When compared to custom Roman shades or drapes, plain roller blinds are the ultimate steal of the century – comparing a few hundreds of bucks versus a few thousand – it is easy to see why they beat slatted blinds and cafe curtains for looks by miles. However, they have some real turn-offs as well – the mechanical roller, the plastic-like material that you wish was more linen-like, the sterile colours and monotonous look.

In other words, roller blinds can make it hard to know up front whether they will look dull or will up the style game of your room. But with a bit of basic understanding of design and knowing when and where to use them, roller blinds can turn out to be a worthwhile investment for your home. Here’s how designers use their power.

Disguise the Mechanism

When shopping for dual roller blinds online or from a brick-and-mortar store, you will probably notice that you have the option for an integrated valence, which is a metal or upholstered box at the top that hides the roller. Although these are quite useful, designers suggest that you should try to match them to the hue of the shade in order to at least conceal the shade and its mechanism. Or, you can have a custom-made valence built to be exactly like the surrounding wall.

Mount Them Inside the Jamb

Many designers claim that roller blinds look much better when they are installed within the jamb, rather than being mounted to the wall that’s above the window. This way they give a far more discreet and streamlined look.

Choose the Right Transparency

When it comes to opacity, not all roller blinds are made the same. So, when shopping for dual roller blinds online, consider the various different levels of opacity – blackout ones might be best suited for your kids’ room, otherwise, go with a glowy and diffused effect. These shades allow for different levels of light transmission which, in turn, contributes to different levels of privacy.

Pick a Good Colour

You may think this one refers to the way the shades will complement the colour scheme of the room, but when thinking about what hue will best suit a particular room, consider how the colour of the shade will affect the colour of the light that’s filtering through it. This, consequently, will affect how you see the objects in the room.