Picking blinds for French doors
French doors have been a mainstay in home design for decades. With versatile options to suit modern or traditional styles, they create a lovely sense of indoor-outdoor flow and always feel elegant. Curtains are a common choice for controlling light and privacy when it comes to French doors, but blinds can be a sleek option, especially in more modern rooms.
Choosing blinds for French doors is a little more complicated than for sliding doors - you need to consider an option that won't get in the way of the door's functionality. The best way to avoid your blinds getting in the way is to attach them to the door itself rather than the frame.
By attaching your blinds to the 'frame' of the window within your French door, they still provide all the light blocking and privacy benefits, but they'll move seamlessly with the doors and not block access to handles.
Best blind options for French doors
Roman blinds are a great customisable option for French doors as you can choose the fabric style to suit. They also create a smooth look when lowered and emphasize the surrounding details of the doors. A graceful style that adds a touch of class, while protecting your living areas from harsh UV rays and glare.
Visually, honeycomb blinds are a more modern look than Roman blinds, but they can still suit a range of styles. Honeycomb blinds also have the added benefit of good insulating properties and a very slim profile. They can be made to smaller proportions as well, making them a great choice for narrow doors.
Other blind options for French doors
If you’re looking for an option to cover the full French door, rather than mounting the blinds to the windows within the door, you will need to consider how far the handles of the door stick out. This will impact where you mount the blinds to make sure they don’t get in the way of the doors opening.
Some options for fully covering French doors are roller blinds or vertical blinds. Both are stylish, economical and help control light and privacy.
For roller blinds, make sure to install them above the door frame to ensure they can be rolled up out of the way of the doors, especially if your French doors open inward. Roller blinds can be a good option when paired with curtains, especially in bedrooms as they can block most light when down and then be rolled up out of the way with a lovely sheer curtain for an easy, breezy feel on hot days.
For vertical blinds, make sure there is enough space to the side of the door for the slats to stack when open. Verticals can be a good option for French doors that don’t get used daily and act more like full-length windows.
