Cool Hunting

by Richard Prime

The humble window blind usually ranks low when it comes to exciting interior design, but Contour Blinds reinvent the concept by making them gorgeous and tweaking their function. The project of London-based designer Helena Karelson, she debuted them at London's latest Design Festival.

Born of a fascination with light and "the relationship between form and shadow," in full show the blinds fan like a strutting peacock. In the horizontal position, light filters through the irregular gaps of the slats, providing an undulation similar to that of a topographical map. When vertical, the light emanating from the window behind blends into a subtle warm glow due to the light wood used in the construction of the blinds.

Karelson designed each of the Contour Blinds to leave minimum waste post-production. With many different options and bespoke production available, Karelson's Contour series add an incredible and strong alternative to the tired, conventional blinds covering most window frames.

The Estonian designer already received some impressive awards for her blinds, including D&AD's Best New Blood Award and an award from the sustainably-focused natural resource supplier Coillte for Best Use of Materials.