Exciting Windows! by Marisol

How do you decorate sliding glass doors to provide privacy and also keep them functional? There are so many options available but which one is right for your home? If you live near Fort Lauderdale, FL Roller Shades are one of many products that I can help you select to bring beauty and functionality to your home. Read the entire decorating tips newsletter here.

Residents in Fort Lauderdale, FL call on Exciting Windows! by Marisol to provide solutions for all of their window covering needs.

Great decorating ideas that help design a custom look unique for you with draperies, blinds, shades or shutters in Fort Lauderdale, FL are my specialty at Exciting Windows! by Marisol. It’s easy to get started with my free in home consultation or my new service… a free phone consultation to help you get your thoughts together.

Sliding glass doors can sometimes be a challenge, but with a little creativity you can make them look terrific. There are so many choices in the market available to you that at time I know it can be overwhelming.However, there are two forms of treatments that works perfectly for this situation.

• Horizontal – this is your roman shades, horizontal blinds and shades, basically any treatment that goes up or down to be fully open and allow passage or view.
• Vertical – this is a treatment that moves side by side.You move them to the right, left or center to allow full access to the other room or view.

Which one to use is based on how the door is used, owners’ preference, and room design?Right now let us look at what I call vertical solutions type of window treatments.This is the most practical form of treatment for you sliding doors.Keep in mind that each of this type of window treatments will have options available to you depending on the room that you are using them, i.e. blackout materials or layering or adding top treatments to complete the look.

Most common treatments available are:

• Drapery
• Vertical Sheers
• Shutters
• Panel Tracks
• Vertical Cellular
• Averte
• Vertical Blinds

Draperies or Sheers, $$ – $$$$: This is definitely one of my favorite ways to dress up a sliding door. It is beautiful and appropriate for almost any décor.  This is also an opportunity to bring color and texture into your room. You will not have any other treatment that offers you the largest selection of fabrics and styles; from sheer to upholstery type fabrics, to custom printed, the choices are vast.Draperies are the only option available that is unique to you and your family.You have a choice of any fabric and any hardware – truly the sliders become your canvas! A word of advice. First, make sure your draperies clear the floor enough to be able to slide back and forth on the rod without dragging – usually 1/2″ is enough.That is not to say that I have not done them ½” longer when the design calls for it. Second, consider your stack – the width of fabric that the draperies create when in open position. The stack will vary depending on the fabric, lining and design; however, the rule of thumb is about 30% to 50 % of the width of the drapery. So if you want it to clear, say, the entire door, make sure to start with enough width and have the room on the sides to do it.Although sliding glass doors can be a challenge, they don’t have to be hopeless.

Vertical Sheers $$+- $$$$: There are two types of products available to you that fall into this type of window treatment.Hunter Douglas Luminette and Vertical Wraps from a few other manufacturers.They both have a vertical pane of different materials that works just like your typical vertical blind with the added beauty of a sheer material.The difference between the Luminette and the other manufacturer’s vertical wraps has to do with how they are manufacturer, the mechanism and the fabrics available to you.The Luminette’s are you Bentley or Mercedes, the vertical wraps become you Cadillac.They both have great choices of material as well as an option to have room darkening vanes.It is also a treatment that can be used in almost any décor style.  First picture shows the Luminette from Hunter Douglas and the next picture shows the Vertical Sheers from Levolor.

Shutters $$$ – $$$$: From painted white to custom stained, plantation shutters are a great product to use for sliding doors.By-pass shutters are commonly used to mimic motion of the sliding doors.Most of the time a boxed frame is created that holds the panels.You also have the options of louver sizes up to 5 ½ in some cases, with 3 ½ being the most common use.Where to use them and what color to use depends on the look that you want to achieve.They are a higher end product than most when it comes to dressing you window.

[ Panel Tracks or sliding panels$$-$$$: This is definitely a treatment that is not suitable for all decorating styles.It is more of a modern, contemporary look when you use sunscreen or sheer material or an eclectic look kind of organic/natural when you use woven type material that add that earthy tone to the room.This type of window treatment behaves just like a patio door, the panels are a fixed size and they stack in front of each other.There are two types, Hunter Douglas Skyline which are 11” to 17 “panels attached to the top of the track and to each other on the bottom. It is my favorite mechanism when it comes to this type of treatment.Hunter Douglas has a nice selection of fabrics, but it is limited on their materials. The other treatment is attached to the top with Velcro and the panels can be made of almost any type of material.Panels’ size varies depending on the design and the material used.One word of caution: even the Hunter Douglas will tend to get caught at the bottom is they are open and close to fast.You need to be more conscious of the speed in which you open and close these treatments.

Vertical Cellular Shades$$$-$$$$: This is a great option for just any décor, especially modern.Imagine your basic cellular shade or honeycomb, turn vertically.It goes side by side and they are the only ones that have the smallest stack. There are no cords, chains or wands, just a simple slide mechanism with a magnetic closure.It is a very clean and sleek look that can be use behind decorative side panels, or with a top treatment.This treatment is also great for darkening a room.

Averte$$-$$$: A beautiful treatment for a casual/tropical look.If you like the Tommy Bahamas’ look, you will love this treatment.Made out of woven wood, bamboo or grass the colors of these products are your warm tones.There are a few that are painted, but I usually prefer the natural color of the material.There is no mechanism to open or close, just hold it at the wooden edge and slide it as you wish. B&W Horizons is the manufacturer for this treatment.

Vertical Blinds $-$$$: Yes, those tired looking vinyl are still around.The truth is that vertical blinds are truly very functional and practical and they do the job very well.They serve a purpose and are the most economical way to dress a sliding door.There has been some new material introduced and improvement in the mechanism so the choice is no as boring as it used to be.

As you can see there is a good selection of products available to you to cover a sliding door.Cost to cover a patio door is usually higher that most windows mostly because they tend to be larger in size than a typical window.You have options that cover all budgets from the vertical blinds to the Luminette and vertical cellular.Each of the treatments mentioned also have different options available to you, making it a custom product for your place.Even though sliding doors can be a challenge, they don’t have to be hopeless.

Fashion is limitless when we think outside of the box and don’t equate it to clothing or accessories. Consider high-end fashion windows, a combination of quality, craftsmanship, and exclusivity that makes you feel just as good as your sexiest pair of pumps.

It’s a feeling you get when you walk into a room with long floor to ceiling windows and long flowing drapes that allow you to stay present in that place. It’s the look and feel of the drapes, the length, the color, the fabric, the finish, or the hem. Are they handmade, with a unique finish? Do they make the room feel warmer, more formal, or friendly? The use of fabrics and the creative ways in which you arrange textures, colors, trims, and unique materials allows you to create a theme and incorporate that theme fashionably through your windows. A well-constructed valance, shade, drapery or upholstered piece will emit character. These exquisite pieces of art will complement any room.

In the end, fashion reflects your personal style. Coach verses Gucci, Nine West verses Jimmy Choo, the fashion and the design of the purse or pump is what attracts us the most. If you enjoy high-end fashion, exclusivity, and quality why not consider dressing up your window?

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Hunter Douglas Priority Dealer

Exciting Windows by Marisol

Take advantage of this limited-time offer!

This season, dress your windows in style and enjoy generous rebate savings.  Our Energy Smart Style Savings Event features rebate savings of $25 to $300 per unit and runs January 14 – April 29, 2011.

Schedule your appointment NOW - Click HERE

or CALL me at (954) 600-3419

I just read the blog from Vision about the comeback of draperies. This is very exciting for me, you see I am addicted to fabrics, YES! I AM A FABRICHOLIC. 

For sometime now, hard treatments, such as blinds and shades or shutters have become a staple for window treatments, for some very good reason.  These treatments are what I call functional window treatments that gives you that privacy and light control that you are looking for.  We all know that there is more to hard treatments than what I mentioned here, however, there is nothing, and I mean nothing that finish a room as a drapery or a soft treatment will.  The selection of fabrics, styles, hardware are so vast that it does not matter if your style is traditional, transitional, casual, country, or even contemporary,  there is something out there for you. 

The picture shown has a very nice roman shade from B&W Horizons, however, the panels or drapery shown is what really completes this room.  Imagine with me the same style, but with sheer panels in a mesh style fabric and underneath a ligh filtering solar screen shade.  Of course, the room colors will change to complement the design, very crisp, white colors.  You get an different look with the same drapery design.  Something to thing about.

Pause, grab your lunch and  join Marisol Hernandez of Exciting Windows by Marisol and other decorating enthusiastic at Floral & Hearty Designs on April 15th at 11:30am for  “Lunch with Michael”, a live online webcast trunk show hosted by the popular celebrity interior designer, Michael Payne of HGTV’s “Designing for the Sexes” . 

Place:  Floral & Hearty Designs

             7601 W. Sample Rd

             Coral Springs, FL 33065

 Time:  11:30 am – 1:00pm

Sponsored by Exciting Windows!, the national company for which Michael is spokesman and Marisol Hernandez is a member, this webcast  is called  “Stunning Ideas Begin at Home” . It will feature a private tour of Michael’s Hollywood, California mediterranean-styled estate and will  focus on  the window treatments, accessories and finishing details he used while renovating the 85- year- old villa.  Additionally, he will offer many creative, affordable ideas for privacy, light control, energy efficiency, sound absorption, safety and more with  a portfolio of custom designs featuring draperies, shades, blinds and shutters – all created by Exciting Windows! members from across the country .

Attendees of this webcast will also have the opportunity to ask Michael decorating questions and upload photos of their rooms and windows through the Exciting Windows! Interactive IDEA Studio website.

To reserve your space for this free webcast, contact Marisol Hernandez at marisol@excitingwindows.com or call (954)600-3419.  Can’t join Michael or Marisol for lunch?  No problem!  Register anyway at www.excitingwindows.com/lunchwithmichael and Exciting Windows! will send you a link to the recording to view at your leisure.  

Promotion – Ends November 30, 2009

Here is How:

• Earn an instant rebate of $10/foot* when you recycle your old window coverings and replace them with new ones.

• Lower your energy bills by using beautiful & energy efficient custom shades, blinds, shutters & draperies

• We will recycle your gently used window coverings by donating them to charity

Call Us today to take advanatge of our convenient, no charge In-Home Consultation. We can show you how to make your windows both beautiful and energy-efficient.

(954) 600-3419

* Maximum of $100/window

Hunter Douglas Priority Dealer

Shown above Hunter Douglas Precious Metal and Heritance Shutters

During the month of September and through November 30th, Marisol Hernandez, owner of Exciting Windows! by Marisol is offering a way for you to recycle your tired window coverings and at the same time save some money.

Here’s How:

• Earn an instant rebate of $10/foot* when you recycle your old window coverings and replace them with new window coverings.
  

• Lower you energy bills by using beautiful & energy-efficient custom shades, blinds, shutters & draperies.
  

• We will recycle your gently used window coverings by donating them to charity.

Call us today to take advantage of our convenient, no charge In-Home Consultation. We can show you how to make your windows both beautiful and energy-efficient.

As an Exciting Windows! consultant, Marisol will come to your home or office for a free, no obligation consultation to show you affordable energy-efficient solutions for windows, as well as provide expertise for furniture upholstery, fabric accessories and bedding. For more information about this window coverings trade-in and instant rebate offer, call Marisol at (954)600-3419 or visit www.excitingwindows.com/marisol

*Maximum of $100/window

Draperies, the ones you saw at your mother’s home are making a comeback, at least a modern version of them. After years of vertical blinds and horizontal blinds such as the faux wood blinds, we are seeing in the Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and Miami area an increase in the use of draperies. WHY? You might ask. It is not hard to figure that out. Fabrics soften the room, it makes it inviting, it makes it feel, well, like home. Draperies, roman shades and top treatments will finish the room. It is the icing on the cake. Why not give your room that feel of HOME. Visit www.ExcitingWindows.com/Decoratingmakeover for great ideas