When it’s time to update your home with new window treatments, you may want to consider more than just aesthetics. Of course, you’ll want your new window shades or blinds to be attractive and stylish, but you may also want to keep energy efficiency in mind.

In the average American household, over 40% of your utility bill goes toward heating and cooling your home. That wouldn’t be too bad if all of that energy–and money–actually contributed to creating a comfortably warmed or cooled environment. But did you know that heat lost through your windows could add up to 10-25% of your energy bill? Keep that money from going right out your windows–literally!–with cellular window shades. This versatile window treatment solution provides homeowners with all of the benefits of standard window coverings like Roman shades but with the additional benefit of improved energy efficiency. So when you choose to install cellular shades in your home, you get easy operation, sleek looks, and lower energy bills.

Unlike Roman shades or window blinds that are typically made of one or two flat layers of material, cellular shades are formed in a unique honeycomb style. Two or more layers of a non-woven material are pleated together, sandwiching pockets of air between the layers. This distinctive design offers a soft, elegant appearance, but it’s also what helps insulate your windows. By trapping air inside the cells, these window shades create a thermal break between your window glass and the temperature inside your home. This helps ensure the hot air stays in during the winter and out during the summer. High-quality cellular shades typically offer R-values (measures of insulating property) of between R-4 and R-6 for double honeycomb styles. Compare that with a typical R-value of 2.5 for horizontal blinds and 3.0 for basic Roman shades. These numbers spell out just how much more efficient a cellular window shade is than many of your other options!

Cellular shades are a particularly good investment for warmer, sunnier climates. That’s because in addition to heat transfer from the hot temperatures outside, the sun can actually warm up a space with solar radiation. Those bright sunbeams that make the beach so pleasant are also making it hotter in your home, forcing your air conditioner to work harder, and your energy bills through the roof. However, when you install cellular shades in your home, you can combat solar heat gain as well as thermal heat transfer. By drawing your cellular shades when the sun is streaming in, you can block out the sun and insulate your windows at the same time, ensuring your home stays comfortably cool for less.

So if you’re in the market for window blinds or shades, make sure to consider the whole picture, including energy efficiency, before you make your selection. With cellular, or honeycomb, shades, you’ll find that their great looks mean you won’t even have to sacrifice to make your home more energy efficient. Contact your local window treatment specialist to learn more or to place your order for a cellular window shade today.

If your new bamboo window shades, custom draperies, or fabric vertical blinds don’t do what you want them to do, it doesn’t matter how good they look or how well they go with your decor–you’ll never be totally happy with them. When it comes to window treatments, we sometimes get sidetracked by form and we forget about function. In order to make the most of your time, energy, and money, make sure you determine what practical objective you want your window coverings to perform before you get sidetracked by matters of color or construction.

One major practical element of window coverings is light control. Sheer window draperies, for example, will let in a lot of light, while horizontal blinds, often made of wood or aluminum, will block most light from coming through, at least when the slats are turned down. If you are installing new window coverings in your home, think about how you want the light to be in whatever room you’re considering. In a bedroom that has eastern-facing windows, you may want to have coverings, such as cellular shades with blackout inserts, that will block out light very well. That way, you won’t be woken up by early morning light on weekend mornings before your alarm even has a chance to go off! If, on the other hand, you have a room that you want a lot of light to come into, you might consider an option such as roman shades or even sheer window drapery, which will screen some light while still letting a goodly amount through.

In addition to light control, the other major practicality to take into account when it comes to window coverings is privacy. In a given room, how much do you want people on the outside to be able to see in when the coverings are down or closed? Again, your response to this question will likely depend on the particular room in question. If you are putting up window treatments in the first floor bedroom of a city apartment, you’ll probably want the privacy provided by thick roll up shades or mini blinds. In most cases, these treatments will block the view from the outside, including silhouettes, so that you don’t have to worry about sharing your private life with the rest of the world. If you live in a more rural area, though, or if privacy isn’t an issue in a particular space like a living room or kitchen, there are other options to choose from for window coverings. If privacy isn’t a major concern, a more transparent or sheer window shade or blind might be right for you. Whatever your privacy preference, there’s a window treatment out there to make it possible.

There are hundreds of different window coverings on the market, and all of them are designed to do a slightly different job. As a customer, knowing what purposes you want your window coverings to fulfill will help you pick the option that will best serve you, and your space, in the long run.

Window shades, blinds, and plantation shutters provide a lot more than just attractive looks for your home. Your window treatments can also add privacy, light control, and even energy efficiency!

The right draperies or blinds put the beautiful finishing touch on your decor, but they also do so much more. From providing you with privacy and light control to adding energy efficiency, your window shades and blinds are a high-performance addition to your home no matter which style you choose!

Privacy

Whether you select a light-filtering design or a room-darkening shade, window coverings of all kinds can help add a little privacy to your home. Translucent options like sheer blinds and shades can both let the maximum light in and keep prying neighbors’ eyes out while options like bamboo or woven wood shades can filter light for a great compromise between privacy and illumination. Of course, full-coverage options like cellular shades or Roman shades can help ensure complete privacy when drawn.

Light Control

Just about all window treatments provide great light control when closed: plantation shutters, horizontal blinds, and Roman shades all keep the sun’s glare out when drawn. However, there are a number of great window covering options that can help manage your natural light levels even when open. The innovative new sheer blinds are one of these. Window films are also a great choice for constant light control. You can even get clear window films that let all the light in yet block 99% of dangerous UV radiation–you get the benefit of beautiful sunlight without the harmful and fading effects of the Sun.

Energy Efficiency

While privacy and light control are offered, to varying degrees, by just about every type of window treatment, not all window blinds and shades provide energy-efficient performance. However, there is an increasing selection of these energy-saving window treatments on the market. Two of the most notable are plantation shutters and cellular shades. In fact, there are even great new cellular vertical blinds available to help you get energy efficiency and attractive appearance for patio doors and extra-large windows!

So when the time comes to add new window blinds, shades, or shutters to your home or office, make sure you consider more than just looks. With the privacy, light-control, and energy-efficiency benefits of many kinds of window treatments, you can get the performance and appearance that are just right for your specific needs.

Today’s window treatment stores offer far more than just window blinds! Check out all your options in window coverings–from high-tech motorized window treatments to energy-efficient cellular shades–to get the absolute best for your home!

When you’re in the market for window treatments, don’t just limit yourself to basic blinds and window shades. Today’s selection of beautiful, functional window coverings spans the gamut from high-tech to high-class, so there’s sure to be a fantastic option for any room, lifestyle, and even budget.

Motorization

Wish your blinds could go up and down at the touch of a button? With motorized window shades, they can! Combining beautiful horizontal blinds, sun shades, and other window treatment styles with a durable opening mechanism, motorized shades make it simple and easy to optimize privacy and light control in any room of your home. Available with remote control or switch operation, motorized window coverings can also be connected to light sensors or timers for full automation!

Energy-Efficiency

Your windows are at fault for much of your home’s energy loss: Because they allow the transfer of heat between your home’s interior and the temperature outside, your windows can create heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer. Even the most energy-efficient windows can be causing your energy bills to be higher than they’d have to be. But with the right window dressings, you can actually help prevent a great deal of this heat transfer. Insulating window shades, like cellular shades, not only look beautiful and help you manage light and privacy concerns, they can also help keep your bills lower with their energy-efficient design.

Custom Design

And don’t forget, many of today’s window treatments are available in personalized looks. From Roman shades to custom drapery to roll-up shades, you can select the right fabric, pattern, and style for your specific decorating needs. Many types of plantation shutters and blinds can be custom color-matched to your existing trim or color scheme. So why settle for one-size-fits-all window coverings, when you can get top-quality shades and blinds customized to meet your specific needs!

If you’re ready to explore all of the great possibilities for your home or office’s new window coverings, contact your local retailer today.

From easily opening and closing shades on hard-to-reach windows to operating your window blinds when you’re not even home, motorized window shades offer myriad benefits for any home. Use the latest technology to get the ultimate in comfort and convenience for your windows and your home!

Once regarded as luxuries only suitable for the most opulent homes and wealthiest people, motorized window shades are actually a relatively affordable solution for maximizing the comfort and convenience of your home. With options available from remote control operation to high-tech sensors, you can have your window shades motorized in a way that best suits your home and your specific needs. For demonstrations and additional information on motorizing window treatments for your windows, contact your local window shades and blinds store today!

Adding motorized window treatments to your home and office can bring you a huge range of benefits: these window blinds and shades offer a huge range of benefits beyond just looking cool! Motorized window shades provide:

Convenience for inaccessible windows. Does your cathedral ceiling mean the living room has windows far out of reach? The answer is a cellular shade or window blind with an integrated motor. Now, instead of being impossible to reach, these window coverings will go up and down at the touch of a button, enabling you to control natural light levels even on the highest windows.

Hassle-free operation for all types of window coverings. Have large, hard to move window blinds? Wish you didn’t have to get up from the sofa when the sun’s angle suddenly means light shining in your eyes? The great news is that having your window shades motorized makes it simple and easy to open and close all type of window covering. Whether operated by remote control or sensors, your window treatments will open and close themselves, making your life easier!

Increased comfort and protection. The sun offers beautiful natural light, but it can also be a nuisance by making rooms too hot in the summer, fading furniture and flooring, shining too brightly, and more. But with automatic window shades, you can precisely control the amount of sunlight that streams through your windows, providing protection for your decor and comfort for you and your family. From re-angling the tilt of your horizontal blinds to drawing your shades down, having motors on your window treatments allows you to keep your home looking and feeling great.

Safety and security. When you’re on vacation, it’s always a challenge to make it look like there’s someone at home (an important step in dissuading would-be thieves from breaking in). You can always put your lamps on timers, but the question remains: leave the blinds opened or closed? Automatic window shades let you do both! With light sensors or timers installed, your high-tech window blinds can open and close themselves without anyone home, so even when you’re miles away it looks like someone is inside!

So if you’re ready to take your window blinds and shades to the next level, contact your local window covering specialist now. These experts can help you find the right motorized window shade or blind for your specific needs–get ready to enjoy all these great benefits and more by having your window shades motorized!

Window treatments don’t have to be formal. Get the right look for your decor with elegant and laid-back looks from custom draperies to mini blinds.

Many homeowners tend to think of formal plantation shutters or custom draperies when they’re considering window treatments, but the simple truth is that window coverings of all kinds are available both to dress up or dress down your decor. Depending on whether you’re going for an elegant look, a down-home style, or a rustic retreat, your local window treatment dealer has the ideal window shades and blinds to help you create the right aesthetic for your home or office.

Plantation shutters, custom draperies, and cellular shades are generally considered more formal options for elegant window treatments. But with the right fabrics and finishes Roman shades, sheer window draperies, and other window shades can all create a luxurious ambience.

Vertical and horizontal window blinds as well as mini blinds, roll up shades, and woven wood shades, are the most common of the “informal” window treatment styles. However, many other window shades can also be quite laid-back if designed in casual fabrics and styles, even traditionally refined options like draperies. In fact, when finished in simple wood tones, some plantation shutters can even be quite informal!

Remember, most window treatment stores also offer ultrasonic blind cleaning services to get old, dusty window blinds and shades looking new again fast. A safe, affordable, effective solution for revitalizing older, tired-looking blinds, professional cleaning services help your window treatments–and your home–look their best.

With all of the options on the market today, you’re sure to be able to find a great shade or blind no matter what your style. Whether you want a sophisticated custom valance or a natural-looking woven wooden shade, your local window treatment store can help you get a great window dressing at a great price. So what are you waiting for? Get started on the plantation shutters or mini blinds of your dreams today!

Not sure where to start when it comes to redecorating your home? Get help from a professional interior design service and get the look that’s right for your style and your home!

Is your interior decorating “style” a mishmash of hand-me-downs and leftovers from your college days? Does your living room look like a flashback to the 1960s? Is it time to revitalize your home with a fresh interior design? If you’re struggling with interior decor that’s outdated, unorganized, or just needs to be freshened up, sometimes it’s hard to know where to start. But with your local interior design service by your side, you can make getting the decor of your dreams simple and straightforward!

When it comes to the interior design of your home, there are so many choices. Do you want horizontal blinds or Roman shades for your windows? Do you want new flooring or should you refinish your existing hardwood floor? Is it time to buy a new sofa or chair or should you consider furniture reupholstery? With the expert guidance of a professional interior decorator, you can easily navigate all of these design questions and more. Keeping your budget, lifestyle, and other practical concerns like room use in mind, your decorators can make recommendations about the best products and options for your space. So whether it’s plantation shutters for the living room or a new paint scheme for the den, having professionals on your side can help make certain you get not only the look you want but also the practical function you need for your home.

If you’re considering redecorating your home, don’t go it alone. Regardless of whether you’re interested in doing one room or want a fresh design for the whole house, an interior design service can help make the project a success. From window shades to paint colors to furniture choices, they’ll guide your design from start to finish. Eliminating stress and ensuring you get the look that’s right for you, your local interior decor specialists will help you bring out the best in your home.