Light control

Feeling good at home is a big part of coping with our busy lives. And a large part of this comes from harnessing the ever changing and emotive qualities of light. We can’t always say why we gravitate to a favourite chair, or why it feels so good to open our eyes to the emerging morning sun. But often, it’s the magic of light which draws us in.

For the last 60 years we’ve made it our passion to understand the many elements of light. From making a cloudy day seem brighter or helping a hot room feel cooler and more comfortable, we seek to manage and enhance the elemental qualities of light. We’ve learnt a lot in this time, and we’d like to share it with you. So you can enjoy beautiful light in every room with inspired and elegant solutions for your home.

It all begins with light. Our daily experience is deeply affected by our environment; and our need to work, play or find a little private time to unwind requires different moods from different spaces.

Effectively controlling light and maintaining a comfortable temperature is a key part of setting a relaxed, welcoming atmosphere in every room. Choosing the right selection of window coverings, combined with nuanced artificial lighting and insulation will instantly begin to transform a house into a home.

Light has the power to energise us. Give us energy, soothe or make us feel revitalised and relaxed. It triggers a broad spectrum of sensations and is one of the most powerful ways to influence the senses. But before you can harness it, you need to understand it.

Every room in your home will have its own quality of light, depending on which direction it faces, how large the windows are and whether it is on the ground floor or upstairs. Start by finding north in our home, then you know in which position your house is facing. Then you can determine from which direction light enters the rooms in your home.

North-facing rooms will receive lower light levels in a more diffused way – creating a calm, restrained feel. These rooms may need help in reflecting and increasing light. Suitable products: Plissé Shades, Roman Blinds and Roller Blinds in a transparent fabric. These fabrics allow maximum light entering whilst allowing a view to the outside.

An east-facing bedroom is perfect for those who like to start the day with a ‘Sun Salutation’ yoga pose. Sleepy-heads who prefer a lie-in will need to manage the sunrise. Suitable products: Duette® Shades and Curtains. Allowing a total room darkening option.

A south-facing room will enjoy the most natural daytime light, which may need filtering and softening if it creates a bright midday glare. Suitable products: Venetian Blinds and Wood Venetian blinds allows you to tilt the slats to determine the amount of light you desire. Roller Blind with screen fabrics allows protection of the harmful sunrays on furniture, whilst still allowing you to enjoy the sunny day.

West-facing rooms come alive in the evening. If the light’s strong, cool it with soothing tones at the window such as grey. Or, maximise its effects with light-enhancing window fabrics. Suitable products: Roller Blinds, Duette® Shades, Plissé Shades or Curtains allows you to enjoy the last bit of sun, but also the gives you a room darkening effect to end the day off.

When you begin planning your décor, the seasons are an important place to start when considering tone and palette for a room, and as the year cycles through, how your requirements may change.

During summer months, the sun is higher in the sky so it may not create the blinding glare which can be experienced with a low winter sun. Trees in full leaf can diffuse the harsh bright midday sun in a south-facing room. A white-washed garden wall can bounce much needed light back into a north-facing kitchen. In autumn and winter, bare trees will reveal the views beyond so extra privacy may be needed if you’re suddenly looking out onto a busy street or through next door’s bedroom window.

Too much natural daylight – if it’s glaring and unforgiving – can feel uncomfortable to sit in, even whilst it gently warms the skin. But a room which relies on artificial light can feel flat and cold. Learning how to soften hard light, maximise low light and find a sensitive balance between the two is an essential part of making a successful design scheme.

When is a plain white room not a plain white room? Imagine placing an earthy ochre-hued blind in the window. The sunlight, whether summer-clear or winter-crisp will be given a gentle warm tone as it permeates through the fabric. Replace it with a bright, icy blue blind and instantly the room feels fresher, sharper and colder – with the new colour transferring its qualities to the light which passes through it.

Light can be enhanced and managed with some clever, but simple tricks. Stuck with a dark kitchen? Choose hard, bright surfaces like glossy kitchen cupboards or work tops which bounce all available light back into the room. Or, try a collection of vintage mirrors covering the end wall of a long hallway to magnify the light – creating the illusion of two classic pendant lights, or an extra window.

Bright light can cast long shadows which create gloomy, dark, unwelcoming corners. But, choosing a window using voile or sheer fabrics can help filter and disperse light more evenly throughout the room – making the whole space feel more appealing. Or, create diffused light using perforated Vertical Blinds with long slats to shape the sunlight as it passes through.

The light changes as the day progresses, and so should the way you manage it. The key to making a scheme rich and engaging is knowing what light to use, and when. Consider how a room’s purpose may change over a day and then begin layering lighting solutions. Use bright task lighting in a bedroom here you choose work outfits, or gentle diffused daylight through slatted blinds for a quiet read. And at bed time, restful, golden, low lighting on a bedside table.

Crafted to the very highest standard with a precise attention to detail, our unique collection of ‘made to measure’ window coverings have been designed to enhance every room they grace. It’s a complete range; covering all styles from classic to contemporary, with colours, fabrics and forms that flatter every window, old or new, to give you a world of choice.

Depending on the style you choose Luxaflex LightLine® Roller Blinds create attractive light effects that change throughout the day and night. Both subtle and playful – the light will always be softly filtered adding warmth and ambience to your home.

For lovers of light, Silhouette® Shades offer a beautiful way to enhance every ray. Our unique fabric vanes filter the starkest daylight and gently diffuse it across the room, or draw in the fading light to maximise it for as long as possible, ensuring you get the most out of the daylight.

Strong, bold design and smooth, slick operation are the signature qualities of our Twist® Shades range. These combine the ease and simplicity of a roller blind with the increased ability to control light and privacy that comes with the mix of fabrics and opacities.

Duette® Shades combine a honeycomb structure to filter light as well as manage your energy efficiency. Working at your windows and doors to keep out the aggressive heat of summer but also helping to keep in the warmth during winter and your home energy efficient all year round.

Timeless or modern, our complete range of blinds tick all the boxes with designs you’ll love. Curious to know which products we have to offer? See our collection below.

Imagine waking up naturally at a time your set as their bedroom blinds gently raise in the morning or come down automatically at night when it's bedtime!

The good news is you can control all of your Luxaflex® blinds from your smartphone, tablet, app, remote control, or the sound of your voice.

Designed to make life simpler, you can set PowerView® Automation to move your Luxaflex® blinds to the exact position you want, at any time of the day - even when you're not at home.

Choose your favourite Luxaflex® product with PowerView® operation. All Luxaflex® products are available with PowerView® Automation. And PowerView® can be connected to your home's smart systems including PowerView® is also available with smart home automation, including Google assistant, Apple Homekit, and Amazon Alexa.