Custom blackout curtains made to measure for New Zealand homes. Light control, insulation and a tailored finish for every room.
Blackout lined curtains provide light control, improved insulation and added privacy. Whether you call them blackout or block-out curtains, the principle is the same: a dense lining behind the face fabric that blocks light from entering the room. All our blackout lined curtains are made to measure in our McKenzie and Willis workroom, with a wide choice of fabrics, colours and heading styles.
A blackout lining is attached at the heading behind your chosen curtain fabric, creating a barrier that blocks sunlight and artificial light from outside. This means you can choose almost any fabric you like and add a blackout lining to it, rather than being limited to a set range of blackout fabrics.
Blackout curtains give you full control over the amount of light entering a room, from darkness for sleep to filtered light when layered with sheers on a double track. They are particularly effective in bedrooms, media rooms and any space where glare or external light is an issue.
The dense lining that blocks light also acts as an insulating layer, helping to retain heat in winter and reduce heat gain in summer. For homes in cooler parts of New Zealand, this added insulation can make a noticeable difference to comfort and energy use.
Blackout and thermal lined curtains are often confused, but they serve different primary purposes. All blackout curtain linings are also thermal by nature – they’re designed to block light, but they also have added insulating properties that are designed to retain heat and reduce energy loss. While thermal curtains have the same heat insulating purpose, they are lighter weight than blackout curtains and do still allow light through. Another option is Tripleweave linings, which are coloured on both sides of the fabric and dim the light while also offering insulation. Tripleweave linings won’t provide to true blackout solution, although come very close in darker colours. Your consultant can help you decide whether a blackout lining, a tripleweave lining, or a combination of both is the right choice for each room.
Blackout curtains are the most popular choice for bedrooms, providing near-complete darkness for restful sleep. A well-fitted blackout curtain that brushes the floor and runs the full width of the window minimises light gaps, giving the best result. For a softer look, pair blackout curtains with a sheer on a double track so you can filter light during the day and block it at night.
In living rooms, blackout curtains reduce glare on screens and offer full privacy in the evening. If you prefer natural light during the day, a double track with a sheer, either on the front with a blackout lining behind, or on the rear with a lined curtain on the front gives you the flexibility to switch between the two.
Blackout curtains help maintain a consistent sleep environment for children, particularly during the longer daylight hours of a New Zealand summer. They also provide good insulation for keeping the room warm overnight in winter, creating an optimal sleeping environment for your child.
For dedicated media rooms or home theatres, blackout curtains create a dark environment at any time of day. A ceiling mounted track with a blackout lined curtain that brushes the floor will minimise any light gaps and deliver the best result.
Blackout lined curtains are surprising affordable, with fully lined, custom made curtains starting from just $200 per metre of window width, up to a 2.7m drop. Our consultants will help you find the right fabric and lining combination for your home.
A double track system allows you the option of hanging a sheer curtain at the front and a blackout lining at the rear, or a sheer at the rear and a blackout lined curtain on the front. This gives you two options in one window: filtered natural light and privacy during the day, or near-complete darkness and insulation at night. Layering is a popular choice in bedrooms and living rooms throughout New Zealand and, depending on if the sheer is on the front or rear track, works with most heading styles.
Blackout lined curtains can be made in most of our heading styles, but there are a couple of features to be aware of. Blackout lining is made up of a face fabric, a black layer, and a coating which is applied to the black layer, combining to create the light block effect. When this is stitched together at the heading on white or very pale fabrics, the black can punch through at the stitch holes, creating small dark dots. This means some headings are best avoided when using white fabrics with blackout lining. If the fabric is coloured, then almost any heading style works well, but for white fabrics, a heading such as New York or Inverted, where stitching on the face of the fabric is minimal. Your consultant can recommend a heading style based on your fabric, room and personal preference.
A blockout lining can be added to almost any fabric in our range. Browse our fabric gallery to explore colours, textures and designs for your blockout curtains.
Our complimentary consultations go beyond simple advice and help you turn your home into the sanctuary you've always wanted.
Book your complimentary consultation to get your next project started.
