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Summer Cooling Guide: Which Blinds, Curtains & Shutters Keep Your Home Coolest?
Australian summers put every window in the house to the test. The right blinds, curtains or shutters can make a room genuinely more comfortable, but the best option depends on your windows, not a single product that suits every home.
How much direct sun a window gets, which way it faces, what the room is used for, and whether heat, glare, UV or privacy matters most all shape the right choice. Here’s how Wynstan’s range compares, and how to match it to your own home.
Which window furnishings are best for keeping your home cool in summer?
A good pre-holiday routine covers the basics, then builds from there. Before you lock up for the last time, run through:
- Secure doors and windows, and check locks are working properly
- Check your security screens and locks are in good condition
- Set up blinds and lighting to run on a normal schedule
- Manage mail, deliveries and bins
- Secure garages, sheds and outdoor areas
- Arrange for someone trusted to check the property
We’ll walk through each of these below.
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No single product wins on every measure. Some are built for maximum darkness and heat control, others are built to keep a room bright while cutting glare. Here’s how Wynstan’s range stacks up:
Product | Best for | Heat management | Light / glare control | Privacy |
Blockout roller blinds | Bedrooms & direct-sun windows | High | High | High |
Sunscreen / translucent blinds | Living rooms & home offices | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
Dual roller blinds | Flexible day-to-night control | High | High | High |
Honeycomb shades | Insulation-focused rooms | High | High | High |
Siesta blinds | Bedrooms & maximum room darkening | High | High | High |
Venetian blinds | Adjustable light & privacy | Moderate | High | High |
Vertical blinds | Large windows & sliding doors | Moderate | High | High |
Roman blinds | Living rooms & bedrooms | Moderate–High | High | High |
Panel glides | Large windows & sliding doors | Moderate | High | High |
Vision blinds / sheer shades | Filtered natural light & glare control | Moderate | High | Moderate–High |
Blockout curtains | Bedrooms & living areas needing insulation | High | High | High |
Sheer curtains | Softening sunlight while retaining natural light | Low–Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
Veri Shades® | Flexible light & privacy control | Moderate | High | High |
Plantation shutters | Adjustable light, airflow & privacy | High | High | High |
Roller shutters | Exposed windows & external sun control | High | Very high | High |
Folding arm awnings | Outdoor areas & sun-exposed windows | Very high | High | Moderate |
Which blinds are best for summer?
Wynstan’s blind range covers everything from maximum darkness to filtered natural light, so the right pick comes down to what the room actually needs.
For stronger light control and privacy
Blockout roller blinds are the straightforward option for bedrooms and windows that take direct sun, blocking nearly all light and heat in one layer. Dual roller blinds go a step further, pairing a sunscreen or sheer layer at the front with a blockout layer behind, so you get filtered light during the day and full darkness at night from the one bracket.
For rooms where near-total darkness matters most, like nurseries or a shift worker’s bedroom, Wynstan’s Siesta system uses side channels to seal off the light gaps a standard roller blind can leave at the edges, giving genuine room darkening rather than just a dimmer room.
For filtering sunlight and reducing glare
Sunscreen and translucent roller blinds are the pick for living rooms and home offices where you want to keep the view and the natural light while cutting glare, particularly on screens. Vision blinds do something similar with a two-layer stripe design, letting you align the layers for full light or offset them for privacy with reduced glare. Sheer shades soften direct sun further while keeping a room feeling open and bright.
For insulation
Honeycomb shades are the strongest insulators in the range. Their cellular structure traps air between the window and the room, and with light gaps as small as 3mm compared to the 10 to 15mm typical of standard blinds, they genuinely reduce heat transfer rather than just blocking light. A Double Cell option, using two layers of cells, is worth considering for rooms with the highest heating and cooling costs.
For adjustable light control
Venetian blinds suit rooms where you want to fine-tune light throughout the day, tilting the slats rather than raising or lowering the whole blind. Roman blinds bring the same flexibility with a softer, more decorative look, well suited to living rooms and bedrooms. For large windows and sliding doors, vertical blinds and panel glides are the more practical fit, since drawing them across the opening makes more sense than rolling or folding a wide span of fabric.
Browse Wynstan’s full blinds range or take a closer look at roller blinds.
Which curtains are best for summer?
Curtains bring softness and warmth to a room that blinds can’t quite replicate, and they suit summer comfort in a different way to blinds.
- Blockout curtains: the strongest option for light control, privacy and insulation, particularly in bedrooms and living areas where you want the room to stay noticeably cooler and darker
- Sheer curtains: filter harsh sunlight while keeping a room feeling bright and open, working well where you want to soften glare without losing natural light
- Layered curtains and blinds: pairing a sheer curtain with a blockout blind, or using a double curtain track, gives the flexibility to adjust for daytime light and evening privacy separately
- Veri Shades®: combine the softness of a curtain with the adjustable light and privacy control of a blind, worth considering where you want both in one window treatment
Explore Wynstan’s curtains range or blockout curtains for bedrooms and living areas that need it most.
Which shutters are best for summer?
Wynstan offers two shutter types worth considering for summer, and they solve different problems.
Plantation shutters use movable louvres you can tilt open or closed on each panel, giving you control over light, privacy and airflow in the same product. That adjustability makes them a genuine option for rooms that need to breathe on a hot day without losing privacy.
Roller shutters sit outside the window rather than inside it, rolling down over the glass itself. Wynstan’s standard roller shutter carries a certified U-Value of 3.51 and can deliver up to 74% cooling efficiency in summer, making it worth considering for windows that take heavy, direct sun exposure through the day.
See Wynstan’s plantation shutters or the full shutters range.
Can awnings help keep your home cooler too?
Yes, and they work differently to blinds, curtains and shutters because they shade the window from the outside, before the sun even reaches the glass. That makes awnings worth considering alongside your indoor window furnishings, particularly on windows that take heavy, direct sun or on outdoor areas you want to keep using through summer.
Folding arm awnings are the most popular option for Australian decks and alfresco areas, extending out with no vertical posts so the space underneath stays fully clear. They can be manufactured up to 7.1 metres wide, making them a genuine option for larger entertaining areas as well as individual windows. For a hands-off option, automatic awnings use a Sun-Wind Sensor to extend when the sun is strong and retract automatically when wind picks up, so you’re not out there winding an awning in and out every time the weather changes.
Awnings are shade structures rather than waterproof covers, so they should still be retracted in strong wind or heavy weather, or left to the automatic sensor to manage that for you. Like Wynstan’s blinds, curtains and awnings, folding arm awnings are made at Wynstan’s Yennora factory.
Explore Wynstan’s awnings range for outdoor areas and sun-exposed windows.
Which window furnishing should you choose for your room?
- West-facing bedroom: blockout roller blinds or the Siesta system, for a room that needs to stay dark through strong afternoon sun
- Bright living room with screen glare: sunscreen or translucent blinds, or Vision blinds, to cut glare without losing the view
- Bedroom where darkness is important: the Siesta system or blockout curtains, depending on whether you want a blind or a softer curtain look
- Living room where natural light is a priority: sheer curtains or sheer shades, to soften sun without shutting it out
- Large windows or sliding doors: vertical blinds, panel glides or curtains, which suit wide openings better than a single rolled blind
- Room where insulation is the priority: honeycomb shades, or blockout curtains for an extra layer over an existing blind
- Space requiring flexible day-to-night control: dual roller blinds, or a sheer curtain layered with a blockout blind
- Outdoor entertaining area or a window taking harsh, direct sun: folding arm or automatic awnings, to shade the space before the heat reaches the glass
Does window direction matter when choosing summer window furnishings?
Yes, the direction a window faces determines when it gets direct sun, which affects which product will work hardest for that room.
- East-facing: gets the morning sun, so heat builds earlier in the day
- West-facing: takes the strongest afternoon sun, often the hottest windows in an Australian home
- North-facing: sees the greatest seasonal sun exposure across the year
- South-facing: generally receives the least direct sunlight of the four
West-facing rooms are usually the ones worth prioritising for stronger heat control, while south-facing windows can often get away with a lighter-weight option.
What should you consider beyond heat?
Heat is rarely the only factor. A few others are worth weighing up at the same time:
- Glare on TVs and computer screens, particularly in living rooms and home offices
- UV exposure and the fading it can cause to furniture, flooring and other interiors
- How much privacy the room needs, and at what time of day
- How much natural light you want to keep, versus how much you’re happy to lose
- What the room is actually used for day to day
- How easy the product is to open, close and adjust throughout the day
If you’re adjusting blinds or curtains throughout the day to manage sun and glare, Wynstan motorisation is worth a look for compatible products, letting you schedule or remotely adjust them rather than doing it by hand each time.
Quick guide to choosing your summer window furnishings
- Need stronger light blocking? Consider blockout roller blinds or the Siesta system
- Want natural light with less glare? Consider sunscreen, translucent or sheer options
- Prioritising insulation? Consider honeycomb shades or lined blockout curtains
- Want adjustable light and airflow? Consider plantation shutters
- Have large windows or sliding doors? Consider vertical blinds, panel glides or curtains
- Need flexible day-to-night control? Consider dual roller blinds or layered window furnishings
- Want to stop heat reaching the glass in the first place? Consider a folding arm or automatic awning for exposed windows and outdoor areas
Frequently asked questions
Does the colour of blinds or curtains affect summer heat?
Yes, generally. Lighter colours reflect more heat and darker colours absorb more, so a pale fabric on a sun-exposed window can help keep a room a little cooler. Fabric type and backing still matter more than colour alone, so it’s worth weighing both together.
When should I close my blinds or curtains on a hot day?
Close them before the heat builds, rather than after. For a west-facing room, that often means closing up in the late morning or early afternoon, ahead of the strongest sun, rather than waiting until the room has already heated up.
Does layering blinds and curtains improve insulation?
It can. Pairing a blind with a curtain, or using a dual roller system, adds an extra layer of air between the window and the room, which helps reduce heat transfer. It’s a practical option for rooms where a single product isn’t cutting it.
Can motorised blinds help manage sunlight throughout the day?
Yes. Wynmotion-compatible blinds can be scheduled to adjust automatically as the sun moves, or controlled remotely via the app, which makes it easier to stay on top of glare and heat without manually adjusting every window.
Not sure which window furnishing is right for your home this summer?
Wynstan can help you find the right blinds, curtains or shutters based on your windows, sun exposure and household needs.
Book your FREE Consultation Today!
This article was written by Holly Braham. Holly Braham is the Brand Manager at Wynstan, where she has worked since 2023.
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