The term bamboo blinds or woven woods can actually refer to two different types of blinds. Bamboo shades has been used as far back as the Ming dynasty in China as a blinds material.
Today, many oriental blind factories are making 2 inch Venetian style wovens with wooden slats. These would be the first of the two types and the more literal connotation for these.
The most popular type
of matchsticks is commonly referred to as a woven wood. In the past
this bamboo shade were often a roll up shade made from just bamboo and cord; they were often seen as roll up shade that people used on patios for shade. Now
these
shades are much more than just a cheap patio shade. These shades often use
grasses as an integral part of the bamboo window shades woven together to make the fabric.
Grasses, reeds, and other natural materials are woven to create thousands of warm color and texture combinations. They are still available as a roll up but the
bamboo shades roman style lift system is by far the most popular today.
The three main types are: Grasses, matchstick or wood.
Grasses shades are made of wild grasses woven together loosely or in braids for a tighter fitting.
Sticks or wood
bamboo blinds are made of small to medium sticks commonly called matchstick because they are the size of a wooden matchstick. Flat pieces of wood are also popular. Most companies will combo these into different patterns to give it a more finished look. Most are not larger than
1/4" to 1/2" inch in width.
Bamboo window treatments are made entirely of different types of
material or are mixed with grasses and regular wood. For the
roman shades, the fabric can be cut to give it a flat look or kept rounded (using smaller stalks).