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Decorating With Vinyl Shutters

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The traditional window shutter is usually made of wood, needs a lot of maintenance and looks like it is right out of an episode of the Brady Bunch. These window shutters that have been in existence since Colonial times are a bit of an anachronism. Most people simply never shut them yet still the hinges need to be oiled and shined.

It might be time to get rid of the anachronistic wooden shutters on your home and go with something more modern such an aluminum window shutter that resists the elements and never closes. This will definitely cut down on your replacement and maintenance costs for keeping the exterior of your home looking sharp!

Here is a run down of the different types of decorate window shutter that are offered by manufacturers today.

Vinyl window shutter – These easy to clean, affordable shuttles last about forty years! They give your house a traditional look without the traditional expense of replacing them frequently. They weigh next to nothing and look like the real thing. They are available in all of the traditional louvered, board and batten and raised panel styles. Even better they come primed and ready to paint in the color of your choice.

Composite window shutter – These shutters are like a thick particleboard that is made from a composite of weather and rot-resistant materials. They are made from molds that offer all kinds of styles including the louvered, board and batten and raised panel window shutter style. You can also find these types of shutters in a cupboard style (sometimes called the Bahama style) that is hinged at the top so you can open and close them just like the old fashioned wooden shutter.

Fiberglass Shutters – This type of window shutter is the most expensive but they do last about twenty years. They are also molded and offered in a variety of designs including the Bahama, louvered, board and battened and raised panel window shutter styles. The fiberglass window shutter is also stronger and more secure than other types and can be used to protect your windows during hurricanes and storms. Most manufacturers offer these in scores of colors and textures that mimic the look of the real thing. You can also buy these primed and paint them yourself to match your house’s exterior design scheme.

Aluminum Shutters. The aluminum wood shutter is also offered in a variety of styles including the faux colonial louvered style and the Bahama style. These strong shutters are great protection for your windows, both in terms of an intruder and also against a hurricane. They come in about a thousand textures and colors. However the powder coated finish looks a little less authentic than other types of shutters and many companies also only offer a warranty of about three years on aluminum shutters.

Of course the crème de la crème will always be the traditional wood shutters, but unfortunately they are not as storm proof as the fiberglass or aluminum window shutter and the costs of protecting them from the elements are relatively sky high compare to other types.

How to Decorate With Venetian Blinds

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Most of us are familiar with Venetian blinds, those difficult to clean, laterally slatted strips of plastic with their annoying dangling cords that constantly seem to be caught up in a tangle. There is nothing that makes a room look messier than venetian blinds that are hanging in a crooked or haphazard manner. Thankfully, venetian blind manufacturers are making this type of window shade more functional, more attractive and easier to clean.

The key to using Venetian blinds successfully as a window covering is to make sure they are hung properly. If they are crooked then the strings will not act as properly as pulleys and create an askew effect. No matter how stylish your venetian blinds are they are not beautiful if they don’t work.

In interior design, the old-fashioned plastic slatted Venetian blinds are out of style unless you are going for a decidedly retro look. However even if you are going for a retro look then you are much better off to choose Venetian blinds that are made out of anodized aluminum or painted silver. These tend to harbor less dirt and dust and just look right with some of the more popular 60’s and 70’s retro room designs.

Manufacturers are now creating venetian blinds in all kinds of interesting colors and textures by painting, coating or anodizing the slats. The most boring Venetian blinds that you could buy would be the nineties all black kind with narrow slats or the industrial looking cream colored ones that have decorated every institutional window treatment for over a century.

Some of the newer neon colors look good with retro sixties and seventies designs, as do metallic bronze, silver or gold blinds. Instead of white or black blinds for an all wood office you can now have rich looking blinds that are textured like leather and come in dark shades of olive, burgundy or brown. Spare industrial spaces, particularly offices also look more sleek and modern with venetian blinds in colors such as cherry red or celadon.

If your room looks dated or out of style then the culprit might very well be your window treatment. One of the most unfashionable looks is that throwback to the nineties – vertical Venetian blinds. They almost always come in one color and they have a way of institutionalizing your home or apartment. Unfortunately many of these floor to ceiling vertical Venetian blinds are difficult to replace with more fashionable blinds with horizontal slats. In this case you might consider concealing them with drapes or sheers when they are not being used to filter light.

Mini-blinds are also very eighties and not really in style although admittedly they do have some functionality when used to cover small or box shaped windows that are commonly found in bathrooms. Nowadays you can mitigate the old-fashioned look of the mini blinds by buying ones in a vibrant color.

To make a truly unique fashion statement you might also consider buying hand painted Venetian blinds. These blinds reveal an image when they are shut. Sometimes you can find these in the Chinatown area of your city or at specialty interior design outlets. Often the themes on these plastic slatted blinds are Asian in flair making them ideal for room with an Oriental or bohemian design scheme.