Roman Shades Roman Blinds

Wooden Slat Blinds

Rachel — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 10:42:29 +0000

Wooden slat blinds can add a touch of quality to any room in the home. Like plastic blinds, they are available in many different colors, but most people buy them because they prefer the natural wood look. Whether you choose a light colored wood such as light oak, or go for dark chestnut or dark ash, a natural wood slat blind will really enhance any decorative scheme.

If you are looking for an exceptional quality blind, luxury grade premium hardwood blinds are perfect. They feature gloss, painted, and natural finishes, and are the perfect compliment to any style. Whatever shade of wooden furniture you have, there will be a luxury hardwood blind in a matching color to suit. If your home is a haven of Scandinavian pine furniture, you can choose matching pine wooden Venetian blinds for your rooms. They will be perfect for the Ikea Scandinavian look. Alternatively, if you favor cherry wood, you can install some matching cherry wooden blind slats.

Wooden blinds are perfect for most rooms, with the possible exception of bathrooms and kitchens due to the levels of moisture and humidity. They can look lovely in bedrooms, and if combined with curtains or drapes, wooden shades offer a stylish and attractive appearance combined with excellent light control. Whether your bedroom is decorated in a modern or traditional style, a wooden shade is adaptable enough to fit right in.

For offices and business premises, wooden shades are perfect for controlling the light entering the room while looking stylish enough to satisfy any eagle-eyed visitor or client. Rather than fitting some cheap plastic blinds in your office, it is far better to spend a little more and invest in a quality product that will last considerably longer. A wooden shade is likely to give you years of satisfactory service and might even outlast half of the employees. They look good enough for the boardroom, but are still economical enough for the general office areas.

Wooden slat blinds are very easy to clean, which is always good news when you have hardly any free time—and the free time you DO have is too valuable to be wasted spent cleaning. All you need to do is take a damp cloth and wipe the slats down regularly. For a quick clean, a soft cloth or feather duster will suffice. For more intense cleaning, a heavy-duty detergent should be able to remove any serious build ups of grime.

Ideally, wooden slat blinds should be fitted inside the recess. They are not impossible to trim down to size, but unless you are handy with a small saw, it is easier to make sure you measure the window recess correctly and buy the right size of blind. Blinds made from wood are usually available in standard sizes to fit standard sized windows. If your window is an odd size, it should be possible to buy a custom made wooden slat shade. Alternatively, you can buy a blind that is slightly larger than the window and install it on the outside of the window recess.

Ready Made Venetian Blinds

Rachel — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:39:38 +0000

If you are looking for a stylish and economical window treatment for your home, ready made Venetian blinds are ideal. They look great and are well suited to complementing the design and feeling of any modern home. This type of blind is immensely practical and versatile; not only do they provide an impressive light controlling system, they can also make a bold fashion statement. You can choose from a wide selection of designer colors, realistic wood effect finishes, and modern metallic slats.

Venetian shades are always a popular choice in kitchens and bathrooms because they are so easy to keep clean. They are also well suited to the high levels of humidity in kitchens and bathrooms, and because there is so many different finishes available, it is possible to match a Venetian blind to almost any decorative scheme. If your kitchen units are made from pine or oak, a wood effect Venetian shade will look very attractive, but if you fancy something a little different, you could choose a brightly coloured blind and make a feature of it instead.

For the bedroom, a ready made Venetian blind is a perfect choice, especially when combined with curtains for a total blackout effect. Blinds offer a modern look to any room and are well suited to kids rooms. If your teenager is ready to lose the Barbie wallpaper in favor of something a little more up-to-date, then why not decorate the room in shades of lilac and grey for more modern appeal. Combined with a funky aluminium blind, your teenager will be delighted with their new room.

Modern ready made Venetian blinds can be very effective when installed in offices and business premises. Because they are extremely cost effective, they are very popular for business owners who are shopping on a budget, and who want a blind that can not only look attractive but will also do an excellent job of controlling light entering the office. Because a Venetian blind can offer so many different and versatile choices in light filtration, they are prefect for installing in windows of offices where computers are used. Lighting shining on monitor screens is often a huge problem in offices and is known to cause headaches and eye strain. Controlling the window light using a Venetian shades means that your employees will be considerably happier—and hopefully far more productive.

Made to measure Venetian blinds are the answer to difficult windows in any home or office. Ready made Venetian blinds come in many different sizes, but they are only designed to fit standard sized windows. If you live in a house that has quirky features such as odd shaped windows, or windows that are larger than normal, a custom made blind is probably the answer. It will cost more than a standard off the peg blind from your local home depot, but you are guaranteed that it will fit perfectly. You might also find that the blind manufacturer will fit the blind as well—which is always a bonus if DIY is not your strongest suit.

Pinch Pleated Drapes

Rachel — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:35:27 +0000

Pinch pleated drapes are different to a regular style of curtains due to the way the fabric is pinched together by the heading tape at the top. The curtain is then hung using rings, hooks, or clips. This creates pinched pleats, which are spaced at even intervals and weighted from the bottom of the seams. The even pleats along the top of the curtain give pinched pleat drapes a very formal appearance, which can look very stylish in period homes or rooms decorated in a formal manner.

Pinch pleat drapes are generally made from heavy fabrics and come with fitted linings. This gives the drapes excellent insulation properties and they are far more elegant than other curtains made from cheap cottons mix fabrics. During the summer, they are very good at preventing the light from entering the room, which helps to keep rooms cool and prevents light damaging expensive furnishings. In winter, the curtains are very useful for insulating rooms from the cold outside. When these curtains are open, they can enhance the view from any room, and when they are drawn, they provide a very elegant backdrop to the room.

Pinch pleated drapes are a custom made design of curtain and once they have been fitted for a particular window, they cannot be moved to a different sized window. As such, they should be considered a long-term investment. Fortunately, with their classic good looks, they are unlikely to go out of style, unlike many modern types of curtain design.

Pinch pleated thermal drapes are exceptionally thick versions of pinch pleated drapes. They are treated with special acrylic foam to give them maximum insulation and are ideal for older properties with windows that are unlikely to be double glazed. By installing such curtains, you can save a great deal of money on heating bills through the winter by drawing the curtains at dusk and keeping your rooms free from chilly drafts. This type of curtain is often seen in period homes where they provide some elegant style in floor to ceiling windows.

For some curtains with an exceptionally luxurious appearance, pinch pleated silk drapes offer the rich lustre of silk combined with the elegant good looks of the pinch pleats. They are thinner than traditional pinch pleated curtains, and therefore not as good at providing insulation in older style windows, but what they lack in thermal properties, they more than make up for in style. This type of curtain would look beautiful in a formal dining room or reception room and is the style of curtain often seen in upmarket hotels and period stately homes. The only real disadvantage of silk drapes is that they are not always easy to take care of and once marked, they can easily be spoilt.

Pinch pleated sheer drapes are an attractive option for informal windows. Like silk, these curtains are made from a thinner material and are less effective at insulating against heat and cold. However, they look very attractive and can provide an elegant backdrop to any room in the home.

Bottom Up Blinds

Rachel — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:29:14 +0000

Bottom up blinds are an innovative way to dress any window in the home. Unlike regular blinds, bottom up window blinds are fixed from the base of the window and operate in reverse of the usual way, thus providing shade and privacy across the bottom half of the window first. This type of blind is a very versatile blind, which offers a number of useful benefits, not least those of privacy and light control. For homes situated on a street frontage, the blind can also offer some extra security by obscuring valuables that are situated in the window from the view of any passing pedestrians.

Due to the nature of the design, bottom up blinds are usually custom made to fit specific windows. This means that they are very often more expensive than regular blinds, but they are definitely worth the extra price. They should be considered a window treatment investment—one that will give many years of useful service. Because custom made blinds are more expensive, you will have plenty of options when choosing the fabric and pattern of your blind. This means that you will be able to choose a blind to closely match your existing decorative scheme.

For a bedroom, a bottom up roller blind is an ideal window treatment solution. You can choose an attractive fabric that matches your furnishings and it will look very stylish. During the day, you can enjoy privacy by lifting the blind to obscure the bottom half of the window, and at night, the blind can be pulled right up to the top of the window. If you pick a blind made using blackout fabric, you will be able to enjoy total light control no matter what time of day you decide to head to bed for a snooze.

Bottom up blinds are also ideal for conservatories. If like many people, you live in a fairly crowded residential area, you are likely to be overlooked by neighbors on every side of your garden. This is not always ideal if you wish to enjoy some privacy in your conservatory during the summer. Nobody wants to feel like they are living in a gold fish bowl while they sit reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of tea. By installing some bottom up blinds, you can enjoy a greater degree of privacy while still allowing the light into the conservatory.

This type of blind is also a great solution to privacy in a bathroom. Instead of having to pull a regular blind all the way down a window every time you want to have some privacy for a bath or shower, you can purchase a bottom up blind and keep your bathroom light and airy while still retaining privacy. They offer the best of both worlds and are vastly superior to a standard off the peg blind. For the ultimate in versatility, you can even opt for some top down bottom up blinds in your home. Not only does this type of blind lift from the bottom, it also drops from the top.

Electric Window Blinds

Rachel — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:23:49 +0000

Electric window blinds have a number of useful applications, both for homes and business premises. They are ideal for installation in inaccessible windows, or simply windows where it would be easier to enjoy an automated blind. You can choose from options where the system is completely automated and your blind operates according to day, night, or a timer. Or you can purchase a blind that opens and closes when you press a button. The choice is yours and really depends on the location where the blind will be fitted. Electric window blinds come in mains voltage, low voltage, or even battery-operated solutions, depending on your specific requirements.

For business and commercial premises, an automated blind system is ideal. They offer significant advantages when installed in audio-visual and conference rooms. If the system is fully automated, it makes life far easier when presentations are taking place. Instead of an employee manually opening and closing blinds, the blinds can be operated at the flick of a switch. Unsurprisingly, this looks considerably more professional than a manual system.

Motorized window blinds are often found in hotels and other premises where there are likely to be a large number of windows, some of which might be found in inaccessible locations. A motorized blind system makes life far easier and they can be set to open and close at specific times of the day, as well as via an environmental sensor.

For premises with multiple adjacent windows, for example those in offices or apartments, a fully automated system of blinds can save a considerable amount of time. An electric window blind is a very stylish and modern solution for apartment living and the top-of-the-range motorized blinds can be wired into a complete home environment system.

If your home has roof windows, for example those in a barn conversion of other type of home with very high ceilings, an electric blind can be a godsend. When windows are very high up, many people do not bother installing blinds due to the problems of operating them. However, this can cause issues if light shining in is disruptive in some way. The easiest way to deal with the problem is to install electric blinds. They are easy to operate and can provide long and reliable service. Since they are usually custom designed, you do not have to worry about the installation, as the manufacturer will normally take care of that for you as part of the purchase process. However, if you are a dab hand at DIY or have specialist knowledge, you can always choose to fit your blinds yourself. It will save you some money and you will have the satisfaction of a job well done.

For security conscious home or business owners, electric window blinds can set to rise and fall at specific times of the day, which will have great benefits when you are away from the home. If you also have your lights wired into an automated program, nobody will ever know you have left, which is a great deterrent to opportunistic burglars.

Cleaning Vertical Blinds

Rachel — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:20:23 +0000

Cleaning vertical blinds sounds difficult, but if you follow a few simple tips, it is really very easy and should not take too long as long as you do it fairly regularly. Many people choose to install vertical blinds in their home and when they are kept in good condition, clean vertical blinds look very stylish and attractive. However, if left to attract dirt and grime, they will deteriorate and look distinctly unattractive and nasty.

Regular cleaning is the key to maintaining nice looking vertical blinds. Cleaning heavily soiled blinds is not only time consuming, it is also likely to be unsuccessful, so when you purchase new blinds, make sure you embark on a regular cleaning schedule.

Vertical blind cleaning on a daily basis is really only a matter of doing a little light dusting. Vertical blinds do not attract dust in the same way as horizontal blinds, but they still require regular dusting with a soft feather duster or vacuum cleaner. Most vacuum cleaners manufacturers provide special attachments specially designed for cleaning vertical blinds. It will resemble a thick fork that fits between the vertical slats, cleaning down each side as it slides along. This is usually enough to keep your blinds dust free on a long-term basis.

Occasionally, despite your best efforts, vertical blinds do get dirty—especially those hung across doors or patio windows. Cleaning vertical blinds when they are still installed is possible, but it can be a very messy unless you protect the window behind and the floor beneath. In most cases, it is far better to remove the individual slats and clean them separately. To do this you will need to unhook each slat from the head rail, disconnect it from the chain at the bottom, and then remove the small weight from the pocket at the base of the slat.

If your vertical blind slats are made from vinyl or aluminium, they can be cleaned using water mixed with mild detergent. Heavy dirt can be removed using a scrubbing sponge. Once all of the dirt has been removed to your satisfaction, rinse the slat using clean water. If you have white slats, add a small amount of bleach to the water to brighten up the whiteness. Slat cleaning is usually best done outdoors so the rinsing process can be done using a hosepipe. However, it can also be carried out in the bath using a shower attachment. Once the slats are clean, they can be left to dry in the sun, hung over the shower cubicle, or dried with a towel.

If you are cleaning fabric vertical blinds, check to see if the slats are machine washable. If it is safe to wash them in a machine, use a delicate cycle and extra gentle detergent made for fine fabrics. Any serious stains can be pre-treated using a spot stain removal agent prior to the wash. If your fabric slats are not machine washable, use stain removal agent and then wipe off using a cloth or soft brush. This can be done while the blinds are still hanging.

Timber Blinds and Shutters

Rachel — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:16:49 +0000

Timber blinds and shutters are tough, natural, and warm, which makes them a very attractive choice for the home. They are a quality blind usually constructed in the style of a traditional Venetian blind and the wooden slats are available in different widths. Timber wood blinds come in many different finishes and are made from natural wood selected from several sources including Cottonwood, Pine, Ash, Spruce, Oak, Sycamore, and Larch.

The timber used for wooden blinds is processed using the latest technology. It is stained, sanded down, lacquered, and then buffed to a very even satin finish. If you prefer something other than a natural wood color, you can choose from several different painted finishes, including white, red, blue, plus many other attractive colors. Enhancing the appearance of the blind with designer toggles and co-coordinating woven ladder tapes can create a highly individual look.

For a stylish look, designer wooden blinds can be custom made from the finest hardwoods available. Every slat is a piece of quality timber featuring the natural grain variation and inherent beauty of such a product. Nothing beats the look of real timber blinds and many people opt for them in their homes. They can be customized to suit the individual furniture and decorative scheme, and even color matched to a particular shade.

Timber Venetian blinds are suitable for any modern and contemporary interior. Blinds can be made to measure to ensure a perfect fit and all the control cords and head rails can be color coordinated to match the blind slats. A matching pelmet made from the slat of the blind is also usually included.

A timber blind is suitable for most rooms in the home. The only exceptions to this rule are areas of high humidity such as kitchens and bathrooms. When exposed to lots of moisture, there is a possibility that a timber blind will warp, which will spoil the good looks of the blind. However, wooden blinds are perfect for every other room in the home and will look great as a backdrop to your windows, whether they are large or small.

Natural timber blinds are also available as a wood weave blind in the roman or roll up blind style. In this type of blind, the natural veneers and reeds of wood are woven together into a flat, flexible fabric that is constructed into a blind. This offers a less refined look than a wooden Venetian blind, but nevertheless, it is a very attractive option that will enhance any room design.

Wood weave style blinds are a very popular choice for conservatories as they are excellent at blocking the UV rays while still allowing the sunlight to filter through in an attractive manner. Wood weave conservatory blinds can be stopped in any position, which makes them a very versatile choice for both privacy and light control. Timber weave blinds are also very popular for contemporary interiors as they offer natural simplicity combined with great style. Used in the bedroom, they can be combined with a blackout panel for maximum light control.

Silk Drapery Panels

Rachel — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 10:08:50 +0000

Silk drapery panels are a luxurious choice for a window treatment as silk is considered to be one of the finest textiles in the world. It is widely revered for its softness and brilliant sheen combined with resilience and strength. Its attractive luster and drape make it very suitable for soft furnishings, especially window treatments.

Silk is very receptive to the dying process and takes color particularly well. It is one of the strongest natural fibers, although it loses around 20% of its strength when wet. It can also be weakened by exposure to sunlight and is susceptible to insect attack, especially when dirty. Silk thread is obtained from the larvae of the silkworm. The shimmering appearance of the fabric is due to the prism structure of the silk fiber, which allows the incoming light to be refracted at different angles, causing silk to have the appearance of many different colors within the fabric. This quality is one of the reasons silk fabric has been such a desirable commodity over the centuries.

Silk fabric was first used in ancient China and early examples date back as far as 3,500 BC. Silk was soon traded across Asia and because it was in such huge demand, it became a staple of pre-industrial international trade. Over time, the silk trade expanded extensively, reaching as far as Europe and North Africa, and the major trade routes became known as the Silk Road.

A silk drapery panel is an excellent choice for a formal decorative scheme, whether in a home, hotel, or similar. The natural beauty and luster of silk acts as a perfect backdrop to any room and silk drapes can provide years of classic beauty as long as they are looked after correctly. Because they are so receptive to the color process, it is very easy to find silk fabric that will match your existing décor exactly. Once you have sourced some suitable fabric, you can arrange to have drapes custom made to your exact requirements. For standard window sizes, you will also be able to buy ready-made silk drapes from many retailers, both online and on the high street.

Faux silk drapery panels are made from a synthetic mix of fibers designed to offer very similar qualities to natural silk. The fabric has a soft, luxurious feel that creates beautiful color shades in the right lighting, yet is more economical than genuine silk. They are ideal if you are shopping on a budget but still want a quality curtain. They are made in many different contemporary styles and are ideal for creating a modern look in any room, but are particularly popular for living rooms and dining rooms due to their classic style.

Dupioni silk drapery panels are made from 100% hand woven silk fabric, but with a more textured finish. Like other silk curtains, they are available in a variety of different colors to suit your decorative scheme. Ideally they should be hung with linings to protect the silk from the sun. A lining will also add extra fulsomeness to the drapery panels, which makes them appear even more luxurious.

Double Roman Blinds

Rachel — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:35:15 +0000

Double roman shades are a specific type of roman shade. Unlike conventional roman shades with a single panel that lifts to create folds in the fabric or other material, a double roman shade has two layers of material, which can either lift as one entity, or work independently. Typically, double roman shades use two different types of material. One is often heavy for the purposes of light control, while the other is sheer to give a little extra privacy when the main shade is lifted. Each panel is attached to the same head rail system, yet they operate entirely independently in exactly the same way as a regular roman blind.

Double roman blinds can be bought ready made from most retailers, but you will be restricted to the sizes on offer and if your window is not a regular shape or size, the blind is unlikely to fit the window recess effectively. For awkward sized windows, it is much better to get your blinds custom made. This ensures you end up with a fabric that matches your decorative scheme exactly, plus a blind that fits perfectly.

If you are handy with a sewing machine, a double insulated roman blind can be made without too much difficulty, as the relevant parts are all easy to obtain. By choosing to make the blind yourself, you can save some money and take pride in the finished product.

Due to the nature of the design, dependent on which fabrics are used the blind can create a wealth of different styles. There are many combination's that will allow you to lift the front shade while displaying the back shade. If you choose your fabrics carefully, you can end up with a fabulous and stylish look. By picking a strong accent color for the back shade, you can choose to reveal it in moderation or in full, depending on the look you fancy at any given time.

Some double roman blinds have a secondary panel for extra insulation. Instead of a separate panel that can be lifted independently from the inner panel, the insulation panel is an integral part of the shade. Blackout panels can also be added to roman shades to create a double roman blind. This option is often used for bedrooms where light control is an important factor when deciding what will be the most effective window treatment. Bamboo roman shades can benefit from having a secondary panel attached to the shade. This will add privacy to the shade as well as helping it block out extra light from the room.

By using your imagination, you can create some wonderful looks with a double roman blind. A shade with a sheer fabric panel underneath will look great with some extra sheer fabric draped around the top curtain pole. You can even accessorize this look using some decorative items placed nearby. By “framing” a roman shade, it will be even more eye catching than before. Use them wisely and double roman shades offer both privacy and versatility, which makes them the perfect choice for any modern home.

Choosing Patio Curtains

Rachel — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 17:07:38 +0000

Choosing patio curtains for your patio door can sometimes be a difficult decision because, unlike other curtains in the home, they need to allow easy entry and exit. They might also need to control light and provide privacy as well as being attractive, which can make the style choice even more difficult.

When privacy is not an option, patio curtains can be purely decorative rather than functional and you can choose from some lovely transparent fabrics to filter the light. Beautiful voile panels look lovely hung across a patio door, swirling in the breeze when the door is partially open during summer evenings. Sheer lace panels can also look very attractive if you prefer a more feminine decorative scheme in your room. Sheer panels can be cinched in using decorative tie backs, or left in a diaphanous cloud of fabric.

Outdoor patio curtains are a great idea for providing some privacy and light control for your outdoor patio area. Outdoor curtains for patio areas should be made from durable, washable and light resistant fabric. However, this does not mean that you need end up with some curtains that are plain and unattractive. There are plenty of bright, fun designs to choose from that will brighten up your outside eating area.

French window style patio doors can enjoy more traditional curtain styles as they open and shut differently to sliding patio doors. For a luxurious feel, try hanging curtains that are much longer than they need to be. When the curtains are pulled back using tie backs, it will cause swathes of fabric to pool around the bottom of the curtain. If you use a heavy silk or similar fabric, this will look fabulously decadent.

For tall, period style French windows, curtains hung much higher than the window and finished off with a pelmet valance will look very elegant. This is very much in the style of an chateau or stately home.

Curtains for sliding patio doors will need to be hung over the door. A curtain pole might look attractive, but if your patio door is drafty and you have bought some thick, heavy drapes to control this, a cheap plastic curtain track will do a better job of keeping the curtains closer to the glass and therefore preventing the drafts from creeping in. A valance is an effective way of hiding any unattractive curtain tracks if required. Sheer patio panel curtains can be hung from tension rods directly above the door as they are very light weight.

For all curtains hung on patio doors, tie backs are essential to prevent the curtain from attracting dirt and grime caused by people traipsing in and out of the room. They are also useful for keeping the curtain out of the way when the doors are left open during the summer.

Although some people choose not to fit curtains across patio doors, particularly those in flats and apartments at higher levels where privacy is not a problem, an attractive patio curtain can really enhance the decorative scheme in a room and should definitely be considered.