The Ultimate Guide to Blinds And Shutters in 2024

Image of modern house with bliinds

Choosing window furnishings for your home might seem like a straightforward task, but with so many new trends and options available, it can quickly become overwhelming. If you haven't shopped for blinds or shutters in the last few years, you might be surprised at just how much has changed. Today's market offers a stunning variety—from timeless shutters to innovative motorised blinds that integrate seamlessly with smart home systems.

Whether you're after a minimalist look or something more luxurious, knowing the latest trends and understanding your options will help you make a decision that enhances both the style and comfort of your home. So, let's dive into what's hot in 2024 and find the perfect window furnishings that suit your space.

 

Blockout Roller Blinds 

For the night owls and Netflix binge-watchers who like their spaces pitch black even at noon, roller blockout blinds are your go-to. These blinds don’t just dim the room; they say "goodnight" to the sun until you decide otherwise. Ideal for bedrooms, media rooms, or anywhere you want to pretend the world outside doesn’t exist, they’re also a dream come true for shift workers who need to catch up on sleep during daylight hours. But if you’re someone who thrives on natural light, these might not be your top pick—they don’t mess around with brightness.

 

Roller Sunscreen Blinds

If you love your view but hate the glare (and who doesn’t?), roller sunscreen blinds offer the best of both worlds. These are for the folks who want to keep an eye on the outside world without turning their living room into a sauna. They’re perfect for open-plan living areas, kitchens, and home offices where you need to tame the sun’s harshness without sacrificing your connection to the outdoors. But beware—these won’t give you the privacy that blockout blinds do, so if you live in a busy area with a lot of foot traffic, potentially save them for your lounge. 

 

Sheer Roller Blinds

For those who love to keep things light and breezy, sheer roller blinds are like a soft filter for your windows. They’re the answer for anyone who wants to soften the sunlight and add a touch of elegance to their space without completely cutting off the outside world. These are perfect for living rooms, dining areas, or any place where you want to create a warm, welcoming atmosphere without the heavy-handedness of traditional curtains. However, if privacy is your top priority, you might want to pair these with another layer, because while they diffuse the light beautifully, they don’t hide much else.

 

Wooden Blinds

If you’ve ever looked at a sleek, modern room and thought, “This could use a bit more character,” wooden blinds are probably what you’re missing. They bring a warm, natural touch to any space, making them a great fit for everything from rustic cottages to contemporary lofts. Wooden blinds are ideal for living rooms, studies, or even kitchens where you want a bit of organic charm. But they’re not for the high-humidity zones—so if you’re thinking about the bathroom, maybe consider a different option. And if you’re the kind of person who likes things low-maintenance, be prepared—wood does require a bit more TLC to keep it looking its best.

 

Venetian Blinds 

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more versatile option than Venetian blinds. They fit into just about any room, giving you precise control over light and privacy with a simple twist of the slats. Perfect for kitchens, home offices, and bedrooms, they’re a great option if you want something that looks good without being overly fussy. They’ve gotten a modern makeover with slimmer slats and minimalist designs, so if you thought Venetians were a bit dated, think again. Just be ready to give them a quick dust now and then—those slats can be magnets for whatever’s floating around in the air.

 

Vertical Blinds 

If you’ve got sliding doors or large windows and you’re not quite sure how to handle them, vertical blinds are the solution you didn’t know you needed. They’re great for creating clean lines and making a room feel taller, which is why they’re often found in living rooms and dining areas. Plus, they’re super practical—you can adjust them to let in just the right amount of light or slide them out of the way completely. However, if you’ve got pets or little ones, be mindful—vertical blinds can be a bit too tempting for them to leave alone.

 

Shutters 

For those who appreciate both aesthetics and durability, Thermalite shutters offer an unbeatable blend of style and practicality. These shutters are the go-to choice for homeowners who want the classic appeal of wooden shutters without the hassle of maintenance. Made from dense polyester foam, Thermalite shutters mimic the rich texture and appearance of wood but are resistant to moisture and fire, making them ideal for kitchens, bathrooms, and other high-humidity areas?

 

Your Ultimate Guide to Choosing The Right Blinds 

 

Room Type and Purpose

  • Bedroom: If you need total darkness for better sleep, consider Blockout Roller Blinds. They’re perfect for keeping the room dark and cosy, no matter the time of day.
  • Living Room: For a space where you enjoy natural light, Roller Sunscreen Blinds are ideal. They allow light in while protecting your furniture from UV rays.
  • Kitchen: Kitchens benefit from blinds that balance light and privacy. Wooden Blinds add a warm, natural touch, while Roller Sunscreen Blinds maintain brightness without compromising your view.
  • Office: If you need flexible light control, Venetian Blinds are a great option. They allow precise adjustments, perfect for a home office where screen glare can be an issue.
  • Media Room: To enhance your viewing experience without distractions, Blockout Roller Blinds provide the darkness needed for a true home theatre feel.
  • Large Sliding Doors: For these spaces, Vertical Blinds are practical and stylish. They provide easy access and are perfect for large windows or doors.

 

Light Control Preferences

 

Home Style

 

Maintenance Preferences

 

Conclusion 

At Total Look Blinds, we’re all about helping you make choices that feel just right for your style and needs. If you’re still on the fence or want to explore your options further, check out our guide on choosing the right blinds. And if you need a bit more guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out! Our friendly team is always here to chat and provide a free, no-obligation quote and measure. Just contact us, and let’s get started on creating your dream home.

Top Quality Custom Blinds and Shutters

Total Look Blinds has the best and most experienced people in the industry with a combined experience of greater than 180 years within the industry. If we can’t help you nobody can. We offer free help and advice when you ask us to meet with you.
Contact us Today

What Our Customers Say

Excellent
4.7
D Smith
I've used Total Look Blinds on a number of occasions and have always have excellent quality and service, Lauren is fantastic to deal with. I highly recommend them!
Stephen Ball
Very happy with result, beautiful appearance. High quality, efficient and effective at a good price.
Paula Reason
Total Look Blinds are amazing ! Fantastic fast service , top quality product, friendly, and best of all , installed early !
Gaye Heywood
Total -Look BlindsWould recommend them they are organised, friendly, great communication, quick installation. Nothing is a problem. Very happy with their service from start to finish.
Trudi Stevenson
Total Look blinds were an outstanding company to work with. They installed both shutters and blinds in our home at competitive prices and using high quality materials. Timing and installation were faultless. We are thrilled with the service and the result.
James B
Lovely blinds with professional service.Sincere thanks to Laren for your helpful advice and Carl for excellent installation…..much appreciated
Mary McDonald
Having worked with Total Look Blinds previously, they were our number 1 choice when we decided to install Shutters in our new home - we are absolutely thrilled with the result. Adds a 'wow' factor ! Thank you so much TLB - everyone we have dealt with has been fantastic. We highly recommend dealing with this Team - they are great and their product - TOP NOTCH!
Vaughan Ludlam
Excellent product, pricing and service from Total Look Blinds – thanks David, Lauren, Carl & the rest of the team.
Vicki Landon
Cannot fault Caroline and the team from Total Look Blinds. Very professional and accommodating. Friendly people from the measuring, advice on product and installation. We have used them in several houses and will continue to do so. Highly recommend Total Look Blinds.
Antoinette Cooney
Happy to recommend the service and products provided by Total Look Blinds recently.Terry did the initial measuring with helpful suggestions. Roger the installer was great and a perfect tradesman to help us ‘oldies’ - no rushing through the job or explanations. Pleased with our vertical and roll up blinds👏
Mark Jeus Buenavista
Great company to deal with. Terry is very knowledgeable. Happy with the outcome of our kitchen windows with shutters. Next project would be shutters in our living room windows. Thanks Total Look Blinds team!
David Lim
Vertical and horizontal blinds completed on time. Reliable and great people to deal. Over the years, I have engaged the services of Total Look Blinds a few times and I have always been pleased with the results. I would do it again in the future with any hesitation. Highly recommended.
Niall Robertson
Excellent service quality product from this company who consistently delivers a great personal experience to its customers.Comes highly recommended. Thank you Team!
Kambiz Radman
Could not be happier with my new sun screens and blinds, look awesome. The material seems nice and hopefully durable (I'll update you on that later)."Terry" is a positive Rep who speaks clearly. He measured well but didn't explain some installation details, which confused me afterward. However, "Carolyn" came to the site and explained everything very well. Roger is a professional installer who did a quick and clean job. Thanks "Jo" for admin updates and following up. 101% recommended.
Melissa Slater
Awesome consultation gave really good ideas and pointers. Quick to manufacture and install. End result is beautiful.
Jackson Whitham
Outstanding service from everyone at Total Look Blinds. Jo was incredibly helpful in quoting a sun screen blind over the phone including looking up previous work done at home to match measurements, ordered over the phone and installed in less than 2 weeks - well ahead of schedule - high quality, friendly installer. Definitely recommend using this company!
Lia Wongsohardjo
I love my roller blinds from Total Look Blinds, the products are great. They have excellent customer service, the sales, the admin and the installer are amazing. I have bought from them twice for my house in Oteha and now in Orewa where I moved recently. Terry is very expert, kind and helpful, he is a talented salesman.
hong he
Love the company and the products they provided and installed. We are very grateful for their wonderful support and help!
john millanta
Roger was wonderful put them in nicely great service total look 👀 blinds
Diane Andrew
Recommend this company highly. Efficient and quality service. Very happy with my blinds. Very reasonably priced
Audrey Usmar
Amazing customer service and product!! From Lauren doing the quote and recommendations, to Carl doing the install, to the amazing office support with Jo... Highly recommended. You can't go wrong with this awesome group looking after you THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Peter Glass
Great service from quote to install. Deliver on their promises. Multiple repeat customer. Excellent team to deal with.
Sarahlou Clark
AAA+++ service professional recommended to all. I thought I could imagine what it was going to look like but I am absolutely rapt looks so fresh, clean and high end it’s mind blowing and great price Thank you so much.
Lanice McMillan
Thank you for your awesome service and flexibility to get quotes on very short notice. Love the roller blinds
Angela Shepherd
Roger did a fantastic job of installing our new shutters. He was very professional and very friendly. His attention to detail was impeccable. (Terry was involved in the initial consultation and was also very knowledgeable and helpful.) We would definitely recommend them. AAAA++++
Jim Richardson
Total blinds were Totally Professional. Excellent service from measurements to advice given through to the final fitting and the blinds look great! The price was also very reasonable and far better than competitor's. I totally recommended Total Blinds. Thanks! Jim
Bhavika n Divesh Kumar
We used Total Look Blinds in 2005 for our family home. After 19 years of wear and tear we needed some parts and couple of vertical blinds track needed fixing. Took a drive to Takanini and was greeted by the office lady Jo who was very helpful and was amazed when she pulled out our 19 years old invoice from their record. The team manage to fix the track within a day and got the parts i needed at a fair price. Highly recommend them if you want quality products and a fantastic after sales service. Great company to deal with 😊
Nerissa Attewell
Excellent service, quick turnaround the whole team were informative and helpful! We love our blinds so much :)
Ant MacLean
Had an old vertical blind that was manufactured by them, that was broken. Excellent cheery and quick repair service and great value too.Support kiwi jobs stay local. If you buy something NZ made you can get spares.
nicola taylor
Amazing company, amazing team and amazing service. Totally recommend Total Look Blinds.
Parvaneh Karimi Fishani
We had double roller blinds installed in our new house. The price was much more reasonable compared to other shops, and their service was reasonably fast. The staff were friendly and helpful!I can't say much about the quality of the material since the blinds haven't been installed for long, but we hope they will be as good as the service we received!
Leila El-yassir
I cannot recommend Total Look Blinds enough. From start to finish, their professionalism, expertise, and attention to detail were truly commendable. The quality of their blinds is exceptional.The customer service provided was second to none. Brent and David were knowledgeable, friendly, and always ready to assist. They patiently answered all my questions and helped me make informed decisions that perfectly matched my style and requirements.They went above and beyond to ensure that I was completely happy with my blinds. Any concerns or issues I had were promptly addressed and resolved to my utmost satisfaction.I highly recommend Total Look Blinds to anyone in need of high-quality blinds and outstanding service. I am extremely pleased with my blinds and the overall experience. Five stars all the way!
WYNN RIECHELMANN
Absolutely love our TotalBlinds shutters! They have transformed our bedroom. Service from measure up and quote was excellent and communication with the TotalBlinds team was a pleasure! They took half the time than was quoted by another supplier and although they were a bit cheaper, the shutters are very good quality. Plus they are NZ made! Highly recommend!
Lisa Fong
Could not be happier with my new shutters - big shout out to Total Look Blinds who did a fantastic job with the measure, manufacture and installation! All done in NZ so would highly recommend!
Debbie Somervell
We received excellent service from beginning to end.We are returning customers and would highly recommend.Thanks.
John Trotman
We had Total Look Blinds install blinds in our House they were very professional and efficient,from when Terry first measured and Quoted until the blinds were installed,would recommend them for all your blinds and curtains you may need,Thanks again for a great service.
Prabhath Lewke Bandara
Pros:Swift and efficient measurement and quote processShortest lead time in the industryOutstanding product quality and craftsmanshipGenerous and reliable warrantyProfessional and attentive teamCons:None to mention – Shutters exceeded all expectations.
Grant McFlinn
From first contact with Sales Consultant Lauren to Jo in the office and installer Carl, the entire process was nothing short of exceptional. As for the blinds themselves, thanks to Lauren's invaluable input, they look amazing and are undoubtedly high quality. Thoroughly recommend and will most definitely use again.
Emily Anderson
Love my new shutters - they have transformed our guest room and bathrooms! From the sales visit to the installation, so easy to work with the great people of Total Look Blinds! Love that they are made here in NZ too! Thanks!
Tracy-Ann Willcock
Thank you Jo and Roger at Total Look Blinds. Your service and after service and products are absolutely fantastic. From 3 years ago when Roger installed the Blinds to the fantastic after sale service today, absolutely brilliant. Jo and Roger are just such nice people. Thank you!
Marley Brady
We had stunning shutters installed throughout the house. The staff were great and we love the final look! 5 stars
js_loader
menu