When it comes to large windows for the living area, Luxaflex Duettes (honeycomb blinds) would definitely be the best choice. The honeycomb design makes these blinds highly insulating, thereby ensuring a 30% reduction in energy loss from your home. These blinds easily cover large spaces, provide adjustable light filtration capabilities, and even come with intelligent motorised systems. Another way of getting complete thermal protection and fashion combined would be the combination of Duettes and blockout curtains.
Large windows are one of those things that make your Australian house stand out. These large windows will provide natural lighting, an open atmosphere, and a beautiful view of nature in your home. However, as a property owner, you are aware of the negatives.
If you don’t have the proper covering on your windows, large glass panes will act as a magnifying glass to your home in the summertime and as a means to let out your heat in the wintertime.
We draw upon our many years of experience (over 25 years to be exact) working with homeowners all throughout Bathurst, the Central West, and the Blue Mountains in finding solutions to all sorts of window dilemmas.
If you are looking to cover a large living room window, here is our comprehensive guide to making the right choice.
The Unique Challenge of Large Windows
Before purchasing any blinds, it is important to keep in mind how glass panels will affect your living room.
- Energy: According to Energy.gov.au, during the summer months, up to 87 per cent of the heat gain in a house happens due to windows, while in winter, 40 per cent of heat loss is also through windows.
- Glare: The glare from large windows facing east or west causes discomfort because of intense sunlight in the mornings and afternoons, preventing people from watching TV.
- Privacy: Large windows may expose your living room to others in the neighbourhood and passersby since it may be visible during the night due to the light inside the house.
- Weight and Ease of Use: Big blinds may be too heavy to open and close without a proper operating system.
Duettes: Our Top Recommendation for Large Windows
If we are approached by clients looking for a window cover for their large living room windows, then the first thing that comes to mind is Luxaflex® Duettes.
Popularly known as honeycomb blinds, Duettes have been widely acknowledged as one of the most flexible window covers out there. Here are some reasons why.
Superior Thermal Insulation
It is the unique honeycomb structure of the Duettes that makes them an efficient insulator between the glass and the room, with air being trapped in individual pockets within the honeycomb. This feature is especially important for areas where the winter season is freezing cold and the summer season is blazingly hot. With the Luxaflex® Duette® Architella® series of window coverings, you can experience a honeycomb within the honeycomb structure, which offers maximum energy efficiency.
Excellent Spanning Capabilities
Large windows require treatments that will maintain their tautness throughout large distances. Duette is extremely lightweight and durable, making it possible to design it in wide sizes without putting any strain on the brackets or operating ropes.
Advanced Light Control with LightLock
For those whose living rooms also double as home theatres, controlling the glare is an absolute necessity. Only from Luxaflex does the Duette LightLock Side Channel System, which is designed to fit snugly into your window reveal, absorb and deflect any external light to avoid the pesky halo effect.
Motorisation for Hard-to-Reach Spaces
Raising a blind that is 3 to 4 metres long may seem a little bit challenging. It is important to mention that the installation of the PowerView motorisation is highly recommended for Duettes. The latter is a modern technological device which allows controlling even such blinds via remote control, a phone application, or just by giving voice commands. It allows programming the moment of closing the blinds automatically on the hottest day.
Other Excellent Contenders for Large Living Rooms
As good as honeycomb blinds are, they certainly aren’t the only choice available to you. Depending on your interior design preferences and other considerations, the following three options are among those you should consider.
1. Curtains and Blockout Curtains
Drapes have made a big comeback in modern interior design. They offer a soft and elegant look that you can never get from blinds.
The best blockout curtain is perfect at stopping heat flow and also blocks out all light. Our customers like to go for the double layer of window treatments: they place the sheer curtain that diffuses daylight, followed by the blockout curtain for full privacy when it gets dark. The curtains move smoothly on the rail, making it easy to draw them over a large living room window.
2. Luxaflex® Soft Shades
If you wish to preserve your outlook while still dimming the light that enters, then soft shades provide an excellent choice. Soft shades use fabric vanes that are attached to the sheers between them to achieve a soft and elegant touch.
We often receive enquiries from our customers requesting us to clearly delineate the differences between different types of soft shades. If you need to compare these high-end products, you can read our article Pirouette Vs Silhouette Blinds: What Is The Difference? Overall, Silhouette shades excel in light diffusion, whereas Pirouette shades have a distinct design and great privacy.
3. Roller Blinds with EDGE® Technology
Roller blinds provide you with a classic, minimalistic style. Roller blinds lift up into the window head without obstructing your view at all. For large windows, we recommend Luxaflex® Roller Blinds with EDGE® Technology. This innovative hardware mechanism provides a smooth operation for heavy and large-sized blinds. In addition, with EDGE® Technology, it is possible to link several roller blinds in one area.
Key Factors to Consider (Buying Guide)
Which one of these should influence your selection? Think about the following practical considerations when making your final decision.
1. Window Orientation
Let the orientation of your large window decide the type of material you should choose.
- North Windows: This window will always have sunlight throughout the day, and therefore, you will need the best UV protection so that your floor does not fade.
- West Window: This window is exposed to the afternoon sun and therefore needs a room-darkening or heavy thermal blind to avoid turning the entire room into an oven.
- South Window: While this window gets little direct sunlight, it is highly exposed to cold air during winter. Therefore, insulation should be prioritised with Duettes.
2. Privacy vs. View
With the large-sized window of your living room facing the street, privacy will be a problem. You should consider using a top-down/bottom-up operating system where you can raise or lower the top part of the blind while keeping the lower part of the blind closed to avoid having your neighbours look through your window.
3. Child and Pet Safety
Long cords attached to excessively large blinds constitute a severe safety hazard for toddlers and pets. While Australian consumer safety regulations mandate that all blinds must have their cords anchored by cleats, the best option would be to remove cords completely from your blinds. You should use cordless operating mechanisms (e.g., Luxaflex LiteRise blinds).
Installation and Maintenance
Installation of big blinds is a major gamble if you want to do it yourself.
Why Professional Installation Matters
Why installation by professionals? Large blinds are heavy, and without mounting the brackets firmly into the wall studs, there is a high possibility that the blind will peel off. It requires utmost accuracy when measuring a big blind because a margin of only five millimetres may cause the blind to interfere with the window frame.
At Blinds by Design, our professional fitters will handle all accurate measuring and heavy lifting so that your big blinds are installed with no trouble at all and perfectly level. This is guaranteed by our local service warranty of 12 months from the date of installation.
Easy Maintenance
Cleaning big blinds can be made easy for you. As regards the Duette blinds, just use the brush attachment of your vacuum with a low suction mode to clean dust. In addition, a cool hair dryer is also a good tool for cleaning dust in the honeycomb blinds. As regards the curtains, light vacuuming will help avoid dust accumulation.
Comparison: Best Window Coverings For Large Windows
To help you decide, here is a quick decision matrix comparing the top options for large living rooms.
| Feature | Duettes (Honeycomb) | Blockout Curtains | Soft Shades (Silhouette/Pirouette) | Roller Blinds |
| Best For | Maximum insulation & energy savings | Softening the room & blocking light | Maintaining views with soft light | Minimalist style & budget |
| Insulation | Excellent | Very Good (if heavy lined) | Moderate | Moderate |
| Light Control | Excellent | Excellent | Very Good | Good |
| View Retention | Low (unless open) | Low (unless open) | Excellent (sheer panels) | Low (unless open) |
| Motorisation | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Key Takeaway
Window blinds for the large windows of your living room can be chosen considering their functionality and beauty. A good window covering solution must not bend under its own weight, regulate direct sunlight, and also serve to insulate your house from temperature changes.
The best choice for most houses in Australia would be Luxaflex Duettes. These products have great insulation properties, fine light diffusion features, and easy motorisation. If you prefer something softer in design, there are always beautiful curtain solutions.
For those residing in the Bathurst, Central West, or Blue Mountains regions, this dilemma is not one that you should be going through alone. Contact us right away. Our consultation service entails the measurement of your area along with a lighting assessment that helps us find your perfect window covering solution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the maximum width for living room blinds?
The length depends entirely on the product and the technology used. As for roller blinds, one tube usually covers about 3 metres of space, although you can always combine them into a larger unit that spans a greater length. Duettes, due to their very light fabric, may also stretch farther than other products.
Do honeycomb blinds really save on energy bills?
Yes. There are many studies, both independent and government-funded, which show that honeycomb blinds of good quality, like Luxaflex Duette Architella, may substantially reduce heat transfer due to the formation of air pockets in the cells of these blinds.
Can I motorise blinds on extra-large windows?
Absolutely. Motorisation of window treatments is advisable where there are big windows, as it makes opening and closing heavy blinds easy without the use of long and cumbersome safety cords.
Are curtains or blinds better for a living room?
The choice is ultimately subjective. Whereas blinds give you exact lighting control and clean lines, curtains provide soft lighting and good sound insulation. Some people like to combine roller blinds with sheers for the best of both worlds.
How do you clean large honeycomb blinds?
They are actually easy to maintain. All they need is to be wiped once in a while or cleaned with the help of a vacuum cleaner with a clean brush attachment. Just use a low suction level on the vacuum cleaner.
Do I need blockout blinds in the living room?
That’s not always the case. Unless you use the living room for sleeping or entertainment purposes, light-blocking fabric is rarely used. It provides privacy during the daytime, but it also allows sunlight to make the room brighter.