There are a huge selection of window treatments available to home decorators. Heck, I have a whole blog dedicated to just blinds. Picking the right blinds for your decor requires going through a range of variables. Although decorating is more art than science, there are tried and true pieces of wisdom to keep in mind when making a decision.
First, as with any great endeavor, it is important to know your objective before you set out. What specific function do you want your blinds to have? Should they shut out the light? Increase your home value? Match your carpeting? Keep your neighbors from snooping? Or is it just to impress them with the size of your wood blind slats. Well, we will get into that later. The main variables that blinds come in are slat size, material, and color. Slat design may come into play also but before you get ready to shop, visualize the size, material, and color that will achieve your desired goal.
The size of the slat impacts the pattern of light, view and size of the blind when rolled up. Generally larger slats are preferred if there is no design or size constraint, because they provide a more unobstructed view when open or rolled up.
When it comes to material, I have always been partial to wood blinds. No other blind comes close in terms of decorative ability. Most non-wood blinds are designed to emulate wood blinds. Wood blinds come in a performance class unmatched by artificial materials. The other common materials for blind manufacturing are metal and plastic.
The color of the blinds is where you as a decorator or homeowner really get to go crazy. Blinds come in a vast array of colors straight from the manufacturer, and any quality wood blind can be custom stained or painted. Get a color sample first, but the wrong color is not the end of the world. Blinds can not be re-stained, but they can be repainted.
The style of blind is important too. A good decorator already knows what effect they want from their window covering. There are mini blinds, cellular blinds, vertical blinds, roman blinds, California shutters, but for the average home, nothing beats the classic venetian wood blind. These blinds are easy to install and come in the widest selection for consumers.
By manipulating style, material, size and color, you can create anything from a classy colonial look to a minimalist design. For the average home, warm colored wood shades bring about a welcoming atmosphere.
One choice you have as a decorator is the theme of a room. You can have a unified theme for the whole house from the outside in, or you can have fun and create unique rooms. Remember to keep some kind of theme to unify each living space, otherwise your decorations will not flow. Do not let your hard-thought blind decoration be hidden by a confusing or harsh design. There is no such thing as a non-conservative window covering. The good thing about blinds is, no matter how much you experiment, as long as the design fits it will look great.