Gillian's Blinds
Why Blind Screen® Is Becoming a Popular Choice Across Northamptonshire
What we need from a window or door can change throughout the day. We may want to open it and enjoy fresh air without letting insects inside, then later want greater privacy or stronger control over incoming light.
With Blind Screen®, these requirements do not have to be an either/or decision.
Blind Screen® can be fitted with a single fabric for one particular purpose, or configured to combine two different fabrics within the same system. For example, a homeowner can have a retractable fly screen for ventilation during the day and a blackout blind for privacy and light control when required.
When neither fabric is needed, both retract neatly into the surrounding cassette.
As a Blind Screen® Gold Partner, Gillian’s Blinds has the specialist product knowledge and fitting experience needed to help homeowners choose the right system. Our recent Blind Screen® installations across Northamptonshire and in Rugby demonstrate how one product can meet several different needs.
What is Blind Screen®?
Blind Screen® is a made-to-measure retractable screening system for windows and larger glazed openings, including patio doors, French doors and bi-fold doors.
Different Blind Screen® fabrics can provide:
- Protection from flies and other insects
- Increased privacy
- Softened natural light
- Improved control over incoming light
- A blackout option for bedrooms and other suitable rooms
A Blind Screen® system can contain one selected fabric or combine two different fabrics. In a combined system, the fabrics operate independently, allowing the homeowner to use the one they need at any particular time.
This means a fly screen and a blackout blind can both be fitted at the same opening. The homeowner does not have to choose one function and lose the other.
When the fabrics are not being used, they retract into slim cassettes, leaving the window, door or view more open.
Can Blind Screen® provide a fly screen and a blackout blind?
Yes. A combined Blind Screen® system can incorporate both a retractable fly screen and a blackout blind.
The fly screen can be drawn across when a window or door is open, allowing fresh air into the property while helping to prevent flies and other insects from entering. When privacy or stronger light control is required, the blackout fabric can be used instead.
The two fabrics operate independently. Homeowners can use the fly screen, use the blackout blind or leave both fabrics retracted.
You do not need to know which Blind Screen® system or fabrics you require before arranging an appointment. Our team will assess the opening, discuss how the room is used and explain which options can provide the functions you need.
A combined Blind Screen® system for wide glazed doors in West Haddon
At this home in West Haddon, we fitted Blind Screen® across a wide glazed opening leading towards the garden.
Large doors allow plenty of natural light into a room and help connect the inside of the home with the garden. However, the homeowners also wanted different ways to use and screen the opening at different times.
The combined Blind Screen® system provides both a fly screen and a darker blind fabric within the same installation. The fly screen can be drawn across while the doors are open, helping the homeowners enjoy ventilation without inviting insects into the home. The darker fabric provides increased privacy and stronger light control when required.
Each fabric moves horizontally across the opening and retracts neatly when it is not needed. This allows the homeowners to retain the garden view and easy access through the doors.
Wide openings require accurate measuring and careful planning. The cassettes, frame and operating arrangement all need to be suitable for the size of the opening and the way the doors are used.
Here, the slim system has been fitted carefully around the existing glazed opening, providing two useful functions without adding unnecessary visual bulk.
Blackout and insect screening in a 150-year-old cottage in Rothersthorpe
Introducing a modern blind system into a character property requires a considered approach. Older homes often contain individual architectural details and window openings that reflect the age and history of the building.
At this 150-year-old cottage in Rothersthorpe, our team carefully measured and fitted Blind Screen® systems to suit the existing windows and their surroundings.
In one bedroom, the dark blackout fabric can be drawn fully across the window to provide greater privacy and stronger control over incoming light. When it is not required, it retracts neatly into the surrounding system.
Another window demonstrates how a fly screen and blackout blind can be incorporated within one Blind Screen® installation.
The fly screen allows the window to be opened for ventilation while helping to keep insects outside. The darker fabric can be drawn across when greater privacy or stronger light control is needed.
Both fabrics can also be retracted, allowing the homeowners to leave the window completely uncovered.
The white Blind Screen® frame sits neatly against the existing window surrounds, providing modern functionality without dominating the character of the cottage.
This installation highlights the value of experienced, made-to-measure fitting. Each system was specified for the actual window, the character of the property and the way the homeowners wanted to use the room.
A blackout Blind Screen® for a bedroom in Kettering
Not every opening requires two fabrics. Blind Screen® can also be fitted with a single fabric when the homeowner has one clear priority.
At this property in Kettering, we installed a Blind Screen® system with a blackout fabric across a wide bedroom window. The video shows the fabric being drawn smoothly from one side of the opening to the other.
The Blind Screen® has been fitted alongside the existing Venetian blind, giving the homeowner an additional level of light control without requiring the existing window covering to be removed.
During the day, the blackout fabric can be retracted to make the most of the natural light. When stronger light control is wanted, it can be drawn across the window.
A blackout Blind Screen® may be particularly useful in bedrooms, children’s rooms, nurseries, home cinemas and other spaces where unwanted daylight or external lighting can be disruptive.
The level of darkness achieved will depend on the individual window, the room and any surrounding sources of light. Our team assesses the opening and explains the available options, so the homeowner understands what can realistically be achieved in their particular space.
A fly screen and blackout blind for a kitchen window in Rugby
Our recent Rugby installation provides another clear example of how two fabrics can work within one Blind Screen® system.
The kitchen window is positioned above the sink and surrounded by a characterful tiled finish, so the fitting needed to be practical, accurately measured and visually sympathetic to the room.
The fly screen can be used when the homeowner wants to open the kitchen window for ventilation while helping to prevent insects from entering.
The darker blackout fabric can be drawn across when increased privacy or stronger light control is preferred. When neither is needed, both fabrics retract to leave the window open and unobstructed.
This gives the homeowner three practical choices at the same window:
- Use the fly screen
- Use the blackout blind
- Retract both fabrics
The white frame blends neatly with the existing window, while the dark fabric complements the colours already present in the room. It is a practical installation that has also been specified with the appearance of the kitchen in mind.
Why are homeowners choosing Blind Screen®?
Blind Screen® gives homeowners more control over how they use their windows and doors.
A combined system can provide insect protection and blackout control at the same opening, without requiring two unrelated products to be fitted around the window or door.
The retractable design also means the selected fabric only needs to be visible when it is being used. At other times, it retracts into the surrounding cassette.
Blind Screen® can be made for standard windows, wide glazed openings and doors. Our recent projects include a 150-year-old cottage, a modern kitchen, a bedroom and a large garden opening, with each one requiring a different approach.
Because every system is made to measure, the frame, cassettes, operating direction and fabrics can be selected for the individual opening and the homeowner’s everyday needs.
Which Blind Screen® system is right for your home?
The right Blind Screen® system may provide one specific function or combine two, such as insect screening and blackout control, within the same opening.
The most appropriate arrangement will depend on:
- The size and type of the window or door
- How the opening operates
- How frequently it is opened
- The direction and level of incoming light
- Whether insect protection is required
- The level of privacy and light control wanted
- Whether one fabric or a combination of two would work best
During a free home appointment, Gillian’s Blinds can assess the opening, discuss how the room is used and explain the suitable systems and fabrics.
There is no need to decide whether you need a single or combined system before contacting us. That is part of the advice our experienced team provides.
Can Blind Screen® be fitted to existing windows and doors?
Blind Screen® can be retrofitted to many existing windows, patio doors, French doors and bi-fold doors. This means the system can often be added without replacing the window or door itself.
The available fitting options will depend on the opening, the surrounding space and how the window or door operates. Accurate measuring allows our team to determine whether Blind Screen® is suitable and how the system should be positioned.
Blind Screen® expertise from Gillian’s Blinds
Gillian’s Blinds is an independent, family-run business established in 1989. Our experienced team provides personal advice and a free measuring and fitting service, helping each customer find a solution suited to their home.
We are also proud to be a Blind Screen® Gold Partner. This reflects our product knowledge and experience in specifying and fitting single and combined Blind Screen® systems.
The installations featured here were completed by our own team in local homes. They demonstrate how careful measuring, appropriate fabric selection and professional fitting come together to create a finished result that supports the homeowner’s everyday needs.
Areas we cover
Gillian’s Blinds supplies and fits Blind Screen® systems throughout Northampton, all of Northamptonshire, Rugby, Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas.
Recent installations include the Blind Screen® projects featured here in West Haddon, Rothersthorpe, Kettering and Rugby.
Arrange your free home appointment
Whether you need a fly screen, a blackout blind or a combined Blind Screen® system that provides both, our team can help you find the right solution for your window or door.
Explore the different possibilities on our Blind Screen® page, or contact our friendly team to arrange your free home measuring appointment.
Your made-to-measure Blind Screen® system will then be professionally fitted by the Gillian’s Blinds team as part of the service.
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- 12 Low Farm Place, Northampton, NN3 6HY
