When Only Wood Will Do

Sure, faux wood, composite and vinyl window treatments are less expensive.  But, I know a lot of people that only go for the real thing.  And, I understand, it is hard to duplicate the warmth, luxury and character of real wood blinds and shades.  You wouldn’t have a vinyl dining room table would you?  Certainly not.  Wood blinds and shades are much like fine wood furniture.  They are made from hardwoods, most commonly basswood, and can come in a wide variety of stains to enhance the grain and compliment your decor. 

Of course, the first in any list of wood window treatments would have to be wood window blinds.  Wood blinds, are usually made with basswood, which at present, is a renewable resource for those ecologically-minded people.  These blinds are much like mini blinds in appearance but usually have larger slats, which range from ½” to 3 inches.  The ½” wood blinds are generally called wood mini blinds and are a good choice for very small window or French doors.  As a rule of thumb, the larger the window, the larger the slat size.  And, the larger the slat size the greater the view-through; larger slats, when opened, have more space between and therefore let in more light.  Wood blinds come in a variety of stains as well as paints.  But, I am not sure of the wisdom of buying painted wood blinds; I mean what’s the point?  The stain options will allow you to coordinate with almost any other wood coloring in your home, such as furniture, wood floors, cabinetry, etc.

Next, up are plantation shutters.  Shutters are not necessarily for everyone.  But in the right setting they can be stunning.  They are also one of the few window treatments that can actually add value to your home.  That said shutters are not the most utilitarian of window treatments because they do not allow much view-through when the slats are opened, nor are they the best option for room darkening.  Also most rooms do not have sufficient space to allow you to swing the “doors” of the shutters open for maximum view-through, so they tend to stay shut all the time.  In my opinion, shutters are best placed on windows where you are not terribly concerned with light control of view-through, for example the street-facing windows of your home.  Plantation shutters are designed after the old exterior storm shutters that you see on older homes, or homes in places where hurricanes tend to hit.  They were meant to protect the window from the outside and could be closed and latched shut when bad weather was coming.  But, when placed on the inside, where space is more limited, this feature of being able to open them up wide like a set of French doors is usually impossible.

A lesser known choice amongst the wood window treatments, are wood vertical blinds.  Wood vertical blinds are not for everyone.  They are best used when coordinating other wood window treatments or when it compliments a particular décor.  Another choice for sliding glass doors or other large window would be panel track blinds with woven wood vanes.  This way you can still coordinate with other wood elements in your décor without the visual heaviness of wood verticals. 

This is a good segway into other wood-like options.  You may not necessarily want wood blinds or shutters in every room but yet still want to preserve the look and feel of natural materials and colors.  In this case you should look into woven wood shades, also known as bamboo blinds.  Woven woods come in a large variety of materials from simple bamboo to a blend of reeds, grasses, bamboo, wood, linens and even ropes.  With such a large selection of materials, colors and textures, it is easy to select the right woven wood shade to compliment your wood-themed décor. 

The last option is roman shades.  Typically roman shades are made with fabrics, such as linen, silk or man-made materials.  But there are a few roman shades that use woven woods as well, though the choices are not as abundant as within woven woods. 

There your have it, a list of window blinds and shades, when only wood will do.  Sure, there are cheaper options, like vinyl plantation shutters but if you got to have wood blinds, at least you will know what your options are. – David Brooks