Exciting Windows by Gailani & Associates

Plantation shutters not only add beauty, elegance, poise, and refinement to any home, but they also come at a great value!

Here are six reasons why you should add shutters to your home:

• The rich, wooden shutters can be added to any type of interior space, whether the style is traditional, transitional, eclectic, or contemporary.
•  In the past, only the rich and wealthy were able to afford them. Now, the shutters have the look and feel of expense without the overwhelming price.
• With the ability to regulate how much sunlight enters your room, shutters are a great way to save energy.
• They require very little maintenance and are easy to clean.
• Since shutters are permanent unlike other window treatments, they will easily add value to your property when the time comes to sell your house.
• Wooden shutters are very appealing to potential home buyers. They are considered a home addition and will help you sell your home faster, especially in a market like the one we have today.

Although the initial cost might be high, in the long run, you will find yourself justifying the initial investment because the shutters really do provide an economical solution.

For free consultation and an estimate call(630)420-0800.

Also visit www.GailaniDesigns.com  for more ideas.

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How would you describe your draperies: out of the bag and ordinary or one of a kind and extraordinary?

Ask yourself that question but please do not confuse simplicity with ordinary. Simplicity can be elegant and tasteful; ordinary is what you see everywhere:  overplayed, overdone, and just not exciting.

People are different. They have different needs, lifestyles, personalities, and tastes. Home décor should reflect this, as well as the house’s own appearance and character. Let’s take window treatments for example—your curtain work has to compliment the window itself, from its shape to its glass material, and, of course, the room in general.

Often, I visit homes with store bought draperies that take away from the integrity of the room. To be quite honest, a room will look better with a naked window than a wrongly dressed one.

Custom window coverings can be simple, affordable, and expressive! Choosing the right combination of fabric and hardware really takes a room to the next level of sophistication. It can also bring comfort and satisfaction to the home owner. We want you to feel good about your personal space!

I cannot stress how important it is for you to be happy and joyful every time you come home. This is my goal as a designer: I strive to assist you in creating a uniquely beautiful home that is totally you!

Call for a free estimate (630)420-0800 and make sure to visit www.GailaniDesigns.com for more ideas and creative window covering.

We talked about how important it is to redesign children’s bedrooms to help them get motivated and do well for the new school year.

Now we will talk about how to plan the project:

• As we said before, get the child involved. Have him or her pick a theme. Once the theme is selected, research the colors, designs, fabrics, and textures that you need to create the theme.
• Once you choose the fabrics, decide on the colors to use. Again have the child pick his or her preferred colors. You need about three colors: one major color that will cover 60% of the room, like the walls, a secondary color that will cover 30% of the room, and could be used on furniture, bedding, and draperies, and finally an accent color that will pop up here and there, like pillows, lamps, and decorative accents. The accent color should cover 10% of the room.
• Be creative with the window covering, bedding and your furniture selection. A custom headboard that coordinates with a valance, beautiful decorative pillows, and useful accessories are areas to show talent and creativity.
• Research what is available as far as shades, bedding, and furniture. For example Comfortex has what it is called the Persona shade. The Persona shade is really cool, because it can be customized by using your theme logo, your child’s name, or any design you pick.
• Research what is good for energy saving, room darkening and acoustics to help reduce the noise of the outside world.
• Child safety must be the number one priority when designing a child’s bed room; shades should be cordless to avoid the possibility of chocking or strangling.
• Use materials that are natural fibers and if possible anti allergenic.
• Make sure all furniture fit properly, and the proportions are correct. The room should not be overstuffed.
• Ask about the manufacturer’s guarantee to make sure that what you’re purchasing will last for a long time.

Good luck with your decorating! And please do not hesitate to schedule a free phone consultation! Call (630) 420-0800.

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Call 630 420-0800 or visit www.GailaniDesigns.com for more ideas and information

Burr Ridge Dining Room:

This is a client that I have been working with since 2004! This is their third house, having just moved to Burr Ridge, Illinois about 8 months ago. When I got their call, asking me to once again turn their new house into a home, we started with the dining room.

What grabbed my attention is the beautiful curved wall that separates the dining room and the breakfast nook area. That curved wall can be transformed into a sculpture! I contacted my faux artist and asked her to come up with textures for that wall to make it pop. The color scheme was inspired from the finishes in the room, such as the floors, the dining table top, and the fire place. The circle form was the geometric shape that was very apparent and repeated in the space to create a rhythm.

Since the room has two large windows that bring in ample natural light, I thought we can afford having darker rich colors. The colors we chose were warm and powerful as well as appetizing: deep warm copper and commanding powerful black, accented by scrumptious kiwi green!

For the window treatment, a special fabric was selected to emphasize the circle shape. Larry Laslo fabric “Cufflink” color copper (from Robert Allen fabrics) was the face layer and it was lined with plain black sheer. The fabric “Cufflink” is made out of cut out circles which made it very special and unique. A special pleat was created to enhance the fabric and the overall modern design. As for the hardware, we used a plain stainless steel rod with clear white glass ball for the finials.

A wall sculpture made out of hand blown glass was a perfect accessory for the southern wall adjacent to the curved wall. The curved wall was textured in a heavy luster stone finish, with vertical lines, and in a soft coppery color with multiple greens, grays, and silvers. The heavy texture makes a great compliment to the delicate, transparent glass.

A special chandelier was selected for the center. It consisted of a large black drum shade lined in matt silver with multiple rows of white crystal balls that creates a water fall effect! What is so stunning is that when it is lit, shadows of the crystals form on the inside of the shade that are the same size and shape of the circles in the window treatment fabric!

For the dining chairs, an upscale, Italian made chair was the client’s choice. The modern design, the reflective black lacquer finish, the high back with vertical lines and luscious black and copper upholstery fabric made this dining room a truly dynamic one!

The colors are warm, rich, and bold. The circle shapes are selected to emphasize the curved wall and make it more apparent as well as creating a rhythm and enhancing the curves and the vertical lines were selected to support the beauty of the high ceiling and to create the sense of luxury, elegance, and extravagance!

I had so many complements from all the members of the family. My favorite was: “I make sure I go through the room, even if there was no reason to do so, I do it just because being in that room makes me feel very happy!”

For more ideas and information Visit www.GailaniDesigns.com Or call (630)420-0800.

Here is a video during the design process of the dining room! watch?v=ysmVbrSouKw

Here is a testimonial from the home owner watch?v=3Rg7aK7iQHc&feature=channel&list=UL

Recently I had the chance to stay at freshly remodeled Hampton motel in Seattle, Washington. The new design was very well put together and that really effected how I felt during my stay. There was an effort to create that feel of home, relaxing, restful environment.

The most comfortable bed dressed in all white soft linen, made me want to dive right into it!!! The duvet was so downy and soft, bunch of feathery, slouchy pillows, which made me want to stay in bed for that unsurpassed pampering!

Of course I paid close attention to the window treatment. The first layer was a screen shade which totally loved because it defused the bright light and gave the room  some privacy and one still could see out. The second layer was draperies with black out lining for total room darkening. Stationary panels in a large print framed the window on each side and a tailored cornice finished the window.

Although there was nothing out of the ordinary about the room but how it was put together, the colors, patterns, and the effort to create comfort, restful feeling, and serenity what made me feel down at home, and I couldn’t help feeling impressed!!!

For free estimate call (630)420-0800

For More Ideas Visit www.GailaniDesigns.com

Nothing Beats the feeling of happiness when clients express their satisfaction for an interior design work well done!

Watch the video below, a testimonial from a happy client from Burr Ridge Illinois. We provided, his window covering and draperies, and all the furniture and art work.

Call Susan Gailani for free estimate (630) 420-0800

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I would like to share the Modern Novelties collection from the Kravet Couture fabrics.

Total luxury and style for your windows.

Notice the unique fabrics with metallic threads, intricate embroideries, open cutouts, and the delicate sheers.

If you are looking for the extra ordinary, and the luxurious experience, we have it! call us (630) 420-0800.

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The answer is: Be creative!  There are tons of ways to create beautiful decorative items for your home.

Here are some ideas:

• Table runners, plate mats, or table clothes. Be imaginative with the center piece.
• Pillows of all types and sizes.
• Decorative skirts for the base of your Christmas tree.
• Covers for your boxes in storage. You can trim them with bows, tassels and ribbons.
• Ties to bundle groups of items for decorating, like a group of jars filled with jams and jellies, dried herbs, buttons or sewing notions and so on.
• Skirts for baskets, bed skirts or pet’s bedding.
• A valance or small drapery panel to a small window.

The ideas are endless for unique decorative items; let your imagination flow freely!

Call for free estimate or design consultation(630)420-0800

www.GailaniDesigns.com

Pillows

Pillows are an affordable accessory for any room. They can be functional, to make a seat more comfortable, or decorative to add an accent color, texture or just to make a statement. As far as cost, they can be inexpensive if they are ready made. Searching the stores, one can find beautiful pillows imported from India or China for as little as $25.00 a piece. Custom pillows however are a different story. Custom pillows can become very pricy based on the fabrics, trims, the type of insert, and all the bells and whistles that are added.

It might seem expensive to spend money on pillows, but the truth is, the quality, the personal touch, the creativity that goes into custom pillows is priceless. One pillow can set the entire ambiance of a room, and will bring pleasures for many years to come.

Call us for free in home design consultation or free estimate (630)420-0800

Also visit our Gailani Designs Website for more ideas www.GailaniDesigns.com

Here are illustrations from Jackie Von Tobel book, The Design Directory of Bedding.

Guest Rooms

Making a room welcoming and hospitable is the goal when designing guest rooms. Whether designing a guest room in a large suburban space, or in a compact city dwelling, each has its own challenges. With careful planning and creativity, guest rooms will be an expression of the host’s style, hospitality and thoughtfulness.

Here are some tips and ideas when designing a guest room:

• A comfortable bed is a must; consider an extra layer of down to cover the bed for extra comfort.
•  Vary the pillows from soft to extra firm and let the guests decide what is more comfortable for them.
• The bed sheets must be soft. Egyptian cotton with a high thread count is recommended. How about adding fresh cotton fragrance when storing the linens? But be sure to ask if your guest has any allergies.
• Upholstered head boards, pillow shams, Euro shams, decorative pillows, bed skirts, and canopies are all items that tell so much about the host.
• Fresh flowers are another way to tell the guest they are important, and they are very much cared about! Again, be sure your guests don’t have allergies. If they do, silk flowers of high quality can be used and will fool anyone into thinking they’re fresh.
• Displaying family pictures, trips, or special events will evoke conversation and discussion of happy times with guests. Another good idea is to have a wall display with words of wisdom. Special quotes framed or stenciled on walls is something to consider.
• Try putting a coffee maker or electric kettle in the room with a selection of high quality teas. Add a silver tray with fine china, various sugars, honey, and a pitcher with glasses for cold water. Guests could enjoy a fresh cup of coffee or tea early in the morning in their own bed room without disturbing the hosting family.
• Incorporate a reading corner with a comfortable chaise or chair, a soft comfy shawl, and a stack of well read books.
• Pay attention to details and add those extra ordinary trims, buttons, tassels, and fringes. Those details say something special about the host.

All the careful planning will bring a smile to guests’ faces, and will give them a wonderful experience they will never forget.

Call us for a free estimate and consultation (630) 420-0800

Also visit our Gailani Designs website for more ideas: www.GailaniDesigns.com

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