5 Ways Blinds and Curtains Can Keep Your Home Warmer This Winter
Blinds, Curtains, Fabrics For Your Blinds And Curtains, For the home, Shutters
Here are 5 simple ways to keep your home feeling warmer this autumn and winter.
As the evenings draw in across Norfolk, our homes work harder to stay warm. Windows are one of the main places that warmth escapes: around 18% of a home’s heat is lost through them.
The right blinds and curtains can help keep that heat in. Here are five ways to make your home warmer this autumn and winter. The first three help your rooms hold on to heat. The last two make a room feel warmer and cosier.
(Watch: 2-minute guide to thermal blinds)
Quick summary
- Choose a made-to-measure fit so there are fewer gaps for cold air.
- Add thermal fabrics or linings to create a barrier against cold glass.
- Layer curtains over blinds for two layers of insulation.
- Bring in warm colours such as copper, rust and gold.
- Add texture with velvet, weaves and soft furnishings.
Shutters add a layer of insulation and help reduce outside noise
1. Choose a made-to-measure fit
A blind is only as warm as its fit. Off-the-shelf blinds often leave gaps at the sides, and cold air gets in through those gaps. Made-to-measure blinds and plantation shutters are made to the exact millimetre of your windows, so those gaps are much smaller.
Where possible, fit blinds inside the window recess. This creates a pocket of still air between the blind and the glass, which slows down heat loss.
Old sash windows and bay windows are common in Norfolk homes and are often the draughtiest windows in the house. They are also the hardest to fit with ready-made blinds, so they gain the most from a made-to-measure fit.
A roller blind with a reflective backing helps reduce heat loss in winter.
2. Add thermal fabrics and linings
If warmth is your priority, choose a fabric with a thermal backing. Thermal roller and Roman blinds have an extra insulating layer on the back. This forms a barrier between your room and the cold glass, so less warmth escapes.
Pleated blinds are another good choice. Their folded fabric traps air, and our surveyor can show you which fabrics come with an insulating backing. They also fit neatly into awkward windows, such as conservatory roofs and tilt-and-turn windows.
Thermal fabrics have a second benefit: they help muffle outside noise, which is welcome if you live on a busy road.
Interlined curtains add warmth and look good all year round.
3. Layer curtains over blinds
Two layers keep in more heat than one. A blind against the glass, with lined curtains in front, traps two pockets of air between your room and the cold window.
For the warmest result, choose interlined curtains. Interlining is a thick, soft layer sewn between the curtain fabric and its lining. It makes curtains heavier, warmer and fuller.
Watch out for radiators. Long curtains that hang over a radiator trap its heat behind the fabric, where it rises and escapes through the glass. If your radiator is under the window, choose sill-length curtains, or use a blind as the main layer and keep curtains short of the radiator.
Our curtain range runs from classic heritage prints to modern weaves, so there is a combination to suit every room.
Copper and gold fabrics give your living room a warm glow.
4. Bring in warm colours
Colour won’t change your heating bill, but it changes how warm a room feels. As the Norfolk countryside turns, bring those autumn shades indoors.
Gold, copper, rust, burgundy and warm neutrals make a room feel more welcoming on dark evenings. They suit living rooms, dining rooms and bedrooms especially well. Choose a bold copper blind as a statement piece, or a soft caramel for something subtler.
5. Add texture
Texture makes a room feel softer and warmer, in the same way a chunky jumper does. Velvet, wool-look weaves and other tactile fabrics are especially popular in the colder months.
Try a textured Roman blind with matching cushions, or heavy curtains in a soft velvet. Mixing two or three textures in one room adds depth without clutter.
4 free habits that make a difference
Whatever blinds and curtains you have, these habits help them work harder:
- Open up on sunny days. Even low winter sun brings in free warmth, especially through south-facing windows.
- Close everything at dusk. Draw curtains and lower blinds as soon as it gets dark, before the room cools.
- Keep radiators clear. Tuck long curtains onto the windowsill at night, so the heat goes into the room.
- Close up empty rooms. In spare rooms, keep blinds down and doors shut to stop cold spreading.
Frequently asked questions
Do thermal blinds really work? Yes. A thermal blind adds an insulating layer between your room and the glass, so less heat escapes. They work best when fitted closely to the window and closed at dusk.
Which keeps a room warmer, blinds or curtains? Heavy interlined curtains usually insulate best on their own. A blind and curtains together keep in more heat than either one alone.
Can I add a thermal lining to curtains I already have? Often, yes. Ask us whether your existing curtains are suitable when we visit.
Are plantation shutters good insulation? Yes. Well-fitted shutters add a solid layer across the window, which helps keep heat in and noise out.
A warmer home, without the DIY
Whether it’s one draughty sash window or the whole house, our team can help. We measure, make the blinds and curtains in our Attleborough workshop, and fit them for you.
- Book a free home visit: we bring samples and measure up.
- Visit our showroom: see the fabrics in person at 1 Maurice Gaymer Road, Attleborough, NR17 2QZ. Open 9am–4.30pm Monday to Friday; Saturdays by appointment.
- Call us: 01603 334 085