A roller is open or closed by degrees. A venetian steers light by direction — tilt up for glare-free daylight under the jacarandas, tilt down for privacy from a double-storey neighbour, close flat when you actually want it dark.
Timber and bamboo venetians, in 50mm basswood slats, are the natural choice on a heritage house — warm, architectural, and exactly what a sash window in a house like this was designed to sit behind. They suit studies, living rooms and any window where "real material" actually matters to the room.
Aluminium venetians earn their place in the rooms timber can't touch — bathrooms, kitchens, laundries — where moisture would ruin a fabric or timber finish over time. In 25mm (crisp, most popular) or 50mm (bolder, fewer lines), with a huge colour range including woodlook finishes, they're the budget-friendly, low-maintenance option for everywhere else.
Steer light direction hour by hour as the sun moves through the tree canopy — no other interior blind does this.
50mm basswood or bamboo slats, the natural material choice for a sash window with real character.
The moisture champion for bathrooms, kitchens and laundries — where fabric and timber both fail.
Available on premium lines, so wide or hard-to-reach windows still get the full adjustable-light benefit.
Timber venetians are heavier than aluminium, so a very wide window may need splitting or ladder-tape support — we'll spec that properly on the measure. Keep timber out of high-steam rooms; a quality lacquer handles normal humidity, but a bathroom still wants aluminium.
Timber and aluminium are quoted separately because they are genuinely different products. Per square metre installed, an aluminium venetian on a wand or cord runs R1,000 to R1,500, and R2,500 to R3,600 motorised. Timber runs R1,600 to R2,600 manual and R3,000 to R4,500 motorised, with the wider slats and the stained finishes that suit a heritage room sitting nearer the top of both bands.
Small windows carry a minimum charge, since a narrow pane still needs its own headrail, brackets and fitting visit. And a band is not a quote — the number for each of your own windows is worked out at the free measure and confirmed in writing before anything goes into production.
Original sash and steel-framed windows run right across this pocket of Johannesburg, so timber venetians turn up in the same kind of rooms in Saxonwold, Houghton Estate, Westcliff and Parktown North that have kept their heritage character.
Free in-home measure — timber and aluminium samples, side by side, in your own light.