Most Popular Blinds
Vertical blinds are by far and away the most popular in the home and office. They are available in three inch and five inch width slates – slates referring to each individual blind that runs horizontally. Aside from that the amount of fabrics and construction varies widely.
Blinds are especially useful as an alternative to simply covering the windows with fabric. Offices however have unique concerns as they may be required to fulfill a specific function. IF you are choosing blinds for a conference room or maybe just a theater room you need to be concerned with light penetration as this will impact the visual clarity of the images on the screen.
Most new homes that are mass produced as part of a pre planned subdivision have simple plastic vertical blinds. This makes the vertical blinds the most popular by default as they are the cheapest and most common. Typically the slats on these new blinds are less than an inch and offer little if any protection against the heat loss.
Alternatives to these include the wider more versatile faux wood blinds now, or even real wood blinds. In my experience building home the Cadillac version of the in home blind is what is referred to as the plantation shutter. These can be made of actual wood or for a little less money they can be fabricated from plastic synthetics. The reason they are so popular is because they are more versatile than a simple vertical blind. For example they open horizontally to show the full window and make cleaning ten times easier. The blinds have wide thick slates that are manipulated by a single wood strip which runs vertically in the center of the blinds.
Typically these plantation shutters are made in white or just off white, or stained wood. This is more a function of massive popularity and pricing as the blinds are usually ordered in these color schemes. The blinds offer a more refined and polished look to the window treating it more like an extension of your furniture rather than just a window covering.
Be prepared to buy more for the plantation shutter as they are more costly to make and require custom frames be installed first to house the main blinds themselves. If you are looking for a mid range replacement for custom wood blinds consider faux wood blinds which give the same look at a much lower price. In the end you need to choose blinds that meet your budget first and then find ones you like and get by with. If you need to you can always dress the window up further with some inexpensive drapes.