Blinds; From Persia, Venice And Into Our Homes - By: Thomas Pretty

Blinds today are used in homes across the land, in both the domestic and commercial spheres. Some of the most popular are venetian blinds but where did they come from? Surprisingly the answer is not Venice, although they bear the name, the Venetian prefix comes from the Venetian traders that brought these types of blinds from Persia during the Middle Ages.

These original blinds were constructed from wood and became popular throughout much of southern Europe. In northern Europe however drapes were more commonly used as the climate was far colder. Today this has changed, with the advent of central heating blinds can be used almost anywhere in the world.

From Europe blinds were spread across the word during colonial times. This was particularly true in the Caribbean and the Americas were colonists from Spain, England, France and the Netherlands found that the warm climate of these areas were particularly suited to the use of blinds. At this time blinds were still predominantly manufactured using different types of wood, in the twentieth century metals such as aluminium and plastics such as PVC became popular replacements for wood.

Modern blinds differed markedly from their earlier predecessors, the use of new materials made the items lighter and hence they became far easier to manoeuvre and adjust. The benefits were soon found in offices, where having control of the amount of the light let into a room meant a comfortable working environment could be created at any time of the day.

The use of blinds spread from commercial buildings to the domestic sphere during the latter part of the twentieth century. This was mainly due to the widespread introduction of PVC vinyl, this material not only made the blind an attractive and easy to use window covering but also one that was far more affordable, especially considering the expensive nature of curtains and drapes.

Also in the latter stages of the twentieth century, building and architecture started to incorporate large windows that let in as much light as possible. The result was that blinds were made larger and larger. The largest types of blind today are the vertical variety, that instead of having slats aligned along the horizontal, like the Venetian variety, slats were aligned vertically; meaning that floor to ceiling windows could be effectively dressed.

Understandably the benefit of the blind is that it is capable of giving those in the interior complete control over the light entering a room. Another benefit is the ability of modern blinds to retain heat within the building. This has recently become an especially important feature due to regulations on the thermal efficiency of homes. As the blind can be placed within the window recesses is possible to keep as much heat within the building as possible. This has the added benefit of saving space within a room.

The advent of modern manufacturing techniques has meant that this type of window covering is now available in nearly every colour of the rainbow. In addition, they can also be bought with images printed upon them; this can be a particularly favourite view or even the portrait of a loved one. These developments have placed the blind at the cutting edge of interior design, today they are a versatile, practical and aesthetically pleasing form of window covering.

About the Author

Interior design expert Thomas Pretty studies the key considerations needed when choosing blinds for the home if they are to compliment the decor.

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