Bamboo Blinds

With so much attention to global warming and environmental issues today, it’s no wonder that bamboo blinds and shades have become so popular.

Since bamboo is a grass, not wood, it grows very quickly, reaching maturity in as little as 3 to 5 years.

Also, a single bamboo plant can be harvested multiple times, making it a great alternative to hardwoods, which take many years to mature.

Unlike vinyl or other faux wood finishes, bamboo brings the grain and natural textures of wood into your home without the expense and environmental concerns of wood blinds.

While straight bamboo cane shades like this one is what comes to mind when you think of bamboo blinds, there are a multitude of options on the market today.

Bamboo blinds bring natural texture, colour and an organic sense of the outdoors into your room decor. With natural materials and organic lines of nature, and the warm glow of the light honey colored tone of the bamboo, comes the reflex to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

Bamboo has long been used as a material for privacy screens in many Asian cultures and its use as a window blinds material goes back as far as the Ming dynasty in China.

There are two main types of bamboo blinds; the more traditional bamboo shade or woven wood shade and the Venetian style blind, which uses bamboo in place of wood slats. Woven bamboo style shades are available in either the roll up or the more popular Roman shade lift style.

While the rustic look of traditional cane bamboo shades works well with some home decor schemes, it is most popular still for use outdoors as an inexpensive patio shade option.

But today, bamboo is also woven together to make a woven wood fabric that rivals any other woven wood shade produced in terms of style and durability.

Loose weave bamboo shades are translucent enough to provide a warm glow to your room and will not completely block out sunlight. This makes them a good choice for some rooms and they can also be lined.

Bamboo reeds, grasses, jute and hand-spun flax or linens are woven together to produce literally thousands of patterns, texture and colour combinations.

How these materials are combined and the density with which they are woven determines how well they will keep light out of your room.

The looser the weave, the more light will pass through the fabric, while the tighter the weave, the more effective a woven bamboo blind will be in keep light out and provide privacy.

Another option is to purchase bamboo shades with linings, giving them better light control and a unique look if a loose-woven bamboo fabric is matched to the liner, which will often be of a light colour, giving your room a soft, warm glow.

You can purchase bamboo shades in three types; matchstick, grasses or bamboo.

So named for the size of the sticks used, bamboo matchstick blinds are made of small, flat pieces of bamboo. These sticks are combined into different patterns for a nicely finished appearance and are typically no more than a quarter to a half inch wide.

Bamboo shades may also be made of small to medium sized pieces of bamboo that are manufactured either in tight braids or loosely woven together.

In the straight bamboo style, the sticks may either be cut either flat look or small canes kept round.

Quality, choice and performance characterize today’s bamboo blinds. Combining traditional design and modern variations in style, these window treatments will add warmth and a natural feeling to your home.

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