Horizontal slats that tilt to steer light — full view, filtered light, or full privacy, at any height, as the sun swings around the ridge through the day.
25mm slats give the crispest, most popular look; 50mm slats are bolder with fewer lines across the glass. Aluminium is the clear choice for bathrooms, kitchens and laundries, and its powder-coated finish handles the wind and grit that come with a ridge-top position far better than fabric. A woodlook finish is available if you want the timber look without the timber price.
50mm basswood or bamboo slats suit studies, formal rooms, and Northcliff's older, more character-driven interiors — anywhere "real material" matters more than minimalism. Keep timber out of high-steam rooms; a quality lacquer handles normal humidity fine. Very wide windows need splitting or ladder-tape support, since timber runs heavier than aluminium.
A roller is open or closed by degrees; a venetian steers light by direction. Tilt up for glare-free daylight when the afternoon sun swings low over the ridge, tilt down for privacy from a neighbour's double storey, close flat for full dark. Houses with hour-by-hour sun swings — exactly what a ridge orientation gives you — get more day-to-day use out of a venetian than almost any other product.
The two materials price differently, and both are per square metre installed. Aluminium comes to R1,000 to R1,500 with a wand or cord and R2,500 to R3,600 once tilt and lift are motorised. Timber runs R1,600 to R2,600 manual and R3,000 to R4,500 motorised, the wider slats and the stained finishes sitting towards the top of both bands.
A narrow window is charged at a minimum, since a scullery pane still needs its own headrail, brackets and fitting visit. And a band is not a quotation: the figure per window is settled at the free measure and confirmed in writing.
Aluminium and timber venetians go up across the ridge and its neighbouring suburbs — a regular fit in Blackheath, Fairland, Weltevredenpark and Windsor, wherever a room needs the light steered rather than simply blocked.
Free in-home measure, written per-window quote, no pressure.
