Wooden blinds offer the opportunity to use the natural beauty of wood to enhance just about every room in a home. They are unpretentious yet elegant and very stylish when used as a sole window treatment.

There are many different types of wood, each with its own unique qualities to bring a touch of nature indoors in an effective and effectual way. The uniqueness of the wood is one of the key factors people opt for when choosing a blind.

Modern style wooden Venetian blinds are coated with special finishes which help reduce the risk of fading, warping and scratching. They are simple to install and equally as easy to keep clean and maintain. Simple dusting with a soft cloth will remove any light dust or the brush attachment of a vacuum cleaner is also an effective cleaning method.

Blinds are ideal for use in houses whose occupants suffer from dust type allergies as they are far easier to clean on a daily basis than fabric curtains. Blinds can also be said to be more hygienic than fabric as they will not retain odours and not susceptible to holes from moths! With all wooden blinds being given finishes and applications to prevent fading and distortion the risk of woodworm is so minimal that it is not worth worrying about!

Modern interior design concepts which incorporate wood are increasing in popularity. Made from sustainable wood sources they are an effective window dressing for 'green' houses. Wooden blinds are available in different slat widths, window sizes, numerous different natural wood colours and paint finishes.

Using an individual wooden Venetian blind in each section of a bay window offers a modern alternative net curtains to prevent keep prying eyes from being able to see inside when the slats are angled. Looking stunning used alone or coordinated with fabric curtains to bring depth to the bay window area effectively.

Modern homes with specific design concepts such as individualised versions and replications of Japanese interiors, American loft spaces or French farmhouses will all benefit from the use of a wooden blind with or without additional curtaining.

Dark coloured wooden Venetian blinds made from hardwoods are very robust and durable. Wooden blinds are also a very cost effective window dressing as they coordinate, contrast or compliment with virtually every colour scheme. It is worth remembering that real hardwood blinds are generally heavier than basswood, therefore suit larger rooms extremely well. Larger slat widths are also good to use in larger rooms. With the slats angled they will allow more light to enter the room and better views.

Smaller windows benefit from lighter colours and lighter weight basswoods with narrow slat widths as they will provide more shade and privacy when tilted.

Most wooden blinds have colour coordinated ladder tapes, head and bottom rails and operating cords and wands. New wooden Venetian blinds styles include basswood which has contrasting coloured external tapes. These are great for including as an accent colour in a room or to coordinated with curtains and soft furnishings.

Terry Henman
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/wonderful-wooden-venetian-blinds-731416.html

Venetian blinds have come along way from the original cumbersome and some what noisy wooden Venetian blinds used in Colonial houses and mansions at the turn of the 20th century. These heavy wooden Venetian blinds were used to keep out the heat and prevent strong sunlight from fading fabrics, furnishings and floors as well as preventing prying eyes from looking inside the room.

The versatility of using slats to provide an excellent window covering continued with the emergence and trend to use metal Venetian blinds as a way to keep out sunlight soon emerged into offices and work places. The ability to control the amount entering the room remains a major factor when choosing appropriate window coverings for offices. Reflection from the bright sun or natural light on computer screens needs to be reduced as much as possible. Fitting Venetian blinds is the ideal solution for offices and work places.

People soon began to realise the advantages of using Venetian blinds and began using them in their homes, particularly in bathrooms and kitchens where traditional style curtains became shabby due to the humid conditions. The trend continued with different styles and designs of Venetian blinds becoming a preferred choice throughout the home.

Wooden Venetian blinds continue to be one of the most popular choices for use in conservatories, lounge and dinning areas. These are available in a selection of different woods and colour tones to blend with interior design finishes and bring warmth to a room. Modern Venetian blinds have robust and practical finishes applied to them which help prevent fading, warping and scratches. Some even have the added benefit of being treated with a finish which helps prevent dust from settling onto the slats.

Light colours such as natural or honey provide a light and airy ambience and are ideal for rooms with small dimensions. Rich dark colours of mahogany or cherry ooze elegance and sophistication in large rooms, looking beautiful when coordinated dining furniture or flooring.

For bathrooms and kitchens PVC or metal Venetian blinds remain extremely popular. Modern colours and finishes enable all styles of bathroom, shower rooms and kitchens to have an attractive and practical window covering. These styles of blinds also have finishes to help protect them from humidity and scratches.

Venetian blinds are available to fit a wide range of different size and shapes of windows and are able to be fitted either inside or outside of the window recess.

When choosing whether to hang Venetian blinds inside or outside of the window recess the are a few factors which should be given consideration to.

Fitting Venetian blinds to the inside of the window recess is ideal if-

The window does not open inwardly.

There are no objects displayed on the window sill.

Other window dressings are going to be used in conjunction with the blind.

The blinds are being used in place of traditional net curtains

Venetian blinds fitted to the outside of the window recess are perfect for-

Windows which open inwardly.
The blind is the sole window dressing.
Objects are displayed on the window sill

Terry Henman
http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/venetian-blinds-have-come-along-way-730188.html

I live in an apartment. The windows have metal mini-blinds on them. I hate to dust (drives my allergies crazy). I once heard a trick about filing the bath tub with warm, soapy water and soaking mini-blinds as an effective way to clean them.

Does this work? What are the right steps to take on this and finally, how do you dry them???

the tub doesn't work quite as well as the lawn or driveway but when you live in an apartment your options are more limited (especially if it's winter there too!) here are a couple of options for you…

1. make sure that the blinds are open and tilted 'flat'. Take them down and carefully place into your tub. Fill until just covered with warm water, and add dish detergent.

Swish the water around and then let them soak for at least 15 minutes to help loosen the muck that accumulates on blinds.

Then, clean off the blinds one section at a time with a dish cloth or something similar.

Lift them carefully and turn them over so that you can do the back.

Drain the tub and re-fill with water and 1/2 cup of white vinegar to make sure that any soap residues come off the blinds. (this will help them stay clean longer) Rinse by lifting in and out of the water a couple of times.

Drain the tub, wipe the blinds with a towel, and hand them back up, even though they are still a bit wet. Put a towel under the blinds to catch any drips and open the slat so that they are parallel with the floor.

2. Alternatively - get a good quality micofiber cloth, dampen it with some water, and use it t wipe down the blinds while they are hanging up. This should work unless they are really gross, then you will have to do the tub trick, but you can use the microfiber to keep them reasonable for a very long time!

Good luck!

So, you have a large window or maybe windows in your home.  So what’s the best window treatment for all that glass?  The specific answer will ultimately depend on your light control needs.  Just so you know, if you are looking for blackout window treatments, you may be a little disappointed in the outcome as it is very difficult with large windows.  Beyond that you do have choices.

First up are vertical blinds, but I am not talking about the ubiquitous vinyl vertical blinds.  Instead, consider some of the other material choices like fabric, solar screen, faux wood and wood, cellular and aluminum vertical blinds.  If you want to preserve your view-through consider vertical blinds with solar screen vanes.  If you want room darkening, look into aluminum, wood and faux wood, of course depending on how well these coordinate with your interior.  For a softer look consider fabric vertical blinds or vertical cellular shades.  The advantage of the cellular option is improved energy efficiency.

Next up are panel track blinds.  Panel track blinds are fairly new to the window treatments scene and offer sophisticated, contemporary looks.  They are similar to vertical blinds except they have much larger vanes; that’s why they call them panel blinds.  The blind itself operates on a wheeled track so they open and close very smoothly.  Panel tracks come in a wide variety of materials including solar shade, woven woods, weaves as well as patterned and solid fabrics.  The cool thing too about panel blinds is the panels can be swapped out with different panels if you wanted to redecorate.  As far as I know, no other window treatment allows this flexibility.

Of course, no list of window treatment options for large windows would be complete without drapes.  We all know about drapes so I will not go into them very deeply.  They are a good choice for oversized windows, but not for large windows that may be high off the floor.   One choice to consider with drapes that you may not have thought of is to layer them with another window treatment, like vertical blinds.  This offers a richer, more complete look which may be just the ticket for you particular décor.  And, because drapes come in a wide variety of fabrics, colors and patterns, coordinating them is a snap.

For modestly oversized windows, your choices expand a little.  This list includes: cellular shades, pleated shades, sheer shades, roman shades as well as the aforementioned vertical and panel track blinds.  For energy efficiency look into cellular shades.  For versatility and minimal light control look into sheer shades, which are another lesser known window treatment option.  They are kind of like two blinds in one.  They have fabric vanes covered on both sides by sheer fabric facings.  When the vanes are open, they allow decent view-through and light-filtering and when the vanes are closed offer gentle light control.  Pleated shades look very similar to cellular shades, but are less expensive but not as energy efficient because they don’t have the air pocket built in.  If you prefer fabric window treatments, roman shades are the best choice for you.  They come in a wide variety of fabric choices.  That’s why they are sometimes called fabric shades.  Roman shades offer the luxury of a drape with the easy operation of a shade.  

One of my favorite window coverings for large windows is fabric vertical blinds. In my own home I have Hunter Douglas vertical blinds for my sliding glass door and they look great. – David Brooks

David Brooks
http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/top-window-treatment-ideas-for-large-windows-675753.html

Your home means to a lot to you as there’s nothing as comfortable and luxurious in this world except your home. Surely every one of us wants to maintain our home by keeping it neat and tidy. We often employ one thing or the other to decorate it. However we often forget to give any focus to our room windows which form an important part of home décor.

You usually realize the importance of windows in summers when you want some cool breeze to enter your room. And during winters the warn sunrays entering your room gives you warmth. But we cannot let the windows to be opened or closed all the time. Therefore window blinds should be employed onto your room windows. Several window blinds are available in the market. Let’s discuss some of them in detail:

•    Roller Blinds- Roller-blinds are easy to operate and usually come in various colors. Made up of some plastic material, you can easily roll up and pull down the blind giving you comfort and more control over blind usage. Additionally you can also control the speed of the roller blind. However some downsides are also attached to such blinds. Such blinds don’t give enable you to control the amount of air entering your home.

•    Vertical Blinds- If you are looking for modern and trendy blinds then vertical blinds are the best option. These come in varied colors giving you options to complement your home furniture. Such blinds can be made up of several materials like paper, canvass, wood, synthetic fiber and many more.

•    Venetian Blinds- Venetian blinds are really popular among consumers as they act as the perfect blinds to give protection from sunlight. They can be used for both purposes like when closed can provide utmost protection from harsh sunlight and when opened can allow light to enter the room.

•    Made-to-measure Blinds- You can certainly buy made-to-measure blinds online as it gives you immense opportunity to choose among different designs, shapes and colors. Often this allows you to consider the color of your room wall or room furniture so that your window blinds can complement it perfectly.

•    Blackout Blinds- If you want a complete blackout then blackout blinds are best suited for you. There may be some rooms in your home where you don’t require any sunlight and wants a complete blackout. Thus for such purposes these blinds works best.

•    Wooden Blinds- Wooden-Blinds are made up of wood and can enhance the overall beauty of your room. Wooden blinds are so attractive that it appeals to your eyes and can refresh the entire ambience and mood of your room.

•    Pleated blinds- The main advantage of pleated blinds is that they are available in different shades and designs which gives an exotic and charm look to your room making it more stylish and trendy. One can also go for electric blinds but many people do not consider it to be safe to use.

So, all these are different types of window blinds. The wise thing is to know your need and requirement before buying any particular blind as that will make you investment worth.

Astin Sharon
http://www.articlesbase.com/interior-design-articles/different-types-of-window-blinds-available-679114.html