Blinds Unlimited

Bow windows also present their problems.  Most clients elect not to put operable drapes on these windows.  Operable drapes and window film are the only real solutions for sun control and privacy.  Instead they choose to add some wow factor to the room. 

The furniture in this room was contemporary and we chose a large dramatic contemporary print which co-ordinated with the chairs.  Then in the dining room  (part of the same large room) we added a modern flair with banded drapes in a complementary fabric.

The client was very pleased with the effect.  The drapes provided the visual impact she wanted and brought the scale of the room into line with the furniture - and most importantly in rooms with tile floors muted the sound.  Lovely windows, liveable home.

In homes in Florida aquarium windows often present a problem - how to dress the window to add beauty to the room and also solve sun and privacy issues.    The biggest predicament is how to place privacy treatments so that there are no ugly and dysfunctional gaps at the corners. Hard treatments such as blinds and shades need to be overlapped at the “bends” in order to minimize the gap.  This can be unsightly, especially if you are not adding a top treatment.

A client recently asked me to solve this particular problem.  The morning sun was really annoying at the breakfast table, but for the remainder of the day she wanted to enjoy her view.  In addition, she wanted to “finish” off her room with a decorative top treatment.

My solution was a bent rod with sheers operated with batons.  The sheers were easily pulled to cover the opening but also provided a soft, decorative accent when pulled back.  We added a box pleat valance which pulled the main colors for her room.  The client was thrilled with the result.  She has also found a bonus in the sheers - they help insulate all that glass during the cold snap we are experiencing in Florida!

There’s more than one good reason why selecting custom window fashions makes the very best sense when you remodel or redecorate your kitchen or bathrooms. The obvious one is that once you’ve spent that load of cash on your walls, counters, fixtures, cabinetry and appliances to make these rooms exactly what you desire them to be, the windows should reflect that same level of detail to make the rooms look unified. But that’s not he only reason…

Excellent Value for Price.

Did you know that when you remodel a kitchen or bath, the actual final value of your effort is 125-150% of the investment? That means that if you ever decide to move from your home, you can expect to redeem that extra value at sale. Custom window fashions in these rooms add value at the same rate. They also improve your overall design by adding the custom-tailored finish only they can provide, just as with all of the other custom work required.  A case in hand - yesterday a client called and said “the window treatments are fabulous - I can’t believe what a difference they made to the room. They made the whole room pop and tied together all the other things we had done to the room.”

If you are not ready for a full remodel, one of the smaller investments you can make to enhance any kitchen or bath design is in window fashions, even when choosing from the most lavish and decorative fabrics, or from the most innovative and technologically-advanced motorized blinds and shadings. A change in window fashions and a fresh coat of paint can brighten up any room and make you feel as if you just finished a complete redo but not with the same price tag!

Here at Exciting Windows! by Blinds Unlimited we can help you freshen up any room.  We offer a free color consultation with the purchase of window treatments.  Call today! 941 359 8800!

Keep the Dog Days of Summer Outdoors with Beautiful New Custom Window Fashions!

August brings with it the long, hot, sultry days of summer, which often stay that way well into evening and nighttime. It can feel like no air is moving at all, inside or out, and that the strong daylight sunshine might just never settle down and be civilized again.  Here in Florida, summer feels like it will never end. Where can you go to get away from such oppressive conditions? Indoors, of course!

Your windows provide a perfect place to allow just as much of summer in as you deem fit, keeping out the rest, and saving yourself some money to boot! Beautiful new custom draperies, blinds, shadings, shutters and more will control that hard Florida light, and insulate against the outdoor heat. In doing so, they protect the other valuable furnishings, walls, artwork and fabrics you’ve selected for your home, and help keep the cooler air inside, too. This translates directly into dollars and cents.

Cool Air In; Hot Air Out… And Vice Versa!

By selecting window fashions made from materials with appropriate thermal qualities, you can actually save money by beautifying your rooms. So many beautiful high-tech window fashion fabrics and other innovative materials now exist that you won’t believe you’re looking at something that will enhance your lifestyle while helping you save energy and adding value to your home! You needn’t go running out to find any of these marvels either… I’ll be happy to drop by and should you the full range of what’s possible whenever it is convenient!

Layering Works in Summer, too!

Just as layers of clothing keep us warmer in winter, layers of window fashions add warmth in winter, and cool in summer by adding even more thermal protection at your windows. By simply adding one of the new woven, see-though solar shadings below your existing window fashions, you can add up to 95% to 98% UV protection from damaging sunlight without blocking your outdoor views, and keep your rooms cooler at the same time! Conversely, beautiful blinds and shadings work well beneath draperies, valences and cornices to bring privacy and thermal protection to your rooms, year-round.

Almost every home in Florida has one… an arched, angled, raked window that seems to defy all window covering logic, one that stumps you on how best to treat it for both sun protection, privacy and that looks drop-dead gorgeous as well.

Fear no more! As homebuilders and architects added window design elements outside of the typical squares and rectangles, your faithful window coverings industry kept in step with great and beautiful product solutions that enhance ANY window, no matter the shape or size. I know all about these problem-solving window fashions.

Imagination and Artistry in Window Treatments

Can you imagine a pleated shade that can cover a round, or half-round window? How about an highly-placed asymetrical window with motorized louvered blinds that you can open and close remotely, without a cord? What about skylight, greenhouse or solarium windows you can cover with blinds or shades on tracks, in soft or hard materials? All of these design innovations are available RIGHT NOW, and are in use in thousands of homes across the country.

As well, soft fabric solutions as unique as any window itself are created every day by custom window fashions professionals who have the expertise to cover ANY kind of window. No retail store can provide this kind of service or creativity, and your solution will be yours alone.

For one window or many… I’m here to help!

There are many solutions to these “problem” windows depending on the decor of your room, budget, etc.   Get in touch and we can discuss your needs and come up with some great ideas within your budget!

Add Style to Your Windows!

I’ve heard it hundreds of times, “I just can’t believe how window treatments finish the room!” When a window fashion is designed specifically for you, all the elements in the room magically come together. To achieve this decorating nirvana, you should consider working with a professionally trained expert in window fashions.

We can provide you with beautiful, functional and well-appointed treatments. As a designer that masters in creating thousands of treatments, I would like to share a few of our trade secrets.

Couture Window Fashions are truly one of the few remaining elements in home decor that is custom made. As a window fashion designer, the palate I work with is your window and I express my creativity in choosing fabrics and trims and designing fabulous creations for the room.

I have seen many poorly done window treatments. Sometimes the fabrication is executed wrong, or it could be in the design. How does a consumer know what to look for when hiring a designer?

Since window treatments are first seen at the time of installation, this requires a careful analysis on which company you use. The first place to determine the capability of a designer is to look at their portfolio. Take a close look at the work. Can you see a good use of color, proportions, functionality and of course great looking treatments?

When a trained window fashion designer visits your home, be prepared for the most pleasant decorating experience. The designer will take note of your decor, your choices of color, textures and other important aspects to the room that will affect the window treatments. A discussion of styles is important. There are 6 basic styles of window fashions, which are:

1) Romantic
This is a very soft and flowing design. Typically done with sheers and draped in a swag design. The fabrics can be teamed up with decorative trim. This style also plays with the light, as the fabric itself appears illuminated when the sun streams through the window.

2) Modern
Modern or contemporary treatments are simple but create a very powerful design statement. Geometrically shaped cornices in suede are great compliments to a modern room. The use of grommets in a drapery panel, add a new twist to drapery on a metal pole. The range of affordable fabrics with modern designs has increased dramatically over the last several years as decorating trends are moving to a modern aesthetic.

3) Youthful
Either for a boy or girl, rooms designed for children have bright bold colors, with fun elements in the design. From simple valances to toys designed into the treatments, the imagination is free as it is in a child’s mind.

4) Elegant
Silk creates the most elegant window fashions. Combined with great trims, silk draperies are the most fabulous treatment. When a silk is interlined (a flannel lining in between the face fabric and the lining) it creates the most luxurious creation. The weave of silk, often with different threads on the warp and weft, create a shimmering vision for your decor.

5) Historical
Traditional treatments call for the use of damasks, stripes that are layered over sheers. Swags and jabots are commonly used. Ethnic influences can be introduced with this style.

6) Classic
This is a more tailored style of design. A decorative pole, in wood or iron with simple panels is a great way to implement this look.

Whatever style you choose, we can provide you with a sense of comfort in knowing you will be thrilled with your decisions. Remember, these are truly custom products and there should be only one result upon the installation of your window treatments: Pure joy!

Beautiful Science and Technology

Today’s makers of quality window fashions use the very latest and most protective high-tech materials in creating some of the most beautiful, durable and life-enhancing products ever. These take the form of innovative shadings, blinds and other amazing window treatments that give you almost absolute control of light entering each window, while adding the beauty and feel of true custom window fashions to any room.

This doesn’t, however, limit you to so-named “hard” window fashions like mini-blinds, etc., though these should be considered in some areas. “Soft” window fashions can do just as much damage control when fabricated from and/or lined with protective materials designed specifically to cut infrared and UV light. These can provide the tailored softness of custom draperies with excellent light control for more beautiful formal areas. You can even use both hard and soft treatments together for extra light protection, privacy and beauty.

Some treatments even combine two technologies to provide beauty and practicality. Imagine the softness of sheer fabrics paired with the privacy and light control of louvered window treatments… vertical OR horizontal. Products like these are available today, and are perfect for many areas and uses in your home.

Soft window fashions could include such products as Hunter Douglas Luminette, Silhouette or Pirouette fashion shadings.

For one window or many, I’m here to help!

Do you have a room full of windows that need to be covered quickly but beautifully? One window you have no idea what to do with? A special light-management problem that needs a solution? How about a decor issue that requires an expert eye and some knowledge of what’s available out there to solve it? I’m here and ready to help with all these window fashions needs and more. I provide the quality service you should expect from any true professional, and I’m happy to work within your budget, too. Just call me, and we’ll see how I can be of service to you!

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Sunscreen for Your Home... Window Fashions can protect and preserve your beautiful rooms!

Now that high Summer is here, and the bright sunshine is particularly damaging to our funishings and raising our airconditioning bills, it might be a good idea to take a survey of places in your home that could use a good dose of “sunscreen”… rooms and areas that are prone to sun-fading. These places will be the first to show signs of premature aging in your valuable fabrics, rugs, carpeting, walls, and ever artwork, the things that make your house your HOME. And when it comes to sun protection, a little goes a long way. It can keep your rooms cooler, too!

Sunlight’s infrared and ultra-violet rays are the most damaging in the light spectrum, and since most every color contains a component that can be damaged by one or both of them, it’s best to keep control of the amount of sunlight that enters directly into your home. So, just like sunscreen on your skin, the proper use of window fashions can help you keep your home from getting sunburned!

One product that particularly addresses these issues is the solar shade or sheerweave.  A sheerweave screen blocks the UV, blocks the heat, and retains some of the view.  Contact us for more information on these fabulous window treatments. Follow along on the next blog for all the technical information on this product and why it is the ultimate solution for sun!

Big Style for Big Windows and Doors with Windows Fashions that WORK!

It seems every house or home in Florida  now has large or oversized windows that are intended to include views of the entire great outdoors into our rooms. They make rooms feel more spacious, and allow us immediate access to the outside world just by looking out. They also provided us with decor issues and opportunities to make bold and beautiful visual statements, and are a great location to start looking at ways to save energy dollars in heating and cooling loss abatement. Window fashions can do both, and I’d love to show you how!

Phenomenal beauty and light control.

It would be a shame to have to cover up all that outdoor light, but how can you control the damage to your interiors AND your energy budget that all that sunlight can cause? A sheer layer, whether custom sheer draperies, or one of the marvelous vaned dual-layer sheer products available is a big step forward. A layer of woven and coated screen shadings will protect your views out, and with innovative coatings that reflect heat and light, can really help do the trick.

These and other wonderful window solutions can be customized with fastening options that allow them to be used in previously difficult locations, like large sliders, french doors that are opened and closed often, and even on smaller windows and doors so that you can unify the look of your windows within a given space.

One window or a houseful…

That’s just the beginning! There are fabrics and coatings that repel sunlight, and new, man-made materials that make keeping rooms cooler in summer and warmer in winter a matter of course. I have literally hundreds of beautiful custom window fashion solutions for any and all rooms of your home, since energy loss is likely to be different from one zone of your home to another. Together, we can coordinate them all, or solve one single window dilemma at a time. Regardless, working with a professional like me will save you time, effort and trouble, and save you money in so many ways. I will work within YOUR budget, and provide you with the most beautiful custom window fashions available, made just for you! Call me today for a free, at-home consultation!