Venetian Blinds

Product Overview

Venetian blinds are horizontal blades made into a blind by passing vertical cords through the holes. The operation of the cords open and close the blades to control the light that enters a room.

Venetian Blinds are said to be popularised by Venetian traders, who bought the idea from Persia to Venice (Italy). First seen in paintings of popular buildings, the idea caught pace due to the technical advantage of venetian blinds over the cloth shades. Venetian blinds since have been more popular in commercial applications where technical supremacy overshadows the charm. However, in the current times the Venetian Blinds are available in a wide array of materials and have gone through a major improvisation with regards to the decorative aspect. So today, with venetian blinds one can take advantage of the technical supremacy without losing the charm.

Venetian Blinds have a wide range of application ranging from Offices to Living rooms or even bathrooms. The main advantages of choosing Venetian Blinds over the fabric blinds are as follows:

Easy To Clean

All venetian blinds are low maintenance due to the hard wearing materials used. You can easily dust or vacuum regularly and clean with a wet cloth without much fuss.

Great Control

Unlike Roller or Roman blinds which can only be fully opened or fully closed, venetian blinds gives you greater control in terms of the light that enters the room and the privacy required.

Universal Style Quotient

Venetian Blinds look great in pretty much any setting. Be it a country style cottage or an ultra-modern design home or even anything in between. The great colours for blinds will easily match any style of interior design.

Timeless

Venetian Blinds are one of the oldest types of blinds available in the market today. Yet, they look very chic and are surely here to stay. Choosing venetian blinds will ensure that the style of your home or office will never look out of date.

Different Types

Since Venetian Blinds are installed on the interiors, it is crucial to consider the design and material of the venetian blinds to determine whether they suit the current décor of your house or office.

The most common and popular types are as follows:

1. Aluminium Venetian Blinds

As the name suggests, Aluminium Venetians are made of horizontal aluminium blades. Available in 25mm width and 50mm, there are multiple colour and finish options. Aluminium Blinds are the cheapest option when it comes to blinds in general. They are light weight blinds and are highly durable with only little care required.

2. Basswood Venetian Blinds

Basswood Venetian Blinds, also known as Timber Venetian Blinds are made from 50mm or 63mm wide horizontal slats of timber specifically grown and developed for the purpose of making window coverings and furniture. Basswood is a hard wearing timber ideal for durable window blinds. Being a natural material for blinds, it lends a certain character to the room due to the natural finish. Choose from earthy colours like teak, Baltic, cherry and white.

3. PVC Venetian Blinds

PVC venetian blinds, also widely known as Econo Blinds, here in Australia, are made of 50mm or 63mm wide horizontal slats of PVC based man made material. The material is processed at extreme temperatures with the UV protector combined throughout, making it exceptionally strong and durable. It is an ideal option to protect your interiors from the harsh Australian sunlight. The PVC material doesn’t absorb moisture and thus is a better choice for wet areas like bathrooms and laundry as compared to basswood timber venetians.

4. Shutter Style Venetian Blinds

Do you like the look of Shutters and the practicality of blinds? Well, then these shutter style venetian blinds are for you. The shutter style venetian blinds are made from 63.5mm wide horizontal slats of PVC material. What makes them different from PVC venetian blinds is the shape of the slats. Shutter style blinds have an aero-dynamic shape slats which gives them the unique shutter like look. The slats are thicker towards the middle and have tapered ends.

Choose from the varied options to find the one that works best with your décor and appeals to your requirements.

Materials Used

Venetian Blinds are manufactured from a number of materials. The main types are:

1. Aluminium(Metal)

Light weight and highly durable, aluminium is a perfect material choice for venetian blinds. Since the material is light weight, it is ideal to cover large windows as the mechanism can sustain the large dimension without hindering the operation of the blinds. You can choose from matt finish or metallic paint finishes with aluminium venetian blinds.

2. Timber

Timber, specifically Basswood Timber is a kind of wood which is specially grown to manufacture window coverings and furniture due to its peculiar characteristics. The natural earthy look defines your space. The disadvantages include, chipping (as it is a natural material) and moisture absorbent (not suitable for wet areas like bathrooms and laundries).

3. PVC or Foamwood

One of the most popular types. PVC used for venetian blinds is a man-made material which is processed at high temperatures and is UV treated. Since it is manufactured and not grown, the disadvantages are eliminated, in comparison to the basswood blinds. PVC is a moisture resistant material and doesn’t chip.

Operation

When it comes to operating mechanism of blinds, the two types of mechanisms for venetian blinds are as follows:

1. Tilt and Pull Cord

The venetian blinds come with two sets of cords. The first set has two strings which can be operated to tilt the slats of the venetian blinds at an angle to control the amount of light and privacy. The next set is a single cord which can be pulled to fully open or close the blinds. Pull the cord at an angle to lock the position of the blind at the desired height. All loose cords must be wound around a cleat for child safety, at all times.

2. Wand and Cord Operation

These type of venetian blinds come with a wand and a cord for operating the blinds. Rotate the wand to tilt the slates at a desired angle to control the light and privacy required in the room. The cord is used to fully open or close the blind. Pull the cord at an angle to lock the position of the blind. All loose cords must be wound around a cleat for child safety, at all times.

Child Safety

Since the early 1990s at least 15 young Australian children have tragically died as a result of unfortunate strangulation incidents involving blinds cords and chains.

Australian Child Safety law requires all blinds retailers to supply child safety devices with all kinds of blinds which have loose cords and chains hanging. It is one’s own responsibility to make sure that the child safety cleat is installed and any loose cords/chains are wrapped. Warning Stickers supplied with the blinds should never be removed.