Opaque roller blind fabrics are ideal for bedrooms, nurseries and media rooms. Our Sydney team measures and fits each blind, with side-channel options available for rooms that need the darkest possible result.
Blockout blinds are roller blinds made from an opaque, coated fabric that prevents light from passing through the blind. The level of darkness also depends on how the blind is fitted, as some light can still appear around the edges. Side channels or a face-fit installation can help reduce this. Blockout blinds are also commonly called blackout blinds.
We measure and fit blockout blinds in homes across Sydney as part of our custom blinds Sydney range.
Most light in a blockout room comes in around the blind, not through it, and the fitting decides how dark the room gets.
You may know the problem already. Early summer sun or a street light wakes you well before the alarm. Or a new blind goes up and a bright line still shows down each side, because a blind fitted inside the frame needs room for the roller to turn.
The fix is an opaque blockout fabric, fitted the right way for the room. Blockout roller blinds give the most light control of any blind type in our range. If you want soft daylight rather than darkness, light filtering blinds are the better choice.
Where light gets in depends on how the blind is fitted, not on the fabric. A recess fit mounts the blind inside the window frame, while a face fit mounts it on the wall or architrave so the fabric overlaps the opening.
| Fitting | Where it mounts | Edge light | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recess fit | Inside the window reveal | A small gap each side so the roller can turn | A clean look where the reveal is deep enough |
| Face fit | On the wall or architrave, overlapping the window | Less, as the fabric covers the opening | Bedrooms, or where the reveal is shallow |
| Side channels | Tracks down each side that hold the fabric edges | The least edge light | Shift workers, nurseries and media rooms |
| Headbox | A cover over the roller at the top | Closes the gap above the roll | With side channels, for the darkest result |
Where light gets in depends on how the blind is fitted, not on the fabric. A recess fit mounts the blind inside the window frame, while a face fit mounts it on the wall or architrave so the fabric overlaps the opening.
Bedrooms, nurseries, media rooms and any room where someone sleeps during the day suit blockout.
| Room | Why blockout suits it | Fitting to ask about |
|---|---|---|
| Bedrooms | Darkness for sleep and privacy at night | Face fit or side channels if early sun wakes you |
| Nurseries and children's rooms | Daytime naps and early summer mornings | Cord and chain safety, or motorisation |
| Media rooms | Less screen glare and a cinema-dark room | Side channels and a headbox |
| Shift workers' bedrooms | Daytime sleep in full daylight | Side channels and a headbox, or a double roller blind |
| Street-facing rooms | Privacy and less street light at night | Standard fitting is usually enough |
East-facing bedrooms get the early morning sun and street-facing rooms get street light, two common reasons to choose blockout.
Yes. Closed blockout blinds reduce the heat gain a room picks up through sunny glass, and slow heat loss on winter nights. The opaque fabric stops sunlight at the window and holds a layer of still air against the glass, which adds insulation.
Be aware that an internal blind works after the heat has passed through the glass. Thermal blockout blinds help, but on west-facing windows, outdoor blinds and awnings do more by stopping the sun before it reaches the glass.
Every blockout roller blind is made to measure, and these are the options to choose between.
Blockout fabrics come in a choice of looks, from plain to textured and linen look, in a range of colour families. Your consultant brings fabric samples to your window at the measure, so you can see each colour in your own light.
Request fabric samples
Side channels are tracks down each side that hold the fabric edges, and a headbox is a cover over the roller. Together they give the darkest result, which suits shift workers, nurseries and media rooms.
Ask about side channels
A double roller blind puts blockout behind a sunscreen fabric at one window. Lower the sunscreen by day to keep your outlook and cut glare, then lower the blockout at night. Read more about sunscreen blinds.
View double roller blinds
A blockout roller blind sits in the window with sheer curtains hung in front. The sheers give soft, filtered light and privacy by day, and the blind darkens the room at night.
View sheer and blockout curtains
If you prefer soft folds to a roller, roman blinds can be lined with a blockout fabric. They stack neatly at the top when raised. Our roman blinds page covers styles and linings in detail.
View blockout roman blindsBlockout blinds give you darker rooms, calmer screens and privacy at any hour.
Darker bedrooms make it easier to sleep through early summer mornings. With a face fit or side channels, they also help shift workers with daytime sleep and babies with nursery naps.
Less glare on TV and computer screens, whether in a media room or a home office.
The fabric is opaque, so no one sees in, whether your lights are on or off.
Here is what Sydney homeowners say about darker bedrooms, nurseries and media rooms. Each review is quoted exactly as published on Google.
You get a free measure and quote, a blind made to your window, fitting advice, installation by our team and a written quote.
The price of blockout blinds depends on your windows and the fitting you choose, so every quote is measured to your windows. You receive a written quote that shows what is included before you commit.
The measure itself is free, with no obligation to go ahead.
Blockout roller blinds can run on a Somfy motor with a remote, wall switch or app. A motor also removes chains from children's rooms. See our motorised blinds page for the control options.
No. They are the same product under two spellings. Blockout is the term used in Australia and the other spelling is more common overseas. Block out blinds, written as two words, are the same product again: an opaque fabric that stops light passing through.
The fabric stops light passing through it, but a little can still show at the edges and top of the blind. Side channels, a headbox or a face fit reduce that edge light.
Yes. Closed on a sunny day, they reduce the heat that comes through the glass, and on winter nights they slow heat loss. Because the heat has already passed the glass, external shading does more on west-facing windows in summer.
Yes. New blockout blinds can run on Somfy motors, and some existing blinds can be fitted with a motor, depending on the system. Your consultant checks this at the measure. See our motorised blinds for the options.
The cost depends on the window size, the fabric range, any side channels or headbox, and whether you choose a motor. Every quote is measured to your windows and written, so you know the price before you commit. The measure and quote are free.
Choose blinds for a neat fit inside or over the window, and the option of side channels. Choose blockout curtains for softness and to cover the whole wall. Your consultant can talk through both.
Yes, when they are fitted to the mandatory safety standard for corded window coverings. Chains and cords are secured out of a child's reach, or the blind is motorised so there is no chain at all.
Yes. A blockout roller blind in the window with sheer curtains in front gives darkness at night and soft light by day. If you are replacing both, see our sheer and blockout curtains instead.
A consultant comes to you with samples. Tell us which rooms you want darker, and we will book a time to measure and quote your blockout blinds Sydney-wide. There is no pressure and no obligation to go ahead. Questions first? Contact us.
Submit the following form and our team will contact you.
Unlike our competitors, we do not advertise periodic sales. ‘Sales’ are designed to pressure customers to buy within a certain time period.
We at Blind Inspiration offer competitive pricing all year round that on average will be 20-30% cheaper than our competitors on ‘like for like’ products. Competitors sales pricing will normally put them on par with our 24/7 pricing.
If you are looking for an obligation free measure and quote for quality advice on quality products without feeling pressured and subsequently backed up by quality workmanship and installation, you need look no further than the team at Blind Inspiration.
