Window Blind Choices

Bamboo Can Give The Oriental Touch

Until fairly recently most window coverings were the traditional curtain style, and only in the past 20 or 30 years or so have window coverings become more popular, and among these are in bamboo window blinds, the popularity increasing as more people become interested in the Oriental design style, including Japanese decoration. Bamboo window blinds can give a really elegant look to any home, and also have the added advantage that they are environmentally friendly. The classic Japanese blind is one that you uses bamboo to create a really natural feel to any room, giving you the ability to darken the room and add a really nice ambiance to make for a relaxing place to live.

Bamboo blinds have been used for thousands of years in the Far East, and although technology has improved the manufacture modern bamboo blinds are manufactured in much the same way. One of the more popular types of blind is the bamboo vertical blind, which really does add a very Far Eastern or Oriental appearance to a room, in the same way as Japanese screens can add a nice feeling of tranquility. These can be extremely sophisticated, and although they are usually used in the living room or the lounge, they can be used in the kitchen and the bathroom to make for a very relaxing feel. They can be a problem when trying to fix them to wide windows, though it is possible to use more than one narrow window blind in order to cover the whole window.

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But bamboo can give you more than just a simple window covering, because using them to cover just one window will make them look like a Roman blind in some ways, and now that they're are more colors of bamboo blinds available they can also be used to add a splash of drama to a kitchen or bathroom for instance. Due to the fact that they allow a certain amount of natural light to enter, they can be used as a privacy blind while also enabling you to have enough light to make the room comfortable.

A nice choice can be natural pecan bamboo roman shades, a matchstick style from Designview. Measuring 23" x 72" these retail at around $23, and are a classic Roman shade for use with traditional decor. The bamboo slats and matchsticks create subdued light and give privacy along with insulation. This set includes a 6" valance and pull cords. Alternatively, from Wholespace Window Treatments comes a set of 2" bamboo blinds, a natural look being the aim. They have wide ladder strings, wand control, making them adjustable blinds, easily changed to the correct angle.

Classic Roman shades

For another traditional type look, consider an Imperial Bamboo blind (Fruitwood) available from Stacks & Stacks. Made from high-quality matchstick bamboo, these matte shades make a classic Roman shade, giving privacy and light diffusion. This hand-selected bamboo shade can also be inside-mounted. Other styles worth looking at include the LHI bamboo roman shade in Tahiti cocoa. Retailing at $75, this is a classic shade with handcrafted wooden tassels and a valance, and offers a good degree of privacy with excellent light diffusion.;

Natural bamboo can also be used for outdoor shades, and can be used as a way to bring some shade to a patio, something which can be important if you tend to use a patio during the middle of the day. As everyone knows sun protection is essential during this time. As well as the patio you can install bamboo blinds in some room or a patio deck, something which is helped by the fact that bamboo shades are an extremely lightweight window covering.

Window blind sizes

There are also many sizes on the market, which means it is usually possible to find the right size for any particular window. The smallest size of bamboo blind can be as narrow as 40 cm, though a standard size is around 60 cm with 140 cm drop. Some of the wider models can be up to 2 m wide, again with an 160 centimeter drop.

If you want to spend more money you could have custom bamboo blinds made, which usually mean 90 cm wide, 100 cm wide, 120 cm wide, and 150 cm wide. By mixing the various custom sizes you can usually find you will be able to cover most windows without problem.