Bamboo Blinds - A Growing Trend In Home Decorating

Bamboo blinds represent one of the hottest trends in window covering today.In many parts of the world,home decorators are discovering just how unique and efficient bamboo blinds are.

Apart from offering excellent light filtering, bamboo blinds provide a wonderful decorative touch; they are inexpensive and environmentally, they are an excellent alternative to traditional blinds.

Bamboo blinds were once used by the Japanese in traditional Japanese rooms to protect against sunlight, rain and insects. Called sudare or misu, traditional bamboo blinds were used from spring to autumn. Their ability to allow any breeze to filter through provided welcome relief during the hot summer months. Bamboo blinds ensured not only protection from sunlight, but also intimacy. Japanese women used to hide behind them when they talked to a man outside the family.

In royal establishments, bamboo blinds were combined with expensive silk and only the highest quality bamboo was used. Used in a more decorative style they also featured art work providing an excellent finishing touch.

Today, bamboo blinds are used vertically. This followed on from the demise of the old Japanese style rooms with traditional blinds being phased out. It's not to say bamboo doesn't feature horizontally anymore; bamboo curtains, which are still available, assume this position but in most instances now, reed is used because of it's lighter nature.As far as blinds are concerned, their popularity is ever increasing.

Most bamboo blinds are currently produced outside Japan. They are generally manufactured in countries such as Taiwan, China or Singapore, where the cost of labor is lower. Even today, most bamboo blinds are still hand-made.

So, if you haven't decided what type of blind you want adourning your newly-built sunroom, give some thought to a bamboo blind.