Real Wood vs. Faux Wood Blinds — This Is All You Need to Make a Choice
BWS Marketing • February 8, 2021

The battle between real and faux extends even to your window blinds. Luckily, this is not one of those life or death situations, and the superiority of either real or faux wood blinds is left to personal preferences.

That being said, each of these options has unique advantages and disadvantages to which you need to give strong consideration before buying. Here’s the score on both real and synthetic wood blinds to help you choose.

1. Materials

Wood blinds are the real deal. They are made from hardwood timber from trees such as cherry, walnut, oak, and various other hardwoods. Other types are also available, including woven wood blinds and shaped wooden Venetian or vertical blinds.

Regardless of the type, real wood blinds have slats made from natural wood comfortable, warm, earthy tones as found in nature.

On the other end, faux wood blinds are made of composite materials, vinyl, or PVC stained or painted with realistic-looking wood grain and tones. There are also blinds with a wooden core and composite cover, but their basic properties are similar.

2. Aesthetics

Real wooden blinds have a rich, grainy texture and look that simply cannot be replicated even by the most realistic faux wood blinds. They are hand-finished and polished to give off the same high-end look you would expect from an expensive piece of wooden furniture. That is why real wood is so prestigious and desirable.

Faux wood can also be stained to look good, complete with the surface texture finish that makes them resemble real wood. However, they are still dull and artificial. If you want a nice look, you will have to go for premium quality pieces with a high-end finish.

3. Applications

Real wood blinds are best used in living rooms, offices, and other spaces where a warm, deluxe look is desired. They are light and easy to operate, which makes them perfect for large windows.

A more important advantage of real wooden blinds is that they offer better insulating properties. They absorb heat and cold better, and are thus a great help in regulating room temperatures.

Faux wood blinds are best for wet areas such as kitchens and bathrooms. Being waterproof, they resist water and are very durable even with rough usage.

4. Care and Maintenance  

Like all wooden items, real wood blinds need a lot more care and attention. In addition to regular dusting with a microfiber cloth, woven blinds can accumulate grime that will need washing off with gentle soap and water.

Wooden blinds also need a “moisturizer” such as olive or lemon oil to prevent warping or cracking. The oil also keeps them supple and lustrous.

Faux wood blinds are generally low maintenance. They need nothing more than regular dusting or the occasional wet wipe to keep them clean.

5. Pricing

Real wood blinds are pricey, and only those with a deep budget can afford them. They are made from expensive hardwoods and consume many hours to shape, treat, and finish.

On their part, faux wood blinds are much more affordable even for those on a shoestring budget. While quality and finish vary between brands, you can always find an option to suit your needs and budget.

Verdict: Which is Better Between Wood Blinds and Faux Blinds?

The jury is still out on which of these popular types of blinds is best for your home. It all comes down to personal preference and the application you need them for. If you want sophisticated blinds to add character to your home or office, authentic wooden blinds are the only way to go.

Otherwise, if you just want a low-budget option that won’t require a lot of maintenance, faux wood blinds are more than suitable. They are very popular nowadays as they can be stained or painted to look very much like the real thing.

Whatever option you choose to go with, make sure that you only get high-quality blinds and match them in tone and texture to your existing decor. The goal is to have an inviting, pleasing room, after all.

If you are still undecided on which blinds to us, then it is best you speak to an expert. Contact us for a consultation.

Expert Advice by Just Blinds

How to Use Windows to Make Your Home Cozier

May 29, 2025
Windows give a home warmth, light, and a view of the outside world. But with the right treatments, you can also use your windows to make your home feel cozy. Coziness is a semse of comfort and familiarity. It defines a charm that feels like home, whether it's the coziness of a warm room in winter, your movie den in the summer. When we think of coziness, we often think of couches, candles, and throw blankets. But your windows play an equally important part. After all, it's your window treatments that frame the light, add softness to your walls, and set the mood for every room. The right window decorations can make your home feel warm and inviting. Using Windows, Drapes, and Shades to Create Coziness  Window treatements create a vibe for your entire room. Drapes, shades, and shutters can be used to create a backdrop of texture, color, and style. They also allow you to control the light levels in your home and even the color of the light. This means that your windows are the best place to start when making a room feel cozy. Layering soft drapes in rich colors is a great way to add that sense of comfort and warmth to a room, while cheerful blinds in soft neutrals can help a room to feel relaxed and welcoming. You can also use drapes or blinds to add a splash of color as a bold accent in any room. These touches combined with glowing sunshine during the day create a cozy and comfortable space. Plants as Cozy Window Decor You can use other types of decor to evoke a sense of coziness, too. We particularly love plants. Leafy green plants love the sunshine as much as you do and thrive when placed in a sunny window. Place an elegant snake plant in the windowsill or hang creeping ivy from a hook near the top of a window frame to make your room feel cheerful and alive with green energy. Plants make a home feel natural and vibrantly lived-in which is perfect for your cozy vibe. For a cozy kitchen, you can even grow fresh herbs in a box on the windowsill that add a delicious aroma and tasty fresh seasoning along with their natural visual appeal. Enhance Your Space with Aromatherapy Speaking of aromatics, you might be surprised how much your windows can take part in cozy aromatherapy. Window treatments like drapes and blinds are fabric that can help purfumes and essential oils linger in the room for days. Cozy scents are often warm aromas like cinnamon, vanilla, lavender, almonds, and coffee. But fresh fruit or floral scents that smell like "home" to you can also add a sense of coziness to each room. Simply spritz your curtains with your favorite scents and each room will subtly carry that comforting smell of home that makes you want to snuggle into the couch and relax at the end of each day. Moody Shade and Maximizing Light When we visualize coziness, light levels often play a role. Your minds eye may see a sun-drenched cottage or a gently lit library as your mental idea of a room that is perfectly cozy. Window treatments allow you to set the mood by reducing or maximizing light to the perfect levels. Well-designed shades and drapes can pull back attractively to maximize light, bathing your room in the warm welcoming glow of sunshine. Or if you prefer a more relaxed coziness, you can use translucent drapes or cellular shades to filter the light exactly the right amount. Diffuse and reduced light filtered through fabric of a warm color can make you feel safe and at peace. Increase Your Happiness with Window Design Your home should feel welcoming, relaxing, and cozy. The right window treatments can help set the stage for a delightful welcome home each night, rejuvinating weekends, and an overall feeling of at-home coziness when you are relaxing in your favorite place. To achieve this goal, you can experiment with home decor changes, including your windows, to achieve your ideal at-home bliss. Contact us today for custom drapes and blinds to complete your cozy room design.

What Your Window Treatment Says About You: A Personality-Based Guide

April 23, 2025
Your selection of window treatment products and services is not merely about getting a job done. Rather, if you look hard enough, you can find direct correlations between the type of person that you are and the window treatment that you select. We have created this personality-based guide to help you best discover what kind of window treatment truly matches your spirit. The Dependable Type: Wooden Blinds You are the person that all of your friends can count on. You are the type of person who truly sticks to your plans when you make them, and you are the type of person who will choose wooden blinds for your home. Privacy is important to you when selecting your blinds, and that is why you find yourself pulled into the idea of putting up wooden blinds. Besides that, they happen to be highly functional, and that's not something that you are willing to pass up either. The Planner: Blackout Curtains Those who value truly getting the most value out of their blinds or anything else that they install in their homes will think very carefully about their options. For those people, going with blackout curtains makes a lot of sense. They want to gain as much value as possible out of their options, and they know that they can significantly improve their quality of sleep and so much more when they opt for blackout curtains. These also happen to be a great option for those who work night shifts or other odd hours and yet still want to enjoy their sleep. They need blackout curtains to help increase the quality of that sleep and allow themselves to get their day started right. The Tech Enthusiast: Smart Shades They roam among us: The type of people who are quick to adopt any new technology and get to work figuring out how it can improve their lives. These people are great because they are not afraid to take a risk and because they help to move our society forward. They simply want to get more out of each day, and they often do so by adopting and using the latest technologies. These individuals will gravitate towards smart shades for the following attributes: Innovation - Who wants to stick with the boring old ways of shading one's house? Smarter options are now available, and you better believe that the tech enthusiasts among us are willing to latch on to them. Efficiency - These shades are a more efficient option for those who care about that kind of thing. They can be easily activated and set up to open or close automatically (how cool is that?!). Progressive - The "cool" factor is a big deal for people who fall into this category as well. They might not admit to it right off the bat, but they care deeply about what others think about them. As such, they want window shades that have that cool factor attached to them. The Dreamer: Sheer Curtains Finally, we land upon the dreamer. This is the person who views every day for the possibilities that it can bring. They are not scared off by those with a negative attitude. If anything, they believe that they can change those people! Instead, the dreamer wants sheer curtains because they bring in soft light, open spaces, and bring about a feeling of possibility all throughout the house. Sheer curtains are the ideal option for someone who classifies themselves in this way. They will receive plenty of compliments on their curtains, and they will appreciate how open they are to the world.  Which kind of person are you and which window treatment option makes the most sense for your personality? For more inspiration and ideas, reach out and contact us today.