Timber & Aluminium Venetian Blinds

Why a venetian suits an Irene sash window

A roller is open or closed by degrees; a venetian steers light direction — tilt up for glare-free daylight, tilt down for privacy, close flat for dark. That adjustability is exactly what a deep-set sash or fanlight window rewards, where the light through a single pane can swing from soft morning glow to a hard afternoon shaft in a couple of hours.

Timber venetians — the heritage-home natural

50mm basswood slats bring real material warmth to a study, a formal lounge, or any room where the original window joinery deserves something more considered than plastic. They suit sash windows and character cottages particularly well, and hold their own next to exposed brick, yellowwood floors or a farmhouse ceiling. Keep them out of high-steam rooms — a quality lacquer handles normal humidity, but a bathroom wants aluminium instead. On a very wide heritage window, we'll usually split the span or add ladder-tape support, since timber slats are heavier than aluminium.

Aluminium venetians — the moisture champion

25mm slats (crisp, the most popular choice) or 50mm (bolder, fewer lines) in a wide colour range, including woodlook finishes that echo the timber option without the maintenance. This is the one for kitchens, bathrooms and laundries — anywhere fabric fails and steam is a daily reality. Budget-friendly, and the practical pick for a new-build estate kitchen with a big window over the sink.

The double-storey privacy trick

On a street-facing window or a stand overlooked from a neighbouring double storey, tilt the slats down rather than closing the blind flat — you keep daylight in the room while cutting the sightline from above. It's a small adjustment most people never think to make, and it's one of the first things we show you at the free measure.

Relative cost and motorisation

Aluminium sits entry-to-mid; timber runs mid-to-premium given the material. Motorised tilt is available on premium lines for hard-to-reach windows — a genuinely useful option on double-volume glazing in the newer estates around Irene.

Fitting venetians across Irene and next door

Timber slats for heritage sash windows, aluminium for kitchens and bathrooms — we fit both across Cornwall Hill's double-volume glazing, Southdowns Estate's open-plan kitchens, Raslouw's mixed old-and-new stock and Eldoraigne's established family homes.