The one thing that, no matter how skilled and artistic, most interior designers seem to utterly forget is the maintenance and upkeep of the stylish look. The glamour, the elegance are all very well, but come Tuesday morning it will still all need cleaning, and some items are simply not designed to be kept clean. Yet, that is such a shame because these amazing embellishments can begin to look so old and tired if they are not easily maintained and given a chance to sparkle like new for a long time to come. The entire look of the room can be brought down.
We are faced with the dilemma of wishing to portray classic elegance and sophistication, with a no-fuss, convenient means to maintain that image with minimal effort or outlay. It is for this reason, that faux wood plantation shutters have proven so successful in recent years, and seen a tremendous increase in popularity. One of the most popular selling features of faux wood plantation shutters is that, not only do they add a level of glamour and style which is quite out of this world, but due to their construction and the PVC based material from which they are made, they are very easily washable, with no risk of damage by using the wrong detergent or scrubbing hard.
Wood and other delicate natural materials may look good, but when it comes to keeping them looking that way after a period of time has elapsed, allowing enough dirt and grime to settle on them, the cleaning becomes a very tough task, and you may well be tempted to use cleaning agents and cloths which, while they may be effective in removing the grime, also have a tendency to damage the varnish and paint work which may have been applied, and if no paintwork has been applied, then the surface of the wood is exposed to chemicals which can affect its appearance, its integrity and the sheen and texture that give it the luxurious quality it had. In short, cleaning wooden items is cumbersome and liable to damage the real wood shutters. Whereas faux wood plantation shutters can be wiped clean quickly and easily with a damp cloth ? no risk of marking or surface damage ? no need for tough detergents or scrubbing, and even if you do use a little detergent, there is little risk of you damaging the appearance or harming the longevity of these products.
Faux wood plantation shutters have been designed with not just glamour in mind, but the long term maintenance and care of them, too. Unlike faux wood plantation shutters, some materials in the home have a tendency to attract dust ? static surfaces such as plastics, and especially television screens. Many blinds are made of plastic based materials which draw dust, and being constructed of so many different surfaces, this collects over the entire surface area, making keeping the original smart appearance difficult. Material blinds can be just as tricky, particularly in areas where grease may combine with the dust, such as in kitchens. The solution in these cases is to either take the material down and wash it, which for some blinds is simply impossible, or try wiping the material, which can often result in the dirt merely being streaked across the blind itself. To compare shutters to other blinds in the home is a useful analogy.
Wooden blinds can absorb some of this grease and moisture, drawing and attracting the dirt and grime, making the cleaning process much longer and difficult. Faux wood plantation shutters have twin advantages here ? combining the stylish look and elegance of real wood shutters, but without the tendency to absorb grime and make cleaning so difficult. Because of the PVC construction, faux wood plantation shutters can be cleaned using a simple spray of water mixed with a mild detergent, and wiped clean quickly. For areas in the home where grease is less likely, cleaning can involve nothing more than running a duster along each blade of the faux wood plantation shutter ? for the modern urban living space, they are the perfect solution for those too busy to spend hours maintaining a look, but who still wish to have the look of a successful, stylish and classy urban dwelling space which combines all the class and glamour of colonial times, with a 21st century application of convenience. Choose faux wood shutters, and get the look of real wood, and the benefits to boot.
Judith Persit is an interior decorator specializing in window coverings. Ms. Persit writes about plantation shutters. When choosing plantation shutters or wood shutters consider a visit to her website to learn more.
