Ventanas, LLC

Consider adding accent pillows to your order when you buy custom draperies. For just a little extra money (especially if you use leftover drapery fabric), you can add a color splash to your furnishings, and coordinate with your window treatments.

Custom draperies are not a commodity. If budget is an issue (and nowadays, when isn’t it?), keep in mind that if you buy quality draperies the first time, you’re not likely to need to replace them 2-3 years down the road. Spending a little extra money on the front end could save you money and heartache in the long term. Skimping on fabric, linings and hardware will only leave you wishing you’d done it right the first time. Buy quality, and you’ll only buy once.

Ever wish you could tilt your shutters with the touch of a remote? What if you don’t want to run wires through your walls? Norman Shutters has come up with battery-operated shutter solutions that don’t require tearing up drywall, and will allow you to operate several shutter panels with just one touch. Great for hard-to-reach windows, and for the elderly and people with disabilities. Perfect Tilt by Norman Shutters runs off alkaline or lithium batteries that last up to 2 1/2 years. Solar Tilt is a brand-new Norman product that runs off solar-powered battery packs that last up to 4 years. It’s an idea whose time has come.

With the stock market in turmoil and the housing market bottoming out, many homeowners are feeling the urge to “nest”. When we surround ourselves with things that give us comfort and some tranquility, the external forces don’t seem quite so bad. Ways in which we “nest” include changing the paint color of our living room, buying new throw pillows and blankets, and adding draperies to our wood blind covered windows. Fabric and texture give us a sense of security. Something we could all use a little of right now..

When thinking about draperies for a living room or dining room, consider adding layers for a more upscale look. The traditional way to do this is to do a layer of sheers underneath the main drapery layer. Sheers allow light control and privacy, while the main drape brings color and texture into the room. A less expensive way of adding a layer is to add a faux layer in a contrasting fabric or a sheer underneath the main drapery. This layer may only be 8-10″ of fabric, peaking out from the leading edge of the main draper, but will give the illusion of a second layer of drapery fabric. Maximum luxury for minimal dollars spent. That’s something we could all use in these difficult economic times.