Wood Window Blinds Cast a Sense of Richness and Warmth

For many people, nothing can compare to wood window blinds for giving a sense of richness and warmth to an environment. While other styles of blinds have phased in and out of fashion, wooden window blinds have always enjoyed a loyal following.

Originally, wooden window blinds were introduced to be a modern version of the old exterior wooden shutters common on homes for so long, by bringing the control of the window covering into the inside of the house for convenience and ease of care.

Wood window blinds are commonly crafted from poplar wood, basswood and ramin wood, all of which are known for being lightweight woods that have a good degree of character that is exhibited in the wood grain. The grain can be accentuated with stain, and the stain can easily be custom matched to your existing decor.

One of the benefits of choosing wood, is that new window blinds can be custom made to coordinate with your decor and even match perfectly with a favorite furniture piece made of woods such as oak, walnut or cherry.

Artificial wood blinds are also an option and are a great choice for those who are on a tighter budget but who want the look of wood window shades. The faux wood blinds come in a wide variety of choices of styles, and can also be stained to match your decor.

However, faux wood slats, depending on what they are made of, can warp and sag over time, especially if exposed to direct sunlight for long periods of time each day. So while they might be considered an affordable option, they should not be expected to have the durability of a real wood blind.

Wood blinds can be built with custom control mechanisms and custom hardware, if desired, and can also be motorized for easy control. For the ultimate in ease of controlling your blinds, you can also get a remote control that will operate your blinds with the flick of a button.

The most common slat size for wooden window blinds is two inches, which is good for most window applications. For blinds on French doors, a one inch slat is usually preferred. When deciding on the slat size for your blinds, keep in mind that the larger the slat, the farther they can be spaced from each other and the greater amount of light and view will be available when the slats are angled out.

Woven blinds are another great option in the category of wood blinds, are the woven wood blinds made from natural materials. Common woven wood blinds are bamboo blinds and match-stick shades, both of which can lend an organic feel to any environment. Because these woven blinds are made of natural materials, the weave is generally more coarse and so they tend to allow more light in. If you favor the look of these natural blinds, but also want better light and heat control, you can add a liner to the back of the blind.

The care and maintenance of wood window blinds is simple and straightforward. You can treat these blinds very much like any other piece of wooden furniture and use high quality wood dusting or wood polishing products on them to keep them clean and conditioned.