A venetian is the most adjustable window treatment there is — tilt up for glare-free daylight, tilt down for privacy from a neighbour's upper storey, close flat for full dark. In a house where the tree canopy changes the light hour by hour, that adjustability matters more than it does almost anywhere else.
Natural basswood or bamboo slats suit a study, a formal dining room, or any space where a real material belongs against an old sash frame — Houghton's older homes are full of them. Powder-coated aluminium takes over where moisture is the enemy: bathrooms, sculleries, laundries, and anywhere a timber finish would eventually suffer.
A roller is open or shut by degrees. A venetian steers the light itself.
Wide openings need either a wider slat — 50mm reads bolder, with fewer visible lines — or a split into two blinds with ladder-tape support, so the weight stays manageable and the tilt stays smooth. We'll measure and recommend the right call for your specific opening.
Practical notes
- 25mm slats read crisp and contemporary; 50mm slats read bolder, with fewer lines across a tall window.
- Motorised tilt is available on premium lines — useful on stairwells and anywhere the cord would be a stretch.
- Keep timber out of steam-heavy rooms; a quality lacquer handles normal humidity but not a shower recess.
- Aluminium is the moisture champion — not usually a Houghton concern, but relevant for staff quarters or a pool bathroom.
Also specified in Houghton Estate
Motorised blinds & automation
ProductRoller shutters
Shading, not security. Our roller shutters take the sun, the heat and the glare on the outside face of the glass. A security-rated shutter is a different product, and we can quote that separately if you want it.
Fitting venetians up the ridge
Sash and steel-frame windows aren't unique to Houghton Estate — we measure and fit the same timber and aluminium venetians one suburb over in Westcliff and Saxonwold, and against the original frames of Forest Town and Parktown North.