Why choose Woven Wood Shades?

It seems like the 2" wood blinds are being taken over by woven wood shades. At least that's been the case for our customers. We seem to sell the 2.5" wood blinds on occasion, but the woven shades are still ahead. We did talk about them just last year in this post. Here's a good example for the use of the shades from a recent installation:

There were several reasons for using shades instead of blinds in this circumstance (besides just personal preference). One of them being that they won't make noise when opening and closing the door. They don't collect dust. The shades are lined with a blackout lining that gives a uniform appearance from the back. When they are up you can really enjoy a full view, and when they are down they lay very close to the glass and don't project into the room. We did choose to have these shades attached to the narrow end of the 1x2, so they have an even smaller projection at the header. You can see how well they match the wooden doors, and the added texture looked great in the living room.

Woven wood shades are made from bamboo, grasses, jute, bark, and wood. The colors range from very pale to ebony, with at least 90 choices to choose from. Prices vary depending on the type of materials used, along with the control mechanism you choose for raising and lowering. The are available with many options, and are fabricated as flat, hobbled, and as a panel track.


Above is an example from the Manh Truc catalog of a hobbled shade. They look great with traditional decor, but depending on the style and colors, can really be a great addition to more contemporary rooms.

This is a perfect example the simple lines they provide, and without all the horizontal lines of wood blinds. The above picture from our vendor, Lafayette Interior Fashions, shows an unlined shade. If privacy is a concern, there are several levels of opacity to choose from.

We used the higher opacity lining for the shades we have in the shop. The west sun really heated things up, but even keeping the shade down half-way makes an amazing difference in the heat.

Don't get us wrong, we still like wood blinds. The "tilt" factor is an important reason to use them. Many people still need to see outside but don't want a fully opened window, so by tilting the blinds they don't loose all their privacy, and still sneak a peak through their window. The newest blinds even come in several "glazed" finishes which are really popular in many homes today. And one other option is the addition of "tapes", which add some color and a touch of fabric to a room without adding another layer of curtains.

Come by and see all the options available, you might be surprised.