Vertical blinds
The workhorse for large sliding doors and commercial windows. Verticals stack clear of the doorway, so you can still walk through with the blind closed off to one side — which a roller on a wide opening cannot do.
Available in fabric, PVC insert or timber slats. Two slat widths: the 90 mm, which is the more elegant of the two and the one we prefer, and the more affordable 127 mm.
Hangs like a vertical, reads like a curtain
A Vertivoile swaps the solid fabric slat for a translucent voile one. It still draws and rotates like a vertical blind, but the light comes through it and the whole thing falls in soft folds — so it does the job of a sheer curtain without a rail, a track or anything to launder.
Where it earns its place is a large wraparound window like this one. Curtains at that width are heavy, expensive and always in the way. A solid vertical would work but would read severe and shut the room off from the garden.
You get privacy from outside, the glare comes off the window, and you can still see the courtyard. Ask us to bring the voile samples out with the standard fabrics so you can hold the two up side by side.
The two choices that matter
Slat width changes how the blind looks. How the bottom is weighted changes how it looks even more, and most people do not know it is a choice.
90 mm or 127 mm slats
We prefer the 90 mm — the narrower slat gives a finer, more elegant drape. The 127 mm is the more affordable of the two, with fewer slats across the opening, and it still looks good on a large window.
Chain and weights, or sewn-in weights
Sewn-in weights give a much cleaner finish, with nothing hanging across the bottom of the blind. It is what most people choose for a living room once they know it exists.
Fabric, PVC or timber
Fabric in dim-out, blackout or solar screen. PVC wipes clean and handles damp, which makes it the sensible choice for a bathroom or a coastal room.
Specification
Looking after them
Close the slats flat and vacuum them with a brush attachment, then spot clean marks with a cloth barely damp with clean water. Fabric slats can usually be unhooked from the headrail and laid flat, which is far easier than working at the window. PVC slats simply wipe down.
Do not machine wash fabric slats. They are stiffened, and washing takes the stiffener out, after which the slats hang crooked and no amount of ironing brings them back.
A silicone spray along the rail once in a while keeps the carriers running freely. It is the single easiest thing you can do to extend the life of a vertical blind.
Questions we get about vertical blinds
My slats hang crooked or twist
Most often a slat that has been machine washed and lost its stiffener, or a broken carrier in the headrail. Individual slats and carriers can be replaced without redoing the blind, and a silicone spray on the rail prevents a lot of it. More on repairs →
Can I get rid of the chain at the bottom?
Yes — ask for sewn-in weights instead. Nothing hangs across the bottom and the blind reads as a much cleaner line. Worth specifying up front, because it is not the default everywhere.
What is a Vertivoile?
A sheer vertical. Instead of solid fabric slats you get translucent voile ones, so the blind hangs and draws like a vertical but reads like a curtain and lets the light through. It gives you privacy and softens a harsh window without shutting the room off. Best on a big wraparound window where curtains would be heavy and a solid vertical would be too severe. See the photographs above.
Which width should I choose?
If the budget allows, the 90 mm. The narrower slat gives a finer, more elegant drape and it is the one we would choose ourselves. The 127 mm is the more affordable option and it still looks good, particularly on a wide opening where fewer slats read as calmer. Ask us to quote both.
Which material for a bathroom or a coastal room?
PVC. It wipes clean and it handles damp far better than fabric or timber. Same rule of thumb applies though — if you get steam on your mirrors, you will have trouble in that room whatever the blind is made of.