Why Vertical Blinds?

Back in April of 1952, two brothers by the names of Edward and Frederick Bopp patented the Venetian vertical blind. They started selling it through their company, Sun Verticals, and it took off in popularity as a window treatment. They were extremely low maintenance, and fit in very well in those little houses that were just spreading into suburbs in post-war America. Ultimately, Frederick and Edward Bopp sold their patent and company in the 1960's. This allowed everyone to get in on the action. These days,vertical blindscome in a variety of colors, materials and sizes, all designed to maximize their usefulness for your particular window. This is part of why this window treatment from the Baby Boomer's Era has done so well for so long, but there are other reasons. There is the sheer practicality of blinds that slide to the side. According to the original patent, they were pretty much intended to open to one side, with all the slats stacking up on the opposite side of the window opening. However, people very quickly started making blinds that split in the center and stacked the slats on either side of the window. The center split blinds have a certain advantage when the window or door is really long. It spreads the slats evenly when you open them so they don't take up much space. Otherwise, the slats could take up quite a bit of room on one side. On the other hand, smaller windows benefit from the slats all bundling on one side. You will find it very convenient to have blinds that can move out of the window frame completely and tuck neatly against the wall on the sides. The convenience of the vertical blinds doesn't stop there. They give you a ton of control over the amount of light that gets in the room and where it will fall. You can keep half the room shaded if you feel like it by closing the shades half way. By turning the slats sideways, you can get a good amount of light while still keeping prying eyes out. When you close the shades and turn the slats completely flat, you effectively put a barrier between you and the outside weather, not to mention anyone that might look in. The slats overlap enough to keep out even the worst cold front trying to sneak through your window. Then there is the durability. Like a reed that bows with the wind and so does not break, vertical blinds twist out of the way and then fall right back into place.If you are constantly letting out the dogand the kids, you don't have to worry about either catching at your shade. They can just slip right out your sliding glass door without manhandling the opening mechanism or pulling the shade down. On nice days, you can keep the door open with the slats fully closed so that the kids can go in and out without slamming the door.   Vertical blinds easily fit in any interior decorating scheme. It was once common to find them in off-white, but the choice of materials has been wide from the beginning. You can give your big rooms a very cozy or light feeling with fabric slats, and you can give your loft a modern, urban look with hard-surfaced slats. Then there are your color choices. You can go neutral or white for a classic look, or go jewel-toned for a warm, down-home appearance. Even when there weren't as many options, they had a way of melding with whatever style a homeowner was attempting. No, it isn't too much of a wonder that the Bopp brothers did so well with their vertical blinds. Next time you want to get a great shade that does well for ages, both physically and aesthetically, try vertical blinds.