Bamboo shades and bamboo blinds are becoming increasingly popular with consumers. They can transform the look and feel of your home like no other window covering, bringing the beauty and exotic feel of the tropics into your living room with a stunning combination of natural beauty, functionality, and durability.
Bamboo shades are typically made with a combination of grasses, reeds and natural woods including bamboo. Rattan, jutes, and woven woods are also very popular. Bamboo shades are available in a variety of styles and can be in any tonal shade from very light to very dark. There are options for roll-up shades, Roman fold, or accordion-pleat styles, and many different valances to choose from. With the great variety of bamboo shade styles, there is certain to be a bamboo shade to fit any decor from casual to elegant. The natural materials used in bamboo shades complement virtually anything.
Bamboo blinds work well not only on windows, but on French doors as well, particularly since they hang close to the door surface and don't swing around freely when opening or closing the door.
Light Filtering and Privacy
Bamboo shades and bamboo blinds can generally be ordered as either natural light filtering style, or with liners that block light and provide greater privacy.
Construction of Bamboo Shades
The best bamboo shades and blinds are crafted in the traditional manner. The bamboo canes are first whittled and dried, then the reeds and grasses are interwoven with the canes.
Bamboo Roman Shades work by gathering and raising soft folds of the bamboo material using evenly spaced rings on the back side of the shade. This gives the blind a "roman shade" look when raised. Roll-up style blinds simply roll the shade up from the bottom; the roll-up style is most commonly used for outdoor porches or for very informal rooms. Accordian pleat style blind raising folds the blind into neatly stacked pleats for a very elegant look.
Tips for Purchasing Bamboo Shades
Color and Texture: Select the color and texture that will best complement your existing room. Many bamboo shade suppliers will provide free samples to help you determine how that style will look in your own home. But remember that as a natural wood, the exact shade and texture will vary. Your bamboo shades will not exactly match the samples, nor will they exactly match each other. There are variations in the wood itself, along with variations in how the wood absorbs the stains applied. This natural variation is part of what makes bamboo shades so beautiful and appealing. Further, if you decide to order bamboo shades online, remember that your computer monitor may not display the colors in a realistic shade.
Measurements: Bamboo blinds can be ordered in stock sizes for the common window dimensions, but frequently custom sizes are required. If you order online, or take your own measurements to a local supplier, be very careful with your measurements — if you measure wrong, the cost to re-make the blinds will be your responsibility. Most bamboo shade suppliers can give you specific instructions for obtaining correct measurements. You should always a steel measuring tape for greatest accuracy. Decide whether your blinds are to be inside the window frame or outside it, and measure to the nearest 1/8" without rounding. It's customary to list width first, but always be sure to label width and height clearly.
Inside or Outside the Window Frame? Bamboo blinds mounted inside the window recess give a "cleaner," more refined look, and are preferred by most people. But outside mounting can be useful to hide an ugly window or for use with windows that are badly out of square. For inside mount windows, the blind manufactuer will make any adjustments needed to ensure that the blind doesn't rub or scrape the inside of the window, so provide the exact measurement without doing any adjusting of your own. For outside mount blinds, the manufacturer will make the blinds to your exact measurements without any adjustments, so be sure your measurement allows space for the mounting brackets.
Style and Tone: Light woods generally present a more casual feel, while darker woods create a more sophisticated, elegant look. Also, lighter colors tend to brighten a room. Choose a style and color tonality to complement your existing decor.
Wood Shape: The shape of the bamboo "slats" will affect the general look and feel. Round slats give a more casual feel, and flat or squared-off slats present a more formal look. Some bamboo shades are available in styles that combine flat and rounded bamboo pieces for an appealing and exotic flair.
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