Going natural for the Nineties

Curtains consume not just money, but time and effort. Not alone do you need to decide on fabric (on average anything from £7 to £20 a yard), but you've got to figure out whether you want rails, tracks, pelmets, swags, tails, tabs, rings, tiebacks or hold backs. Do you want to go from floor to ceiling (requires a big room) or just cover the window? Will you need blinds underneath or will lined curtains be enough to keep the room dark? Do you want a draw string or will you just pull them yourself? Questions, questions. No wonder a growing number of home furnishers are opting for simple louvre blinds.

A million miles away from the aluminium venetian blinds that inadvertently made their way out of offices and into homes in the 1970s, today's louvre blinds come in natural or painted wood and, as such, work well in the "natural" 1990s. Pine slats are particularly popular at the moment, though you can get them in a range which includes teak or cherry, or, for a bit more money, limed oak, green, pale pink, mid or dark oak. A major point to remember when opting for wooden blinds however is the width of the slat. Cheaper blinds tend to be thicker while finely slatted blinds can be expensive. When pulled up, an average stack height of 14 inches means that if light is important to you, or if your window is on the small size, wooden blinds might not be suitable.