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06 Feb 2023

Balancing privacy and light-flow: what to look for in your shades

INSPIRATION

As urban density increases, privacy is becoming a crucial consideration in guiding our choice of window coverings. Most of us don’t want to be waving at our neighbours while we’re enjoying a morning coffee, or relaxing on the couch in our pyjamas! 

At the same time, ensuring a positive flow of light and air into our interiors is also vital for temperature control, and for our family’s health and wellbeing.

So, when choosing new shades for your windows and doors, it’s therefore important to find options which allow you to block the view from outside, without impeding the flow of air and light into your home. This is where the Luxaflex Soft Shades range is ideal.  

When choosing shades for your home, here are some of the things you may want to consider: 

Mix it up from room to room

When it comes to shades, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ solution. Not all rooms in your home are the same – and your privacy requirements will no doubt differ from one room to the next. 

There are a variety of different styles and operating models for Luxaflex Window Coverings, as well as different fabric types and levels of opacity. 

Luxaflex® Luminette® Privacy Sheers, for instance, come in two opacities: translucent and room-darkening – meaning they can be used in various different scenarios. They offer an elegant alternative to traditional curtains, and feature a softly curved, vertical design with integrated fabric vales, for a striking interior statement. 

Luxaflex® Pirouette Shadings also allow you to customise the level of privacy you require, through your choice of room darkening or translucent fabric opacities. Room darkening fabrics provide privacy without complete darkness when closed, while translucent fabrics deliver privacy and a soft, natural glow.

A Luxaflex consultant can also work with you to ensure that you’re able to maintain a consistent look throughout your home – even with different types of shades in different spaces. 


Consider form and function

Your choice of shades will also depend a great deal on the size of your doors or windows, and how they function in your home.   

Luxaflex® Luminette® Privacy Sheers, for instance, are ideal for large windows or sliding doors as they run vertically, and can be easily opened like curtains – from side to side, or from the centre. They also allow a soft and flattering light to filter through, while maintaining an element of privacy.  

If you’re looking for a solution that doesn’t need to open completely – and which enables you to permanently filter the flow of light into a space, Luxaflex® LumiShade® Window Coverings can be an ideal option. The soft vertical fabric provides daytime privacy whilst allowing a soft view through. You can easily adjust the level of privacy and light to suit your requirements by rotating the fabric vanes halfway. Then, to block light, close the shades completely.

Luxaflex® Duette® Shades are also great for windows which may be shaped unusually (such as an arch or skylight), or for windows which attract quite different light at different times of the day. They have unique top-down/bottom-up operation, which means they can be used to shade either the top or bottom section of your window – depending where the light hits.    

Luxaflex Silhouette® Shadings are another flexible option, and are ideal for spaces where you require low-level privacy through the day, and more serious privacy in the evening. They have unique S-shaped vanes that float between two sheer panels, to beautifully diffuse the light into your room. When the vanes are tilted, you can block the outside view into your home.


Don’t forget to prioritise temperature control

While soft shades play an important role in maintaining privacy throughout your home, they can also be crucially important in helping you trap or block sunlight – thus reducing your heating and cooling costs. 

When choosing a shade for a particular room, it’s important to think about its orientation. How much direct sunlight hits that particular door/window – and for how many hours a day? And based on this, what type of shades will be the most effective?

While all Luxaflex Soft Shades are designed to provide thermal protection, Luxaflex®  Duette® Shades are specifically engineered to offer levels of energy efficiency in both cold and warm climates. The cellular construction of the Duette® Honeycomb Shades traps air in distinct pockets, which creates insulation that can help lower your energy consumption and energy bills.

Luxaflex® LumiShade® window coverings can also help you block sunlight, and have durable properties such as fade resistance and Ultra Violet (UV) protection, which can also help preserve the fabric and home furnishings from fading.


Ask about automation solutions

A great advantage of using a Luxaflex provider is that you have the option of PowerView® Automation with all of your soft shades. This means that you can schedule your window coverings to open and close on their own, at any time of day, with the touch of a button, a tap on a mobile device, or even the sound of your voice. 

This means that if you’re out for the evening, or away on holidays, you can still keep your home’s interiors out of view.  

You can read more about PowerView Automation here.


WANT TO FIND OUT MORE?

If you’re interested in finding out more about keeping your home cooler in summer using Luxaflex window coverings, the first step is to speak with us today by arranging a consultation with a local Luxaflex dealer.