Cover it with black out
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Where did they come from? How did they come to be so popular, and Who, came up with the idea of better controlling light and privacy?
Most homes today have some form of window furnishings. They have been around for some time now and it's easy to forget when and where they started being used and who invented them. Through the times different styles have originated from different regions that have come about due to differing needs.
When did window treatments appear, was it with the birth of windows? Bearing in mind that windows were created during ancient times and were simply slits in masonry walls that serve purely for functional purposes of letting air and light through and to see approaching enemies.
The first windows potentially might have been found in nomadic tribes of African or Asian deserts. They used basic sheets to cover the windows of their homes to block out the harsh desert sun. Practical in their use and would have been made from a woven fabric of natural fibres.
Moving on in time many other ancient civilisations would have used blinds to create a more comfortable home environment providing shelter, privacy, and protection from external elements.
Ancient Egyptians used reeds from their surroundings to shield themselves from the sun while the ancient Chinese made their blinds from bamboo which was accessible from their surroundings and still to this day a material used for blinds.
The Middle Ages with its amazing stained glass windows changed the world of windows forever, from there window treatments still took some time to take off.
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In the early 1700s, in Scotland the otherwise now known as roller blinds was developed and were called Scotch Holland Roller Blinds. The Holland component came with the linen used coming from the Netherlands. The fabric was produced in Scotland and hence the ‘Scotch Holland’ came to be.
Linen flax Holland Image credit: unknown source images
These roller blinds ‘Scotch Holland linen’ blinds did not have a spring mechanism and instead when the blind was closed it lay flat and to open the blind there was a cord attached to a top rod, securing the open blind with a cleat. In the 1880’s the spring loaded mechanism came to be and to this day this style of mechanism is still in use.
The next innovation came from the Nordic regions with an ingenious concept of adding potato starch to cotton fabric giving it some form and stability and a smoothness to its surface.
The next big innovation that came along for fabrics is polymers and man made yarns improving strength and durability for fabrics used on window furnishings. To this day they are still a material that is being produced to protect window furnishings from the elements with a plethora of finishes available.
In the 1940’s during the war people would attempt to blackout their doors and windows with cardboard and heavy materials to prevent any light from filtering through so no light could escape aiding enemy aircraft during the bombing raids. Street Lamps were also switched off and car headlights covered except for a narrow slit. This became a mandatory requirement for every household with affordable and accessible materials available.
Usually, black cotton fabric was used with two or three layers of fabric used to ensure no light would be seen from the doors and windows.
Blackout shades are popular window treatments for many reasons providing darkness to any room. Supplying almost darkness in any room, for a theater vibe in the middle of the day to having a nap in the middle of the day. Blocking noise and saving energy trapping the heat in winter and keeping rooms cooler and dark during the summer months. The materials used for blinds are mostly now from 100% polyester, and sometimes made from a cotton polyester blend.
Blinds to date still maintain the same principals in that they protect people and environments from the elements of the outer world be it the heat and cold. The fabric may not be of locally sourced and manufactured natural fibres but may be able to outlast the life of natural fibre materials.
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Some materials such as bamboo and linen are still in use with the cotton and potato starch fabric still to date in circulation. Where will innovation take us to in the world of window furnishings and black out fabrics.