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Gillian's Blinds

Can You Have Light Control and Blackout in One Blind System?

There are times when you want as much natural light as possible pouring through your windows. At others, you might want to soften that light while adding some daytime privacy.

And then there are those Sunday afternoons when you’re settling down to watch a film, the sun is streaming through the window and you’re peering at a sun-drenched TV screen trying to work out what’s going on.

Wouldn’t it be useful if the same blind system could deal with all three?

A Blind Screen® Dual system is essentially the window-blind equivalent of having your cake and eating it. With two different fabrics housed within one frame, you can leave your window completely clear when you want maximum natural light, use a voile to soften and diffuse daylight, or switch to blackout when you want to shut the light out and create a darker, cosier room.

A recent Blind Screen® installation in Northampton is a great example of just how much flexibility you can have at a single window.

What Is a Blind Screen® Dual System?

A Blind Screen® Dual system combines two different fabrics within one frame. Each fabric operates independently from opposite sides, allowing you to choose which one you want to use at any given time.

That means you don’t need to install two completely separate conventional blinds to achieve two different functions.

For this recent Northampton installation, the homeowner can choose between a voile for softer daylight and daytime privacy or blackout when much greater light control is required.

And when neither is needed? The screens retract neatly away, leaving the window clear.

Three Ways to Use the Same Window

The real benefit of combining voile and blackout isn’t simply having two fabrics. It’s being able to change what your window covering does to suit the way you’re using the room.

Let the Light Flood In

When you want maximum natural light and an uninterrupted view, both screens can remain retracted.

Blind Screen® fabrics retract neatly into a slim cassette when they’re not being used, so you aren’t left with fabric permanently covering part of your window.

Soften the Daylight

When the room is bright but you don’t want to shut the daylight out completely, the voile can be drawn across the window.

This diffuses the incoming light, softening the overall effect while providing daytime privacy.

You still get a light, bright room, but with greater control over how exposed the window feels.

Shut the Light Out

Then there are the times when daylight is precisely what you don’t want.

Draw the blackout fabric across and you can dramatically reduce the incoming light, whether you’re settling down for a film, putting a child down for an afternoon nap or simply want to create a darker, cosier room.

One window. Three very different ways to use it.

What Does the Voile Screen Do?

Blind Screen® offers several different specialist fabrics, including Sheer Intimacy™, a honeycomb voile designed to provide privacy, insulation and light diffusion.

A voile is particularly useful when you don’t want to choose between a completely uncovered window and shutting the daylight out.

Instead, it softens and diffuses incoming light while retaining the natural brightness of the room. It can also provide useful daytime privacy, reducing the exposed feeling you can sometimes get from a completely uncovered window.

It’s important, however, to distinguish daytime privacy from complete privacy in every lighting condition.

When it’s dark outside and you have the lights on inside, visibility through a voile can change. If evening or night-time privacy is important, the second fabric within a Dual system gives you another option.

Why Is Blackout Useful Beyond Bedtime?

Blackout blinds are often associated with bedrooms, but there are plenty of occasions when greater control over incoming light is useful elsewhere in the home.

Our Sunday afternoon film is a perfect example.

You finally sit down, snacks at the ready, only to discover that the summer sunshine is bouncing straight off the television screen. Closing ordinary curtains or blinds might help, but if you want to dramatically reduce the incoming light, blackout gives you another level of control.

Blind Screen® Light Seal™ is its dedicated blackout fabric, designed for complete light control.

That can make blackout useful for:

TV and media rooms
Home offices affected by screen glare
Children’s rooms and daytime naps
Bedrooms
Shift workers sleeping during daylight hours
Any room where you sometimes want to create a darker, cosier environment

If blackout is your main priority, you can also explore the different options available on our Blackout Blinds page.

Why Combine Voile and Blackout at the Same Window?

Because neither fabric is inherently better than the other. They do different jobs.

When you want to enjoy the daylight without having a completely exposed window, use the voile. When you want to substantially reduce that daylight, use the blackout. When you want an uninterrupted view and as much natural light as possible, retract both.

That’s what makes a Dual system so flexible. Instead of choosing one type of window covering and accepting the compromises that come with it, you can change how the same window behaves according to what you’re doing.

It really is the window-blind equivalent of having your cake and eating it.

A Recent Dual Blind Screen® Installation in Northampton

This recent Northampton installation demonstrates exactly how that flexibility works in a real home.

The Dual system houses two fabrics within one frame, with each screen operating independently from the opposite side.

With neither screen deployed, the homeowner can enjoy the natural light and clear glazing. Draw the voile across and the light becomes softer and more diffused while providing daytime privacy. When stronger light control is required, the blackout screen provides a completely different function without requiring another separate blind to be installed at the window.

It’s a neat solution to a very ordinary problem: we don’t always want the same thing from our windows.

Can You Choose Different Blind Screen® Fabric Combinations?

Yes, and this is where the Blind Screen® system becomes particularly interesting. There are four specialist fabrics available, each designed to perform a different function:

Breeze In™

A fly screen that allows fresh air to circulate while helping to keep insects outside.

Light Seal™

The blackout option, designed for complete light control.

Scene Set™

A dimout fabric that softens daylight while maintaining privacy and ambience.

Sheer Intimacy™

A honeycomb voile providing privacy, insulation and diffused natural light.

A Blind Screen® Dual combines two different fabrics within one frame, so the right pairing depends on what you want your window to do.

For one homeowner, the priority might be light diffusion and blackout. Another might want blackout alongside insect protection so they can open the window for ventilation without inviting every moth in Northamptonshire round for the evening.

Blind Screen® also offers Double Track systems, where two parallel tracks provide further flexibility. Some Double Track configurations can accommodate up to four fabrics.

You can explore the different fabrics and configurations on our Blind Screen® page.

Where Do the Screens Go When You're Not Using Them?

They retract.

This is an important part of the system because having two different functions doesn’t mean having two bulky blinds permanently sitting at your window.

When a Blind Screen® fabric isn’t required, it retracts neatly into a slim cassette, keeping the view clear. So when you want an uncovered window and maximum natural light, that’s exactly what you can have.

Is a Dual Blind System Only Useful in Bedrooms?

Not at all.

The real benefit of a Dual system isn’t connected to one particular type of room. It’s useful anywhere you regularly want different things from the same window.

That might be a living room where you want natural light most of the time but blackout for watching television. It could be a home office where you want a bright workspace but sometimes need to control glare. Or it might be a bedroom where you want diffused natural light and privacy during the day before switching to blackout at night.

Blind Screen® systems can be installed on windows, patio and French doors, bi-fold doors, conservatories and large glazed areas, so there are plenty of potential applications around the home.

Is Blind Screen® Suitable for Every Window?

As with any blind system, the individual window or door needs to be considered.

Blind Screen® is designed for retrofit installation, meaning it can be added without structural alterations. However, the dimensions and configuration of the opening, available fitting space and the functions you want all need to be assessed before deciding which system and fabrics are suitable.

That’s why you don’t need to work out which Blind Screen® configuration you need before contacting us. Tell us what you want your window to do.

During your free home measure and consultation, we can look at the opening, discuss how you use the room and talk you through the suitable systems and fabric combinations.

Do You Need Two Separate Blinds to Get Two Functions?

Not necessarily.

It’s easy to assume that if you want a voile and a blackout blind, you’ll need two separate window coverings. A Blind Screen® Dual offers another approach.

Two different fabrics are integrated within one frame and operate independently from opposite sides. When they’re not needed, they retract neatly away.

The result is a window that can give you maximum natural light, softer diffused light or blackout without installing two conventional blinds.

And that’s exactly what makes this Northampton installation such a good example of what the system can do.

Blind Screen® Dual: Frequently Asked Questions

Can You See Through Voile Blinds at Night?

The level of privacy provided by a voile changes according to the lighting conditions.

During daylight hours, a voile can provide useful privacy from outside while still allowing diffused natural light into the room. When it’s dark outside and lights are on inside, however, visibility from outside can increase.

If evening privacy is important, combining voile with a second fabric such as blackout gives you another option when daylight disappears.

Can I Have a Fly Screen and Blackout in the Same System?

Yes. Blind Screen® Dual and Double Track systems allow different fabric combinations, and the available options include Breeze In™ fly screening and Light Seal™ blackout.

This can give you insect protection and ventilation when the window or door is open, alongside blackout when you want greater control over the light.

Can Blind Screen® Be Added to Existing Windows?

Blind Screen® is designed for retrofit installation without structural alterations, so it can potentially be added to existing windows and doors.

The individual opening still needs to be assessed to make sure the appropriate system can be installed.

Can a Voile Screen Help With Glare on a TV or Computer?

It can help by diffusing and softening incoming daylight, although the result will depend on the direction and intensity of the sunlight and the position of the screen.

When significantly stronger light reduction is required, a blackout fabric provides the alternative within the Dual system.

Can Blind Screen® Be Fitted to Doors?

Yes. Blind Screen® systems are suitable for windows as well as patio doors, French doors and bi-fold doors.

The most appropriate system will depend on the dimensions and configuration of the opening and how you need to use the door.

Does Having Two Fabrics Mean Having Two Bulky Blinds?

No.

In a Blind Screen® Dual system, two fabrics are housed within one frame and operate independently from opposite sides. When not in use, the screens retract neatly away.

Is Blind Screen® Professionally Measured and Fitted?

Yes. Gillian’s Blinds is a Blind Screen® Gold Partner and provides professional measuring, specification and installation, together with ongoing local support.

Want More From One Window?

You don’t necessarily have to choose between natural light, softer filtered light and blackout.

Instead, think about how you use the room and what you would like your window covering to do at different times.

Gillian’s Blinds is an approved Blind Screen® Gold Partner, providing expert advice, professional measuring and specification and installation of Blind Screen® systems.

Our free home measure and consultation service gives us the opportunity to look at your window or door, understand what you want to achieve and show you the suitable Blind Screen® fabrics and configurations.

We provide free measuring and fitting throughout Northamptonshire and Milton Keynes, or you can visit our showroom at 12 Low Farm Place, Northampton, NN3 6HY.

To arrange your free home measure and consultation, call our friendly team on 01604 646007, email [email protected] or complete our contact form.