Bamboo Shades - How To Buy

For neutral, attractive and environmentally friendly window dressings, you can't go far wrong with bamboo shades. Made from a mixture of natural materials, today's bamboo shades provide a touch of elegance and simplicity in any window. The lovely texture of bamboo shades comes from the variety of bamboo, grasses and reeds woven together.

Buying bamboo need not worry tree lovers since it does not harm the plants when the wood is harvested and bamboo is quickly renewed - three to six years as opposed to anything up to 120 years for other woods. Bamboo shades come in a variety of styles to suit any window. There are roller style and roman-fold style bamboo shades, which can come with or without linings. Unlined bamboo shades can provide a little privacy to a room while still letting light through the loose weave. Lined shades can be used to completely block out the light and can be bought as a replacement for standard blinds or curtains.

For earthy chic, buy your bamboo shades with unfinished edges, leaving them with a real natural look. Or, for a more classy style, the edges can be neatly trimmed with fabric tape. Their appearance of each type of shade is further enhanced by the use of natural looking string or rope for opening and closing. Bamboo shades are readily available, can be custom made to fit almost any window and come very reasonably priced - a small window can be dressed for as little as $30 with a little shopping around.

Bamboo shades can be found ready made in many home accessory stores and Wal-mart sell a range of custom fit shades. Also check out justblinds.com and bestblinds.com for a wide selection of blinds and shades, including bamboo. You can find measuring guides on these sites to help get the perfect fit when ordering your new bamboo shades.