Blind Bliss with Harlequin Blinds
Need to transform your sun-soaked sanctuary into a haven of comfort and style? John Caruso discovers how the right window furnishings can bring balance, beauty, and a touch of tech magic.
When you finally get the keys to your long-awaited beachside apartment, you expect a few things: salty breezes, knockout views, and an endless supply of sunlight. What you don’t expect is to spend your first summer feeling like you’ve accidentally moved into a greenhouse with a view.
Our Buddina apartment ticks all the boxes, a corner spot, north-facing, perched on the fifth floor, with sweeping views from Mt Coolum to the Glasshouse Mountains. But with all that glass comes a fair whack of afternoon sun, and before long, wife Deb, teenage son Maximus, pussycat Timmy and I were living in a space that doubled as a sauna.
The kitchen window, stretching behind the induction cooktop, offered a cracking view of the ranges, and volumes of sunlight! No need to turn the stovetop on to heat the water.
The developer had installed some fancy motorised block-out blinds on the north-facing windows and balcony door that needed to be operated by remote control or an app on your phone. But these weren’t for our comfort, they were part of the development approval to stop light pollution from confusing the local turtles nesting on the beach at night.
The turtles got a good night’s sleep; we had no idea how to operate them.
Having already seen Julian and Marilyn Black at Harlequin Blinds work their magic at the IN Noosa Magazine office, where they rescued the team from a glass-walled fishbowl, we knew who to call.
Despite being a coastal apartment, we had decided to go with a monochrome palette with plants and paintings to add pops of colour, but we had no idea how to solve the window dressing issue.
Julian rocked up, tape measure and samples in hand, and immediately got to work on the brief: block out the sun’s harsh rays on some windows; enhance others, allow for privacy, have coverings that were easy to use and that complete the décor without adding too much texture and colour. In other words, get everything to work together, without the blinds shouting for attention or making the place look like a patchwork quilt.
He unfurled a library of samples and matched new motorised blinds to the existing ones perfectly. He also taught us how to install and operate the app and synced them all together on the one remote control.
For the kitchen, he recommended a sunscreen fabric roller blind to block the worst of the heat but still let us enjoy those distant mountain views, because what’s the point of living in paradise if you can’t see it?
They work a treat too!
The rest of the apartment got the full Harlequin treatment!
The main bedroom had motorised blockout blinds however Deb wanted something a bit softer to filter the light for lazy Sunday afternoon naps and to shelter the snoozing cat (and plants) from sunstroke.
Julian unleashed his inner interior designer, excitedly recommending a white sheer that Deb describes as ‘swoonworthy’.
The two back bedrooms open onto a south-facing Beach Room off the main entry which doesn’t receive as much sunlight, however requires privacy without making it feel like you’re in a cave. Max’s room also has west-facing panel windows up high which let in a lot of sunlight, so Julian’s solution was simple: total blockout roller blinds for the high windows (no need for motorised) and sheer curtains in dark grey to give a lightweight sophisticated finish to the bedrooms, allowing for privacy with maximum light.
And just when I thought I’d mastered the art of lounging on the couch, Julian introduced us to the TaHoma app, a bit of tech wizardry that lets you control the blinds from your phone. Whether you’re in the kitchen, at the beach, or the other side of the world, you can drop the blinds with a tap. I’m still not sure why I’d need to adjust my blinds while enjoying an espresso in a bar in Rome, but it’s nice to know that I can. Julian made sure we knew exactly how to use it, patiently guiding us through the setup so we wouldn’t end up calling him every time the sun came out.
Marilyn, who has a knack for making things look effortless, managed the production and installation, keeping us updated on timeframes and ensuring things were delivered on budget, on schedule and to the brief.
What I love about working with this husband-and-wife team is their no-nonsense approach. They listen, they problem-solve, and they don’t try to sell you something you don’t need.
Installation was quick and easy with a friendly crew committed to quality, efficiency and cleaning up so well that the only thing they left behind were stylishly-dressed windows.
Whether it’s blocking out the sun, letting in the light, providing privacy and protection or making sure the turtles stay on schedule, they’ve got it covered. Literally.
