Interior design trends are continually changing, but wood blinds always seem to be in style. They’ve been popular for centuries because they effortlessly blend with almost any décor, from traditional to rustic to contemporary, and are practical when it comes to light control and privacy. Plus, wood blinds really add a feeling of warmth and comfort to a room.
Before you make your selection, there are a few things you should know about wood blinds. First, in addition to real wood blinds crafted from hardwoods like basswood, oak or cherry, faux wood blinds are constructed entirely from polystyrene.
When choosing between real wood blinds and faux wood blinds, think about the climate you live in, what room you’re working with and your personal style.
Real wood blinds, like Parkland® Wood Blinds, are made from genuine hardwood. Blinds crafted from 100% real wood tend to be priced higher than others because, like a piece of fine furniture, they have a natural fine grain and unique character.
With many gorgeous stains and colors to choose from, you can match real wood blinds with your interior window casings and moldings, so they’ll feel like part of the room’s architecture. You can also customize your blinds with a wide selection of finishes, slat sizes, upgrades, decorative tapes and cornices.
Compared to faux wood blinds, real wood blinds are lighter in weight and come in more slat size options. For example, Parkland Wood Blinds are available with 2½", 2" or 1 3/8" wood slats. Real wood blinds also require more delicate care—so avoid harsh chemicals when cleaning them. Although real wood blinds aren’t recommended for high humidity spaces like bathrooms, kitchens or laundry rooms, they’re excellent at insulating your home and shielding your furnishings from direct sunlight, which makes them ideal for living and dining rooms, bedrooms and family rooms.
If you live in a humid climate or want wood blinds for rooms like kitchens or bathrooms, faux wood blinds are the way to go because they’re designed to withstand muggy conditions.
Faux wood blinds, like EverWood® Alternative Wood Blinds, have the luxurious look of wood blinds with realistic grain patterns and finishes like TruGrain®. Faux wood blinds are not as lightweight as real wood blinds, so they need more support, or "ladder spacing" (ladders are the vertical cords that hold slats in place). Available in a huge selection of colors, EverWood blinds are also guaranteed to never fade, yellow, warp or bow, even in extreme temperatures and direct sunlight. And they’re offered with 2½" or 2" faux wood blind slats. Best of all, they’re only crafted with earth-friendly materials like polystyrene.
Faux wood blinds are a more affordable option, and cleaning them is easy: Gently wipe slats with a damp cloth, since moisture won’t damage them.
Blinds that have long, dangling cords can be a danger to children and pets that might accidentally get tangled in them. Parkland® Wood Blinds and EverWood® Alternative Wood Blinds offer these operating systems designed to enhance safety:
PowerView® Automation: Control your blinds with a simple push of a button, tap on a mobile device or voice control, if your blinds are connected to a compatible smart-home system. You can even schedule your blinds to move automatically throughout the day.
LiteRise®: Simply push up to raise your blinds and pull down to lower them.
SimpleLift™: Raise and lower your blinds with a push-button feature on the bottom rail.
UltraGlide®: A unique, retractable system lets you raise and lower the blinds with a standard lift wand or optional lift cord, eliminating long external cords.
To help you decide between the two different types, here’s a recap:
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