Heated blinds to banish cold draughts

Heated blinds may soon become a regular installation in the home if product designers from an interiors specialist have anything to do about it.

This latest idea for the smart home of the future places a heated element in to window blinds to keep out the chill and ensure warm and cosy living spaces.

The concept design aims to investigate demand in the market, with a view to adding the offering to its product ranges.

Inspired by the colder winter months, the team behind a national blinds specialist has created concept designs for a first-of-its-kind heated blind which promises to keep homes warm all winter.

Hillarys, the British blinds, curtains and interiors specialist, has decided to investigate the demand in the UK for heated blinds, to add an extra layer of warmth to the home.

Much like a heated blanket, the Venetian-style blinds contain hidden electric elements. The blinds will also feature a wall-mounted temperature control panel so that the user can set the specific temperature they would like the blinds to operate at.

Although Venetian-style, the blinds would be subtly quilted and available in a range of colours and patterns. This will ensure that there’s no need to compromise on style in order to achieve a comfortable, well-heated interior.

The design team see the heated blinds complementing a home’s existing heating system and being used in rooms which are more difficult to keep warm and draught-free.

Helen Turnbull from Hillarys made the following comments about the concept designs:

There’s nothing worse than those chilly winter draughts! These blinds would make some serious headway in making those a thing of the past. We have so much technology in our homes already and we Britons love our gadgets; so this is potentially a very practical next step for us when we’re coming up with design ideas for new blinds. We like to be ahead of the curve, so we love the fact that we are the world’s first to come up with this kind of concept.”

She continued:

The real test now will be to see how the idea is welcomed by UK consumers. We will have the task of educating the market about how this concept works and why it will benefit the home – it’s not just as simple as saying ‘this will heat your house up’, it’s also about explaining how energy and cost-efficient it will be.”

Although there are many houses with double glazing a lot of modern properties also have ‘trickle vents’ to allow air to circulate. These can cause icy draughts in winter. Also, there are many homes in the UK still equipped with sash windows or windows which cannot be modernised due to heritage status – so these blinds may well find a market.