It’s hard to go anywhere without seeing a window blind. Your doctor might have one in his office. Your trip to the hardware store could lead to confusion from the sheer amount of blinds available on the market. But there is no reason to think that blinds are pointless. On the contrary, they help keep our privacy and comfort intact throughout the year. But how did blinds come to be? Who came up with the idea and brought it to fruition? Believe it or not, blinds aren’t a recent invention. Blinds goes back further than you realize.
The early Egyptians strung reeds together to form their blinds. The ancient Chinese chose to use bamboo. It’s easy to picture these early blinds shading a mighty pharaoh or craftsman working hard at his trade. They worked well enough – they would have to to stick around for thousands of years! When the Persians introduced blinds to Venice, “Venetian” blinds spread like wildfire. Venetian blinds provide form and function for homes around the world. No matter what language you speak, you need something durable to keep you safe from the sun.
In 1769, an Englishman named Edward Bevan was awarded the first patent for Venetian blinds. He discovered you could place wooden slats in a frame and manipulate the slats to let light into a room. John Hampson of New Orleans made adjustments to the invention in 1841. He added the ability to change the angle of the horizontal slats, paving the way for the blinds we know and love today.
It’s said that Thomas Jefferson loved blinds. He had every window in every home he owned outfitted with wooden blinds. He treasured them so much he even had the blinds listed in his will to be given to loved ones.
It’s not hard to figure out why blinds have such lasting appeal. They do a lot for us, and we have a lot of options to choose from in today’s world. There are aluminum blinds, bamboo blinds, even blinds made from vinyl. You can get motorized blinds, solar shades, even mini blinds for smaller windows. If you’re on a budget, you still have choices. No matter what your style is, you don’t have to look far to find something that suits your home.
Did you ever think that a piece of history was sitting right in front of you? As you go through your daily routine, take a few minutes to marvel the shades that keep you and your family content and comfortable. Think about the shades that give you the privacy you need in busy neighborhoods and office buildings. When the time comes to add new shades to your space, ponder the variety available to you. Blinds may not seem like anything special, but they go back thousands of years – can you say the same for something else?
If you are looking to install blinds in your Texas home, consider hiring a professional Houston Blinds Company for two reasons: Measuring, cutting and installing window blinds can be a tedious task. Also, there is a huge variation in the quality of blinds sold at local retail locations, most of which are cheap Chinese imports that yellow and crack. A professional can quickly help you pick blinds that will last and make the installation process very enjoyable.
