Horizontal blinds or vertical ones? When you’re just beginning your shades shopping, it can feel like there are an overwhelming amount of choices, with one of them being the direction of the blinds themselves. What are the best situations for each style?

When To Use Horizontal Blinds

Horizontal blinds have slats that run lengthwise, side to side. Because of this, the slats are typically no more than a few inches wide. Their smaller stature and stacked look make them well suited for smaller windows that don’t either run from the ceiling to the floor like- your more regular widows.

Because horizontal blinds stack up and lift from the bottom up, they usually have a cord-and-pulley system, which makes them ideally suited for smaller surface areas but would be too heavy of a system for larger windows. They are easy to clean and maintain and roll up for an unobtrusive look. Horizontal slats also block more light than vertical ones, which make them better options for bedrooms and such.

When To Use Vertical Blinds

Vertical blinds, however, run lengthwise themselves and are best suited for longer, taller windows such as bay windows and sliding doors. Visually, they reduce aesthetic clutter and create a feeling of height and openness. They also allow more light to filter in as compared to horizontal blinds at larger windows. When open, they slide to the side to allow an unobstructed view. These long slats not only create a leaner and cleaner look, but they are easier to operate at such a large scale than if they were using a horizontal cord-and-pulley system.

Vertical blinds work great for sliding glass doors, bay windows, sunroom doors, or any other large, wide windows.

Selecting Your Blinds

To sum up, essentially the longer slats of vertical blinds work well against larger windows, and the smaller slats of horizontal blinds pair well with narrower and smaller windows. Vertical blinds let more light in, creating airy and spacious living spaces while horizontal blinds block more light, reducing light disruptions at night.

To get started on installing the right blinds for your home, make an appointment today!