In the past most people kitchens were just a place to cook and clean clothes. The kitchen used to be one of the smallest rooms in the home, and as such, featured very little in the way of design statements or grand décor. Things have changed however and most people now want much more for their kitchen area.

The kitchen has been changed from a room where you cooked dinner to a room where you cook, dine, entertain and has become the family focal point of a home. Because of this, many people need more space in their once small kitchen so have some form of kitchen extension to create more room. If you have a kitchen extension one thing you will need to make sure of is that there is plenty of light in the room.

Creating a new room gives you loads of design options but one thing that you must get right is the amount of light. If you install Velux windows in you kitchen ceiling, you can get the light you want and using Velux window blinds you can stop the light from entering when you want to create the perfect dining ambience.

We often ask the question whether blinds are better than curtains. Blinds of course offer many window covering solutions that curtains do not, however can you have both curtains and blinds at the same window?

If you are quite traditional then there is a good chance that curtains will feature on most windows in your home. Curtains are great because they can be closed and opened when you want and add an extra form of decoration to the room where they are installed. This means that you are not only giving the room the option of being more private when you want but also adding style and glamour to the room.

If you like things a little more modern, then perhaps you prefer blinds at your windows. Blinds are now available in many stylish types and because they offer such a great level of adjustability you can change the light effect in the room just by twisting a switch or pulling a cord.

So can you install curtains and blinds on the same windows to get the best of both worlds? Yes, you can, on most windows in the home and the effects can look really great. If you have Velux windows, curtains aren’t really necessary however, so you can choose from a variety of options for these windows that complement the other window dressings in your home.

The rising popularity of Velux window blinds has led to manufacturers introducing them in a number of different types and styles.

In addition to the modern look that they can give to your home, another fantastic thing about these blinds is that they allow you to control the amount of sunlight that enters your home, which in itself has many benefits.

Allowing excessive sunlight to enter your home can not only lead to rooms getting overheated in the warmer months, it can also cause your furniture to fade.

With Velux window blinds, you can angle the slats in order to direct sunlight to different angles, or stop it from entering completely.

Standard Velux blinds, such as pleated and roller blinds offer gentle sunlight control, although don’t make a room completely dark. If you’re looking to block out sunlight in a room completely, you should opt for Velux blackout blinds. These blinds have the ability to make a room look completely dark- even in the middle of a sunny day.

If you’re looking for enhanced sunlight control in your home, Velux window blinds are a great solution.

Velux blinds are a very popular choice for modern homes, and they are now being chosen as an alternative to curtains. These blinds are the perfect way to change the look of your home or a room without your bank account having to suffer.

Velux blinds offer a much more contemporary look than curtains- which have a tendency to look dated. Thick heavy curtains not only look old fashioned, but can also attract tonnes of dust. As blinds are so light any airy, dust is kept to a minimum and can quickly and easily be dusted off.

These blinds can really lift the look of a room- particularly blinds in lighter colours. Bulky curtains can make a room look dark and dingy even when they are drawn aside- using Velux blinds eliminates this.

As the blinds are available in a number of different styles and sizes, you can easily choose some that complement and enhance the existing decor in your home.

So, if you want to give your home a little lift, purchasing Velux blinds is the perfect way to achieve it.

As the name suggests, the Duo Velux blind is two products in one. They are blackout blinds as well as pleated blinds, so can look stunning as well as blocking out all the sunlight.

You can use the subtle pleated blind for less extreme light control during the day and the blackout blind for if you want to block out any light at night, or if you want to sleep during the day.

The pleated blind comes in plenty of different colours and designs, so you can closely match it to the decoration in your room. Also, it can be pulled down as far as you like, giving you the best control.

You could even have the pleated blind pulled down the whole way and the blackout blind only half-way, to block out any direct sun rays.

These blinds are great for any bedrooms or rooms where the sunlight can be harsh and can prevent you working, sleeping or watching television. They can allow your room to be lit with natural light, but prevent your being inconvenienced by it.

These blinds are only available in certain sizes though, so make sure you measure your window properly before ordering or buying any.

Velux blinds are really versatile – so much so you can choose a style to suit your room, a material to suit the decor, a size to fit the window exactly as well as choosing the operating system you want.

Here’s a brief explanation of the different operating systems available for blinds:

Pull down
The usual pull-down strip option is the most common, where the bottom of the Velux blind is a ridge that you can easily hook your fingers onto.

Another pull-down option is a small handle in the centre of the blind edge. You can just pull down on this handle and close your blind that way.

Electronic/remote control
Electronically operated systems are available where you have a small remote control with buttons to control the blind’s movements.

Venetian control
Venetian blinds offer you more control over the amount of light that enters your room, as the horizontal slats tilt up and down to block light or let it in. This can be controlled via a remote control or manually, depending on which method you prefer.

The type of blind you get will depend on what control options you have. Roller blinds, for example, are usually only available with manual control, but Venetian blinds come with any of the above options.

Having an attic room can bring a whole new dimension to your home. Sometimes it works just as another bedroom, with properly built stairs, so it’s like having three floors. Sometimes it can be like a den for the kids, where they have to pull down a ladder to get in, and can close the hatch afterwards, making it a ‘secret’ hideaway.

Preventing your attic room being dim can be a real bother with electric lights, as the rooms are usually smaller – so any lamps seem to take up much more space.

Having a skylight fitted can fix these problems in one fell swoop. It takes up no more room than the ceiling/walls anyway, and it provides ample light during the daytime.

Another problem with attic rooms is that they can become very stuffy as they’re at the top of the house. Velux skylights are easy to open and will allow the room to properly ventilate. Velux also have a unique system whereby a small amount of air can circulate through it, without altering the temperature or security of the window.

No matter what your attic room is used for, a skylight will certainly make it a more pleasant space to be in, allowing in natural light and fresh air.

If you love spending time in your conservatory, but find it gets too bright, too hot or just too open, conservatory blinds are the answer.

Blinds in your conservatory will also prevent any furniture, wallpaper or belongings fading in the sunlight, as you can draw the appropriate blind when you need to. Conservatory blinds can be custom made as everyone’s conservatory is different.

With blinds available in different styles, you can have all of your conservatory windows matching, or even have the roof windows with one blind type and the side windows with another.

With conservatory blinds you can migrate from outside to the conservatory in the midday sun, staying just as warm but without the sunburn. You can even have a bit of a siesta in the conservatory as it is so warm, with the security of being inside and in your home, rather than falling asleep in the garden.

Conservatories are a great mid-way point between the house and the garden, as they can be really airy and warm, but still undercover and out of the way of UV rays.

No matter what you use your conservatory for – a dining room, games room, library – Velux blinds will make it a much more manageable and enjoyable space.

You might think that roller blinds and pleated blinds do the same job, so are asking what the differences are. Here we will attempt to throw some light on the subject.

Pleated blinds

Pleated blinds are extremely stylish and when pulled down allow gentle shades of light to enter the room due to their translucent nature. They can softly diffuse the incoming light and because the blind can be pulled to any point on the window, they can give a variety of positional options. Because the blind is neither fixed to the top or the bottom of the window it can further enhance your options because the blind can be moved to where you want it so can still allow natural light to enter the room but block out the direct glare from the sun.

Roller blinds

Roller blinds are a cost effective blind solution that can suit any room. The blind can run up or down the channels in the sides of the window so you have a good degree of adjustment. They come in semi-opaque types which mean that they can provide a good degree of privacy. And they also come in a huge array of colours that match any home décor.

Pleated blinds and roller blinds are both great blind options. The choice is simply up to you which one would be more suitable in your home.

If you have to get made to measure curtains for your windows the process can be time consuming and also prove very costly. Because of this you might think that blinds for Velux windows would also prove costly and hence not bother looking at Velux blind options. You would be wrong however as Velux window blinds are comparatively cheap when compared to other types of window dressings.

Anything that you buy that is a little out of the ordinary or needs to be manufactured to fit can be a costly affair, but not in the case of Velux blinds. Velux windows come in all shapes and sizes but blinds for all of them are really cheap. And because these blinds are made specifically for your Velux windows they will fit like a glove and hence give you many years of use.

Standard Venetian blinds

The typical cost for a standard Venetian blind for an average sized Velux window comes in at around the £50 mark which is extremely cheap compared to different window covering solutions. If you have a look online, you can browse through the different types of blinds available and the many different colours available too.