Wood blinds are durable, easy to clean, and provide a warm and natural look that other window blinds can’t match.  Today’s faux wood products are nearly indistinguishable from real wood and provide more durability at a lower cost.  However some styles benefit from the use of true wood.

Although they complement a wide variety of decors, wooden window treatments are particularly suited to certain styles.

Asian Artistry

There isn’t any single type of Asian decor since the region covers such diverse cultures as Japan, China, and Thailand, however there are a number of common elements in these decors. Asian themes favor natural materials like wood and bamboo.  Wooden window blinds are particularly appropriate for Japanese rooms which favor simple window treatments.  Chinese decors on the other hand tend toward more ornate decorations, such as window blinds that have been painted with elaborate designs.

The Western interpretation of Asian styles often uses neutral foundation furniture offset by Asian accent pieces.  Rugs are an essential part of almost every Asian style and an entire room can be designed around a beautiful oriental rug.

Tropical Treasures

The tropical decor is another one that leans heavily on natural materials such as rattan or wicker.  Blinds of dark wood block the hot afternoon sun then open to catch gentle evening breezes. Tropical colors are also inspired by nature.  The brown of wood, the orange of a sunset, the bright hues of tropical flora are all common in rooms using this style.

Tropical style furniture tends to have an ornate and grand presence.  This is not the tropical decor of Robinson Crusoe, but rather that of a Caribbean governor’s mansion. A few, large accent pieces finish off the design better than a lot of small knick-knacks.  A vibrant mural or lush plants in ornate planters are typical examples.

Southwestern Style

Today’s southwestern style is a blend of Spanish, American Indian, and modern influences. The earth tones common in southwestern themes go well with the look of wood blinds.  Desert-inspired reds and browns, perhaps with accents of orange or turquoise, are an ideal canvas for the look of wood.

Southwestern homes favor rough textures such as adobe walls, terracotta tile, and exposed beams in the ceiling.  Wood blinds fit these textures much better than modern materials do. Southwestern style furniture is covered in rough, utilitarian fabrics that may follow the same red and brown theme or may imitate the bright colors of a serape.  Rather than fabric, furniture is often covered with leather, inspired by the region’s history of cattle ranching.

Almost any design style will compliment the unique look of wood or faux wood blinds, but some décor styles really make your wood blinds seem even more dramatic.  The wide variety of materials and colors of wood blinds and faux wood blinds give homeowners a huge range of options when looking at the best in window treatments.

OBC’s Green Builders in Bromley and the UK

Being a building and construction company in the UK, it is important for us at OBC Building in Bromley and Tunbridge Wells to stay up to date with news and innovations that concern the building industry and environment. In order to live up to our reputation as green home builders, it is important for us at our OBC builders in Tunbridge Wells and Bromley to know about current green building and environmentally friendly construction techniques that can shape the future of the home building market.

Eco-Towns: A showcase of green home building:

We are living in unprecedented times where technology and inventory ideas are concerned and the concept of creating eco-towns in the UK might at first sounded unrealistic and far-fetched. However, this new project promises to epitomise greener home building and could inspire the global construction industry along with our Bromley builders to take on a greener approach to home building.

Eco-Towns: Inspiring greener home building techniques:

To OBC Builders in Tunbridge Wells, the development of the new Eco-Towns in the UK could be of special interest. It is important for our OBC builders in Bromley to foresee what effect these Eco-Towns will have on the local construction and building industry and to adapt a similar green home building approach where possible.

The Local Government Association is in the process of allocating £60million as start-up funding for the local infrastructure of these eco-towns. With thousands of people still on the waiting list for affordable housing in the UK, the government realises the need for new settlements that offer green buildings and low-cost housing alternatives. The state of the environment has received ample international attention during the past few years and people are realising the importance of acting out their concern in a practical way. Our planet is currently facing resource depletion and a sustainable housing alternative could advance the combat against climate change while solving the current housing dilemma.

What will these Eco-towns look like?

These Eco-communities will consist of approximately 5000-15000 carbon neutral homes, developed through green building techniques. Each eco-town will have sufficient biodiversity and 40 % percent of the town’s space will be made up of green space while half the space will be allocated to the community. 30 % percent of the homes in this eco-town will be low-cost housing and the plan is to have and average of one job per house within close proximity of the eco-town itself. The objective of these Eco-towns is to combat climate change by creating a functional living space where the immediate environment will promote sustainable living through its green buildings and environmentally friendly facilities. Each town will incorporate the latest technology to ensure that these towns are carbon neutral. This unique green building project will incorporate the following:

Water efficiency An increased waste recycling system Rain collectors Zero carbon emissions Solar energy panels

These towns will contain all the necessary facilities such as schools, shops and healthcare centres. Each eco-town will also have a good transport infrastructure.

Eco-towns: Inspiring local builders to build greener:

The government has already initiated the first consultation phase with prospective developers of these eco-towns and the public has raised concern about whether or not these eco-towns will detract from local planning and regeneration objectives. It might be that these towns will motivate local UK developers and builders such OBC Builder in Tunbridge Wells to implement greener building techniques in order to stay ahead of the competition. These carbon neutral communities could easily increase local awareness of the environment and motivate local homeowners to seek out greener living alternatives.

As a smaller building and construction company, OBC builders in Bromley have incorporated various green building techniques into our home building approach. Not everyone will be able to relocate to one of these eco-towns and it is therefore important to implement an environmental building strategy that can easily be implemented on a commercial front, outside of these eco-towns. The biggest environmental challenges still concern our local suburbs and cities and it is therefore important that green building alternatives are promoted and implemented by local builders such OBC Building in Bromley, Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks.