Such was the case of a young new homeowner, giddy with first time buyer's joy. Monique's furniture had arrived and the walls were freshly painted. Her focus then turned to her fourteen brand new windows that commanded proper dressing. After spending the better part of an evening surfing the various online blind stores, Monique finally knew what she wanted. She wanted the look and versatility of beautiful blinds, with all the bells and whistles, at rock bottom prices. Monique wanted wood, not aluminum, but hadn't decided on real wood or faux wood. As long as they looked and felt real, she could handle faux. I was happy to jump in at this point to clarify the differences.

I informed her that there are three types of wood blinds, real wood, and two faux woods varieties, which are a vinyl polymer, or a vinyl polymer/wood composite. All are great choices and they each have their own appeal as well as assets and liabilities.

We started with real woods. Real woods for the most part are made of basswood. It's a light hardwood that either comes stained in a huge assortment of wood tones, or painted mostly in the white family. The best part about wood blinds is, simply, they are beautifully 100% wood. They are the most energy efficient, and the most lightweight. Since they are lighter than the alternative faux wood blinds, they can be manufactured in larger sizes and don't have as many ladders, which makes for a less cluttered look. They have the most options available, such as choice of valances, and numerous lift and tilt options, including a motorized tilt. On the downside, because they are a natural product they can warp or mildew in extreme conditions over long periods of time

Vinyl Faux Woods are by far the least expensive. From a short distance, they do look like wood blinds, won't warp, and are easy to clean. They do have the least number of options available though. If you find a manufacturer that offers the decorative tape option, be sure to think it through, as it can become very busy, due to the many ladders required to string the heavier slats. On the downside, they can yellow over time and can show scratches.

Composite Faux Woods stand in the middle, by virtue of material composite, cost, and attractiveness. They are not as affordable as vinyl, but more affordable than real wood. The slats have a tinted baked on hard shell finish that won't show scratches. They won't yellow and they weigh less than the vinyl, thus less ladders. Choices of options when compared to the vinyl also increase. This is a good-looking product and has fooled many people into thinking its real wood. The downside, it's not 100% real wood. It is a faux.

After much deliberation, Monique decided the composite faux wood blind, with an attractive price tag and natural oak finish would work best for her. When considering wood blinds, think wood, think faux, and think options.