How You Can Hide Electric or Manually Operated Roller Blinds in The Home or Office

Contemporary homes and offices are often given a minimalist design for a clean, spacious and elegant feel to the rooms. Larger windows and skylights offer more light and an improved view which has led to a burgeoning demand in window treatments to suit these modern fixtures.

Motorised blinds are certainly a growing trend and the option to hide the blind when not in use by concealing the roller within the recess or ceiling is a desirable feature. While there is an appeal for this style of concealment there are many alternative products available depending on budget and whether other dressings, such as curtains, are present.

These are the different ways of hiding roller blinds when retracted:

• Blind Box
• Pelmet
• Valance
• Aluminium Fascia

These are concealment boxes where the roller blinds are recessed into the ceiling and drop down from a narrow slit. This area also hides the electrical connections for operation and automation.

Modern smart homes and offices offer these as standard and large skylights are enhanced with this method which includes side channels for a tensioned blind. Curtain tracks can also be hidden within the ceiling in this way.

Our bespoke Blind Box can be fitted during the construction process or retrospectively, and access is easy for repair or replacement. See our Manhattan Loft Gardens case study below to see how the electric roller blinds in these apartments were hidden within concealed blind boxes.

This style is usually a timber framework which is placed above the window and can be decorated with fabric, painted or left with a wooden finish. These are suited to blinds or a blind / curtain combination and are traditionally a square box hiding the headrail. They are aesthetically pleasing and are more suited to the home than an office setting.

Again, more suited to homes as it brings in a soft furnishing feel and fits in nicely with curtains. They are a popular choice for curtains and there are many types of valance, including some elaborate designs with multiple layers of fabric. The difference between a pelmet and a valance is that the latter is a stiffened board whereas the valance has more of a draped design.

A very simple, but effective way of hiding the roller and electrical connections is a strip of powder coated aluminium. This method is popular in offices, appropriate for a lower budget and is a practical solution for a tidy finish and to alleviate light ingress at the top of the blind.

Roof windows are a familiar source of light in homes, offices, schools and many other types of building. They are an excellent way of allowing light into rooms, but there can be glare, privacy and over-heating issues.

A roof shading system is the perfect solution to these issues, although the installation would need to be implemented by a professional fitter. Blinds can most certainly be hidden when retracted by using a concealed box and cassette system, like this roof light shading system at an NHS surgery.

These feature windows, often in bedrooms and above front doors can be difficult to find a shading solution for. The blind box system would be the best option to hide the blind from view when not in use, would give a better finish and prevent extra light seepage around the edges. In most cases a bottom-up blind gives the best results for maximum blackout and would require a light-exclusion frame to be built around the window during construction.

In theory, any blind can be hidden when not in use. This is best planned and installed during the construction phase for a more desirable finish, but in most cases these systems and styles can be retrofitted.

Very neat retrofit solutions are available or can be built by a bespoke blind specialist which will hide cables, the headrail, motors and any other electrical fitting. It is also important for the blind to be easily accessible if maintenance is ever required.

So for these reasons consulting with a specialist blind company who can offer bespoke and customisable solutions would be essential to give you an ideal hidden electric roller blind for your windows or doors and Enviroscreen offers all of these options plus more depending on your situation and budget.

Enviroscreen are London’s most experienced and competent solar shading contractor with over 25 years of experience, we will help you choose the best solar shading options available that will give you effective control of lighting gain coupled with durability for any demanding environments.

For enquiries about concealed blinds:

Enviroscreen Systems
Swift House,
13 Ronsons Way,
St Albans,
AL4 9QT
United Kingdom

Telephone: 01727 220 007
E-mail: info@enviroscreen.org.uk