If you want something different for your windows, you may find it at Hillarys. Useful innovations like the allergy busting blinds which feature a protective coating that prevents dust mites from gathering inside the fibers, made Hillarys one of the most sought after window treatments manufacturers. Moreover, they care about their customers as much as to send one of the Hillarys specialists to discuss the best options, to see the windows, to measure for the blinds, in a word, to take care of everything you need to have your blinds perfectly matching your windows. The adviser will also make a price quote for you, based on her measurements and on your blinds choice, then you’ll be able to decide if you take the offer or not. Because of the multiple customization possibilities, you can’t see prices online, as you can on other window treatments manufacturers websites.
Bamboo Blinds at Hillarys
Renewable sources are the latest craze in interior decorations materials. Such resources include bamboo, jute, sea grass, rattan and poplar wood. All these plants have an amazingly fast growth rate compared to common trees which take hundreds of years to reach maturity. Hillarys Woodweave is the generic name of a line of bamboo blinds, sea grass blinds, jute blinds and poplar wood blinds, which includes nine models, all with natural look and individual characteristics:
Mandalay: these blinds are made of bamboo slats and sticks woven together with strands of jute. The light filtering level is low, these bamboo blinds having more a decorative role rather than a protective one. On request, Mandalay blinds can come with a coordinating beige tape.
Mumbai: these blinds have a modern look, with their basswood sticks and poplar wood slats. The privacy level these windows coverings offer is low.
Plantation: traditional pinoleum blinds with low light filtering properties and with a natural look. Hillarys offer a variant of Plantation blinds with a colored tape.
Shanghai: the same traditional pinoleum wood, but in a darker shade.
Dragona with tape: light colored wooden blinds with tape, providing a medium privacy degree.
Beijing with tape: dark colored woodweave blind with Jet black tape, offering a good privacy level.
Dynasty with tape: these wood blinds with coordinating linen colored tape offer a medium privacy level and a natural look.
Hillarys Woodweave blinds are very similar to the Roman shades and they can come with matching valances. The controls can be positioned either on the left or the right side, as requested by the customer. All Hillarys bamboo blinds are tested to light fastness, humidity and temperature, in order to check if they meet British Standards of quality. The 12 months guarantee is a proof that specialists at Hillarys know their trade.
Bamboo blinds and shades are not only beautiful but also environmentally friendly. Generally speaking, woven woods are better than classic wood because they are considered renewable resources. Indeed, a bamboo tree grows hundreds of times faster than an oak tree. This is what determined manufacturers of window coverings to take advantage of bamboo, reeds and grasses in creating special lines of eco-friendly products.
Hunter Douglas is one of the major players in the window treatments industry who take pride in protecting the environment while not giving up on quality and comfort. The Provenance woven wood shades offer a natural look, the warmth of nature inside your home, combined with excellent durability and with the latest technology available, in order to maximize the comfort.
The Hunter Douglas Provenance woven wood shades are eco-friendly in more than one way. Not only are they manufactured from renewable resources, but they also feature excellent thermal insulation properties and an outstanding solar heat control which lead to reduced energy consumption for heating or cooling the house. These insulating qualities are emphasized by adding the optional liner provided by Hunter Douglas with this line of window shades.
Hunter Douglas designers pay attention to details and this shows very well in the color-coordinated hardware which makes these shades look much better than cheaper ones that use only brass hardware or unfinished headrails. Edge banding is an other cool option that leaves room for creativity in matching all decor elements in a room. You can make your shades unique by combining fabrics and textures of your choice. Privacy and light filtering control are in the middle range, but these bamboo blinds can become almost opaque if doubled by liners.
Comfort is also one of the Hunter Douglas priorities, which is translated into the many options of operating systems, from the standard cord lock and clutch operated shades to the continuous cord loop systems and the motorized options which allow operating the shades by remote control. If you consider buying such blinds, the best you can do is to find a Hunter Douglas dealer close to you, pay them a visit and see what are the options available, so you can make the best purchasing decision. Beware that Hunter Douglas is anything but cheap, so be prepared to pay for the quality you’re asking for. Nonetheless, such high quality results in a much longer life of the blinds, so on long term it surely pays off nicely.
Blinds, shades and curtains are usually indoor window treatments, so they don’t have to be weatherproof. Yet, there are situations in which blinds need to be installed outdoor, like in case of sunrooms or patio shadings. This means that the blinds will be exposed to direct sunlight, to wind and rains, therefore they need to made of something that can resist all those, yet preserve their appearance for a long time. What else could be better than bamboo for making such outdoor blinds? Bamboo is natural and flexible, it grows in wet climate areas, with lots of heavy rains and hot sunny days, with storms and many other weather challenges. This is why choosing outdoor bamboo blinds can save a homeowner a lot of future trouble with frequent replacements or repairs.
If you have a sunroom or a patio and you think of shading it with outdoor bamboo blinds, here are a couple of cheap and beautiful options:
Radiance Laguna Bamboo Roll-Up Blinds
These outdoor blinds are made 100% of hand-selected bamboo featuring plain weave type and rollup shade lift system. They are ready-made window treatments, with a height of 72” and a width of 60” or 48”. If needed, they can be cut shorter at home, but beware that you may lose the 1 year warranty if you do that. Radiance Laguna bamboo blinds are delivered with all required mounting hardware included, so they can be installed easily. They provide a medium light filtering and some thermal insulation, but you shouldn’t count on that to heat your sunroom during the cold season. These blinds are available in several stores such as Target or Sears, as well as in online window treatments and home improvement shops.
Lewis Hyman Reed Natural Blinds
These blinds are made of reed and bamboo and they are suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. They are available in natural tones of wood, which may feature slight variations of color which make them look even more natural. The roll-up system is easy to install and to use, the only required maintenance being periodical dusting or vacuuming. These blinds are ready-made in the size of 72” x 48” and they are available in many online window blinds stores.
When buying outdoor bamboo blinds, keep in mind that all metal parts should be made of non-rusting materials, otherwise the blinds won’t serve you for too long, especially if you live in a front beach house, exposed to salty water drops which can easily eat up your metal during one single year. See if you can get some additional warranty for the hardware, so you can enjoy your blinds for a very long time.
Bay windows are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful window styles, because they help creating a nice and cozy relaxation area inside a room. They just make rooms seem larger, thanks to the huge amount of light they allow in. Yet, there are situations which demand a higher level of privacy, therefore choosing the right coverings for bay windows is an important step in home decorating. The difference between bay windows and common ones is that bay windows must have an unified look and so should their treatments. Some people prefer sheer curtains, while others choose to add a second layer of fabric, so they can better control the light filtering. The second layer is usually a thick drape that can also serve as thermal insulation. However, for modern, minimalist home interiors, curtains and drapes may not be the perfect match. Some simple, inside mount mini blinds, or bamboo blinds, or bamboo Roman shades may be much better, because of their simplicity. While most bamboo blinds and shades are no-name, there are also brand ones available, as you can see from the following reviews.
Bali Premium Woven Bamboo Shades
Bali bamboo shades belong to the Bali Natural Shades collection and they are made of bamboo reeds and bamboo slats, woven together with sisal, jute and straws. Basically, all items in the Natural Shades collection are suitable for bay windows, as they allow easy customization thanks to their mitered corners. Controls may be situated on either side of the blind you wish, but Bali’s recommendation is to place them opposite the corner. Bali is one of the window treatments manufacturers who are concerned with using renewable sources and energy-saving technologies for their products. For example, in the Natural Shades series of woven bamboo blinds the renewable content accounts for 20.9% of the total product weight, the pre-consumer recycled content is 1% and the post-consumer recycled content is 6.7%, which leads to a total of 28.5% green content.
Hillarys Woodweave Blinds
Hillarys Woodweave blinds are also made from renewable sources such as bamboo, sea grass or jute, proving once more that there’s no need to destroy the forests for bringing a bit of nature into our homes. These blinds come with a matching valance and they diffuse the light in a gentle way, which makes them one of the best choices for bay windows, conservatories or skylights. The controls can be placed either left or right, thus making these bamboo blinds a good idea for decorating and protecting your bay windows.
Levolor Natural Woven Shades
Levolor Natural Woven shades are ideal for sunrooms and for bay windows, as they feature an impressive style which helps creating the cozy sensation we all want to get from designing such relaxation areas in our homes. These bamboo blinds from Levolor are available in a wide array of colors such as Bamboo Essence Origami, Bamboo Essence Saatchi, Bamboo Essence Shibori, Bamboo Essence Tatami, Beads Brown, Beads White, Bei Shan Myths Amber, Bei Shan Myths Merlot, Classic Caramel, Cordon Tan and many others which one can see sampled on the Levolor website. These bamboo shades allow for adding a lining, if a higher level of privacy or light filtration is needed. They can also be doubled by blackout drapes, if needed. Such bamboo blinds may be equipped with the Levolor cordless lift system, thus eliminating those dangling cords that can be so dangerous for pets and children.
No matter your home decoration budget, remember that window blinds should not be an impulse purchase, because they are items with a relatively long lifetime, therefore cutting costs shouldn’t start with them. Better quality leads to longer usage, while offering you the privilege of enjoying excellent materials and finishes. If you’re as lucky as to have bay windows in your home, why not enjoy them to the full and choose some really exquisite bamboo blinds for them?
Discount bamboo blinds are not hard to find. When shopping for new window treatments and blinds you're looking for the best deal possible. The good news is that bamboo blinds and shades are already much less expensive than regular wooden blinds because the natural product regenerates in just a few years. However, if you are looking for incredible deals for bamboo blinds online we suggest looking at sites like ebay.com and also JCPenney and Home Depot. They will often run sales at the larger department stores and if you purchase at the right time of year you're sure to get incredible savings. Comparison shopping sites such as nextag.com will give you prices for some of the lesser known retailers who are looking to gain your trust through excellent customer service and free shipping.
We are featuring the following products which are available online through trusted retailers and are usually sold at a discount.
Garden Terrace Bamboo Window Shades
2' x 3'
$9.00
2' x 8'
$10.00
3' x 5'
$10.00
4' x 6'
$15.00
5' x 8'
$22.00
6' x 9'
$29.00
8' x 10'
$39.00
9' x 12'
$55.00
12' x 15'
$94.00
Natural Area Rugs’ hand crafted bamboo shades accentuate natural beauty in your living area. These sturdy bamboo shades effectively block light while highlighting your windows with the elegance of natural wood. The shades come with easy to follow installation instructions, and are ideal for both inside and outside mount. Mounting brackets and screws are included so you don’t have to make an extra trip to the hardware store. Natural Area Rugs offers free shipping to the continental U.S., superb customer service, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.
Light Filtering Bamboo Shades - Woven Wood Shades
Our Woven Wood Blinds are an elegant collection of Bamboo, Rattan, Reeds, Jutes, and Woods. With 21 popular styles to choose from, these beautiful natural materials offer great flexibility in designing window treatments. Designed with a solid integrated wood head rail, installation is as easy as 1-2-3. Our multi-cord lock and guided pulley ensures smooth and lasting operation. Every blind comes with hand-crafted safety wood tassels to protect children and pets. Not to mention, the built-in 6" matching valance adds elegance and offers a more finished look.
Bamboo shades are designed to let in less light than bamboo blinds, yet still maintain their unique decorative style. If you are needing the benefit of complete light blocking, you can order tightly woven shades or add a light blocking liner to the back to prevent any light from entering the room. Retailers such as bestblinds.com offer these shades in over 20 different styles and offer smooth functional operations with multi-cord locks and guided pulleys. It is recommended that you either purchase the additional matching valence or purchase fabric valences to complete the look.
Why are they so popular today? They are environmentally friendly, offer a unique textured appearance to your window decor and are versatile enough to work with a variety of home decorating styles. Its chic to mix and match wood types and bamboo fits in perfectly with a variety of wood grains and colors.
It works well in a variety of designs including rustic, earthy, Asian and tropical, but it also works in very high class upscale situations. These shades are even becoming more popular in commercial and business settings as we work to be more conscious of how our consumable products affect the environment. Since bamboo re-grows in roughly a five year time frame it’s much easier to harvest, and therefore cheaper, than hardwoods that require several decades to re-grow. This material gives people another conscientious choice for their decorative palettes.
Bamboo shades are very dense, durable and just plain fun to look at and use. Even if you don't keep them up year round, you will still find yourself smiling at your windows and appreciating how well they brighten up your room as they enhance and accentuate the natural light and beauty.
Are bamboo shades difficult to install? No. Installation is the same or similar to other shade materials, and in come cases even easier. They come with complete instructions and mounting materials, including brackets and screws and can often be installed by a single person. Be sure you purchase your blinds from a store that offers free shipping (if buying online) and guarantee their product with a warranty or satisfaction guarantee. If you've never seen bamboo blinds in person you'll want to find some in a local retail department store so you can get an idea of the variety of shade colors and textures available.
