We all know that convenience is a major player in the decision to choose a motorized window treatment, however, child safety is also a deciding factor. Matthew Kandl has this to say about child safety:

“When it comes to choosing window treatments, most consumers consider color, style, and even privacy. If young children are around the home, then cord control should be another important factor in selecting your window treatments.

Although today’s window fashions come with built-in cord-safety features, the Window Covering Safety Council believes cordless window coverings are the best choice for use in children’s bedrooms and any area of the home where children spend time playing.

In fact, cordless designs are rapidly gaining favor with consumers and decorators because of their “clean” look and streamlined design. Most traditionally corded window fashions are available in “cordless” styles through the use of spring-loaded mechanisms, battery- or motor-operated lift controls, or simple wand pulls. When combined with the scores of new fashion looks in today’s window coverings, consumers can pick from a wide choice of high-style cordless designs.”

Remember, the Hunter Douglas Fashion in Motion special runs through September 4^th. If you have small children in your home, you may want to consider motorization for their safety as well as your convenience.

Matthew Kandl was the Training and Education Manager for Hunter Douglas and in 2009 started Motorized Window Treatments

Recently we installed an Adjust-A-View shade, gave you some information on the product, and shared some pictures. Today we have a video showing the ease of operation by one of our favorite clients, Carol. In her words “They installed the blinds almost like magic.”

The Adjust-A-View is very quick and easy to install even in a non-perfect window. Typically arched windows are constructed in a manner where the sill is built up into the window. The resulting radius is less than half the diameter and no longer “perfect”. The Adjust-A-View allows for plus or minus 2 inches of imperfection to easily fit any window.

The shade is custom made for your window using Hunter Douglas, Graber, Comfortex, Kirsh and, Omega products. You can then match the shades on your other windows with your Adjust-A-View.

Click on the link below to view the video:

Adjust-A-View corded operation

Arch windows are a beautiful architectural feature in the home. They do, however, pose a great dilemma when there is a need for privacy or light control. While there are a few products on the market that offer some flexibility in opening and closing a shade, none compare to the degree of adjustability of the Adjust-A-View moveable arches by Omega.

The arched shade actually uses two fully functioning shades that operate independently, offering a full range of motion and light control options. With a cord on each side, it is simple and convenient to select just the perfect angle, or none at all.

And since we have been talking lately about motorization, we need to mention that the Adjust-A-View is of course available in a motorized version as well. Each side can operate independently or you can choose to operate both at the same time by simply touching buttons on the remote.

A great way is with a Hunter Douglas unique cell-within-a-cell, insulating Duette Honeycomb Shade. The innovative honeycomb construction creates air pockets where light meets color. To suit your day and activities, these shades can be raised or lowered from the top or the bottom.

The Duette Architella Honeycomb Shade is a state-of-the-art, patented design incorporating three insulating air pockets, creating the most energy efficiency. The honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb design greatly reduces your Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), or the amount of solar heat that passes through your window.

For an example, the SHGC on a standard bare, double-glazed window is 0.76, which means 76% of solar heat is transmitted through it. By adding an opaque Duette Architella shade the SHGC drops as low as 0.15 – only allowing 15% of this summer’s heat into your room, helping to lower your cooling costs. (We could all use that this summer!)

In addition, the over 200 fabric/color combinations can filter out 95% of destructive UV rays.

Remember the Hunter Douglas Fashion in Motion promotion going on now until September 4^th offering a $100 savings on a motorized shade.

Like the subtle cast their name suggests, Silhouette window shadings from Hunter Douglas, have Signature S-Vanes that easily create beautiful gradations of light and shadow.

The soft fabric vanes are suspended between two sheers, diffusing softened light deep into the room. Silhouettes’s patented sheer facings provide an uncluttered view to the outside.

You can select from 240 color and fabric combinations and three vane sizes.

The vanes are easily tilted to suit the privacy you desire while maintaining the UV protection (88% with vanes open, 99% with vanes closed).

Silhouette with LiteRise operation is cordless control rendering the shades the perfect choice for enhanced child safety. Motorized PowerTilt with Platinum Technology allows you to tilt the slats open or close remotely using either a hand held control or through any home automation system.

Arch windows are everywhere; foyers, family rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms!

They are beautiful additions to our rooms, but what about controlling the amount of light that comes in?  In some rooms, it is desirable to leave them uncovered all the time.  In other rooms, such as west facing or bedrooms, the option of being able to close off the light is needed.  Fortunately there are options available, and in different price points.  If you don’t mind having a stationary arch treatment (either open or closed), a sunburst arch is a beautiful option.

But if flexibility is your goal, then you need to explore the options available for moveable arch treatments.

Today, let’s look at the Sunset Arch, made by Comfortex.  This is an operable cellular shade arch with the cellular fabric in the horizontal orientation.  It does not require a perfect arch shape.  The shade is operated manually by moving a little metal ball up or down.  It operates very easily and can be completely opened, closed, or left any where in between.  If the window is too high for you to reach, as is often the case, an extension wand is perfect to use.

You can see an example of a sunset arch in this photo.  It is mounted over a cordless,  cellular shade below.

We will look at other arch shade treatments in upcoming blogs.  Stay tuned!

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I LOVE Roman Shades.  They are such versatile treatments for a window.  They provide not only function of privacy, light control, and energy savings, but also add a softness to bring beauty, warmth and style to your room.  They truly provide the whole package.  Roman Shades can be made from any fabric you want that coordinates with your interior.  They can also me made from a more traditional shade cloth, or natural woven wood materials.  It all depends on what feeling and look you want to achieve at the window.

Recently, Roman Shades have undergone extreme scrutiny for child safety.  Our industry just adopted new guidelines for the manufacturing of products that have working cords, which includes roman shades.  It is important to purchase your Roman Shades from a company that strictly adheres to these new guidelines.  I am very proud to align myself with manufacturers that have undergone all the testing necessary to comply with the new guidelines.  You can be assured that our shades, when professionally installed,  meet the current industry standards for safety.

Roman Shades are  available in many different styles.  Enjoy these photos of several of my favorites.

I just returned from installing 6 Hunter Douglas Applause shades with the PowerRise 2.0 operating system. The customer has a wall of 6 windows, three above and three below. They wanted to be able to operate the shades from a remote control. The shades are battery operated and then the remote is programmed to operate the shades in groups. The customer chose to group the top shades as one, and the bottom shades as another group. Because the new Hunter Douglas Platinum Technology allows the remote to work using infrared or radio frequency, each shade can still be operated independently by using the point and click method. The customer took a long lunch and met us at his home. When we left, he was still happily playing with the remote and exploring his many options. I wonder if he ever went back to work?

Sometimes a window treatment calls for some sort of specialty hardware.  A “swing arm” is just such a thing.  This might be used over a shutter so that it can swing open with the shutter door.  Or perhaps another application when the drapery rod can only be attached to the wall on one side.  At a trade show earlier this year, I found a fabulous new type of swing arm rod.  It is made by Helser Brothers and comes in many fabulous finishes.  You can see in the photo that what makes this rod different is the attached holdback.  This can easily be used for swinging the arm, in addition to holding back the drapery.  This is much better than having to reach up  to the top of the swing arm to move it, especially on a tall window.

Have you seen the House Hunter’s show on HGTV?  A couple is searching for a new home, they look at three properties, weigh the pros and cons of each, and then decide which one is right for them.  Choosing a window treatment design can be much the same process.  I am currently working with a couple that had a difficult time deciding how to treat their arched dining room window.  The very large window is on the front of the house, so they felt on display to all their neighbors.  It also faces west, so the sun has begun to fade everything in the room, as well as just be too bright to look at in the late afternoon.  They also felt it was time to add some fabric to soften the room and add a decorative element.  With privacy, light control, and decorative design in mind we set out to find the perfect solution for them.  With so many options, what would they choose?  They settled on applying a window film for the light control and adding a Hunter Douglas Silhouette Shade for the privacy.  And this is a rendering of what the finished design will look like.  I’ll be sure to share the “real” photo after the installation.

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Design Project in Mason, OH