WHAT IS AN ALLUSIONS BLIND?
Allusions blinds are specifically designed for doors, such as sliding, bi-folding, or French doors, or for exceptionally large windows that are floor-to-ceiling in height (like a window that appears to be a door but isn’t). They are not intended for traditional windows for various reasons, which we’ll discuss later.
These blinds offer a unique shading solution for your door or window, providing subtle light diffusion while allowing you to enjoy a view or privacy when closed. During the day, they filter light while still allowing you to see outside. They are made from a combination of sheer and opaque textured fabric, giving them a soft, distinctive, and modern appearance.
When installed across a door, their most distinctive feature is the ability to part and walk through them without having to pull the blind out of the way.
THE FINER DETAIL
The material of the Allusions blind is a soft fabric, with each louvre consisting of a transparent layer and solid sides. When angled shut, only the solid part is visible, effectively closing the window or door area. Since they are mounted on a vertical track headrail, they can be tilted through a full 180 degrees.
A unique feature of the Allusions blind is its party trick. Unlike traditional vertical blinds that require pulling them back to go through doors, you can simply walk through any of the louvres to enter and exit the room.
Across doors, Allusions offer several notable advantages:
- They can be easily pulled aside when needed.
- If doors are left open and the blind is positioned across them, they remain mostly silent when a strong breeze enters through the doors.
- They serve as an excellent fly screen!
Functionality of Alllusions
Daytime Privacy
Allusions are excellent for providing daytime privacy, effectively blocking the view into your room during daylight hours.
Protect items against fading
The transparent panels provide excellent protection against fading on floors and furniture due to sunlight. They can also be angled as they are mounted on a vertical blind track, as well as fully closed.
Glare from the sun
The transparent panels will offer excellent glare resistance in most situations. They can also be tilted or angled to face the sun.
Nightime Privacy
Allusions are particularly effective in reducing heat buildup in a room.
Thermal Gain (Heat)
Allusions are particularly effective in reducing heat buildup in a room.
Thermal Loss (Heat loss from inside your house)
As described above, allusions on doors or large windows are as effective as curtains in retaining heat.
Blackout effect for bedrooms
If your bedroom has doors, they provide an excellent level of blackout. For a comprehensive understanding of your options for blackout blinds in general, visit our Blackout Blinds product page.
Types of Windows & Doors Suitable for Allusions
Any Standard Window (not door)
These blinds are specifically designed for doors or exceptionally large windows that are floor-to-ceiling in height. An Allusions blind can be tilted open or shut, but it requires room to do so within the aperture. When open, there are gaps at each end of the blind. On doors, these gaps appear over the thicker framework. Most windows don’t have enough framework at each end, so the blind would struggle to cover the entire glass area.
Sliding Doors/French Doors/Bi Folding Doors
They are designed for most types of door.
Bay Windows
These will NOT work in a bay window.
SOME IMPORTANT THINGS TO NOTE
Allusions, when attached to a vertical blind track mechanism, can only be pulled back to one side. They cannot be open from the middle with half going one way, there other half the other way. While it’s possible to place two Allusions blinds in a single door opening for various reasons, we strongly advise against it due to potential issues where the two blinds meet in the middle. This is a complex matter that we can’t fully explain on our website, but we’re more than happy to discuss it with you in person or over the phone. It is possible to achieve this, but it may not look aesthetically pleasing.
MIXING ALLUSIONS WITH OTHER WINDOWS IN YOUR ROOM
As mentioned earlier, Allusions are specifically designed for doors or large windows that extend from the floor to the ceiling in height. Doors are commonly found in kitchens, where there are often more traditional windows.
We usually match the colour of rollers, verticals, or other types of blinds with an Allusion to ensure a coordinated style in your room.
HOW ARE ALLUSIONS BLINDS OPERATED
An Allusions blind mounted to a vertical track system can be controlled using a cord or a wand. However, we strongly advise against using the wand, especially for larger doors or windows, as it may cause issues.
CAN ALLUSIONS BE MOTORISED?
Up to 3 meters wide, the blinds (not the pulling back and forth) can be motorised. We can offer this feature, but we don’t recommend it.
The tilt mechanism works by pressing a button to tilt the blinds in the desired direction, followed by a second push to stop it. In practice, we’ve found it challenging to achieve the exact angle you need, especially since many doors exceed 3 meters in width. Therefore, this option may not be suitable for most people.
CLEANING & DAMAGE FROM CHILDREN/PETS
An Allusions blind is a series of louvres attached to a headrail mechanism and attached together. To detach a louvre can be done in a matter of seconds. We recommend dry cleaning, should they require it.
As they are simple to detach from the headrail and being individual strips of material, replacing a damaged louvre is straightforward. We normally supply you with spare strips and can easily replace individual ones for you, if required. As we manufacture the blinds ourselves, we can also effect any repair to the headrail mechanism too.
The materials are dense and robust and easy to keep looking nice.
