If, like us, you've watched a few too many episodes of Grand Designs, you've likely found yourself with a crippling desire for a magnificently modern home interior.

Seriously, those posh pads really pull out all the stops when it comes to curating sensational interior decor. Swooooooon.

But how can you achieve this look in your own home using blinds and curtains?

If you're searching for some modern living room blind ideas to take your home improvement project to new heights, you've come to the right place. In this guide, we'll introduce the wonderful world of modern interior design trends and walk you through some of the best blinds to choose if you want your very own modern mansion.

What is modern interior design?

Modern interior design is a creative trend that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries following the Industrial Revolution and the Bauhaus artistic movement. In this period, architects embraced a form-follows-function approach to design, beginning a movement defined by more stripped-back aesthetics that used wood, steel, concrete, and glass.

The textures, colours and materials used throughout modern design schemes took inspiration from the rise of factories and advanced manufacturing processes, with monochromatic tones from raw metals mixed with warming hues of natural wood and naked brickwork.

Modern interior design marked a departure from more traditional design schemes, which were defined by rich textiles, bold colours, ornate details, and general over-the-topness.

Don't go jumping the gun, though; modern design isn't the same as contemporary design! Modern design relates to a specific period in history and has fixed styles, themes and characteristics. Contemporary design refers to the here and now, representing current trends (whatever they may be) and evolving alongside changing fashions.

 

Modern blind ideas: What types of blinds are modern?

If you're looking for the OG of modern window blinds, roller blinds are the solution for you. They boast a superbly sleek and contemporary look, offering a whole range of practical benefits.

What makes roller blinds one of the best blinds for modern aesthetics is the simplicity of their design. Being little more than just a single piece of plain fabric, a roller blind can blend seamlessly with minimalist interior schemes whilst still providing the light control and privacy you need.

Roller blinds

If you're looking for the OG of modern window blinds, roller blinds are the solution for you. They boast a superbly sleek and contemporary look, offering a whole range of practical benefits.

What makes roller blinds one of the best blinds for modern aesthetics is the simplicity of their design. Being little more than just a single piece of plain fabric, a roller blind can blend seamlessly with minimalist interior schemes whilst still providing the light control and privacy you need.

Venetian blinds

Venetian blinds are a tried and tested classic that works equally well with both modern and more traditional homes.

The horizontal slats offer an elegant, understated look which will add an instant sense of refined charm wherever they sit. Plus, Venetians balance form and function effortlessly, as the angle of the slats can be adjusted according to your individual brightness preferences with just a twist of the wand.

Our Venetian blinds are custom-made using premium aluminium to ensure a long-lasting solution that fits your windows and doors like a glove.

Roman blinds

Okay, maybe that's not quite how the saying goes, but we're in the window dressing business, so that's what we're running with!

Whether they're for a bay window in your living room or large windows in your bedroom, Roman blinds are the perfect choice for modern interiors, with the crisp, clean lines of their horizontal slats.

Choose from a wide range of fabrics, including cotton, linen, and silk, and an even wider range of colours to configure your favourite style. One of our most popular modern living room Roman blinds is the Orla Kiely Multi Stem Moss, with its iconic foliage motif that's about as charming yet simple as they come.

Wooden blinds

Get back to nature with a pair of wooden blinds on your living room windows!

Want to go full forest? Pair wooden blinds with wooden furniture accents and real wood floors to create a coherent feel.

If you want to carry the minimalist effect through to your home's kitchen or bathroom, we recommend opting for faux wood blinds rather than real wood. The PVC used to craft faux wood Venetian blinds is waterproof and moisture-resistant, meaning it will be able to withstand high-humidity environments far better than genuine timber.

Vertical blinds

Have some full-height windows or doors that need treating? Relax; vertical blinds have you (and your windows) covered.

Each vertical blind has long slats that span the full height of your room's window or door, which has the remarkable effect of making a space seem larger than it actually is! If you have a smaller living room, dining room, bedroom or conservatory, vertical blinds can help to create the illusion of spaciousness by drawing your eyes from floor to ceiling.

Perfect fit blinds

If keeping things as neat, tidy and simple as possible is your vibe, perfect fit blinds are a great choice.

These window blinds uphold the minimalist philosophy that sits at the heart of modern interior decor, too, as the blind frames integrate seamlessly with your window frame to create a streamlined aesthetic.

We're in love with the Real Wood Galena Perfect Fit Blinds on this modern living room's bi-folding doors. Sleek and slimline from every angle, the slats of the wooden blinds provide excellent light filtering, privacy from passers-by, and an extra layer of insulation...all while blending beautifully with the interior scheme. The designer has paired the blinds with grey accent features, wood flooring, subtle brick detailing, and simple lines to achieve a modern minimalist energy.

How to achieve a modern aesthetic in your home

1. Keep it simple

With modern interior design, simplicity is key.

While traditional or classic architecture embraces far more ornate, over-the-top styles, modern design favours a stripped-back aesthetic.

Simplicity and minimalism definitely don't mean basic, though. Spaces can be quietly luxurious whilst still being clean and clutter-free.

To get the best of both worlds, choose your home's furnishings wisely. Go for high-quality statement pieces that connect with one another to create a coherent effect.

Where window dressings are concerned, we'd choose roller blinds or perhaps a Roman blind for the pinnacle of simplicity. With just a single piece of fabric, these blinds can blend elegantly with your home's existing interior architecture and decor - ideal for achieving that sought-after "less is more" aesthetic.

2. Use clean lines and geometric shapes

In contrast to classic design, which uses swirling shapes, flowing lines, plush soft furnishings, and ultra-detailed patterns, modern design uses clean lines.

We're talking linear shapes, angular furniture, and simple patterns.

Thinking about window treatments, we recommend opting for the simplicity of roller blinds, vertical blinds or Venetians.

Styles like our Arrow Head Grey Roller Blind are the perfect match for modern decor. The arrowhead pattern is simple and geometric and is available in either gold and white or grey and white, as is pictured below. These blinds are made using waterproof PVC, making them safe for kitchens and bathrooms.

If you're looking to cover a large window, vertical blinds might be your favourite since the horizontal slats of other styles might struggle to bear their own weight if they span the full width of the window pane.

3. Stick to neutral colours

You can use bold colours but do so sparingly. Modern interior design typically uses a neutral scheme - greys, whites, and earthy tones - to reflect the colour palette found inside the factories and cotton mills of the Industrial Revolution.

Our top tip, if you're kooky for colour, is to include bold accent colours in moderation. You could incorporate brightly-coloured soft furnishings or hang colourful artwork on your walls to provide a stunning sense of contrast and keep your space feeling energised.

Colourful blinds are another way to create contrast. You can use simply patterned blinds like the Orla Kiely ones pictured below to bring a brilliant sense of energy tempered with refinement.

4. Don't forget about open spaces

Open floor plans are used to create a sense of spaciousness and connection throughout a home.

If you have large windows, French doors or a feature bay window in your home, you're in luck! These types of windows are common in modern interiors, as they enhance the overall feeling of openness by connecting the indoors with the outdoors.

We're head over heels for Riva Nurture Vertical Blinds. They're an excellent choice for large windows, offering a stylish and practical solution. Their vertical orientation complements the elongated dimensions of such windows, providing a seamless aesthetic while allowing for precise control over light and privacy.

5. Form and function

Modern interiors give careful consideration to both form and function, creating spaces that talk the talk and walk the walk!

Choose multi-functional or even modular furniture that can adapt to the needs of your living space. This is an especially practical solution if you have a small living room or bedroom, as you can maximise the potential of your space without making things feel cluttered or crowded.

And what sits as the dictionary definition of form and function in the world of living room blinds? Day and night blinds, of course!

These modern blinds use a unique combination of sheer and opaque fabric stripes to create a style that adapts to changing light levels in your home. Choose from a wide array of made-to-measure day and night living room blinds to find the picture-perfect match for your space.

6. Opt for natural materials

Industrial-chic interior design plays a key part in the broader modern trend. This takes inspiration from abandoned factories, warehouses and urban manufacturing buildings, which include a lot of raw materials like wood, exposed bricks, natural fabrics, stone, concrete and metal.

Celebrate the organic qualities of these materials by letting them take centre stage in your home. Use soft colour palettes so that the natural textures shine through and become the understated focal point of your rooms.

Fabric and wooden window blinds, wooden shutters, and fabric curtains are all great window treatment ideas if you're looking for an easy way to bring a real sense of nature into your home.

We just love these Real Wood Obsidian Perfect Fit Blinds. They're made with real timber and fit directly to the window frame without the need for drilling or screwing!

The dark colour of the slats provides a fabulous contrast to the rest of the conservatory without becoming overfacing.

7. Natural light is non-negotiable

Keeping your living space bright and airy by letting natural light stream in is a must for any modern home interior.

To maximise natural light in living rooms, we recommend sheer fabrics, such as those used in the roller living room blinds in the image below. A voile material softly diffuses light to reduce glare without hiding the frame behind.

Dimout or blackout curtains and window blinds give you greater control over how much light enters your home, meaning you can keep your spaces dark and cosy in the evenings whilst ensuring they stay beautifully bright during the day. You can even pair sheer and blackout blinds together to enjoy the best of both solutions.

Types of modern interior design

  • Mid-century modern - Popular in the 1940s and 50s, this style is characterised by natural materials, simple objects, and muted colour palettes paired with pops of bolder colours to create an eye-catching, visually interesting look.
  • Scandinavian - Coming from (yep, you've guessed it) Scandinavia, so-called Scandi design champions clean lines, simple shapes, and functionality without sacrificing beauty. Living rooms decorated in a Scandi style are aesthetically pleasing thanks to their lack of clutter and calming colours.
  • Art-deco - Emerging in the 1920s, this style uses bolder, richer colours and geometric shapes to achieve a dynamic look. Don't be afraid of going ornamental with your living room; just be sure to keep things symmetrical and of high quality.
  • Industrial-chic - Inspired by the look and feel of disused factory buildings, industrial design includes lots of natural light, neutral colours and clean lines to achieve an overall stripped-back aesthetic. Use metals, bricks, wood, and concrete and avoid bringing in too many other colours.
  • Modern farmhouse - This is a trend that blends two styles together: modern minimalism and traditional farmhouse. Really, it's people expressing their agricultural side without getting their hands dirty! Aim for a layered look in your living room by pairing natural fabrics with open shelves and wooden floors.

Your home, made perfect

Hungry for another helping of living room blind ideas? Coming right up!

Explore more from Make My Blinds' creative team by reading our inspiration blog on choosing contemporary blinds for living rooms, our complete guide to curtains, and our expert's take on perfect fit blinds.

Better yet, you can order up to 10 free samples of all our blinds to find the perfect ones for your living room. Simply add your favourite styles to your samples basket to get started!

FAQs

What blinds are best for living rooms?

The best blinds for your living room will depend on your personal taste, functional requirements, the windows or doors that need covering, and the style of your home’s interior decor. Roman blinds, roller blinds, Venetian blinds, and wooden blinds are all excellent choices for living rooms as they offer a simple elegance with fabulous scope for customisation. If you have larger living room windows or French doors, you might want to choose vertical blinds, as the horizontal slats on other types of blinds might be too heavy when spread across larger panes of glass.

What colour blinds make a living room look bigger?

Generally, light colours make spaces feel larger than they actually are, as they reflect natural and artificial light to create a sense of openness. If you have a small living room, choosing window blinds in white, cream, beige, or pale grey will help prevent your space from feeling too dark and claustrophobic, even when they’re closed.

Can you have both blinds and curtains?

Do zebras have stripes?! Yes, you absolutely can have both blinds and curtains in your living room, even on the same window. The combination of these two types of window treatments offers several benefits, including enhanced light control, a more layered and visually interesting appearance, better insulation, and more flexibility with privacy. If you want to use blinds and curtains or blinds and window shutters, we recommend matching them in terms of colour to avoid your space becoming too overwhelming.