There are many interior decorators who believe that the beauty of wood is unequaled. Indeed, wood adds the warmth of nature to living spaces, making them more comfortable. However, using real wood leads to destroying forests, thinning of the ozone layer and so many other negative consequences for our planet. This is what’s been driving more and more consumer goods manufacturers to shift to renewable resources. When it comes to window treatments, big companies such as Bali or Hunter Douglas found an excellent resource of creating exquisite products: bamboo, reeds and grasses.

Provenance Wood Shades from Hunter Douglas can easily be considered as state-of-the-art in window coverings solutions. Their simplicity, their way of filtering the light, their unique blend of woven wood and fabric makes these shades an excellent option for homeowners who value the natural and a casual yet comfortable lifestyle.  One may think that Hunter Douglas blinds are anything but cheap. It’s true, but with this price tag,m lots of advantages do come. For example, Hunter Douglas bamboo shades are made with a special technology that helps minimizing bowing. Bowing is one of the problems encountered in bamboo blinds and shades. It often leads to the need of replacing window blinds every few years. Provenance woven wood shades don’t bow that much. Besides, they are strong, thanks to the multiple 5-ply polyester yarns which don’t fade and which are very resistant.

The Provenance line of products is GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality certified, which means that they are environmentally-friendly. They provide a good sound absorption, between 75% and 90% UV protection and an excellent energy efficiency. Safety features are also available.

As usual for Hunter Douglas window treatments, Provenance shades come with lifetime guarantee, no matter what operating system one may choose. With a fold size of 5″ and possible width starting from 18″ up to 144″ and height from 20″ to 108″, these window shades will fit basically every type of window. They can be used for covering bay and corner windows, sliding glass doors or French doors. However, in case you need specialty shapes and design options it’s strongly advisable that you consult a specialist before buying anything, as some options may not be possible in all situations.

When we wrote about the new Bali blinds models for the summer of 2009, we were admiring the Bali Diffusion 2″ Glass Essence blinds as being extremely decorative and functional. Since then, many readers asked us to provide a more detailed review of these window treatments, and that’s exactly what I’m going to do in this article.

So, Glass Essence is not really glass, but embossed acrylic, which has the main advantage of offering a good level of privacy while allowing the light to enter the room. As natural light intensity changes, the light in the room will also change,  creating interesting effects. The energy efficiency of these window blinds is good, but one shouldn’t count on it to insulate older models of windows with single panes made of glass which isn’t the LowE we’ve got used to in the case of modern windows.

Bali Diffusion blinds are available in solid colors or in patterns that help creating a unique atmosphere. These patterns are really beautiful and creative, from the very discrete Filament Golden Streak, Filament Grass Streak or Filament Grey Streak, to the artistic Flare Licorice whips, Flare Stout or Flare White Wave. The Scroll series of patterns is also a good choice, mostly if the room decoration is rather simple. The most attractive, however, are the Stained Glass imitations: Stained Glass Craft, Harvest and Plum Mist.  Samples are available for free.

Bali Diffusion blinds are available with four types of tilt: ControlMate remote control tilt system, cord tilt, wand tilt or ring tilt. The double slat valance is discrete and simple, so it can easily pass unnoticed.

In case you need such blinds for bay windows, it is possible to have them butted together for creating continuity. Cut-outs are also possible, as well as installing multiple blinds on the same headrail, for wide windows or patio doors. Customized blinds can fit sidelight windows, so you can cover even narrow openings without any problem.

The maintenance of Bali Diffusion Glass Essence blinds is easy, but they call for regular vacuuming, if you want them to look like new for a long time. These blinds can be immersed in water, but it’s not advisable to use strong detergents. Dry cleaning is not recommended either.

The Looped Roman Bali shades belong to the Natural Shades line of window treatments developed by Bali and they are made of renewable woods such as reeds, bamboo, grass or jute. This is good for our forests, which are already endangered my massive cuts. It’s also goods for our interiors, because such materials give a warm touch, especially when they are stained in natural shades of brown or yellow.

Bali made these window shades in more than 40 finishes, colors going from the Bridgeton White which reminds us of hospital windows, to Nassau Cedar, Makan Terra, Talka Harmony or San Pedro Clay, all of them inspired from nature. Free samples are available for ordering for most of these colors and they can be ordered either online or at a Bali blinds and shades retailer.

The looped Roman Natural shades can come with the standard cord control, which can be placed on the right or on the left, or with continuous loop lift systems, based on a clutch that lifts the shade and keeps it in position. They also feature a safety tension device which prevents children or pets from getting choked with the cords.

Valances are available in several options: the 6″ standard valance is the simplest of all and it is discreet and elegant; the 9″ standard valance is suitable for longer shades, in order to better conceal the shade when lifted. The 9″ Deco-Trim valance can have a Dentil, Horizon or Seascape style and it attaches directly to the shade headrail. If you want, you can opt for a traditional 3 1/2″ wood valance which also attaches directly onto the headrail. Unfortunately, this valance model is not available with the continuous-loop lift system because of technical incompatibilities.

The light control level of these window shades can go from sheer to light filtering and even up to room darkening. The energy efficiency is good and can be made better when a liner is added to the shades.