Ever felt that scorching heat of the afternoon sun or noticed the way your living room is usually dark and cool? The direction your home faces can dramatically impact where the sun hits each room and how comfortable it is to live in. Therefore, when choosing window treatments like shutters and blinds, it’s important to consider your home’s aspect.
When it comes to lighting, heating and cooling a room how much light hits them can have advantages or disadvantages. If your home faces north for example, it can mean higher power bills to cool it down during summer as it receives more direct sunlight. However, it may also be beneficial in the winter as it retains the heat better. A south-facing home on the other hand is often cool and comfortable during summer, but notably colder and darker in the winter.
In this blog we’ll explore the impacts each aspect has on your home and some of the best window treatments and style tips to suit them. Adding shutters, indoor blinds or awnings and outdoor blinds to suit the direction your windows and doors face will keep every room comfortable, no matter what the season is or what the weather is doing.
North-Facing Windows and Doors
In the southern hemisphere north-facing windows and doors are often revered as one of the best orientations as they allow a lot of natural light in year-round. The amount of light depends on whether there’s a veranda, deck with overhang, porch or landscaping blocking the light to some degree.
Norther exposure makes a room cozy in the winter, but summer can be too hot or bright without the right window treatments. It’s important to work with an experienced installer like Factory Direct Shutters Blinds and Awnings to work out which plantation shutters, blinds, awnings or other products will work best for your northern-facing areas. With the addition of the right shutters or blinds, you can adjust them and enjoy the sun's warmth during cooler winter months and fresh breezes during warmer months. Below are some options to consider to make it more your north-facing windows and doors more comfortable.
Roller Blinds
Depending on how much light and air flow you prefer, you could go with roller blinds in north facing areas. These come in many different opacities and colours. This type of window treatment allows you to powerfully block out harmful UV rays that can damage furniture, while still allowing some sunlight to enter the room.
UV Protection
Try UV enhanced curtains, blinds and other window treatments to protect your furnishings and carpets and reduce glare and heat. UV enhanced materials can also last longer and block out substantial amounts of harmful UV rays without ruining your view outside.
Install Blinds
Window blinds are a great way control light and temperature without completely blocking out light, especially when paired with insulated and UV protected curtains, shutters or blinds. To prevent UV rays from damaging your furniture and decor, consider options that can completely block UV and reduce glare without eliminating all sunlight.
Maximise Energy Efficiency
Most energy-efficient window treatments use layers of fabric to improve insulation and control light in the room, keeping it cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Whether you like panel blinds, roman blinds, curtains, or shutters, there are many energy-efficient window treatment options which are ideal for north-facing windows.
South-Facing Windows
South-facing aspects experience lower levels of filtered natural light all day and don’t receive direct sunlight, often making them more dimly lit than north-facing homes. Lighter coloured design and window treatments in rooms with south-facing windows can help take advantage of this gentle light.
Windows that face south can be dark and cold in winter, resulting in heat loss but with the benefit of less heat coming through in summertime. External blinds aren’t typically needed on south facing windows unless they’re to enhance privacy, but well-fitted internal window treatments definitely help reduce heat loss in winter. Below are some window treatments to make your south-facing windows and doors more comfortable.
Sheer Curtains
Sheer curtains add gentle textures and enhance the design of your interior style without making the space darker. Combined with shutters or blinds, they can help create an elegant, beautiful and functional feeling room.
Interior Shutters
With the ability to adjust the louvres for light flow, interior shutters like Vivace Internal Aluminium Shutters are a great way to take advantage of indirect sunlight from south-facing windows. Their cordless design is sophisticated and uncluttered which is perfect for installation in in kitchens, bathrooms, and home offices.
East-Facing Windows
An east-facing window will catch the early sun, which tends to be bright and glaring in the morning, but diffused and delicate later in the day. Morning sunlight is welcome in a kitchen or living room, but it can be frustration in your bedroom. The best way to deal with morning light is to customise your window treatments to be able to adjust for exactly the amount of light you want. Below are some options for dealing with east-facing windows in the bedroom and other parts of the house.
Tip: Dark colours will seem gloomy, but light colours and sheer materials tend to bring out the softness of the sunlight.
Black out Curtains or Blinds
If there’s someone in your house who’s a light sleeper and doesn’t want to be woken at the crack of dawn, consider adding black out curtains to their windows. Floor-to-ceiling panels with a room-darkening liner can cover the entire window, completely blocking out those pesky morning rays. Fully opaque black out blinds are another stylish option.
Light Control
Consider some light-control options for east-facing windows in other parts of the house. These Top-down or bottom-up sectional blinds can let in the morning light you want, and while being positioned so they can be adjusted throughout the day.
West-facing Windows
Direct light from the west will bring the most heat into your home of all the aspects as well as red and orange tones from the afternoon sun. Sunset will amplify warm tones in a way you may find overwhelming at times, especially on summer’s afternoons when heat can tend to intensify. To keep west-facing parts of your home comfortable, make sure to keep them well covered. Check out some window treatments below to make your west-facing windows and doors more comfortable.
Blinds
Like with north-facing windows, you need to deal with glare and heat, but also don't want to lose all the natural light you get from them. Blinds such as roman blinds or venetian blinds are great options as the amount they are opened can be changed as the sun moves, allowing you to adjust the light without fully blocking it. From wood to composite, blinds are available in various materials and colours that suit any interior design needs.
A great option for west-facing windows is to install external UV roller blinds with light-control features. UV blinds allow you to work out how much light you’d like to let into the room and how much daytime privacy you prefer. Different colours and opacities are available to suit your style.
Automation
Consider adding in some automation for your west-facing window treatments. They will do all the work of putting up and down your shutters or blinds for you, preventing hot rooms and damage to furnishings and interiors. With various sensors and timers available, automated, mechanical window treatments can be set to change on their own based on the sun’s position or changes in weather, giving you peace of mind without lifting a finger.
Conclusion
Regardless of your home's direction, the team at Factory Direct Shutters Awnings and Blinds is here to help you find the right window treatment to take advantage of the direction of your windows and doors.
Get our Free, Expert Advice on Shutters and Blinds to Suit the Direction of your Windows and Doors
If you’re having any trouble deciding on the best window treatments for the direction of your windows and doors, our team of specialists at Factory Direct Shutters Awnings and Blinds can help you make the right choice.
We bring our mobile showroom to you to select the best solutions for your home or workspace. Contact us online or call now on 1300 077 125 for an obligation-free measure and quote, or free advice on the right product for your space.
