Timber Venetian Blinds

The heritage-home natural

A lot of Parkview's original stock — the 1920s to '40s cottages closer to the park and the lake — kept their timber sash windows, with the deep reveals and vertical proportions that go with them. Aluminium or plastic tends to look wrong against that; a timber venetian, in basswood or bamboo, sits the way the window was designed to be dressed.

Adjustability is the whole argument

A roller is open or closed by degree; a venetian steers light direction. Tilt the slats up for glare-free daylight through the tree canopy, tilt down for privacy from a double-storey neighbour, or close flat for full dark. On a Parkview street where the light swings hard between deep tree shade and a low afternoon glare, that hour-by-hour control earns its keep in a way a fixed treatment can't.

Where timber works, and where it doesn't

Studies, living rooms, entrance halls and any room where the sash itself is a feature are the strongest fit. Keep timber out of steamy bathrooms and kitchens — quality lacquer handles normal humidity, but sustained steam isn't what it's built for; an aluminium venetian is the better call in those rooms. Timber slats are heavier than aluminium too, so very wide windows may need splitting or extra ladder-tape support, which we'll plan for at the measure.

Fit

Inside-mount is the standard for a sash window with a proper reveal, giving the tailored look that suits a heritage frame. Motorised tilt is available on premium lines if you'd rather adjust from a switch than a wand — useful on any window that's awkward to reach.

Everything we know about how the sun crosses this part of Johannesburg through the year — and what we’d fit on each elevation, with the honest catch on every answer — is written up free in The Parkview Canopy & Light Almanac. No sign-up, and every figure in it is sourced.

What a timber venetian costs

Timber venetians carry a higher figure than an aluminium slat or a plain roller, because the material and the finishing are doing the work. Per square metre installed: R1,600 to R2,600 with a cord and wand, and R3,000 to R4,500 motorised. The 50mm slat, a stained finish and tape ladders in place of cords all sit at the upper end of both bands.

A narrow window is billed at a minimum, since a heritage-front bathroom pane still needs its own headrail, brackets and a fitting visit. Treat the bands as a budget guide only — the number per window comes out of the free measure, in writing, before anything is made.

Fitting timber venetians across the parks belt

We fit the same 50mm basswood slats throughout the parks belt — the natural choice for heritage-front rooms in Forest Town, Parktown North and Saxonwold, and available in Craighall Park too for any home that's kept its original windows.