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There are several more types or styles of window blinds than most people can list off the top of their heads, and thanks to the caffeinated folk in window blinds R&D, ever-more options being added to the list all the time.
What type of blinds are in style for 2021 reflects the evolving demands of blinds buyers, and the need to provide solutions to the sort of issues that weren’t really a problem historically; like how to stop passers-by from seeing into your home office without also blocking the light.
In this post I’ll share the most popular types of window blinds 2021 has to offer, in terms of designs and applications. In terms of popular colours and designs for blinds in 2021 as well as the actual styles of blinds (ie., Venetians, Romans, verticals and so on) that are currently dancing their way out of our Solihull factory and waving goodbye to their left-on-the-shelf friends, check out my other posts too. What blinds are in style in 2021: Colours and patterns and the ultimate guide to what type of blinds are in style 2021 edition.
The hot: What are the most popular types of window blinds for 2021?
The most popular types of blinds for 2021 include roller blinds, and faux wood blinds and real wood blinds, generally in shades of white (yes, there are shades of white, see also: magnolia paint) and grey.
The faux and the natural versions of Venetians look more or less identical to each other, but have some functional differences. People often pick real wood blinds because they’re made from a natural material, and our wood is sustainably forested to ensure they’re one of the most eco-friendly types of blinds too.
Faux-wood Venetians on the other hand cost a little less, and are a sound pick for humid rooms like kitchens or bathrooms, whereas real wood would warp over time in such environments due to exposure to moisture.
Our other highly popular blind type is the one that is always top of the list year on year due to their versatility and low cost. These are roller blinds in either blackout or dimout fabrics, again in shades of white and grey as well as natural tones (shades in the ivory-to-beige spectrum).
While these are the most popular types of window blinds 2021 has to offer, a large part of this popularity is the fact that blinds like these are a fairly evergreen pick; they’re not going to date poorly and don’t involve a bold, faddy colour or style choice that’s going to seem a little gauche in a couple of years.
Natural and eco-friendly blinds are in demand
Natural, eco-friendly window blinds are really popular in 2021. When we say eco-friendly blinds, for us this means those made from natural materials that are sustainably sourced, harvested, and processed, shipped for minimal environmental impact, and developed in partnership with ethical growers and brokers of raw materials like wood.
We get a lot of requests for vegan window blinds, or rather, window blinds that are in keeping with the vegan lifestyle ethos; we assume people aren’t eating them, but we’ve never actually thought to check.
Again, we’re doing our best to manufacture window blinds that are vegan-friendly, crafted from natural and sustainably acquired materials, and without the use of animal derivatives (such as within varnishes and waterproofing agents). We’re also committed to sourcing materials and using production process/substances that are not tested on animals nor on a wider scale, contributing to habitat destruction, and this is something that we put a lot of time and effort into.
Eco-friendly blinds should also be carbon-neutral, and even how we ship and store our raw materials is something that we consider carefully and review regularly.
All told, eco-friendly blinds are very popular, but what people come looking for under this heading, or the heading of vegan blinds for sale, can be variable.
Natural blinds (such as those made from real wood that is sustainably sourced and ethically managed) tend to lead the way in terms of demand, and natural wood is also an organic thermal insulator, allowing people who choose blinds like this to increase the energy efficiency of their homes.
This is another meaning of the term eco-friendly blinds and what many of our buyers look for under that heading; blinds to insulate a window, cutting both draughts and heating spend and of course, minimising the environmental impact of heating the home. Blackout roller blinds are an alternative option to real wooden blinds for this, and more affordable for many.
Roman blinds with a thermal blackout lining are another highly energy efficient type of blinds and very visually impressive, but these fall at quite the other end of the price spectrum!
Privacy blinds and zebra blinds are coming up fast
Privacy blinds, one style of which is known as zebra blinds (worth buying for the name alone, in my opinion) are another window blind type that’s really starting to take off in terms of popular demand.
These are blinds that enable you to increase the privacy of a room by stopping people outside from seeing in (a requirement that has arisen for the very first time for many people over the last year due to the need to work from home whilst also protecting the integrity of their work from strangers) without blocking the natural light.
There are a number of different types of blinds that tick this box, including Venetian blinds (due to their tilting slats) and vertical blinds (due to their slanting louvres). There are also some relative newcomers to the world of blinds in the UK that do the job, but which many people have never even heard of; like day and night blinds (a.k.a. zebra blinds) and double roller blinds too.
Day and night blinds/zebra blinds (or “vision blinds,” just to make your search even more extensive) are a type of roller blind that has fabric running up both the front and back of the bottom tube or roller (like those old-style hand towel loops that you don’t see any more as they’re basically plague, in contrast to regular rollers, which roll one way around the tube like toilet roll).
The fabric of a day and night blind is striped, alternating a solid band with a sheer/opaque band, which means that just a minor adjustment of the controls allows you to turn the window fully opaque but allow light to enter, block the light entirely, or filter for a half-and-half type of effect.
Double roller blinds are basically a pair of roller blinds with one in front of the other, sharing a single header bracket. The fabric of the back roller is sheer, and at the front, blackout; giving you the option to block light entirely or filter it to let the sun in but keep the watchful gaze of nosy neighbours out.
Got questions?
There’s quite a lot of info to consider here if you want to know what’s hot in blinds right now, or what new types of blinds there are to consider if you’re in the market for some.
If you want to find out more about day and night blinds or get some advice on what sort of blind would work best for a specific requirement, ask me in the comments or contact me.
