Traditional and Contemporary Wooden Blinds
>> Tuesday, 16 March 2010
Wooden blinds are available in many different natural woods which offer a practical and affordable window treatment. The vast range of colours found within natural wood provides a great choice and diversity of looks to compliment a room’s interior design style and décor.
Natural oak wooden blinds come in a range of colours and shades. Light oak provides an beautiful beige colour which can look extremely attractive in smaller rooms. Natural oak which has a green hue brings nature right inside in an imaginative and practical way, whereas dark oak can look elegant and refined in large rooms within homes and office environments.
Vertical wooden blinds offer the perfect solution for blocking out bright sunlight in a conservatory or south facing room, by titling the louvers the blind provides complete control over the amount of light entering a room. When fully closed the overlapping slats provide complete privacy and block out unwanted natural or artificial light and are an effective way of reducing heat build up. If an uninterrupted view is required the blinds can be stacked back against the recess of the window or door frames. As the majority of wooden blinds are treated with acrylic lacquers they are resistant to fading from the sun and scratching. Strong sunlight will over a period of time fade a wooden blind however, many people prefer this naturally faded look rather than a pristine new look. Faded wooden blinds create the perfect window dressings for a ’shabby chic’ interior design style which is becoming increasingly fashionable.
The acrylic lacquers and coatings also help prevent dust from building up on the louvers and slats while also offering all important fire resistance. Wooden blinds are easy to keep clean and can be wiped wipe a soft lint free cloth periodically to remove dust. Many people prefer to use blinds as a more hygienic window treatment than fabric curtains, as cooking odours and other undesirable odours such pet odour is not trapped on the surface and can easily be wiped with a damp cloth to remove them, this can be carried out while the blind is in-situ and is also a very cost effective as no dry cleaning is necessary as with some fabric curtains.
Traditionally wooden blinds were quite noisy and clumsy to operate, but today’s wooden blinds are made with smooth running actions and are made from more durable woods which do not bang together when the slats are closed. The versatility and affordability of a wooden blind is such that many people chose a wooden blind and then paint or stain it to match their own individual interior design colours.
Wooden blinds are both a practical and affordable way to dress a window, and traditionally wooden blinds are used as the sole window dressing, however, they look equally stylish when teamed with fabric curtains. Wooden blinds also enable the valuable window sill surface to be utilised with favourite ornaments and ’treasures’ without interfering with the opening and closing action of the blind.