Case Study: Automated Blinds for this Kitchen Diner

Getting lots of light into your home is one of those things that immediately makes everything seem better. Glass walls, skylights and large windows mean you can use electric lights less and allow you to see out – connecting you with the world outside, whether it be a rural landscape or an urban skyline.

Of course large windows and doors also need special curtains or blinds. But that’s where we come in. 

The Project

The clients came to us wanting blinds for their stunning kitchen diner – including sliding patio doors, four windows and a skylight. While this might sound straightforward, this was a tricky project with lots of elements to consider.

Fortunately for them, we love a challenge.

The Tricky Bits

The first problem we had to overcome was designing a blind that would be wide enough to cover all the glass sections of the sliding doors. The doors had very little frame and, measuring 3.30 metres x 2.80 metres, only a bespoke solution would work.

The second tricky part would be fitting a blind system to the flat skylight that would allow for the maximum amount of sunlight to get through when it’s not in use. No one wants a skylight that doesn’t let light in!

All the solutions we fitted had to be fully automated too, so we set about creating some customised electric roller blinds.

The Solutions

For the four windows we used the 4960 electric roller blind system from Silent Gliss, and their 4870 heavy duty system for the sliding doors. The motor in the latter was modified so the blind would be raised at the same speed as those on the windows, for a synchronised look.

As we were included early in the process, we could liaise with the builders on site to design pelmet boxes to the exact dimensions we needed. This meant the visual effect of the large glass area was maintained, free of clutter and unattractive fittings.

As for the skylight, we used a 2195 Silent Gliss system. This folds and stacks the fabric blind to the side of the window, letting in plenty of natural light when put away and making use of the recessed design of the skylight.

The Clever Bits

All of the systems we installed were equipped with radio control monitors. These were linked to a hand set that allows the client to control all the blinds at once or each blind individually, providing maximum flexibility.

However, the blinds can also be set to open and close at a set time using a timer. The really clever part of this device is the Astro setting. This takes into account changes to sunrise and sunset times over the year, slightly tweaking the time the blinds are opened and closed. Once you’ve found the perfect time to have your blinds open in the summer, the Astro setting ensures they’re perfect in winter too.

The Best Bits

Once the blinds were installed, the clients were really pleased with the results.

“Kris and the team were professional, accommodating and most importantly supplied us with exactly what we asked for.  Since completing these works we have gone on to use The Curtain Pole and Track Company for other rooms in the house and would highly recommend them.”

A large part of this job was creating a bespoke solution that would work perfectly in this individual home. If you have a particularly difficult or unique job, please contact us – we’ll be able to design a tailor-made solution for you too.