Though only recently made commercially available, vertical blinds have been around for ages. Such a simple form of window covering was bound to become commercialised at some point, though, and a design patented in 1950 by a Mr Bopp was the first vertical blind to become a ‘household name’, as it were.
Popular for both aesthetic reasons (attractive alternative to curtains) and practical reasons (easy to make fit any window installation), vertical blinds’ popularity was cemented as soon as they became available. Office owners across the globe took notice of this and began sticking them up wherever possible, presumably to give workers an alternative to the curtains they had at home (or perhaps for cost reasons! Vertical blinds are often great value for money).
The privacy benefits of vertical blinds are ideal for offices. During the day, the blinds can be opened to let light in and to let people see out, but the view in will be obscured. This can be useful when protecting company privacy, or simply to prevent distractions from the outside world. The option to let light in while blocking the view of outside is something that curtains simply can’t offer.
Of course, vertical blinds can also be used outside the office, and are a common fixture in many homes around the world. And why shouldn’t they be?
