Why Shutters Are the Ultimate Architectural Upgrade
Some window dressings are simply added to a room, while others become a permanent, architectural part of your home. When
July 21, 2026
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Traditional Mounting, Modern Style
Day & Night freehanging blinds are traditionally mounted blinds that attach to your wall or ceiling using brackets and screws, rather than clipping onto window frames. You get the same flexible light control and modern striped aesthetic of Day & Night blinds – those alternating sheer and opaque horizontal stripes that let you fine-tune privacy and brightness throughout the day – but with the installation flexibility and enhanced light blocking that traditional mounting provides. They’re brilliant for any window type including wooden frames, aluminium windows, or situations where you want better blackout performance than clip-on systems can deliver.
The “freehanging” name simply means the blind hangs freely from its brackets rather than being held in a frame system. You’ve got complete control over positioning – mount them inside the window recess for a neat integrated look, or outside the recess (face-fixed) to cover more wall and block more light around the edges. This flexibility makes freehanging the right choice when Perfect Fit or Perfectly Fitted won’t work, when you want maximum light control, or when you’re happy to drill for a more permanent installation.
Day & Night blinds work by having two layers of fabric with alternating sheer and opaque stripes. Roll the blind to align the stripes and you get filtered light with a view out – brilliant for daytime when you want brightness without glare. Offset the stripes and you block the view for privacy while still letting light through – perfect for street-facing windows or ground-floor rooms. Close them fully and you’ve got maximum coverage that’s darker than most standard blinds but not quite total blackout.
With hundreds of fabric colours, patterns, and textures available, you’ll find Day & Night fabrics to suit any room and any style. Clean whites and soft greys for minimalist spaces, warm creams and beiges for traditional rooms, bold colours for statement windows, or subtle patterns for added visual interest. The horizontal striped effect creates depth and contemporary style that plain roller blinds can’t match.
Why Choose Day & Night Freehanging Blinds
Works on Any Window Type – Unlike Perfect Fit, freehanging blinds mount to any window: wood, aluminium, sash, casement, arched, or dormer. For non-standard or period property windows, freehanging is often the only Day & Night option.
Complete Positioning Control – You choose the exact position: inside the recess for a neat look, or outside to make windows appear larger and block more light. This flexibility solves specific design or light problems.
Handles Larger Windows – Wall-mounted brackets allow freehanging blinds to handle much wider and taller windows than clip-on systems, suitable for bay windows or floor-to-ceiling glazing.
Flexible Light Control – Enjoy full Day & Night functionality: align stripes for filtered light, offset them for privacy, or close fully for darkness. Adjust infinitely throughout the day for perfect conditions.
Contemporary Aesthetic – The horizontal stripes offer a modern, stylish look, unlike plain roller blinds. Perfect for new builds and renovated spaces, they maintain a tidy appearance when raised.
Privacy Without Darkness – Offset the stripes for complete privacy while still allowing natural light through the sheer sections. Essential for street-facing or ground-floor rooms where a bright, airy feel is desired.
More Permanent and Secure – Freehanging blinds are permanently fixed with screws into walls or ceilings. They are solid, secure fixtures that will last without maintenance, ideal for homeowners.
Things Worth Knowing
Requires Drilling and Brackets – Installation involves drilling holes for brackets—a permanent commitment. Renters need permission. Perfect Fit is the alternative if drilling is unacceptable.
Installation Takes More Time – Expect 20-30 minutes per window for proper installation, significantly longer than clip-in systems. Account for this added time, especially for multiple windows.
Recess vs Face-Fix Trade-offs – Inside the recess is neater but reduces light blocking; outside (face-fixed) blocks light better and makes windows look larger, but projects into the room. We’ll advise based on your priorities.
Not Complete Blackout – Day & Night blinds offer excellent darkness but not total blackout due to inherent fabric gaps and edge light leak. They are fine for comfortable sleep, but shift workers needing absolute darkness should consider blackout roller blinds or combination solutions.
Chain Position Matters – The operating chain’s location is permanent after installation. Consider furniture and access beforehand; we’ll confirm positioning during measurement.
Fabric Choices Affect Performance – Stripe opacity varies: some sheer sections offer maximum light, others provide more privacy. Opaque sections range from dimout to lighter options. Choose based on performance needs, not just looks.
Weight Affects Operation – Large blinds are heavy. Quality mechanisms handle this, but operation won’t be as effortless as smaller blinds—this is due to physics, not poor quality.
Stripe Alignment Varies – Alignment is manually adjusted after raising/lowering; this flexible, infinite positioning is normal operation, not a defect.
Common Questions (FAQ)
What's the difference between Perfect Fit, Perfectly Fitted, and Freehanging?
Perfect Fit uses clip-on frames that attach to uPVC windows without drilling. Perfectly Fitted is our own system that works on more window types, including timber, and it can navigate around obstacles. Freehanging blinds mount to the wall or ceiling above your window like traditional roller blinds. Perfect Fit and Perfectly Fitted blinds move with your window when you open it, while free-hanging blinds stay put. All three give you the same day & night functionality—it’s just different mounting methods depending on your windows and what you prefer.
Can I still open my windows with Perfect Fit or Perfectly Fitted blinds?
Absolutely, that’s the whole point. The blinds attach to the window itself, so when you open your window, the blind moves with it. You don’t need to roll them up first or move them out of the way. It’s dead handy for tilt-and-turn windows where you need to tilt them in for cleaning or ventilation. With free-hanging blinds, you’d normally need to roll them up before opening the window, but with these systems, you just open the window as normal.
How do Day & Night blinds work for privacy?
The fabric has alternating see-through and solid stripes. When you position the solid stripes to overlap, you get complete privacy – nobody can see in. When you offset them so the see-through stripes align, you get filtered light but still some privacy because of the stripe pattern. You can position them anywhere in between to get exactly what you need. At night with lights on inside, you’ll want the solid stripes aligned for proper privacy, but during the day you can have them more open to let natural light in.
Are Day & Night blinds suitable for bathrooms?
If you’re looking at blinds for the bathroom, I always recommend our PVC Day & Night range. They’re brilliant because they don’t just ‘cope’ with moisture—they’re properly built for it.
We fit these as freehanging blinds, meaning they move independently of the window and cover the entire opening for a clean, uniform look. Because the fabric is 100% PVC, it won’t absorb steam or harbor damp, making them much more hygienic than standard fabrics.
Can Day & Night blinds be motorised?
Yeah, most of our Day & Night blinds can be motorised. It’s particularly good if you’ve got high windows or loads of blinds that you want to control together. You can get them with remote control operation, or we can set them up to work with Alexa or Google Home if you’ve got a smart home setup. Motorised blinds are child-safe by design too, which is a bonus. They cost a bit more than manual operation, but if you’ve got the budget for it, they’re really convenient.
How do I clean Day & Night blinds?
One of the best things about these blinds is how little you actually have to do. The fabric is specially impregnated with a self-cleaning treatment, which means dust doesn’t settle and cling like it does on standard fabrics or heavy curtains.
They’re a ‘fit and forget’ solution that stays looking brand new for years—ideal for busy Yorkshire homes where you’ve got better things to do than clean the blinds!
What's the difference between Day & Night blinds and normal roller blinds?
Normal roller blinds are either up or down—when they’re down, you get privacy, but you block out all the light. Day & Night blinds give you way more control because of the two-layer stripe design. You can have them down for privacy while still letting light filter through, or you can adjust them for complete privacy when you need it. It’s like having a dimmer switch for your natural light rather than just an on/off switch. They’re a bit more expensive than basic roller blinds, but you get a lot more versatility.
Which rooms are Day & Night blinds best suited for?
Honestly, they work in pretty much any room. They’re brilliant in living rooms where you want to control glare on the telly without making the room dark. Perfect in bedrooms where you want flexibility—light in the morning, privacy at night. Great in kitchens and bathrooms where you need privacy but you don’t want to lose natural light. They’re popular in home offices too because you can adjust them throughout the day depending on screen glare. The only place we’d say think twice is if you need total blackout—in that case, proper blackout roller blinds or curtains might be better.
Make Them Even Better
Motorisation: Choose battery-powered motors (Somfy, Louvolite, Motionblinds) for easy retrofit (USB charging, remote/smartphone operation) or mains-powered for large/commercial blinds (no charging, same smart features). Both integrate with smart homes (Alexa, Google, Apple).
Smart Home Integration: Motorised blinds integrate with smart home systems for voice control and automation (schedules, scenes, sun sensors), turning blinds into automated window coverings.
Linked Systems: Link multiple Day & Night blinds for wide or bay windows, operating them simultaneously with one control for better reliability and a uniform look than a single large blind.
Colour Coordinated Components: Match the bottom bar, chain, and brackets (e.g., black, brown, grey) to your decor for a more considered, less “off-the-shelf” appearance than standard white/silver.
Combination with Curtains: Use Day & Night blinds for light/privacy control close to the window, and curtains for softness/warmth as an outer frame. Ideal for bedrooms needing both styling and functionality.
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Your Windows?
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windows. Simply fill in the form and we’ll be in touch shortly.
Ready to Transform Your Windows?
We’re here to help.
Our expert team is ready with advice, ideas, and solutions for your windows.
Simply fill in the form and we’ll be in touch shortly.