We have basswood blinds on every window of our house, and yes, I would say they're worth it. We have JCPenney brand and ours are 1" vs. 2" since our windows are too shallow. They have held up really well. I've only had to replace one where the tilt mechanism broke. I've had these nearly 7 years.

I shortened them myself, but I keep extra slats in case kitty breaks one while looking out the window at other animals.

Look into JCP. They also carry the faux.

Why 1" for a shallow window? Can they be inside mounted? My plan was to outside mount because my window are shallow too.

I have 2" basswood blinds on shallow windows in the FR and LR purchased about 6 months ago. When fully open and horizontal they protrude beyond the window opening about 1/2 "---I think it looks ok and it doesn't bother me. They are inside mounted. We bought them from Blindsgalore.com. They have excellent customer service and competitive prices. We just have the faux wood off the shelf from Lowe/HD for the upstairs bedrooms...no ones ever up there but us or an occasional guest so couldn't see spending the extra $ for the same look. Mine are all white, but I've heard dark blinds show show a lot of dust...just like dark floors.

We had a great experience using HD for our 2.5" faux wood blinds. We did 5 almost floor to ceiling, a triple bay, and 2 smaller windows. They had a special where we got free decorative tapes, upgraded valance, and measuring. The installer had been doing this for 30yrs. It took longer than we were told. I think 6 weeks from measure to install. We paid about $1700. That was 1/3 the price for plantation shutters and 1/2 for wood.
We've had the blinds 5 years and they look new. No warping or sagging. Easy to clean.

This is one of those things that you can do once, though and be done with it. The wood blinds in my parents' house have been there for almost 40 years, and aside from some fading of the tapes they are essentially like new.

If you can commit to something like this, it's definitely worth the investment. You can always combine them with other treatments if you like to change things around.

Our 1" are inside-mounted. If I did 2" they would either stick out or I could do an outside mount. I like the look of inside mount.

Thank you for all the great information. I like the looks of the inside mount, but our trim is nothing to write home about. I would be okay with the blinds covering it, but inside mount is certainly something think about it. I think that if I went inside mount, I could do a standard blinds. Four of the seven will be custom order due to their width. Dust showing on the dark is something to think about, but it may be a reminder to do some housework. Today, subject to change, I'm going to do the distressed wood in the dining room and the faux in the bedrooms. Thanks for talking about blinds! This has helped a lot!

I just went through this...
If 2 1/2" fit
they provide better viewing when open (less slats).
Also look for "privacy"
there are no holes in the slats so better blackout.
I also found the pull cord operates better for me than the wand for opening and closing.
Just things to consider ~

Don't get the faux wood blinds. They are much heavier than real wood blinds, which puts more stress on the raising/lowering mechanism, which in turn means that they won't last as long without repairs.

Dusty. Had them in our home office and I was constantly dusting them. I also felt they made the room dark. Wouldn't do them again in wood.

Jane

we had them in our old house ...all over the house. i think we did 15 or 16 windows total and i remember the pricing was very reasonable from blinds to go. if you haven't already i'd definitely give them a call.

I was also looking at the Euro Vue
which is a self install shutter.
You can see them at Home Depot.
They really don't look that bad.
The instal video looks really easy.

I've never ordered from the site attatched
but you can check their prices ..

Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.blindsaver.com/product/shutter/detail.do?eid=9202

terriks: "Don't get the faux wood blinds. They are much heavier than real wood blinds, which puts more stress on the raising/lowering mechanism, which in turn means that they won't last as long without repairs."

Ditto that. They are really heavy if you ever want to pull them up too - like when you need to open the windows.

Yes, but you can take them outside and power wash them. I chose them for that reason. Really. :)

Where I put them, they're seldom raised and lowered. Left lowered and louvers open if I don't put curtains on in summer. Left raised if curtains are up and only lowered when we go away.

White, smooth surface, have to inspect to find out what it's made of because painted wood is typically smooth. Fake graining looks fake.

Everyone has offered very good points and has obviously purchased for their own reasons. Will blinds add value to a home, or make a difference?

I don't think they add value to a home; but they might make it more sellable. Blinds that blend with the background of the decor are more livable than perhaps draperies or window treatments that are more personal to the original owner; therefore, something a buyer doesn't have to deal with right away. But add more value? I wouldn't think so.

I really dislike mini-blinds or wood blinds ... when we bought the house all 60 +/- windows had wood blinds ... so for me it was a negative as I would have to remove and patch holes. I replaced them all over the next year as we painted and decorated.

I like my windows as "open" as possible. I prefer to use duette type shades (Hunter Douglas) and only close them at night or when the sun is an issue. Inside mounted they disappear into the white window frame. I also use drapes for color and softness. The shades also come in different materials so you can have some that are sheer, opaque or room darkening depending on the need for that room.