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Bet You Didn’t Know That About Window Blinds

Though window blinds have been around for nearly 1,000 years and their mass appeal has carried them around the world and into homes and businesses across the globe, there are still facts that may surprise you about them. From the origins of their popularity to modern revolutions in design, read on to discover the rich history and top 5 fun facts that I bet you didn’t know about blinds.

Window blinds Chattanooga, Tennessee (TN) fun facts about Venetian and vertical blinds from Hunter Douglas.

1. Venetian Blinds are not from Venice

Despite what the name implies, Venetian blinds were not invented in Venice. The nomenclature is not based on this window treatment’s origin, but rather on the merchants who helped popularized the window blind in the eighteenth century. The style itself dates back much further to the twelfth century and was most likely invented in Persia; hence the French name for horizontal blinds.

2. Venetian Blinds are Famous

When Venetian merchants brought horizontal blinds to Europe, their popularity exploded overnight, and the style quickly spread to America where it received an equally fevered reception. The durability of window blinds and their view-through design made them appealing for a variety of locations including St. Peter’s Church in Philadelphia (which was one of the first major American buildings to have wooden blinds installed around 1761); Rockefeller Center’s RCA Building in the 1930s; and the Empire State Building, which was one of the largest orders for Venetian blinds ever placed. Venetian blinds even appear infamous art like “The Venetian Blind” by Edmund Charles Tarbell; “Tea” by James Tissot; and “The Visit of Paul Jones to the Constitutional Convention” by JL Jerome.

3. Thomas Jefferson Loved Venetian Blinds

Venetian blinds have had many admirers over the years thanks to their slatted construction with diverse maneuverability that allows for privacy and light control whilst simultaneously permitting cooling breezes and natural illumination to enter indoor spaces. However, there was no greater fan of this stylish window treatment than Thomas Jefferson. It’s said that Jefferson was so enamored with the features of wooden blinds that he ordered window blinds for all of his homes including Monticello where his specifications for window treatments are still upheld through modern restoration projects.

4. There are Soft Styles of Blinds

For centuries wood was the primary construction material used to make horizontal blinds because it was readily available and relatively easy to work with; it produced a durable, long-lasting product; and visually, wood has a strong and striking aesthetic. And though the popularity of wooden blinds persists today because of that collaboration of functional precision and stylistic appeal, modern technology has ushered in new and enhanced construction materials that have redefined the features and applications of blinds. Hunter Douglas produces lines of wooden blinds, faux wood or vinyl blinds, and aluminum blinds as well as styles of vertical blinds with the look or feel of fabric like Cadence® Soft Vertical Blinds and Skyline® Gliding Window Panels for both hard and soft styles of blinds.

5. MagnaView® for a Magnificent View

One amazing feature that Hunter Douglas offers for its Modern Precious Metals® Aluminum Blinds is called MagnaView® and it doubles the view-through visibility of window blinds. With a one-of-a-kind tilt system, MagnaView® rotates and stacks slats together in groups of two when the blinds are open thereby doubling the space between slats for a more open, unencumbered view.

So, bring a piece of history home with window blinds and enjoy the same view through light control, privacy, and classic style that Thomas Jefferson did only with a few more modern amenities and high-tech features. Sun Catchers Blinds, Shades, & Shutters carries the full line of Hunter Douglas Venetian blinds and vertical blinds. Contact them today to request a consultation. Sun Catchers Blinds, Shades, & Shutters is located near Chattanooga, Tennessee, and serves the communities of Ooltewah, East Brainerd, Soddy Daisy, Hixson, Cleveland, Signal Mountain, Lookout Mountain, and Chattanooga, TN.

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