The Looped Roman shades are part of the Natural Shades line of Bali Blinds and they are designed for indoor use only, although the materials they are made of could easily stand bad weather as well. As Bali takes pride in being a “green” company, they make their Natural Shades window treatments from renewable sources: bamboo, grass, jute or rattan reeds are used. These window shades have 28.5% green content in their composition. All fabrics used are stained by boiling, then air dried, therefore saving energy in the manufacturing process. Eco-friendly raw materials that go into the Bali Natural Shades line of products are 100% recyclable, including the headrail which is made of reclaimed wood. Moreover, the packaging material is also recyclable, so if going green is one of your main concerns, by buying Bali bamboo blinds and shades you’re on the right track.

Although woven wood blinds aren’t usually total light blockers, they can be turned into blackout window treatments by adding a liner. The liner will also contribute to improving the energy efficiency of the window treatment. With or without the liner, these bamboo blinds are quite spectacular, because when they are folded they for soft, billowing loops which add some dimension to the windows, creating a dramatic effect. Colors are all natural and beautiful, and for many of them Bali provides free samples which can be ordered directly online from their website or by visiting a window blinds retailer.

The lift controls on these bamboo shades can be standard cord, continuous-loop lift or continuous chain-loop lift system. Continuous loop systems are a bit more expensive than the standard cord ones, but they are much safer for kids and for pets, because there are not dangling cords that present a strangling hazard.

The Looped Roman bamboo shades feature various types of hems and trims. If you don’t want your window treatments to attract attention, you can go for the classic, standard hem, which is barely noticeable. Other options are the deco-trim hem and the deco-pocket hem, which are cut to the shade width and which can be finished with French gimps.

In case a liner is needed, Bali offers two options: the privacy liner, available in four neutral colors, and the blackout liner, which is neutral to the street side, thus providing a unified appearance from the outside of the building. The blackout liner is available in three color options: Blackout Buff, Blackout Chestnut and Blackout Espresso.

The mounting brackets choice:

• Standard-mount, suitable for inside-mount or outside-mount window treatments
• Projection brackets, which are basically similar to the standard brackets, but they can have an extra depth which provides additional space for window molding or for operating hardware.
• Ceiling-mount brackets, which need to be used in case the window casing is too narrow to allow an inside-mount of the window treatments.
• Hold-down brackets have the role of securing the bottomrail of the bamboo blinds to the window sill.

Bay windows are undoubtedly some of the most beautiful window styles, because they help creating a nice and cozy relaxation area inside a room. They just make rooms seem larger, thanks to the huge amount of light they allow in. Yet, there are situations which demand a higher level of privacy, therefore choosing the right coverings for bay windows is an important step in home decorating. The difference between bay windows and common ones is that bay windows must have an unified look and so should their treatments. Some people prefer sheer curtains, while others choose to add a second layer of fabric, so they can better control the light filtering. The second layer is usually a thick drape that can also serve as thermal insulation. However, for modern, minimalist home interiors, curtains and drapes may not be the perfect match. Some simple, inside mount mini blinds, or bamboo blinds, or bamboo Roman shades may be much better, because of their simplicity. While most bamboo blinds and shades are no-name, there are also brand ones available, as you can see from the following reviews.

Bali Premium Woven Bamboo Shades

Bali bamboo shades belong to the Bali Natural Shades collection and they are made of bamboo reeds and bamboo slats, woven together with sisal, jute and straws. Basically, all items in the Natural Shades collection are suitable for bay windows, as they allow easy customization thanks to their mitered corners. Controls may be situated on either side of the blind you wish, but Bali’s recommendation is to place them opposite the corner. Bali is one of the window treatments manufacturers who are concerned with using renewable sources and energy-saving technologies for their products. For example, in the Natural Shades series of woven bamboo blinds the renewable content accounts for 20.9% of the total product weight, the pre-consumer recycled content is 1% and the post-consumer recycled content is 6.7%, which leads to a total of 28.5% green content.

Hillarys Woodweave Blinds

Hillarys Woodweave blinds are also made from renewable sources such as bamboo, sea grass or jute, proving once more that there’s no need to destroy the forests for bringing a bit of nature into our homes. These blinds come with a matching valance and they diffuse the light in a gentle way, which makes them one of the best choices for bay windows, conservatories or skylights. The controls can be placed either left or right, thus making these bamboo blinds a good idea for decorating and protecting your bay windows.

Levolor Natural Woven Shades

Levolor Natural Woven shades are ideal for sunrooms and for bay windows, as they feature an impressive style which helps creating the cozy sensation we all want to get from designing such relaxation areas in our homes. These bamboo blinds from Levolor are available in a wide array of colors such as Bamboo Essence Origami, Bamboo Essence Saatchi, Bamboo Essence Shibori, Bamboo Essence Tatami, Beads Brown, Beads White, Bei Shan Myths Amber, Bei Shan Myths Merlot, Classic Caramel, Cordon Tan and many others which one can see sampled on the Levolor website. These bamboo shades allow for adding a lining, if a higher level of privacy or light filtration is needed. They can also be doubled by blackout drapes, if needed. Such bamboo blinds may be equipped with the Levolor cordless lift system, thus eliminating those dangling cords that can be so dangerous for pets and children.

No matter your home decoration budget, remember that window blinds should not be an impulse purchase, because they are items with a relatively long lifetime, therefore cutting costs shouldn’t start with them. Better quality leads to longer usage, while offering you the privilege of enjoying excellent materials and finishes. If you’re as lucky as to have bay windows in your home, why not enjoy them to the full and choose some really exquisite bamboo blinds for them?