Glass façades are all the rage. Not only do glazed areas create an individual environment with a high living standard for office buildings, but also for residential properties. However, there can be no glass façade without the right form of sun protection – otherwise the living area becomes a sauna in the summer. Whereas exterior elements contribute to the design of the façade above all, the interior shading is an innate element in room design. In this regard there are many possibilities for the combination of sun protection and modern interior decoration.

A light touch with venetian blinds
Interior venetian blinds offer two benefits from an optical point of view. On the one hand they are available in many different colours and materials, and thus blend in with every residential environment. On the other hand the occupants can individually regulate the incident light: Depending upon the angle of the slats it is possible to create interesting patterns of light and shade. Venetian blinds with wooden slats, for instance, are particularly suited to a romantic royal style. Rays of sunshine falling on dark wooden furniture create a shaded ambiance such as that found in a safari lodge. Venetian blinds made of aluminium suit a cool, modern room concept in which the play of shadows underlines the purist interior.
Having to operate each individual venetian blind on large glazed areas with a lift cord or crank handle is extremely uncomfortable, however. Manufacturers such as elero therefore offer motorized solutions with which venetian blinds can be lowered or raised at the push of a button. The slats can also be turned through as much as 180 degrees, thus also protecting large glazed façades elegantly and effectively from the sun.

Interior screens create atmosphere
While a venetian blind shades the room, an interior screen darkens the room completely. However this is only the case if it is made of a light-impermeable textile or a natural material such as bamboo. Yet there are also transparent variations: If the interior screen is made of a light-permeable yellow fabric, for instance, the incident light creates a warm and cosy atmosphere. A blue fabric ensures a fresh ambiance in a room.

With their straight contours, screens aid a clear, expressive appearance. Nevertheless, varying degrees of transparency with various colours, patterns and sizes ensure a high level of individuality in the living area. Just like venetian blinds, impressive screens are also difficult to operate by hand – here too, user-friendly motorized solutions are used.

Current trends
Interior designers often make use of pleats in the design of an attractive residential ambiance. With pleated systems the material is not rolled on a shaft, as is the case with screens, but is pre-folded (pleated) in the window frame and can be opened and closed as required. This allows for an additional possibility for optical variation – the width of the pleats. Thanks to this technique, pleated blinds can be produced in virtually every possible shape and form: A modern alternative above all for smaller and round windows.