Choosing Venetian Blinds

Venetian blinds are an elegant way to dress up your windows. But how to choose them for your home?
Here are some criteria to select your blinds the right way.

Custom-made of pre-made?

Orient yourself to the standard blinds if your budget is limited and/or are in a hurry. If you have some time and money, then custom-made blinds will probably be a better option (while still being affordable).
Tailor-made blinds will customize the following:

• Type and length of openings
• Choice of colors for strings and ribbons holding the slats
• Choice of colors and slats, with possibility of varying the colors

Materials

Before anything else, you’ll need to decide which material to use for your blinds.

Wood

Wood will give you by far the most aesthetic touch to a classic blind design. It comes in a variety of shades, from lightest to darkest. Keep in mind that wood ages and will still keep well, assuming it is maintained correctly.
Wooden blinds are suitable for the following areas:

• Living-room
• Dining room
• Bedroom

They should be avoided in any wet or humid rooms, as wood is very sensitive to moisture.

PVC

Plastic is the easiest material to implement and the most economical solution. You may prefer it depending on the aesthetic choice you want.
PVC blinds require no special maintenance and can be used in any room in your home.
However, plastic will lose its luster over time and exposure to sunlight. You’ll need to change the slats regularly to keep a clean design.
This defect can actually be an opportunity to regularly change and refresh the atmosphere of your interior. PVC blinds are available in a wide array of colors.

Aluminum

Here is a material that has become extremely popular thanks to its durability and resistance. It can also be used in pretty much any room in the house.
Aluminum is available in different colors that can help you achieve your decorating needs. Slats can also be micro-perforated for a subdued atmosphere when the blinds are closed.

Measurements

Once you’ve got the right material, it’s time to measure the beast.

Width

Width of the most frequently used slats are:

• Small windows: slats of around 6 inches
• Medium and large windows: slats between 10 and 20 inches

This is due to the density of slats growing in inverse proportion to their width. In other words, there will be more slats for blinds 6 inches wide than 10 inches. Therefore, it is ugly to dress medium and large windows with 6-inch blinds.

Measuring blinds

Measuring height is the trickiest part when you embark in picking new blinds.
Make sure to take into account the following elements:

• Total unfolded height, including mechanism
• Total folded height

You ‘ll need at least 4 inches of free space (7-8 inches recommended) above your window to install the blinds.