It might not be obvious to you which are the most suitable blinds for French doors – but our team at Solaire Blinds can help.
With their light construction and glass panes that extend for most of their length, French doors offer style, practicality, and natural light. They are also versatile enough to be potentially used with a wide range of blinds.
So, let’s consider which options might be the best blinds for French doors for your property.
Blinds for French Doors: What You Should First Consider
As you’d expect, some types of blinds are better suited to certain spaces than others.
Whether in a residential or commercial property, we’d first recommend considering the following before purchasing French door blinds:
- Whether your French doors open inwards or outwards. It is most common for French doors to be installed so that they open outwards, although some property owners choose to have inward-opening French doors fitted. But this could have implications for the blinds you choose. Vertical blinds, for example, are only suitable for outward-opening French doors, as they would be damaged if fitted on inward-opening doors.
- How frequently you will be opening and closing the doors. Perfect-fit blinds become an integral part of the door itself, instead of being separate to them, so they might make more sense if you expect to be constantly opening and closing your French doors. If you open and close your French doors much less frequently, day and night blinds might be the better option.
- Whether privacy or daylight is the greater priority. If, for instance, you require maximum daylight on some occasions and maximum privacy at other times, you may be especially attracted to roller blinds.
Which Blinds Work Best with French Doors?
With their ability to open inwards or outwards (depending on which option is chosen), as well as to make a residential or commercial property seem bigger and brighter, French doors can greatly boost the visual appeal and functionality of your space.
Here are our top recommendations:
1. Perfect-Fit Blinds
Given that much of the whole point of having French doors installed is their elegance, it might seem a less-than-attractive idea to then have them covered with bulky-looking blinds or shutters. Plus, such bulkier window coverings may be vulnerable to moving around in the wind.
So, in your search for the most appropriate blinds for French doors, perfect-fit blinds might appeal to you. These blinds can be clipped directly to the frame of a French door, with no need for drilling. You will then be able to open and close your French doors without being forced to do the same with the blinds themselves.
Benefits of Perfect-Fit Blinds for French Doors
- Straightforward to install and operate
- Child-safe, due to no cords, cables, or wands being needed
- Neater, cleaner, and more elegant-looking than alternatives
2. Roller Blinds
This type of blind consists of fabric that rolls out of a tube at the top of the window. Bespoke roller blinds are simple-looking and streamlined, but also easy to use with the attached chain. Unsurprisingly, they are a popular choice for people with French doors.
If you want the ability to completely shut out visibility, whatever the time of day or night, roller blinds would give you a lot of control. You can roll them completely out of the way to maximise the natural light that floods through or you can roll them shut for the utmost privacy.
Benefits of Roller Blinds for French Doors
- Easy to lift and lower the blind by rolling the tube
- Can be rolled completely up, completely down, or somewhere in-between for the best balance of natural light and privacy
- Wide range of options, including blackout blinds and motorised operation
3. Day & Night Blinds
These often-requested French door blinds are similar to roller blinds, except that they have two layers of fabric, each with translucent and opaque stripes. Raising or lowering the blind causes these fabric layers to slide past each other, which gives the user control over light and privacy levels.
You might be especially likely to choose day and night blinds if your French doors are on a public-facing side of your building – for example, near a busy street. In this situation, you may desire a lot of privacy control on a day-by-day basis, but also the ability to allow greater daylight into the room at certain times.
Benefits of Day & Night Blinds for French Doors
- Cater to wide-ranging lighting and privacy requirements
- A sophisticated design that is also easy to adjust
- Can work well as night blackout blinds
4. Vertical Blinds
Consisting of vertical vanes or louvres attached to a sliding track at the top, vertical blinds are especially frequently chosen blinds for French doors among property owners that desire privacy. They are easy to operate using a wand, chain, or cord, and they can be specified in a wide range of colours, designs, and fabrics.
Purchase sophisticated-looking vertical blinds, then, and they will nicely complement the refined aesthetic of your French doors. Vertical blinds are great for allowing in lots of natural light and a cool breeze on warm nights. They enable you to take advantage of the sleek aesthetic of French doors, without compromising privacy.
Benefits of Vertical Blinds for French Doors
- Broad-ranging customisation options, such as waterproofing
- Allow a balance to be struck between daylight and privacy
- Can be operated using a 100% child-safe wand
5. Plantation Shutters
When it comes to adding a touch of timeless elegance to your French doors, plantation shutters offer an unmatched solution. As BBSA-accredited specialists, we’ve seen a growing trend among Yorkshire homeowners choosing these versatile window dressings for their French doors – and it’s easy to see why.
Benefits of Plantation Shutters for French Doors
- Superior Light Control: The adjustable louvres allow precise control over natural light, letting you tilt them to your exact preferences throughout the day
- Enhanced Insulation: Shutters provide an additional barrier against heat loss in winter and help keep rooms cooler during summer
- Exceptional Privacy: Unlike some window dressings, plantation shutters offer privacy without sacrificing natural light
- Added Security: These robust window dressings provide an extra layer of security for your French doors
- Child-Safe by Design: With no dangerous cords or chains, plantation shutters are inherently safe for homes with young children
Which Shutter Style Works Best?
For French doors, we typically recommend full-height plantation shutters or our innovative tracked system. Full-height shutters provide a clean, seamless look that complements the elegant lines of French doors, while tracked shutters are perfect for wider door spans where you want the flexibility to slide the panels completely out of the way.
All our French door shutters are made-to-measure and professionally installed to ensure perfect operation. We use high-quality materials that won’t warp or fade, even in areas with direct sunlight, making them an excellent long-term investment for your home.”
Do You Put Curtains or Blinds on French Doors?
Some people do choose curtains for their French doors, due to their ability to block out the sun and provide privacy when needed. However, it’s quite rare. Instead, blinds are typically the go-to option due to their lighter build.
A major downside of curtains for doors is, of course, that they are always visible. If you purchased French doors in the first place because of their sleek and streamlined appearance, curtains will interfere with that in a way that blinds won’t.
Need Help Deciding the Right Blind Type? We’d Love to Talk
There are so many potential forms of blinds for French doors. Get in touch or come visit one of our showrooms, and we can take you through the different samples you might want to consider.
- Stop by our blinds showroom in Leeds
- Or visit our blinds showroom in Wakefield, if more convenient
You’ll find we have a wide range of made-to-measure blinds and can meet your preferences with a design that’s completely bespoke.
Reach out to us today for a free home consultation, where we can discuss your needs.
