Silver or White Blind Frames: How to Choose

When you order a roof window blind, you choose the fabric, the operation and the frame colour. The frame is the top cassette and the side channels that hold the fabric in place. It is visible all the time, even with the blind fully open, so it is worth a moment's thought.

The two options

• Brushed Aluminium (silver) — a soft metallic finish. It is the standard choice and is available with every operation, including solar motorised.
• White Painted Aluminium — a white finish that blends with white window linings and white-painted frames. It is available with manual control only.

Why white is manual only

Our solar motorised blinds are supplied with the brushed aluminium frame. That means if you select Solar on a product page, the white frame option is not available, and you will see a note under the frame colour explaining this. If white is important to you, choose manual operation. If you want solar, the silver frame is the one to go for.

White frames also add a small fixed amount to the price compared with silver. The product page shows the exact total for the options you choose, so there are no surprises in the basket.

Matching the window

Look at the inside of your roof window, not just the surrounding wall.

• Natural pine or varnished timber windows: silver usually sits better against wood than bright white does.
• White-painted timber or white polyurethane-finish windows: white can make the blind almost disappear into the frame when open.
• Grey or anthracite interiors: silver tends to complement darker trims.

It also helps to look at the window lining, the plastered reveal around the window. A white frame against a white reveal looks clean and minimal. A silver frame gives a slightly more defined, technical look, which many people like in modern rooms.

Matching the fabric

Light fabrics such as whites and creams look seamless in a white frame. Darker or warmer fabrics can look sharper with silver. Neither is wrong; it is a matter of taste. On each fabric page you can switch frame colours and see photos where we have them, which is the easiest way to judge.

Our frame comparison on the product pages has a side-by-side image of both frames on the same fabric, and the photo at the top of this article shows the difference clearly.

Delivery

For plain blackout fabrics with manual operation, both silver and white frames are among our quickest options to make. Other fabrics take a little longer, and solar blinds longest. The product page shows an estimated date for your exact choice, and our delivery page explains more.

Multiple windows

If you have several roof windows in the same room, it usually looks best to choose the same frame colour for all of them, even if you mix operations. Bear in mind that a solar blind will be silver, so if one window in a room needs to be solar, choosing silver for the others keeps everything consistent.

Living with the choice

Both finishes are aluminium, so the choice is about appearance rather than strength. White frames can show dust or marks a little more readily on a bright white window, while silver is more forgiving day to day. A soft, dry or slightly damp cloth is all either needs from time to time. Because the frame stays in place for the life of the blind, it is worth choosing the colour you will be happy looking at every day rather than the one that matches a single item of furniture.

Quick decision guide

• Want solar motorised? Choose silver.
• Manual blind on a white window and white reveal? White is a natural fit.
• Timber window, or not sure? Silver is the versatile choice.
• Mixing solar and manual in one room? Silver throughout keeps it consistent.

If you would like a second opinion on a particular room, send us a photo through our contact page. You can also read our guides to manual vs solar and choosing skylight blinds.