Room Darkening Blinds
Create a darker, more restful space – whatever the time of day.
At Hampshire Blinds and Shutters, we understand that while many people ask for blackout blinds, true 100% blackout is rarely achievable. The human eye adjusts quickly to small amounts of light, and tiny gaps or stitching points often allow just enough glow to be seen.
That’s why we use the term room darkening – to describe blinds that significantly reduce light levels and create a calmer, more restful atmosphere. Whether you’re a shift worker needing daytime sleep, setting up a home cinema, or just prefer a darker bedroom, we’ve got a wide range of options to suit your needs.
Roller Blinds – A Simple and Cost-Effective Solution
Roller blinds are one of the most popular and budget-friendly choices. When fitted inside the window recess, you’ll usually notice light coming through at the sides and top – especially as the roll at the top gets smaller when lowered.
To improve room darkening:
Add a pelmet at the top to block the light gap,
Or, for best results, fit the blind outside the recess with an overlap on each side. This allows greater coverage and reduces light ingress from every angle.
Choose a blackout fabric for a simple and effective way to dim the room.
3 For 2 Pleated
(Includes Perfect Fit & Intu)
Cellular Pleated Blinds – Stylish, Compact and Thermally Efficient
These clever blinds feature a honeycomb structure that not only reduces light but also helps regulate temperature.
Perfect Fit versions sit close within the window frame, minimising side gaps and creating a snug seal.
Standard pull-up Pleated Blinds are equally effective when fitted neatly in front of the window, with small gaps and sleek operation.
Opt for blackout cellular fabrics to get the best of both form and function – ideal for bedrooms and home offices.
Roman Blinds – Soft Furnishing Style with Strong Room Darkening Potential
Roman Blinds offer an elegant look and great light control, especially when fitted inside the recess. With just a 5mm gap at the sides (at the narrowest point), they block most incoming light, when paired with a room darkening or blackout lining.
Some pinprick light spots may appear where the face fabric is stitched to the lining – a normal feature of this handmade style.
Roman Blinds are available in a wide range of soft furnishing fabrics, making them a great choice for those who want to make a decorative statement without compromising on comfort.
Blind Screen™ – Innovative Design with Outstanding Light Control
If you’re after exceptional light reduction in a modern design, Blind Screen™ blinds are well worth considering.
This unique system uses a vertical pleated fabric in a fully framed, side-drawing track. The blind glides across the window, locking into place across the window and providing excellent room darkening. It’s particularly suited to:
Light-sensitive individuals, Shift workers
Or anyone needing high Room Darkening for rest or focus.
Please note: due to the full-frame design, airflow is blocked when the blind is closed. If you need fresh air while keeping the light out, this may not be the ideal option – or may be best paired with a ventilation strategy.
Other Room-Darkening Options to Consider
While the above blinds are some of the most effective, we also offer many other styles that will dim the room down without full blackout:
Vertical Blinds with dimout fabrics,
Venetian Blinds that allow precise angle control,
Day & Night Blinds that blend sheer and solid strips for adjustable coverage,
And Full Height Shutters, which can reduce light significantly – especially solid panels or when layered with other blinds.
For even greater room darkening, consider layering window treatments:
Roman Blinds with Curtains,
Or Full Height Shutters with a Pleated or Roller blind behind.
Layering combines style with function and is especially useful in bedrooms or nurseries.
🎯 Why Expert Fitting Matters for Room Darkening Blinds
Choosing the right blind is only part of the picture — achieving excellent room darkening also depends on how precisely it’s measured and fitted.
At Hampshire Blinds and Shutters, we focus not just on the product, but on how it’s fitted to your specific windows. Even small gaps can reduce a blind’s darkening effect, especially when the sun hits at an angle or the room is used during the day.
✅ Laser-Measured Accuracy
We use laser technology to take highly accurate readings — giving us a much clearer understanding of your window than traditional tape measures. While others may round down to simplify the process, we take a minimum of 9 measurements per recess to understand the true shape and size of each window.
This allows us to design blinds that fit as closely as possible — but always within the manufacturer’s specified tolerances.
✅ Recesses Aren’t Square – So We Work to the Pinch Point
No window recess is perfectly square. That’s why we base our fitting on the tightest measurement (or pinch point) within the recess — ensuring the blind fits properly at its narrowest part.
However, every blind must be made within a standard manufacturing tolerance, and a small allowance is always needed to ensure the blind can be installed and operate freely.
✅ In-House Fitters, Trained for Precision
All of our fitters are employed and trained in-house — we never subcontract. Our team is trained not just to measure accurately, but to assess:
• The most suitable fitting position (inside or outside recess)
• Where and how light enters the room
• The level of clearance needed to maintain function without excessive gaps
✅ Advice Tailored to Your Space
During your consultation, we’ll advise on both the blind type and the fitting method to get the best room darkening result for your specific windows — whether that’s a snug recess fit or a layered outside mount.
🤝 Our Service Commitment
At Hampshire Blinds and Shutters, we take pride in offering a service that’s not only professional, but personal. Whether you’re choosing blinds, shutters, or both, we’re here to make the process smooth, honest, and stress-free from start to finish.
✅ Trusted, In-House Fitting Team
We never subcontract. All consultations, measurements, and installations are carried out by our own fully trained and experienced fitters.
✅ Our Service Pledge
We believe in clear, ethical service:
• No pressure
• No commission-based selling
• No subcontracted installations
• No sharing of your details
✅ No-Obligation Consultations
Choose from Home Visits, Showroom Appointments, or Zoom Consultations. We’ll offer tailored advice and help you explore the best options for your windows.
✅ Long Product Guarantees
• 10 years on shutters
• 3 years on blinds
You can count on long-term quality and aftercare.
✅ UK-Made Options & Fast Turnaround
We offer a range of UK-Made Shutters and blinds — with some products available in as little as 5 weeks. Perfect if you’re working to a deadline.
✅ Free Temporary Blinds with Shutter Orders
While you wait for your made-to-measure shutters to arrive, we’ll fit a temporary blind at no extra cost to keep your home private and comfortable.
✅ Safe & Responsible Trading
• PPE and safe working practices during home visits
• Clear communication from start to finish
• Feedback welcome at every stage — we’re always improving
Ready to Find the Right Blinds?
We’re here to help — whether you’re just browsing ideas or ready to make a decision.
📞 Call us on 01962 600 379
📧 Email: support@hampshireblindsandshutters.co.uk
Or take the next step:
• 📅 Contact Us To Book a Home Consultation »
• 🏢 Visit a Showroom »
• 💻 Request a Zoom Consultation »
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between blackout and room darkening blinds?
Although we use blackout fabrics in many of our blinds, achieving true blackout is extremely difficult. That’s because the human eye naturally adjusts to small amounts of light, making even the tiniest glow — from side gaps or stitching points — appear brighter than it really is. It’s the same principle that smart cameras use when enhancing low-light images.
That’s why we prefer the term room darkening: it reflects the reality of creating a much darker, calmer environment, without promising absolute black. For most people, it’s more than sufficient for sleep, relaxation, or screen use.
Which types of blinds are best for room darkening?
For the best light reduction, we recommend:
• Blind Screen™ Blinds – our most effective room darkening system. The pleated fabric glides across a full frame and locks into place, offering good coverage for light-sensitive spaces.
• Pleated Blinds in cellular blackout fabrics – these combine excellent light control with thermal efficiency.
• Roman Blinds with blackout lining – soft and stylish, they block a significant amount of light when made to measure and fitted inside the recess.
• Blackout Roller Blinds – while not quite as thorough as the above, they remain the most cost-effective way to reduce light levels, making them an ideal choice for value-focused projects.
Can I improve room darkening by layering window dressings?
Yes. Layering is one of the most effective ways to boost room darkening. For example:
• Roman Blinds with Curtains
• Full Height Shutters paired with a Pleated Blind
By combining different blind types, you block more light from different angles — ideal for bedrooms, nurseries, or home cinemas.
What’s the most discreet way to darken a room?
A recess-fitted Pleated Blind in a cellular blackout fabric is one of the most discreet and effective options. It sits snugly inside the window, minimising gaps and delivering strong light control with a clean, modern look — perfect for minimalist interiors.
Are Perfect Fit blinds good for room darkening?
Perfect Fit Pleated blackout blinds can be useful — particularly on inward opening balcony doors or tilt-and-turn windows where recess fitting isn’t practical. However, because each pane has its own frame, light can enter around every blind, especially at the corners. For better overall darkening, a single recess-fitted blind is usually the stronger choice.
Do vertical blinds with blackout fabrics provide good darkening?
Not really. Even with blackout fabric, Vertical Blinds have gaps between the vanes that allow light through — especially during the day. They’re good for light dimming, but not recommended where true room darkening is the goal.
How many measurements do you take when measuring a window?
We take a minimum of nine measurements per recess. This helps us understand the full shape and any variation within the window — especially since recesses are rarely square. It means the blind can be made to fit the space accurately and perform as expected.
Do you use subcontractors for measuring or fitting?
No — we only use our own trained, in-house team. This ensures consistency, precision, and accountability from start to finish. Everyone who visits your home is part of our business and trained to our standards.
What’s the benefit of laser measuring over tape measures?
Our laser tools are accurate to within ±1.5 mm, even at distances of up to 50 metres. This allows us to take quick, highly precise readings across multiple points of a window recess — far beyond what’s possible with a standard tape measure. The result is a closer fit, tighter tolerances, and better overall blind performance.
Can I choose how the blinds are fitted — inside or outside the recess?
Yes — the final decision is always yours. However, we have a responsibility to ensure the product is fit for purpose, and that includes how it’s fitted. If your priority is aesthetics, we’ll discuss which option looks best. If your goal is room darkening, for example, we’ll strongly recommend the fitting method that delivers the best result — typically based on light control, gap minimisation, and window shape. Either way, we’ll guide you through the options clearly and honestly.
How do you minimise light gaps during fitting?
We assess the shape of the window, fitting position, and fabric type to recommend the best strategy. That might involve fitting just inside the pinch point of a recess, or suggesting an outside depending on the individual circumstances.
