Office blinds

Start with what the light is doing

A comfortable office is easier to work in when everyone can see their screens without squinting into the sun. We'll help you consider glare, privacy and everyday use, then suggest blinds that suit the windows and the people using the room.

An office rarely needs darkness. It needs daylight you can work in. The common complaints are sun bouncing off a monitor, a bright wall behind a video call, and one corner that is baking while the rest is fine. It can help to note which windows are the problem, and at what time of day, before choosing a product. A west-facing window in the afternoon needs a different answer from a north window that is only gloomy.

Cutting screen glare

For desks, the usual aim is to soften light rather than block it. Filtering fabrics in a roller blind can reduce glare while keeping the room bright, depending on the range. A darker or denser fabric helps more, but costs you daylight, so it is a trade-off. If the sun angle changes through the day, slatted or louvre styles that you can angle may give finer control. Our article on sun glare and fading is worth reading, and the same thinking applies to stock, samples and printed material kept near windows.

Privacy for ground-floor and street-facing rooms

Reception areas, shopfront-style units and ground-floor offices are easy to see into. Privacy might mean the whole window, or just the lower half where people walk past and look at desks. Some fabrics obscure the view in daylight but become more see-through after dark with lights on, so it is worth asking about this for evening working. We can talk through the choices at the measure.

Meeting rooms

Meeting rooms need two things at once: a room that can be dimmed for a presentation, and daylight when you do not need it. A dimming fabric can help with screens, though how dark it gets depends on the fabric and how well the blind fits the window, and total darkness is not usually possible. Ask about side gaps and fixing, and tell us how the room is used.

Vertical or roller?

Both are common in offices, and both have a place.

• Vertical blinds suit wide windows and glazed walls, and the vanes rotate so you can let light in without exposing the room.
• Roller blinds give a flat, tidy look, and suit regular windows where you want a clean line.

Our guide to roller vs vertical blinds compares them in more detail. Mixed offices often use a single style across the building so it all looks consistent.

Easy care

In a busy workplace, blinds get dusty and touched. It helps to choose with cleaning in mind: some fabrics wipe clean more easily than others, and slatted blinds need regular dusting. Care depends on the range, so ask us for the specifics on the fabric you like. Putting someone in charge of a quick regular dust helps blinds last longer.

Cords and safety

If children visit your premises, keep cords and chains tucked up out of reach and use the safety devices supplied. Cordless or motorised options reduce risk and can be handy on high windows you cannot easily reach. Our child safety page has more.

Working around business hours

We understand that you cannot always shut a room for a morning. Tell us your opening times and which areas are busiest, and we will talk about arranging the visit and any fitting around them. We are happy to agree a plan with you that suits your working day.

See our wider commercial blinds page for other business uses, then book a free measure or call 01642 424250.