Catering for so many different tastes and ideas about how a home should look and feel is something that the window and door industry is getting better at every day . From frame colours and hardware choices to glazed extensions and premium aluminium entrance doors , homeowners are increasingly aware that they can have windows , doors and glazing carefully tailored to their property .

Giving homeowners windows and doors to fit their lifestyles and tastes is one reason why Uni-Blinds ® integral blinds have become so popular over the past two decades . Being able to buy a full package – the windows and doors complete with a shading and privacy solution – has really captured the imagination of homeowners who value the benefits of integral blinds , not least saving them the hassle and cost of having to source traditional blinds or curtains when installation is complete .

As anyone involved in the home improvement market will know , however , is that you can never stand still . Listening to customer feedback , coming up with fresh ideas and innovative products is all essential to satisfy the strong appetite for that ‘ something different ’ and this applies to integral blinds as much as anything else .

Take our newly launched SV + cordless sliding Venetian integral blind system . This was developed after feedback from several Uni-Blinds ® installers suggested

that some customers did not like the non-symmetrical look of our number one selling blind system , the SV . Could it be that this incredibly popular blind system wasn ’ t loved by everyone ?

The SV has always been a winner with homeowners who want clean sightlines as part of a clutter-free interior – illustrated by the fact that we made 120,000 units in 2021 . It works by means of a cleverly designed cordless magnetic slider on the face of the glass which controls the integral blind ’ s raising , lowering and tilting of the slats . There are no cords or any other elements on show – everything else is encapsulated within the double or triple glazed unit .

As with every type of Uni- Blinds ® integral blind , the SV features a headrail at the top . It also features a sideguide down either the right or left hand side of the glass unit , which is needed

for the slider device to work . With no bottom rail and a sideguide at one side only , it is a design that maximises the amount of light transmission .

However , some homeowners commented on the effect this arrangement has on the look of windows and doors , particular flag windows . It was clear that some people prefer a symmetrical view through their windows and doors , but what we didn ’ t know is how widespread that preference was . As Uni-Blinds ® are manufactured exclusively using Screen- Line ® integral blind systems from the global market-leader in this technology , Pellini S . p . A , the strength of our partnership meant

that we were able to co-develop a solution . What if we could offer a version of the SV that features an additional sideguide so the sealed unit looks equally balanced when fitted into a frame ?

And so the SV + was born . It offers all the benefits of the SV but with the addition of a ‘ dummy ’ sideguide . Launched in 2021 , its first major public showcasing was at the 2022 FIT Show and the feedback from those seeing it for the first time was extremely positive .

But is there a majority preference between the SV and SV +? Interest in the SV + has been really strong , but we are still manufacturing thousands of SV integral blinds every year . To try

to get an insight , we recently asked the question “ which one do you prefer ?” on our social media accounts – the answer was a preference for the SV +.

Whether the SV or SV + will become dominant in due course isn ’ t really what ’ s important here . What matters to installers is having a wide range of high quality integral blind systems available that will accommodate the varying tastes of homeowners . And by being able to provide Uni-Blinds ® in as little as 10-12 working days with unrivalled technical and aftersales support , we think this gives installers everything they need to maximise the sales potential .

www . morleyglass . co . uk