows? That is exactly what our free in-home consultation is for. Find your nearest showroom or book a free measure and quote.