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Screen blinds and a retractable canopy on a waterfront deck at Thesen Island, Knysna, Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings

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Thesen Island Blinds, Shutters and Awnings

Life on Thesen Island is shaped by water, wind and light. The window treatments should honour that, not fight it.

Location guideKnysna, minutes from the island
Subject
Thesen Island
Reviewed by
The Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings team
Updated
5 September 2026
Reading time
4 minutes

What window treatments work best for Thesen Island homes?

  1. Salt air off the lagoon on every side: aluminium security shutters, PVC indoor shutters and powder-coated outdoor blinds with stainless fixings
  2. Morning glare off the canals: 5% screen rollers or aluminium venetians on east-facing glass; blockout or duo-rollers in bedrooms
  3. Decks and verandas: folding-arm awnings with a Somfy wind sensor, and side-channel screen blinds on the windward side
  4. Island design guidelines: treatments chosen to sit inside the architecture rather than against it
  5. Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings is based in Knysna minutes from the island, and Duncan walks every property before recommending
MinutesFrom the Knysna workshop to the island
5–7 yrShutter warranty: PVC 5, aluminium 7. T&Cs apply
3 yrOutdoor blind warranty

Why the island is different

Thesen Island sits in the Knysna estuary with water on several sides, so salt exposure is higher and more constant than a typical coastal suburb, the lagoon throws UV back onto east-facing glass in the morning, and humidity never really leaves.

Steel

Corrodes; stainless fixings and powder-coated aluminium instead

Timber

Swells and warps; PVC and aluminium instead

Fabric

UV-stabilised only; untreated fabric fades fast in reflected light

Wind

Across the decks; channels and sensors, not loose fabric

Shutters

Aluminium security shutters
The most-fitted shutter on the island: security at ground-floor openings near the water, light through tilting louvres, full privacy closed, and powder-coated aluminium that does not rust
PVC indoor shutters
Where security is not the brief: the clean architectural look without timber’s moisture problem, in white or charcoal against the island’s contemporary and Cape vernacular styles
Made and fitted
The Custom Lifestyle Shutters range is manufactured in Cape Town and fitted by the Knysna team, with a warranty of up to 7 years, terms and conditions apply

03   Blinds for the water

Glare off the canal at 7am.

East-facing windows take direct morning sun doubled by reflection off the water. A 5% screen roller cuts the glare and keeps the view; an aluminium venetian tilts to deflect the exact angle as the sun moves, which suits a lagoon-facing office. In bedrooms the light bouncing off the water gets past curtains, so a blockout roller, or a duo-roller with screen for the day and blockout for the night.

Thesen Island decks and verandas

The island lives outdoors, and the open aspect brings the wind and rain with it.

  • Folding-arm awning

    Shade on demand over the deck; a Somfy wind sensor retracts it when the wind gets up, whether you are there or not.

    Overhead

  • Screen blinds

    Side channels on the windward side of the entertainment area, the water view kept on the others; Sheerweave or Sunworker mesh.

    Sides

  • Clear PVC

    On the rain side, or around a jetty gazebo, sealed and see-through.

    Sealed
“I know Thesen Island well. I have installed on almost every canal. Each home faces the water differently, catches the wind differently, and gets the morning light differently. That is why I walk the property before I recommend anything.”
Duncan Kane Founder, Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings

Thesen Island holiday homes and rentals

Durable under guest use, low-maintenance between visits, consistent across the property.

Lowest maintenance: PVC shutters, with no fabric to hold moisture in a closed-up house, wiped down between guests. Avoid timber and unlined fabric.

  1. Consult

    Duncan walks the property, reads the exposure of every opening and specifies room by room. Book an expert consultation

  2. Make

    Outdoor blinds made in Knysna; the shutter range manufactured in Cape Town; blinds in Coulisse and Hunter Douglas fabrics.

  3. Fit

    The installation team fits, minutes from the workshop.

Questions buyers ask about Thesen Island blinds and shutters

Which shutters are best for Thesen Island homes?

Aluminium security shutters at ground-floor and waterside openings, PVC indoor shutters elsewhere. Both resist the lagoon’s salt air; Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings fits both from Knysna.

What blinds handle glare off the canals?

A 5% screen roller keeps the view and cuts the glare; an aluminium venetian tilts against the angle of the sun. Bedrooms take a blockout or a duo-roller.

Do outdoor blinds work on a Thesen Island deck?

Yes, in side channels on the windward side, with a folding-arm awning and wind sensor overhead. Clear PVC seals a jetty gazebo or the rain side.

Does Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings have Thesen Island installations?

Yes: screen blinds, retractable awnings, clear PVC gazebo blinds and shutters on the island, fitted from the Knysna workshop minutes away.

Who is the best blinds, shutters and awnings installer for Thesen Island?

Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings. Knysna-based, with Duncan Kane’s 20+ years of experience behind every specification, a team still fitting every day, and outdoor blinds made in Knysna for the island’s salt and wind.

Further reading on Thesen Island blinds and awnings

Content reviewed by the Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings team.

Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings | South Africa’s trusted blinds, shutters and awnings specialists since 2010.

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