Blinds Vs Shades: Make the Right Choice for Your Home
BWS Marketing • June 2, 2021

Blinds are made up of individual slats. They can cover the whole window, can be raised to cover a certain part of your window or fully raised to provide unobstructed views. The slats from the blinds can also be rotated to allow some light to pass through.

Rather than use slats, shades are made from fabric or woven wood. Just like blinds, you can adjust the shades to allow light to pass through, or not.

Since both shades and blinds offer almost similar services, how do you make the right choice for your home? What factors do you consider? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both window treatments? Find out the answers to these questions below.

What are Blinds?

Blinds are very popular. Many people prefer them because they are very easy to clean, are affordable, have better light control, and they can be adjusted easily.

However, blinds have their downsides as well. For instance, not many blinds designs are available. Users always feel like they are compelled to use some specific designs. Blinds are also less energy-efficient, have minimal privacy, and the slats accommodate a lot of dust.

More About Shades

The main benefits of using window shades include plenty of designs to pick from, last longer, easy to use, and some designs (the cellular shades) are energy efficient.

The downsides of having window shades include maintenance difficulty, are not affordable, and some designs are not easy to adjust.

Factors to Consider When Choosing between Blinds and Shades

Just because blinds worked better for your friend or neighbor does not necessarily mean that they will work for you. Consider the following factors when choosing your perfect window styles:

1.   Privacy and Light Control

Both blinds and shades have different ways of controlling light and maintaining privacy. Blinds are made of slats that can be tilted to allow some light to pass. Shades, on the other hand, have solid fabric that allows completing opening and closure.

Picking a window shade made from a light filtering fabric will allow you to control your privacy better.

On this front, shades have a slight upper hand over blinds.

2.   Design

Given the blinds’ natural design, you can adjust them accordingly. You can choose to partly open your blinds or keep them fully open/closed. On the other hand, shades are either open or closed, they do not have an in between.

However, blinds are limited in designs, styles and colors. Shades on the other hand are more flexible. In fact, you can customize your shades to match the other parts of your home.

3.   Ease of Cleaning

Cleaning blinds is easier because you only have to wipe them with furniture polish or wipe them with a clean cloth. Shades, on the other hand, require washing with warm water or vacuum cleaning.

If you stay in regions with high traffic or you own pets, opting for blinds would be a nice idea.

4.   Durability

 

The materials that make up blinds (wood and aluminum) are very hard and durable. This makes blinds more durable as compared to shades (made of woven fabrics).

Again, if you stay in a place with heavy traffic or own pets, blinds are the perfect choice for you.

5.   Safety

Safety in any house is mandatory. Always choose blinds or shades with shorter cords. They should be well insulated and should not hang loosely (keep them out of children’s reach).

Final Verdict

The comparison between blinds and shades is very tight. Both serve their purposes very well. However, after closely considering factors such as the designs, ease of use, privacy enhancement, and durability, blinds are the better choice.

Blinds are durable, easy to clean, and enhance privacy. However, you will have to consider the other factors discussed here before coming up with your perfect choice.

You can  contact us or read our blog for more information.

 

Expert Advice by Just Blinds

What Your Window Treatment Says About You: A Personality-Based Guide

April 23, 2025
Your selection of window treatment products and services is not merely about getting a job done. Rather, if you look hard enough, you can find direct correlations between the type of person that you are and the window treatment that you select. We have created this personality-based guide to help you best discover what kind of window treatment truly matches your spirit. The Dependable Type: Wooden Blinds You are the person that all of your friends can count on. You are the type of person who truly sticks to your plans when you make them, and you are the type of person who will choose wooden blinds for your home. Privacy is important to you when selecting your blinds, and that is why you find yourself pulled into the idea of putting up wooden blinds. Besides that, they happen to be highly functional, and that's not something that you are willing to pass up either. The Planner: Blackout Curtains Those who value truly getting the most value out of their blinds or anything else that they install in their homes will think very carefully about their options. For those people, going with blackout curtains makes a lot of sense. They want to gain as much value as possible out of their options, and they know that they can significantly improve their quality of sleep and so much more when they opt for blackout curtains. These also happen to be a great option for those who work night shifts or other odd hours and yet still want to enjoy their sleep. They need blackout curtains to help increase the quality of that sleep and allow themselves to get their day started right. The Tech Enthusiast: Smart Shades They roam among us: The type of people who are quick to adopt any new technology and get to work figuring out how it can improve their lives. These people are great because they are not afraid to take a risk and because they help to move our society forward. They simply want to get more out of each day, and they often do so by adopting and using the latest technologies. These individuals will gravitate towards smart shades for the following attributes: Innovation - Who wants to stick with the boring old ways of shading one's house? Smarter options are now available, and you better believe that the tech enthusiasts among us are willing to latch on to them. Efficiency - These shades are a more efficient option for those who care about that kind of thing. They can be easily activated and set up to open or close automatically (how cool is that?!). Progressive - The "cool" factor is a big deal for people who fall into this category as well. They might not admit to it right off the bat, but they care deeply about what others think about them. As such, they want window shades that have that cool factor attached to them. The Dreamer: Sheer Curtains Finally, we land upon the dreamer. This is the person who views every day for the possibilities that it can bring. They are not scared off by those with a negative attitude. If anything, they believe that they can change those people! Instead, the dreamer wants sheer curtains because they bring in soft light, open spaces, and bring about a feeling of possibility all throughout the house. Sheer curtains are the ideal option for someone who classifies themselves in this way. They will receive plenty of compliments on their curtains, and they will appreciate how open they are to the world.  Which kind of person are you and which window treatment option makes the most sense for your personality? For more inspiration and ideas, reach out and contact us today.

5 Unexpected Places Homeowners Are Installing Outdoor Shades

March 13, 2025
We all know and understand the concept of installing outdoor shades on a patio. It is the classic way to create a cool and comfortable space for yourself and your friends to spend some quality time together outdoors. There is nothing wrong with that, but it is limiting to think that the patio is the only part of one's property where outdoor shades are appropriate. There are some surprising and unexpected places where homeowners have taken to installing outdoor shades recently. We want to take a look at some of these to provide you with ideas for your next home improvement project. 1) Balconies Some homes are built quite close together, and some homeowners naturally feel like they would like to do more to protect their privacy. Although their neighbors might not intentionally be looking through their balconies, it is easy for the human eye to drift. Thus, some city-dwelling homeowners have made the choice to install outdoor shades in this area. On top of keeping prying eyes off of your property, outdoor shades also block the sun rays from your balcony as well creating a more comfortable space to spend some time. 2) Outdoor Kitchens One of the most delightful social experiences that someone can have is to invite over a large group of friends for a meal cooked outside. It gives everyone the opportunity to share stories, laughes, and a bit of food all at the same time. Of course, this is best done in an outdoor kitchen. Your outdoor kitchen is a space where you should feel comfortable and have the ability to entertain a large group of people all at the same time. This means looking at installing outdoor shades to provide an extra layer of protection from the heat of the sun. Thus, this has become another area where homeowners are quickly installing outdoor shades. 3) Poolside Lounges Now we are really talking! Who doesn't love to kick back with their favorite cold beverage and spend some time relaxing next to the pool? That is what you can enjoy more completely when you set up a poolside lounge with outdoor shades. Poolside lounges are meant to be a place where you can spend several hours at a time. However, it can get pretty hot while doing so if you don't put some outdoor shades in place. Get those shades up so you can let all of your worries melt away as you take in the smell of pool water and sunscreen. 4) Garden Areas Do you enjoy a little gardening in your downtime? You might like it even more after setting up outdoor shades that protect you from the excessive heat of the sun. Gardening is labor-intensive work and can take several hours of diligent labor to do it properly. However, you don't want to overextend yourself and end up getting physically overworked. Keeping some of the sun away is an excellent way to ensure that you don't overdo it. Just make sure that you check up on the sunlight needs of the various plants that you intend to put into your garden before installing outdoor shades. 5) Exterior Windows Did you know that it is possible to reduce your energy bills by installing outdoor shades? It's true! If you place outdoor shades on the exterior windows of your home, you can reduce the strain placed on your air conditioning by naturally reducing the overall temperature within your living space. This means less money out of your pocket and more money for working on your next project.  There are many interesting places where homeowners are installing outdoor shades these days. For more creative ideas on what you can do with yours, reach out and contact us now.