After a visit to a park, or a camping trip, so may people want to extend that visit by using some design elements of nature in their homes. Some will bring in house plants. Others ay change from metal or laminate furniture to wood furniture. Some may even use paintings or other art. While all of this is fine and well, it can also be easy to use the natural design features of bamboo shades, and when using real bamboo, it will not only be a beautiful product, but it will also be an ecologically kind window treatment.

As a real wood from real forests, bamboo is a natural product. The real bamboo used in comes from a tree that is a real marvel. The source trees are known to grow as quickly as four feet each month, and many grow even faster. As a result of this quick growth, consumers of bamboo shades may feel ecologically correct while bringing some of this natural beauty into their homes or offices.

The natural stylings of bamboo shades comes from, among other sources, the fact that the pieces are woven together in a traditional style. The process is not much different from the actual weaving of fabrics, but the bamboo shades use full bamboo sticks as the fill, so the “fabric” is a random looking assortment of various colored bamboo reeds and tubes to make a real fresh from the jungle look.

Another element that helps make bamboo shades look natural is the manner in which they are stained. Many wood products are stained or colored in an attempt to make every piece look identical. Bamboo shades, on the other hand, are prepared and stained in order to preserve the true nature of them. The rough edges, the hard bamboo grain, and the large bumps and joints all lead to an inconsistent finish, and make the sticks unable to accept a uniform coating of the colorants. This means that every stick will have an entirely unique color and appearance.

When the bamboo shades are finished, the final shade is presented in the windows are a natural hand made product. This is distinctly different from the tailored and crisp roman shades made from fabric. Bamboo shades will often have a twist, a bump, or irregular folding. This is minor, and not unattractive, but just enough to help one perceive the custom crafted, forest cabin look of the natural shades that are bamboo shades.

On a recent review of sales with a major manufacturer of bamboo shades, the topic of consumer taste became the topic of discussion. One of the best ways, it was commented, of measuring taste is by looking at sales results. It seems that the highest selling materials are the more natural styled designs, while the white bamboo shades sell the least. This is contrary to the expected, where in most window treatments the best selling colors are the whites and off-whites, while the dark colors are the lower performers. This indicates that the consumers who select bamboo shades, are seeking this style of the natural look, more than the machine engineered look

We should revisit, given that we have focussed on the natural look, what it means to take these beautiful trees and mill them into attractive bamboo shades. Unlike most other wood based products, the raw material used here is rapidly renewing. The fact that a bamboo tree can grow four feet in a month is only part of the story. These trees grow very aggressively, and new trees become available for harvest quickly. So, while you may feel that you are hurting nature to bring it inside, it is just not the case. Bamboo is nearly a miracle wood in natural resources. The wood in each bamboo shade is replaced quicker than it is used, and there are new techniques being developed to grow more bamboo, even in non native habitats.

Relax in nature, enjoy the hike, the beauty and the sensation of being out there, “in it.” That is what a bamboo shade will help you do when you design your home spaces. These incomparable shades can allow you to decorate and bring in the great out doors, ming that back to nature look real. At the same time, the transplant of that outside beauty to the inside, will not hurt the environment, so consumers will not have extra “eco-guilt” when they choose bamboo shades.

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Judith Persit is an qualified interior decorator with a focus on window coverings. Judith writes about bamboo shades. Learn more regarding shades at her website.