Top Tips: How to Keep Your House Warm in The Winter

By Ana Zuravliova

Trend Specialist at Blinds Direct

Thu 1 Dec 2022

Back in July we explored how to keep cool in the summer but those days are sadly gone and winter is bearing down on us. In today’s blog, we’ll be turning the tables and looking at how you can warm up your home with some well-chosen window furnishings. Ready to tackle the chill this winter and save on energy use in the process? read on!

Why insulation for windows matters

Insulation for windows is vitally important for keeping a space warm and reducing the amounts of energy required to do so. While having new windows fitted is a great way to improve a window’s thermal efficiency, there can be significant costs and waiting times to consider – if only there was an easier option!

Well, luckily there is. It’s thought that 35% of heat escapes from a building through walls, and gaps around doors and windows. In reality, that loss of energy equates to wasted money through inflated heating bills, and damage to the environment. Thankfully, it’s easier to reduce heat loss than you might expect.

By adding the right window furnishings to your windows, you can reduce heat loss to keep warmer on even those freezing winter mornings. From Roman blinds and curtains, to roller or vertical blinds, there are some stylish products for you to consider which will keep you toastier when the temperature drops.

room set image to show example of how to use thermal curtains as insulation for windows

Using curtains for insulation

Curtains are a great addition to spaces during winter for a couple of reasons. Let’s start with how to use them to keep warm. Each curtain from Blinds Direct is handmade to our customers’ exact requirements and as a result, we can add a lining for free to any curtain. Blackout linings are fantastic for blocking out light, premium linings help curtains look fuller bodied but we also offer thermal linings.

Made from several layers of material, thermal lined curtains help to maintain a room’s temperature in a similar way to a winter coat, by creating dead-air space between you and the cold. The result is rooms retain their heat, keeping you snug using less energy while the world outside becomes increasingly chilly. To add a thermal lining to your curtain simply select it from the lining drop down on each product page.

Beyond the literal warming of the space, curtains will also make a space feel cosy. The weightiness of the fabric, the gently flowing folds and the quality pole it’s suspended from will all combine to add a truly warming finish to your home. With the air getting colder and the days darker, making your home feel welcoming and comfortable should be of paramount importance!

Improve thermal efficiency with Roman blinds

If the wavy nature of curtains isn’t for you and you prefer a more fitted finish, you can enjoy many of the benefits curtains bring with a quality Roman blind from Blinds Direct.

Our diverse selection of Roman blinds also offers free lining options including thermal. Adding a thermal lining to a Roman blind made from a thick fabric such as wool or velvet will help you enjoy the twin benefits of improved insulation and superior style.

Roman blinds work beautifully in many spaces throughout the home from dining rooms to bedrooms. They are particularly well suited to living rooms, warming up the space especially when coordinated with your furniture and soft furnishings. For smaller living rooms, Roman blinds will sit neatly inside the recess and not take up too much space. Wherever you fit your Roman blinds, a thermal lining will help keep you cosy and warm.

image of room using roman blinds to insulate the window

image of a bedroom to show how to use a roller blind as thermal window insulation

Rollers and vertical blinds

Within our striking ranges of roller blinds and vertical blinds you will find specialist thermal fabrics. These excellent options don’t require a lining which keeps the fabric slim profile and perfect for becoming roller blinds or vertical blinds

Whether you look on the roller blinds page, or the vertical blinds page, if you select the thermal option from the properties header on the left, you’ll find a diverse range of products. Within that range there is a broad array of colours from pure whites and warm creams to natural greens and navy blues. Moreover, there are both modern and traditional patterns available so you can enjoy thermal fabric without having to compromise on style!

Vertical blinds and roller blinds look perfect sitting within a window recess and on that topic, there is one last step you can take to improve your window’s thermal efficiency.

Layer up

When it comes to window furnishings you can select either a recess fit, or an exact fit where the blind fits above the window entirely covering the window’s recess. This flexibility provides you with the option to double up your window with two layers of furnishings.

Take for example a sleek roller blind in the recess with thick curtains hanging from above. This dual approach to a window allows you to enjoy multiple benefits, for example a blackout roller blind and a thermal lined curtain – or vice versa. For particularly cold windows however, there is nothing stopping you from having two thermal fabrics to really block the cold from entering your home.

Like enjoying a thick jumper and faithful winter coat in the snow, adding thermal layers to your window will not only keep you warmer, but also boost the cosy nature of your home.

image of window with layered blinds and curtains being used to keep the room warm

Summer may have gone but it will return. In the meantime, consider how you can reduce your energy usage while not giving up on warmth with new thermal window furnishings. How will you decorate your windows this winter? Be sure to share photos of your blinds or curtains from Blinds Direct on Instagram!