 Window blinds are a stylish way to help block out the sun or create a little shade in any room. When you're buying and fitting your blinds, there are a few things to check. You'll need to make sure that the blind is fitted at least 1.5 meters from the floor and it can hang freely and unobstructed. When you're measuring where you want it to go, it's important to measure the top, middle and bottom of the window, both horizontally and vertically to take into account any variations in the window. Make a note of the measurements and use the narrowest one. If you're hanging the blind inside the recess, make sure it's at least 75 mm deep so the mechanism can work properly. If you're hanging them outside the recess, we'd recommend an overlap of at least 45 mm on each side of the window. Double check how long you want the drop to be by measuring it out vertically against the window. Once you've decided how you want to hang your blinds, you may need to trim down the width of your blind. You'll have to measure the width from the outside edge of one bracket to the outside edge of the other. Deduct the width of the winding mechanism from this figure before you cut the tube, lathe and fabric to length. Using all the necessary safety equipment, remove the material from the blind, cut the tube to length and trim the fabric using the correct tools. Reattach the fabric once it's been trimmed and your new blinds will be ready to hang, adding that splash of colour and design flare to make any room look great.