Horizontal vs Vertical Blinds

Blinds are a great choice when you'd like to control the amount of sunlight that enters a room; you can either keep them slightly open or go for blackout conditions. However, you'll need to decide whether you want horizontal blinds or vertical blinds. The difference between them comes down to more than looks, so use this guide to decide which type is going to be best for your home.

Shape of Window

The first thing you'll want to do is consider the dimensions of the given window. When the window is taller than it is wide, horizontal blinds are going to look nicer and allow you better control over incoming light. On the other hand, horizontal blinds placed over a large, wide window might make the ceiling of a room look a little lower than it actually is. 

Position in the Home

People know to look for a north-facing yard if they want to bask in the sun, but they frequently forget about the way in which the house's orientation affects interior considerations, including whether you go horizontal or vertical when it comes to blinds. The direction from which light is coming has an impact on the way certain types of blinds can filter it. If the window faces to the north or south, horizontal blinds are preferable; for those facing east or west, it's best to go vertical.

Accessibility vs Privacy

For balconies and French doors, vertical blinds will always be advantageous since they can be moved to one side to allow people to come and go, all while still filtering sunlight over the covered portion of the window. With horizontal blinds, it's all or nothing. However, horizontal blinds are a good choice when privacy is more important than accessibility. When fully closed, they can't be knocked to the side easily, and you can orientate their angle to ensure that light comes in from above but the view from below or straight across remains blocked.

Cleaning

Cleaning blinds is always going to be something of a challenge, whichever option you choose. However, it's worth taking into account that horizontal blinds will collect dust more easily than vertical ones, yet remain easier to wipe down. On the other hand, dust and other debris won't be able to settle on vertical blinds, but anything spilt on them will be quite tricky to remove.

There's really no right answer when it comes down to horizontal blinds vs vertical blinds—you'll just have to take your own home into account.

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