Trapezoid and vertical blinds: the two forgotten formats that solve the hard cases

Two blinds that catalogues file on the last page, yet they solve the two situations where everyone gets stuck: the free-form window and the glazed bay several metres wide.

The trapezoid, for impossible windows

Gable ends, lofts, verandas: triangular or trapezoidal windows rule out the ordinary blind. The trapezoid blind is made to measure, cut to the exact shape of the glazing, in fabric stretched over cables. It usually only draws back in part — that is its compromise — but it finally darkens that attic bedroom that lights up at six in the morning in summer. Budget for the bespoke work: rarely under £150, often double.

The vertical blind, for wide spans

The vertical blind — strips of 89 or 127 mm that pivot and slide — long carried the reputation of a 1990s office. It is returning by way of large glazed bays: it is the only system that dresses four or five metres of width cleanly, opens along the bay and tunes the light by pivoting. In linen or heavy fabric, far from the white PVC of the open-plan office, it recovers a real elegance.

How to decide

Free-form window: trapezoid, with no serious alternative. Bay beyond three metres: vertical blind, or nothing — a giant roller weighs heavy, a curtain eats a wall. In both cases the fabric makes the result: samples in hand before you order.

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