The arrival of winter signals the return of heaters and longer hours of leaving the lights on, which can rack up the bills quite a bit, leaving many worrying about possible methods to reduce energy costs at home during this period.
Fret not! Our team at Home Vision Blinds has several tips to keep your home warm and toasty in style without breaking the bank!
Uncovered windows, especially single-glazed ones, aren’t great at keeping the cold out and are the primary source of heat loss in many New Zealand homes. This continuous loss of warmth can then contribute to an overworked heater, left on for longer to ensure that the room remains heated well into the night.
Quality window blinds can help retain warmth and prevent heat loss. Here’s what to look out for when installing blinds in NZ to ensure you’re getting the most out of them.
The design of a blind doesn’t only serve to elevate the visual appeal of a room; it is also a great way to reduce energy costs at home. Light-coloured blinds made from thick and tightly woven fabrics are perfect for trapping heat and keeping the intended room well insulated.
Different styles and types of blinds are perfect for layering up and can be used to change up your room design while also maintaining control over the preferred level of insulation. Sunscreen and blackout roller blinds, for example, make a great pairing, allowing you to choose between regulating and eliminating sunlight.
Sunscreen blinds are lightly woven to provide privacy while still letting natural sunlight and warmth in during the day. Blackout blinds are thicker and often made of thermal fabrics, ideal as a second layer at night to retain warmth. A second layer of blinds also creates pockets of air between the window and blinds that are perfect for insulating your home, keeping it warm during winter and cool during summer.
Ensure your blinds fit snugly around all sides of the window, ideally touching the floor. This stops warm air from seeping through the cracks and prevents cold air from entering the room and cooling it down.
Keep the blinds open during the day and close them as soon as it gets dark. In addition to making the most of the daylight, utilising the sun to warm your home naturally by day and your blinds to insulate your home by night can effectively reduce energy costs at home.
We understand how tricky it is to keep your home well heated and illuminated in winter. High-quality blinds are a worthwhile investment to reduce energy costs at home during the cooler winter months, and our team at Home Vision Blinds can customise the perfect blinds to suit your needs all year round. Get in touch for a free measure and quote today.
Choosing the perfect blind deserves a good amount of thought and consideration. How to choose window blinds depends on the room, the functionality, style, and budget one is working with.
With so many types of window treatments available, choosing the perfect fit might seem daunting. A window blind or shutter can be a make-or-break element in a room’s styling and usefulness. To help you choose the perfect blind or shade for your home, here are some things to consider.
Fashion is fleeting, but function is forever. A great place to start when choosing window blinds is to think about what you need them to achieve. This generally differs from room to room, so having a one-size-fits-all blind or shade will likely not work for the whole house.
There are a few things to consider to ensure you’re choosing the right window treatments for your need.
Light plays a large part in the look, feel, and function of a room. When considering how to choose a window blind that fits perfectly in your space, think about how much light you want to let in or keep out.
Much of this will depend on which room you install blinds or shades in. For example, living areas are more welcoming with large swathes of light, whereas even the smallest drips of sunlight in the bedroom can be more annoying than ambient. It also depends on the direction the room faces. For example, if you’re installing blinds in Auckland, a north-facing room will get much more sunlight and could benefit from sunscreen blinds to help filter harsh UV rays. For light-friendly spaces, try classic white Venetian blinds to let beams trickle into the room. If you’re looking for a heavier blind with more coverage, a full roller blind is a perfect choice. Try installing the blind outside of the window frame to ensure you’re blocking as much of the window as possible.
There are many ways to manipulate how a space is experienced. One of the more subtle, but most impactful ways of creating a certain mise en scene (a certain aesthetic) is through your window treatments.
Recessed blinds can create a more spacious feel to enlarge small spaces. On the contrary, a heavy blind positioned outside a window frame can enhance the intimacy of large spaces that might otherwise feel empty.
The colour of a blind can also affect the perceived size of a space. Light or neutral tones open out a space, whereas monochromatic or dark, moody colours can be inviting and cosy for those wanting to curl up in a comfy spot.
Like we said at the start, functionality is the main element to consider when choosing window blinds. Think about how and when you use the room each day. For example, a bathroom will need blinds of a sturdier nature, made from material that won’t soak up moisture or invite mould. Think PVC shutters or vinyl blinds here.
If it’s a lounge area or bedroom where the blinds are being opened and closed multiple times daily, save yourself some hassle by installing motorised blinds. They’re fuss-free and fun to use, telling us it’s the little things that can really make our day!
Budget is the last but not the least important thing to consider when choosing your blinds. Fitting out an entire house with blinds or shutters is an expensive operation, so think about where you want to spend your money and when.
A good tactic is to install good quality blinds that last the test of time, so you’re saving money in the long term. Otherwise, consider which rooms will benefit most from more expensive but durable blinds, and spend your hard-earned cash there!
While style is secondary to function, you should still think about it. The style will influence the way your chosen blinds fit within your home. If you’re looking to create space with a more traditional look, install wood or faux wood blinds to create a homely and understated feel.
A sleek and modern look may include a monochrome colour palette to create contrast and edge in space. Think white walls with black or dark roller blinds. Long metallic vertical blinds can also be a striking way to bring boldness into your home.
Floral blinds aren’t a common choice, but they are a statement. A room can be plain and staid with neutral palettes or just lack a little bit of fun. Floral or patterned blinds can help brighten a space, making it happy and light with pops of colour and detail the eye will love to explore.
If you’ve got a vision in mind for your home, Home Vision Blinds are the way to go for all your window treatments. Offering fast, friendly, and quality service from our HQ in Auckland, we have a range of blinds and shutters to perfectly complement your home. For a free measure and quote, give us a call or send us a message to see how we can help you choose the right blinds for your space.
When it comes to home decorating, we all have our own styles. However, knowing how to express these preferences in our décor can be a bit of a challenge. For example, we may love the colour yellow, but that doesn’t mean our walls or custom made blinds should all be bright yellow. Knowing how to complement colours and harmonise our environment takes practice.
When decorating your home, it’s a good idea to keep it simple and follow some basic principles. In this blog post, we reveal home decorating tips for beginners who are new to interior design. Learn how to add texture, choose colours, add personality, and more.
Start by acquainting yourself with several different styles, including what design trends are popular at the moment, to get an idea on what styles and decorating ideas you like. Through research, you can gain inspiration and begin developing a harmonious look and feel for your own space.
It’s best to take things slowly and decide which items will be your big-ticket ones. The best pieces of furniture to splurge on are couches and beds; the visually heavy items will draw attention, so you want them to look nice.
Each room should have a focal point, such as an interesting piece of art, a fireplace, or a nice couch. A unique feature will draw viewers’ attention and is a great way to make a room feel more personalised and visually appealing.
Regarding colour, neutral walls will give you the greatest decorating flexibility, allowing you to easily switch up your accessories. Similarly, if you have two small rooms next to each other, painting them the same neutral colour helps them feel larger.
To achieve balance in every room, pay attention to scale, proportion, colour, and texture. Think about the scale of the room you are decorating and figure out what can realistically fit within that space, without overcrowding it. Next, pay attention to the proportion (shape and size) of each item, and make sure they visually complement each other.
Lastly, to create a harmonious setting, you need to have some sense of order, repetition, and fluidity. This can be achieved through the colours, shapes, and textures you choose.
A well-designed room can be spoiled by poor lighting, so make sure to factor lighting into your budget. Each room should include three lighting sources: ambient, task, and accent.
Mirrors can also make a space feel brighter, as they bounce the light around the room. However, don’t forget the most important lighting of all—the natural lighting from your windows. If you’re planning to enhance the lighting in a room, first consider what you can do to bring in more natural light.
Using window blinds is the easiest way to add style to a room while also maximising the amount of light entering the room. While curtains are bulky and block out light even when drawn open, the efficient, compact design of blinds makes lighting your room easy!
Finally, remember your home is not a showroom, so don’t try to make it look like the professional photos you see online or in interior design classes. These are meant to show off design principles and furniture, rather than be lived in. Instead, employ more eclectic or sentimental pieces so that your house has the perfect balance of gorgeous design and liveability.
Apart from the beautiful aesthetics of custom-made blinds, they have a very practical and necessary job to do as well. Prolonged direct contact with the sun’s rays can be diverted, reduced, or blocked using window blinds. This can help prevent your furniture from fading, and thus save you on the time and cost of having to replace them. There is no doubt that blinds add a rich and stylish look to the room, and are an affordable and easy way to enhance the beauty of your walls and windows.
Blinds are available in a range of different prices, colours, and designs, and here at Home Vision Blinds, we have very reasonable prices to suit your budget. We supply all types of custom-made blinds, including vertical blinds Auckland-wide. Get in touch for a free in-home consultation and order quality blinds today.
The last two years have seen Kiwis taking to home renovations with gusto, as we endured lockdowns and border closures and spent more time within the confines of our own homes. So, if you need some creative inspiration for your next home renovation or your first home, check out our predictions for the top window blind trends in 2022 and beyond!
Vertical blinds have a relaxed and graceful aesthetic, with a simple mechanism making them more accessible. Some modern versions even come with motorised mechanisms, which make operating them a lot easier.
Many homeowners spent 2021 renovating and changing their windows for larger sizes to give their interiors more natural light. The loose spacing and wide slats of vertical blinds offer a relaxed look, making them ideal for larger windows. When used properly, vertical blinds can make your entire room feel more spacious.
Home decorating trends have developed a modern twist on the idea of bringing the outdoors in. This is achieved by including natural wood finishes mixed with earthy colour pallets, combining to create a calming and natural ambience. Roller blinds continue to be another very popular trend for 2022 and are available in a variety of earth tone colours, textures, and hardware options, making them an ideal choice for the trending naturistic colour pallet.
Woven wood Roman blinds are also trending as a great way to bring the elements of nature inside the home to create an architectural feel. The natural woven woods give these shades an organic texture. It is no surprise that after the exigencies of the last two years, many homeowners have a renewed interest in bringing elements of the outdoors into their home décor.
Alternately, sheer shadings are another on-trend option for 2022. Sheer blinds provide soft diffused natural light and yet another way to invite the outdoors in. These blinds are constructed with a unique combination of front and back sheers, with floating adjustable fabric vanes to create maximum visibility outside, while maintaining a soft diffused glow inside the home.
Additionally, many homeowners are working toward upgrading their homes to include smart home automation technology. This has also sparked a trend for automated window coverings. Motorised shades can be programmed to block out harmful UV rays during peak daylight hours and timed perfectly for privacy during the times when you need it most.
Another exciting window blind trend is energy-efficient window blinds, which are now a top choice for environmentally aware homeowners, and eco-friendly and locally sourced materials will continue to rise in popularity in 2022. Venetian blinds in Auckland will continue to offer people exceptional light and heat control without compromising on the view they spend more time appreciating.
With over 30 years of experience in manufacturing, we are one of the largest blinds manufacturers in New Zealand. As more and more people are becoming ecologically conscious, this is extending to the way we decorate our interiors.
We have established, ever since we started the business, that producing locally means you get the highest quality at factory prices. It also means that all labour laws are adhered to and that there isn’t nearly as much transportation needed. Buying locally made windows blinds has been a trend for some time now, and it would seem it’s going to be as strong as ever during this next year.
Our friendly, experienced team is happy to advise you on your window solution options, so request a free measure and quote today to get started!
Sleep is essential to our physical and mental wellbeing. And yet, nearly four in ten Kiwis don’t get enough of it. Insufficient sleep can exact a serious toll on our energy, productivity, emotional balance, and even our weight.
Fortunately, the experts at Home Vision Blinds know just how to get a good night’s sleep. The answer is simply consistency, healthy habits, and self-care! Below, we’ll look at some of the simplest ways you can improve your sleep cycle.
Try to go to bed and get up at around the same time every day, scheduling time for seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Many poor sleepers actually spend far too much time in bed, creating a fragmented sleep habit.
Remember, your bed is for sleeping, not entertainment. Hand-held electronic devices, such as smartphones or iPads can interfere with your sleep. More than a few minutes of screen time in bed, even if it isn’t cutting into your scheduled sleep time, can throw off what’s known as your circadian rhythm, the internal clock your body uses to maintain a natural sleep cycle.
The blue wavelengths from digital screens interrupt the part of our brain that produces melatonin, your sleep hormone. We need to be vigilant in protecting our sleeping environment from these disturbances, so make sure you have a quiet, dark room with good temperature control and darkened windows.
Blackout roller blinds are the easiest and most economical window treatment available to shield you from annoying streetlights, the glare of the full moon, and even early sunrises. Headlights, street lamps, and even moonlight can disrupt a good night’s sleep, even when you’ve done everything else in your power to make your bedroom an optimal sleeping environment. Blackout blinds are often the missing piece.
We spend one-third of our lives asleep, so an ideal sleeping environment is a crucial element of your home. Bedroom window treatments need special consideration in controlling light, together with expressing good taste. Your bedroom should be the place that you look forward to retiring every night, as your body naturally craves a darkened room for an optimal sound sleep.
Roller blinds tick all the boxes; they’re easy to use, low-maintenance, cost-effective, and stylish. We offer roller blinds in a wide range of textures and colours, as well as three types of fabric choices, depending on whether you intend to simply filter light or block it out entirely.
Explore our range of quality window blinds in NZ, today and request a free measure and quote to get started!
| Renovations are a great way to add value to your home, but not all upgrades will deliver a worthwhile return on investment. A new kitchen or bathroom installation is a financial consideration to be aware of. These can become very expensive but you have cheaper options at your disposal to add value to your home. |
Blinds are a great way to add value without breaking the bank. They make a house appear more spacious, stylish, and comfortable, all for a fraction of the cost of a disruptive remodelling project. Here at Home Vision Blinds, we have a few tips on choosing the right blinds from our range of blinds in Auckland. We can also assist with some other ideas when renovating to add value. Learn more below!
Kitchen improvements, such as replacing the flooring, benchtops, or cabinet doors can make any kitchen look almost like new. However, if you are thinking of a complete kitchen refit, keep in mind the value of your house and what return you are likely to see on your investment.
Importantly, whichever you decide will depend on the style and value of the house. A modest house does not suit a luxury kitchen, but new fittings and appliances can change the look of a kitchen without needing an entire kitchen renovation.
A new en-suite or bathroom can increase the value of your property by 5%, but if you are giving an existing bathroom a makeover, consider adding underfloor heating or a rain shower for a splash of luxury. Adding an en-suite can be a game-changer, but doing so can be costly. Think about working within an existing bathroom footprint, where modernising can be achieved with a new vanity, mirror, or a coat of paint. New tiling will also go a long way to adding value in the right place.
If the house is older, keep in mind that plumbing might be an issue in deciding how far you want to go on a bathroom renovation, especially if you intend to sell.
Windows are often treated as a feature rather than a potential centrepiece, but they can be a great chance to add value without too much expense. Blinds and curtains can drastically change the look and energy efficiency of your house, and our custom-made Venetian, roller, vertical, sunscreen, and shutter blinds can be the cherry on the top of a well-designed home.
We have been in the business of creating custom blinds for over thirty years, and have seen the way they elevate a home, adding value to change your home for the better.
Blinds are our passion and innovation is in our blood, so we are here to help you when you need to add value to your home, whether you have just bought a property or are looking to sell. We are constantly improving and extending our product range, and have a huge selection of blinds on offer, giving you access to the latest fabric trends and different styles.
Talk to our passionate and experienced consultants today to help you choose the ideal blinds for your newly renovated home
What’s hot and what’s not in the world of blinds? Blinds are the most popular type of window treatment in the world today. Thanks to their high functionality and style, they offer countless style options for your space. Contemporary design is a modern style that generally incorporates neutral colours, clean lines, and natural materials, and is popular for its simplicity and classic elegance.
Contemporary design is constantly changing. Wood blinds are an excellent choice thanks to their natural finish and materials, which work well in a contemporary home. There is also a huge resurgence in the popularity of vertical blinds in NZ.
Check out some window blinds ideas to put the finishing touch on your stylish contemporary space.
This year might as well be renamed The Year of the Home Office. Specifically, so many of our customers who invested in blinds over the past year came to us looking for the best blinds for a home office. As home offices became a thing, vertical blinds came full circle, again appreciated for their effectiveness in a workplace setting, particularly in your home office. Screen glare, dimout, or light filtering blinds are great solutions for a home office.
Not every blinds purchaser in 2021 bought for a home office, but the type of blinds that have proven popular this year does reflect—and is greatly influenced by—last year’s sudden growth in working from home.
Vertical blinds have undergone something of a resurgence this year and are well worth a second look. They now come with a refashioned contemporary headrail style, a choice of finishes and colours, and the versatility to suit tall, wide and other difficult windows.
Vertical blinds are cost-effective to maintain (you can replace individual verticals if they are damaged in any way) and provide great light and heat control. Customer feedback over 20 years has empowered us to make constant improvements to our vertical blinds’ components and design.
Roller blinds have been the most popular blinds in 2021, as they have been for every year we’ve been selling blinds online. This is due in part to the fact that they have customisation options that can tackle most blinds challenges. They come in a wide range of patterns and styles, and like for like, are the lowest cost blinds as a rule as well.
Roller blinds tick all the boxes. They’re easy to use, cost-effective, and stylish. They’re also available in three types of fabric choices, depending on whether you intend to simply filter light or block it out entirely. All of our roller blinds have the option of child-safety chain stabilisers.
The enduring popularity of the stylish Venetian blind owes to their effectiveness in managing heat and light. They are the tried-and-true way to control the natural light in any room and, as our most versatile solution, they offer an affordable yet trendy way to reduce glare in your home or office.
The beautiful thing about Venetian blinds is that they can adapt to the changing environment around them. They are still relevant today because they have adapted well to the modern perspectives of contemporary style.
At Home Vision Blinds, innovation is in our blood. We’re constantly improving and extending our product range. We keep the range up to date by attending international exhibitions, which means you always have access to the latest trends. Our friendly, experienced team is happy to advise you on your window solution options, so talk to your passionate and experienced consultants today!
Spring leads to spring cleaning and spring-cleaning often leads to many more comprehensive ways to freshen up your home. This is especially true as the days lengthen, and the excitement of warmer weather inspires our creative endeavours. After months of cold and dreary weather, many of us feel the urge to spruce up our homes and embrace the energy that comes with the new season.
At Home Vision Blinds, we have lots of practical and creative ideas, ranging from bringing the outdoors in, dressing up your walls and rearranging the furniture, to refreshing your window treatments with, for instance, some new vertical blinds. Without further ado, let’s look at the ways you can revamp your home.
The quickest and easiest way to create a sense of the outdoors/indoors is with plants! Whether real or faux, the addition of greenery to your indoor space will instantly add a sense of calm and make a great choice for those who may not have the luxury of outdoor space. Indoor gardens go beyond just a collection of houseplants; well-planned indoor greenery and can add a wow factor to any space. Think about combining foliage of different sizes and shapes, as well as plants of different heights and growing habits.
There are plenty of creative ways you can update your room with colour. Create accent walls by choosing a bold colour that adds glamour or, if you want a more subdued effect, choose understated, neutral hues to match your interior design style.
Spring suggests bright white, pastels, and calming neutrals, so, after you’ve packed away the dark, warm colours of winter, try incorporating a few lighter colours into the mix. Consider swapping out a wall of colourful family photos for a serene arrangement of black and whites or vibrant greens and blues.
Opening your windows to the spring weather will create a freshness you’ll no doubt have longed for in the winter months. Sprucing up your window treatments can also make your home feel bigger. While those dark-coloured blinds felt right in the winter, consider swapping them for pastels or crisp white blinds.
Aside from cleaning your windows to let in more natural light, you can also update your old curtains to new, budget-friendly window treatments that add elegance and privacy to your home. Consider more economical options that allow your window coverings to change with the seasons.
To bring the light indoors this spring, choose the right window blinds! For example, Venetian blinds are compact and stylish, offering efficient light control and timeless elegance to any setting. Similarly, the efficiency and modern design of sunscreen roller blinds make them an excellent solution as well.
Venetian blinds are a tried-and-true way to control the natural light in any room. As our most versatile solution, they offer an affordable yet stylish way to reduce glare in your home. At Home Vision Blinds, we create high-quality Venetian blinds in New Zealand, and our designs can be customised to suit any home style.
If you are in the market for some beautiful window treatments, why not explore our range online today?
Now that WFH (working from home) has become a common element of our professional lives, many have taken a long, hard look at our once temporary office spaces and found them lacking in both style and substance. When you work in a home office, the quality of lighting in your workspace can make or break your productivity, so it is important to allow as much natural lighting as possible.
We need to avoid working under the glare of overhead lights, so home office window treatments are recommended, whether your office is separate or integrated as part of a kitchen or bedroom. To create a space in which you can feel motivated and productive, take some tips from our design team at Home Vision Blinds, with our pick of the best shutters and blinds Auckland wide.
Natural lighting in the office is considered one of the most important factors in retaining happy and productive employees, and the home office is no exception. To use natural light, you need to select suitable window treatments that allow light and sunlight in.
Access to natural light has a range of benefits for us, many of which contribute to improved productivity in the work environment. A 2017 study conducted by Cornell Univeristy showed that employees who were exposed to natural light suffered from 51% less eye strain and 63% fewer headaches than those who saw no natural light during the day.
Considering the positive impact natural light has on individuals and their performance, it makes sense for us to do whatever we can to introduce more into the office. One of the best window treatments to create natural light in your home office is the use of solar shades, which give your office modern elegance and functionality at the same time. They also eliminate glare on televisions, computer screens and phones, and come with both cordless and motorised options. Light-filtering roller and solar shades block UV rays from damaging your equipment and furniture, diffusing the light coming into the office, creating a perfect ambience for work.
Another compatible type of window treatment is sunscreen roller blinds sunscreen roller blinds which increase natural light, creating a barrier that the sun cannot fully get through. You can still have natural light coming through while enjoying the view from your window.
As your office is, after all, part of your home, you want it to blend in with the rest of the house, and for this requirement, you can choose roller blinds, especially for a busy office. They can be pulled right up to allow the room to flood with light, and when pulled down they become almost invisible, making them ideal for a smaller space.
Another great tip for today’s modern office is to synchronise your blinds with your devices, so everything is ready when you walk in the door. You can then adjust your blinds with a remote control such as your iPhone, Apple Home or Google Home Assistant, without leaving your chair.
Finally, you can create a sleek, stylish interior with Home Vision Blinds’ cost-effective window treatment, vertical blinds. These are New Zealand’s favourite for the office, providing great heat and light control.
We have a huge range of stylish and sophisticated window treatment ideas, including Venetian blinds, a tried-and-tested way to control the natural light in any room. As our most versatile solution, they offer a time-tested alternative to reducing glare in your home office.
White shutters are also popular for anywhere in the home, but particularly in a WFH space, offering privacy, without sacrificing light, so come on down today to choose the window treatment you prefer for your home office.
Window blinds come in all shapes and sizes, but they all share the same objective: to control light and privacy. But what if you have some unusual window shapes, such as arches, octagons, bows, bays, or skylights? Your standard blinds may not have the flexibility to cope!
Fortunately, at Home Vision Blinds, we have a huge variety of specialist blinds that can be used to enhance any hard-to-decorate window.
No matter what size or shape your windows might be, we can supply custom blinds in NZ, choosing from a huge range of styles and designs, so read on to discover the best options for your tricky windows.
Roller blinds tick a lot of boxes, as you can mount individual blinds to each pane of glass, offering a dramatic increase in light and privacy control. They also come in a wide range of textures and colours. At Home Vision Blinds, we offer three types of fabric choices, depending on whether you want to simply filter light or block it out entirely.
Similarly, you can use shutters for ovals, hexagons, and half-circles, making them one of the most versatile choices available. Shaped shutters can accentuate a window, helping it stand out as a design feature and enhancing the character of the house. Shutter blinds are a great fit for many unconventional window shapes—including arched windows—because their panel structure allows you to match the shape of the window.
Venetian blinds are a great fit for awning windows. Their setup allows them to remain drawn when the awning window is pushed open, and the window’s top-mounted hinge will protect the blinds from the elements. By opening the slats, you can even avoid your blinds tossing in the breeze!
Finally, vertical blinds feature vertical louvres, making them a great fit for larger windows. They can be custom-made with a curved headrail for those oddly shaped windows. Their high level of privacy control makes them a great choice for bay windows, and their tracks can follow the contours of bay windows with ease.
With our passion for blinds, we have created a wide range, with options such as automated blinds to suit architectural builds, to hard-wearing options for rental properties. Our friendly, professional team is happy to advise you on your window solution options, so talk to our experienced consultants today!
Need some assistance choosing, measuring, or installing blinds for tricky window shapes?
Book an appointment and ask for expert advice from our friendly service team; we’ll be happy to help.
