Faux Wood Blinds
Faux wood blinds made a huge splash in the window treatment industry when they were developed – providing an ideal balance of a rustic yet luxe appearance while fitting squarely within most budgets. In this blog entry, the shade and blind installation experts here at Los Angeles Shades and Blinds will detail some fun facts about faux wood blinds.
Wood Blind Origins
While wooden blinds are often referred to as Venetian blinds, they actually had their origins in the Empire of Ancient Egypt. The Ancient Egyptians created blinds by utilizing the reeds that grew along the Nile by weaving them into mats and hanging them over windows. They eventually became popular as they made their way into Persia through trade routes – and then wound up in Venice, Italy as Venetian traders moved through Persia, were inspired by seeing blinds, and brought them back to their rnative country. Blinds became a traded commodity through the efforts of Venetian traders, being distributed throughout Europe as they became known as Venetian blinds.
Blinds in America
Horizontal blinds became very popular in the early days of the United States of America. A famous London upholstery expert, John Webster released his iteration of blinds in the USA, where wealthy patrons of high society found them stylish, functional, and even a status symbol! Thomas Jefferson was known to be so excited over horizontal blinds that he wrote distribution of them to his beneficiaries directly into his will! It has been theorized that horizontal wooden blinds became so popular as an American product because of the high taxes on European textiles – American colonists instead opted to buy wooden blinds from local craftspeople instead, seeding the ground for a new industry.
Material and Vulnerability
Faux wood blinds are made of vinyl and vinyl composites – providing the appearance of real wood while really being composed of the same material that records are made of. They are much more durable even than real blinds, and are ideal for environments with tons of humidity – like bathrooms or crowded kitchens – as they will resist warping. They are an ideal choice for window treatments that provide warmth, classicism, affordability, and durability.
