Power to the People

It is amazing what technology has done to change our lives! Now, mentally I do not consider myself "old" (checking the calendar - the reality might be a "sort of"). But it wasn't so long ago that I did not have a phone with me whenever I left the house. Now, like most people, I feel naked if I am without that 2 3/4" x 5 1/2" lifeline. Why is that? We survived quite well for years without being constantly attached...

One of the incredible things these little technology wonders now have the capability of doing is to control our window treatments! Always the innovator, Hunter Douglas has designed an app can allow the homeowner the ability to manage their PowerView motorized window shades right from their smart phone or tablet. Providing you with energy savings, security and convenience whether you are at home - or not!

I've seen an uptick in the requests for motorization over the past few years. You can motorize just about any type of window treatment. Often, customers request motorizing to control window treatments that are difficult to reach...

The center drapery in this room is set up and far back, making it virtually impossible to open and close unless you climbed onto a ladder each time. While the homeowner was able to operate the very tall drapery flanking the center manually, they opted to motorize the center to control the light and privacy in their large family room.

 

This customer chose to motorize their two walls of Luminettes by Hunter Douglas in their living room. Not because it was difficult to reach, but strictly as a convenience. I have found not only the younger, tech savvy homeowner is opting to motorize their window treatments, but the older consumer as well. It makes their lives easier and eliminates the "heavy lifting" of treatments that may take some physical strength or flexibility to move. This was the case with one of my customers recently - an older couple needed to control the light in their great room, yet both were incapacitated and confined to large recliners during the day. Motorization gave them the flexibility to control the glare off the television and give them privacy when needed. 

 

Predicted to grow exponentially over the next several years, motorization is no longer just the big boy toy. With the emphasis on child and pet safety, motorization has become a very viable alternative. Like the price of big screen TV's, we have seen the cost of motorizing our window treatments drop from being an unattainable luxury to an option to be considered for any room in your home. The power is in your hands!

Let the Sun Shine In

Over the past few years I have seen a resurgence in drapery. By the way, drapery is the correct term, not drapes - "drapes" is a verb not a noun. But I digress. I'm so glad to see drapery as a current trend! Not only are you providing wonderful insulation against cold and heat, but it affords you the opportunity to show off some beautiful fabrics that can pull a room together with color and/or pattern.

I recently completed a job for one of my favorite clients - she and her husband built a lovely home that backs to a country club golf course. They enjoy a fabulous view from the two story great room and from their master bedroom. Which is great, most of the time. When they moved in, we installed Hunter Douglas Alustra Silhouettes with PowerView motorization. The Brio pattern is the prettiest pattern offered in Silhouettes and we used it in different colorways throughout their first floor.

Except that still left the master bedroom upper specialty shaped windows uncovered. Not great for those weekend mornings when you want to sleep in! When Lynn and I met to discuss this challenge, we both agreed that keeping as much of the window open when they were up and around was important - they didn't want to lose that fabulous view! Contributing to that challenge was the slope of the ceiling. We couldn't bring any kind of drapery rod far out from the window because of the angle of that ceiling.

Our answer: ripplefold drapery! Unlike traditional pleats, ripplefold drapery allows for a tighter stackback so more of the glass can be cleared. It's a simpler, more contemporary look that is used frequently in urban lofts, but translates well to a transitional style like Lynn's.

 

With the tight amount of space available for the drapery when opened, the ripplefold stack allowed most of

the glass to still be visible.

 

When closed, the strong light that pours in on sunny days is no longer streaming directly at those trying to sleep.

 

The luxurious deep folds sit under the custom Designer Metal Ripplefold Rod, because the ripplefold system is a snap tape system that allows for maximum stackback. With a ripplefold drapery, you can also reduce fullness to give even more clearance or increase fullness for a sheer fabric.

 

This style has quickly become one of my favorite recommendations - it brings Grandma's draperies into 2017. It's about time, don't you think?

It's Deja Vu All Over Again

This is a kitchen I designed for my client, Holly, probably 20 years ago. The wallpaper, the florals and the balloon shades probably give the time period away. But, look at the colors - rose and blue.

So, it with no further ado that I share Pantone's Colors of the Year for 2016:

Wow! 20 years later - they are back! And why not? Rose Quartz and Serenity. They are soothing, comfortable, soft hues that evoke a sense of calm in these turbulent times. And in our "keep it until it rots" Midwestern sensibility, these colors are sure to be quickly embraced. Chances are, many of the accessories that worked with this color scheme 20 years ago are still in use! 

In the case of Holly's kitchen, (did I forget to mention the windows flanking the slider have rose pleated shades under the valance?), how could we update the look to bring it into 2016? If the wallcovering were staying, changing out the handles on the cherry cabinets and installing new light fixtures would be an inexpensive update. Removing the original window treatments and installing a neutral Duette Architella Honeycomb Shade by Hunter Douglas on the small windows with a coordinating Vertiglide on the slider would keep the softness and allow the room to open to the outside. I'd replace that balloon with a much simpler treatment and push it all the way to the ceiling to further open the expanse of glass. Possibly a stripe or even a banded solid would be a good choice. And instead of the laminated tablecloth (she had little children at the time, kept the table practical), I might coordinate custom chair pads with the top treatment and use placemats instead.  

So, if you find yourself looking at home decor or women's clothing in the next year and start to feel like you've done this before - chances are, you have!

Window to the World...While you shower?

I grew up in a house that was built in 1959. There is a window in the main bathroom. That window is a glass block window - great for letting in natural light along with a window sill for my mom's African violets. You still had privacy and never gave a thought to adding any kind of window treatment.

Something happened since that time that lead to architects and home builders adding windows, big windows, into bathrooms. Especially over the bathtub. Yes, they brought in wonderful natural light. But they also brought out our sense of modesty. Who wants to shower in front of the neighbor's kitchen window 15 yards away?

I'm not complaining! The home builder's thoughtless design has been a consistent source of revenue for those of us called to treat those windows.

Treatments that can go down from the top as well as up from the bottom are frequently the solution to allow light to come in while keeping privacy. Cellular shades like Duettes from Hunter Douglas, seen in this customer's bath, are a great choice. Roman shades are another treatment that you can add

the top down bottom up function, giving you the "pretty" along with the practicality.

Frequently, builders will use bathrooms to feature a specialty shaped window - throwing yet another monkey wrench into the search for privacy in the most private area of the home.

Once again, this builder chose a huge corner window, topped with arched windows, and placed it right over the bathtub. Here we chose Silhouettes from Hunter Douglas as the solution, giving both beauty and practicality. The sheer of the Silhouettes on the bottom, even as the shade is open, provides some daytime privacy for the owners. They can close the vanes in the evening as they see fit. The specialty arches above can be ordered either in the permanently open or permanently closed position.  This customer wanted the closed position, not only for privacy, but to cut the morning light that streams into the adjacent bedroom.

This window was a particularly tough situation. A powder room that looked out onto the front porch of the home, this window demands privacy. The small, oval shape did not fit into most blind or shade options. And, the customer did not want to spend a small fortune on the smallest room in the home. Budget quickly eliminated the custom shutter option. They also did not want a permanent covering, such as a fabric sunburst, preferring the ability to choose open or close. The solution: continue the wood blinds we had put throughout the home. The integrity of the oval window can still be seen, both inside and out, plus the light can still be controlled!

In the end, there are a number of different solutions to treating that "window to the world" in your bathroom. We can have that natural, flattering light we crave when it comes to putting on makeup in the morning. But, we can also have the privacy we need when we step out of the shower before that!

Nailed It On The Head!

Nailheads are hot! Furniture for sure. Headboards? You bet! (Eddie Z's does custom headboards!)

But why not take them a step further? This cornice is topping a Hunter Douglas Powerrise Alustra Silhouette in my customer's craft room. She was looking for something different with a little bit of whimsy. We found just the ticket!

Using a pebble grained faux leather from Trend Fabrics and a square nailhead that we angled to turn them into diamonds, we turned a simple shaped cornice into something special. So cute!

There are so many options available with nailheads - size, shape, finish - use it as a border - or why not as a unique design in the middle of a cornice? Maybe an initial?

This creates a truly one of a kind treatment that doesn't add much to the bottom line, but adds a huge amount to the impact in the room. A cornice with nailheads could work in an office, a child's room, a family room or even a craft room (as seen above). As a side note, Eddie Z's is completing the craft room above with custom storage from our closet division, so this room will not only look fabulous, but  also function beautifully!

TransFIXING Transoms!

I've been working with people for many years covering their windows, but there is one kind of window all are reluctant to cover at all. TRANSOMS! That window above the window that you paid a little extra for. It brings an added architectural detail to a room and lets extra light in without (usually) affecting privacy.

Normally, I will accomodate the customer's wishes. Sometimes, if it's a patio door with the transom above, we cannot because there is nowhere to put a center support for the treatment below. But look at the windows in the photo of this two story family room. We installed gorgeous Hunter Douglas Vignette Modern Roman Shades in the Etched pattern on the lower windows only, leaving the transoms open. The Stoneware colorway was perfect for her contemporary room with lots of gray. It looks beautiful!



Except......the light coming in from the transoms (and the upper windows) causes tremendous glare in the room, making the television and anyone sitting across from you difficult to see. Because you can't lengthen the Vignettes  (you can only start from scratch), we needed a different solution.

Easy solution for the upper windows - we are installing the same Vignettes in the Etched/Stoneware pattern but adding the Powerrise feature, so they can open and shut them with the push of a button! Next step is the transoms. We will be tinting them in the spring, which will not only aid in reducing the glare, but also the fading of her beautiful new furniture and dark wood floors.

Sometimes getting what you want, like open transoms, can bring about challenges! Fortunately, we can find a solution!

After the Before Before

 

I wish I had the before "before" photos of this contemporary room. Typical suburban two story family room is what I would tell you. But this savvy homeowner brought in some major bling with the floor to ceiling marble fireplace and an incredible chandelier that just dances throughout the room.

But something was still missing! That is where we came in...

 

The first layer we added was privacy - all the glass gave the room a bit of a fishbowl look. We used Hunter Douglas Pirouettes - giving the homeowner complete control over her privacy while also providing excellent light control. Then we played up the height by adding cascades to the centers and panels to the outside of the corner windows. This Fabricut faux silk added a graphic element and a bit more sheen. Depending on how and where you view this fabric, it can pull up grey or gold tones - perfect for the palette of this room!

She's Got Legs...

To quote ZZ Top "she knows how to use them". What does this mean when you're talking about window treatments? Most windows end somewhat short of the floor, generally 24" or more. You can treat the window itself with some kind of hard treatment, like a Duette or a Silhouette, and that's great, but stand back and take a look. Why does it feel like something is missing? Because it is like a body cut off at the knees, or worse yet, at the hips! It needs legs!

This was a very formal space with very deep windows. The customer wanted a simple roller shade for privacy. But the room would never have been complete without the addition of the faux silk drapery panels (and the marvelous pagoda style cornices to complete the oriental theme). Not only did the drapery panels add softness to a room with many hard surfaces - think about a typical dining room - lots of wood in there! - but it gave that much needed vertical line to offset the chair rail that cuts the room into two pieces.

As simple as this sheer treatment is, the "legs" that reach to the floor, give weight and more importance to a rather nondescript window in this dining room. Yet, because of the choice of the sheer rather than a heavier, lined drapery, the window still feels light and airy. Simple or ornate, framing your window with drapery panels completes not only the window, but the entire room.

Morale of the story... stretch your "legs" and your windows will be in much better shape!