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Provenance Woven Wood Vertical Drapery

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Today I saw a new type of window treatment from Hunter Douglas that was so different from what I expected, I just have to share it with everyone here! It’s called Provenance Woven Wood Vertical Drapery. That’s right, I said woven wood and vertical drapery in the same sentence. It looks like woven wood but it has the waves one expects from drapery. And because it’s woven wood it is very textural. I know it sounds impossible and maybe even a little strange, but it is definitely something you have to see to believe.  Below I have listed some of the pros and cons of the woven wood shades so you can get an idea of whether they are right for you and your space.

Pros of a woven wood vertical drapery:

Coordinating is a breeze – One big plus for Provenance Woven Wood Vertical Drapery by Hunter Douglas is that it coordinates with their woven wood horizontal line. This is especially great if you like the look of woven wood but have a sliding glass door or set of french doors in the same room. Now you can coordinate between the two without sacrificing function. This is something that can prove otherwise difficult, considering how large the stack height on a regular horizontal woven wood shade would be for a window as tall as a sliding glass door.

Provenance Woven Wood Vertical DraperyPerfect for big windows – With a max width of 194 inches and a height up to 96 inches, vertical drapery can be a perfect fit for larger windows.

Breathe easy – The provenance collection is Greenguard indoor air quality certified. Which means that it emits little to no VOCs (volatile organic compounds).

Nature made imperfections – As with all products made of natural materials each shade will look slightly different. Which means they will have a unique look to them and natural materials offer a great texture and feel to any room.

Hunter Douglas’s Lifetime Warranty – Regardless of the type of window treatment you purchase from Hunter Douglas, you can expect the same great lifetime warranty. While this warranty is similar to other window treatment companies, this one is covering any manufacturers defects for the amount of time you own the shade. This is something they offer above and beyond the competition is a 7 year warranty on all operational cords.  The industry standard is only 3 years.

Cons of a woven wood vertical drapery:

Get out your wallet – Provenance woven wood vertical drapery is not cheap. Nor are any of the styles of window treatments from Hunter Douglas.

Not for home theaters or bedrooms – This drapery doesn’t come in a true opaque material option. It comes close, and will offer a room darkening effect. But it will not offer a blackout shade. The Provenance line may be better suited for areas where protection from the sun is desired, while keeping the view open and airy.

Nature made imperfections – As with all products made of natural materials, each shade will look slightly different. This means that you have to expect that the color will vary from shade to shade, as well as the thickness of the material. If you’re looking for an exact match to the sample, this will not be the case with this woven wood vertical drapery. As you can tell, since I also listed this con as a pro, in my view this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. But it is something to be aware of, especially if your design plan for you room does not allow for any shade variations.

As you can see there are both good points and bad points to consider when looking at Provence Woven Wood Vertical Drapery by Hunter Douglas. While they are a great new product, they may not be for every taste or every budget. But they are definitely worth considering for anyone who loves woven wood shades and natural materials. I recommend including this option in any of your upcoming window treatment shopping trips.

Eco Friendly Woven Wood Shades

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Today Tammy asks:

Diva, I’m perplexed. I have decided that I want either cellular shades or woven wood shades. The problem is I don’t understand the benefits of one vs the another? I’m leaning towards woven wood because that is the one I’ve heard is more eco friendly, is that true?

When it comes to deciding between two styles of anything, I think the best approach is to break each category down and look at the features each one offers. In this instance, using this method will work well in helping you to see why someone would opt for each type of eco friendly shade.

So here’s what you need to know about cellular shades. First of all, they’re one of the best types of shades for energy efficiency. This means that from an eco friendly standpoint, they help conserve energy. This is not an instantaneous event, however. Cellular shades do this over time by helping to reduce your heating or cooling costs. It’s also important to mention that most cellular shades are not made of “green” materials like you’ll find with the eco friendly woven wood shades. When it comes to cellular shades though, you can look for the GREENGUARD label to find blinds that emit low VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds).

Recently I spent some time at the GREENGUARD website and discovered out of what I consider the three top window treatment companies out there, only one of them has a variety of products that are GREENGUARD certified. That brand happens to be Hunter Douglas. So if you want to conserve energy as well as save money on your heating and cooling costs, and you want an eco friendly shade that emit’s low VOCs, I’d suggest going with one of Hunter Douglas’s cellular shades. One last important fact about cellular shades is that they’re not all created equally and do not all conserve the same amount of energy. How good each shade is will depend on the fabric type and cell size.

Eco Friendly Woven Wood Shades

Now another product you’ll find GREENGUARD ratings on are woven wood shades from Hunter Douglas. Here you get to combine the low VOC ratings with actual eco friendly materials. When it comes to eco friendly woven wood shades though, it’s important to know that most woven wood shades are made from renewable resources like grass, bamboo, jute and wood. And at risk of sounding like a broken record here, they’re not all created equally — remember this.  The more eco friendly versions of these shades will be made from a grass or bamboo because those materials have a faster growth period. Bamboo for example, has a maturity timeline of only 3-7 years. While wood is still considered a renewable resource it has a slower growth period, at roughly 30-70 years.

Most people believe that woven wood shades are more eco friendly than cellular shades, but I think it just depends on what factors you are considering to be the most important. If helping to insulate your windows over time and reducing energy loss is more important than the materials themselves to you, then I’d go with cellular shades. However if you are more concerned about the material and the manufacturing process instead, then woven wood shades are just the ticket for you.  Just make sure you aren’t forgetting your style preference in this virtual debate. Why? Because even the “eco friendliest” shades in the world may or may not work with your own particular design style. While it boils down to what features you need, what your own personal style and what’s important to you still matter!

Do you have questions about the selecting or the installation of: tile, carpet or wall treatments (window blinds, etc)? Then email me your tale of woe(diva(at)homemakeoverdiva.com) and perhaps I will be able to answer your questions right here at the Home Makeover Diva Blog.