Faux Wood Blinds
The wide world of window treatments covers the gamut from valances, shades, curtains
and drapery to venetian blinds and shutters. Which type of window treatments you choose
depends on both your aesthetic desires and on practical considerations. Window treatments
can simply decorate a window or be used to control the amount of light that comes into the
room. Curtains and draperies can be lined to help block light, or can be paired with shades
for light control. Venetian blinds, which can be used alone or underneath a curtain or
valance, have the advantage of offering more variable amounts of light control by virtue of
the way they are retracted and how their slats are angled. Some of the most attractive
venetian blinds available are wood window blinds. Wood venetian blinds can be used to pick up
colors and shades from your furniture to tie the room together, or can bring a new color into
a monochromatic room. Wooden venetian blinds tie in well with a decor scheme that is keyed to
neutral or earth tones in particular, but are also a good companion to dramatic modern color
schemes, while suiting more traditional decor when matched to furniture woods such as cherry,
maple or pine. Not only is the color of wood blinds one of your decorating options, but the
slat size is another factor that depends upon your personal taste. Slats can be thin, like
those founds in miniblinds, or fat like traditional venetian blinds. One advantage to wood
blinds is that they are often sturdier than vinyl blinds, and sturdier slats need fewer
"ladders"-the strings support strings that run between slats. In some designs, fabric ribbon
is used instead of string for the ladders, and can be custom-ordered in a variety of colors.
When considering your privacy needs, remember that wood blind lets in light without making
your interior readily visible to people outside. Slanting the slats upward makes it even more
difficult for anyone to see in without having a negative impact on the amount of light
admitted. It is also possible to install blinds that retract from the top down rather than
from the bottom up, which lets in full light on the top while blocking the view on the
window's lower half. Faux wood blinds may be made of vinyl or other synthetics, with or
without some actual wood in the fabrication. Faux wood blinds are less susceptible to moisture
damage than real wood blinds, and may be lighter in weight. They are also much less
susceptible to fading from sun exposure than are curtains, draperies and shades. The natural
appeal of wood blind poses an interesting decorating alternative for the modern home.
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