Does your home have roman-style shades or roll-up blinds manufactured before 2001? If so, take special note of the voluntary recall of these products announced December 15 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Window Covering Safety Council. The industry-wide recall covers all pre-2001 blinds and shades whose pull cords can form a loop and accidentally strangle infants and young children. For a list of recalled blinds, go to the Consumer Products Safety Commission website, www.cpsc.gov.
Consumers can either retrofit their older window treatments to remove safety hazards, or they can replace them with today’s safer products, such as cordless blinds, says Todd Zimmerman, owner of Just Right Blinds and Shutters, a Hunter Douglas distributor in Wheaton, Illinois. Hunter Douglas products are not listed in the recall at www.cpsc.gov.
“Retrofit kits are free,” says Zimmerman. “You can request them online at www.windowcoverings.org, or call the Window Covering Safety Council’s toll-free number, 1-800-506-4636. You can use the free kits to eliminate looped pull cords on pre-1995 mini blinds and pleated shades, to install cord stops on pre-2001 horizontal blinds and corded shades, or to install tie-down devices on pre-1997 vertical blinds. Windowcoverings.org also offers step-by-step how-to videos for repairing all types of older blinds and shades.”
To more fully protect young children, the Window Covering Safety Council also recommends consumers follow safety guidelines, including:
Using only cordless window coverings in homes with infants and young children
Moving cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window cords
Keeping all window cords and inner lift cords out of children’s reach
Locking cords into position whenever blinds or shades are lowered
What if you decide to replace instead of retrofit your window coverings? “Today’s blinds and shades don’t include dangerous loops, even on regular corded products,” says Zimmerman. “But consumers also have several exciting new options to choose from, such as continuous cord, cordless, or convenient motorized blinds with remote control operation.”
For more information about the voluntary safety recall, free retrofit kits or new purchase options for blinds and shutters, contact Todd Zimmerman of Just Right Blinds and Shutters, 630-292-3756, or visit the company’s website at http://www.justrightblinds.vpweb.com
How to retrofit from Window Coverings Safety Council:
Install only cordless window coverings in young children’s bedrooms and sleeping areas. Owners and renters should replace all other window coverings in the home made before 2001 with today's safer products.
However, if you prefer to keep your older window treatments, the following instructions will help you retrofit them. You can also watch Video Examples of Retrofit Steps! www.windowcoverings.org
ELIMINATE LOOPED PULL CORDS (pre-1995miniblinds and pleated shades)
INSTALL CORD STOPS (all pre-2001 horizontal blinds and corded shades)
INSTALL TIE-DOWN DEVICES (pre-1997 vertical blinds and draperies)
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
HOLIDAY GLOW INSIDE AND OUT STARTS WITH HUNTER DOUGLAS WINDOW FASHIONS
HOLIDAY GLOW INSIDE AND OUT
STARTS WITH HUNTER DOUGLAS WINDOW FASHIONS
Whether you decorate for the holidays in traditional Currier-and-Ives fashion or in the most minimally modernist manner, there are lots of creative ways to rev it up a notch or two this year. Formulate your action plan now with tips from one of the creative geniuses at Hunter Douglas Window Fashions and three of America’s top interior designers.
The Heart and Soul of Your Home
“Light is crucial year-round,” says Joel Kelly of Joel Kelly Designs in Atlanta, “but even more so during the long, dark, winter months. The right kind of window treatments can make us feel comfortable, relaxed and really in tune with each other whether we’re snuggling by the fire or cooking up treats in the kitchen.” He continues, “Warm fabrics like wool have a great drape and texture for this time of year and for something really easy and inexpensive, exchange traditional tiebacks with holly branches or other natural elements. A glimpse from the road of these festive decorations will put guests in the party mood before they even step through your front door.”
Sally Morse, Director of Creative Services for Hunter Douglas, is a whiz when it comes to devising new takes on old ideas. “Those glittering mercury balls from the 1930s are a favorite of mine,” she says. “Why not string them, or other cherished ornaments, on a garland with invisible fishing line and drape it over or on top of your curtain rod?” Quick to note that even the most cutting-edge among us often want a traditional touch to our glass-and-chrome homes come holiday time, Morse suggests adding swags of lace or dramatic velvet in the same tone as blinds and shades for a new and modern twist on Victoriana.
Easier still, another way to create a beautiful window design regardless of decorating style is with Luminette® Privacy Sheers from Hunter Douglas. “These offer both soft fabric sheers and privacy in one fell swoop,” says Morse. “With neutral white fabric rotating vanes at the rear, they present a consistent look on the outside, and because they are sheers and available in a subtle palette of neutrals and gently saturated tones, they work with all colors and patterns on the inside. And, the filtered light warms up short days and adds a gorgeous glow to any room.” The sheer face fabric of Luminette sheers range from a traditional elegant sheer, to subtly patterned designs, including a graceful scroll and barely-visible checks.
Holiday Cheer in Every Part of the Country
Even in warm climes like Los Angeles where Kenneth Brown operates his interior/exterior design business, one can conjure up the holiday spirit in a myriad of ways. “Capture and enhance the light in your space,” he says. “Trade your daily window dressings for ones with an opalescent finish (Duette® honeycomb shades are available in such a fabric that contains the naturally iridescent mica) or with glass bead, sequin or small mirror accents in the fabric. That way they’ll pick up light from the fireplace and candles, and colors from your holiday decorations, creating an artistic focal point.” Another way to add pizzazz and a personal touch to your home, Brown says, is by sewing a fun trim on plain draperies.
Brown’s concept of relating home décor to a person’s wardrobe makes decorating easy. “Just as we wear lighter clothes in the summer and heavier ones in the winter, so should your house. Think of summer window treatments as shorts and a tank top, winter ones as tweedy pants and a leather jacket. With all the new ideas out there, who can resist tearing down the old and getting new? The holidays are a good time to try out new colors and textures. And don’t forget all the blinds now available in exotic woods, bold colors and all kinds of funky fabrics. Think about celebrating and then go for it!”
Another hot-weather specialist is Ty Burks, who with Christopher Ridolfi, owns the renowned interior design firm William-Christopher Design in Dallas. "While we rely on window treatments here in Texas to keep out damaging UV rays and the often stifling heat," says Burks, "we also use them to frame a wonderful outdoor garden and figuratively to bring the outside in, especially when it’s brightly colored flowers like
bird of paradise and bougainvillea.”
For the holidays, the partners like to exchange cotton and linen draperies with more festive, yet still simple looking, rustling taffeta, and whenever possible, add mirrored pieces to a room to reflect the lights from the tree and masses of candles grouped about on tables and mantles. “The appearance of your windows sets the stage for a room’s ambiance. Remember, your home is a gift to friends and family alike,” they say. “Gift wrap it for them, so to speak, and they’ll know you care.”
"We think one of the best products out there is Hunter Douglas Duette honeycomb shades. They do everything – control and diffuse light, increase insulation, block UV rays and even block out noise. You can use them as a stepping stone to all kinds of window treatments because they're available in hundreds of colors and sheer, opaque and
semi-opaque fabrics."
“No matter where you live, windows really are the focal point of every decorating scheme,” adds Morse. Whatever you do, be it simple or grand, they draw attention to a beautiful view, the holiday treasures you’ve lined up on the sill or, at night, reflect the mirrors and artwork on opposite walls to create, in effect, a masterpiece all their own.
Holiday Tips that Work ‘Round the Year
“The holidays are freezing in Kansas City,” says Alan Karlin whose eponymous design
firm is based there, “and because we spend a lot of time indoors out of necessity, it’s extra important to trim the windows along with the rest of the house.” Karlin brings up another point that is valid elsewhere in the country, too. “Window treatments are key to holiday safety. With the right ones, you can very beautifully and discreetly, keep nosy neighbors, or worse, burglars, from seeing what Santa might have brought or your best silverware laid out for a dinner party. It’s also a good thing to keep in mind when you go away on a trip summer, fall, winter and spring.”
.
Morse agrees with the safety issue and suggests one terrific solution is Hunter Douglas Silhouette® window shadings with the new Top-Down / Bottom-Up TiltAnywhere™ hardware application. These can be open at the top, at the bottom or both at the same time, giving you full control as to how much or little of your home is on view to outsiders. The vanes can be tilted the way you want them as well.
“While it’s great to have all the generations together at this or any time of the year,” says Morse, “sometimes kids need a break, which may be one reason media rooms are gaining in popularity. So while your friends enjoy an aperitif in the living room, send the kids off for video games or a movie.” Perfect for that room is her company’s new Alouette® LightLouvers, a totally new concept that boasts the look of a shutter without the heavy framing and also available in a selection of room-darkening fabrics.
Great New Ideas for the Holidays and Beyond
“Our goal,” says Morse “is to create what people want and need for their homes before they even know it.” Among the latest Hunter Douglas offerings are Modern Precious Metals® aluminum blinds with state-of-the-art PowerTilt™ motorization and an expanded range of colors finishes and textures; and “for that extra nap you know you’re going to need during this party-filled season,” the billowy folds of Vignette® window shadings in the new EveScape™ room-darkening option.
With some advance planning, advice from the experts and a little help from family members, decorating for the holidays can be fun. Sometimes it turns out so well that you’ll want to keep parts of it in your décor for all-year-round enjoyment.
STARTS WITH HUNTER DOUGLAS WINDOW FASHIONS
Whether you decorate for the holidays in traditional Currier-and-Ives fashion or in the most minimally modernist manner, there are lots of creative ways to rev it up a notch or two this year. Formulate your action plan now with tips from one of the creative geniuses at Hunter Douglas Window Fashions and three of America’s top interior designers.
The Heart and Soul of Your Home
“Light is crucial year-round,” says Joel Kelly of Joel Kelly Designs in Atlanta, “but even more so during the long, dark, winter months. The right kind of window treatments can make us feel comfortable, relaxed and really in tune with each other whether we’re snuggling by the fire or cooking up treats in the kitchen.” He continues, “Warm fabrics like wool have a great drape and texture for this time of year and for something really easy and inexpensive, exchange traditional tiebacks with holly branches or other natural elements. A glimpse from the road of these festive decorations will put guests in the party mood before they even step through your front door.”
Sally Morse, Director of Creative Services for Hunter Douglas, is a whiz when it comes to devising new takes on old ideas. “Those glittering mercury balls from the 1930s are a favorite of mine,” she says. “Why not string them, or other cherished ornaments, on a garland with invisible fishing line and drape it over or on top of your curtain rod?” Quick to note that even the most cutting-edge among us often want a traditional touch to our glass-and-chrome homes come holiday time, Morse suggests adding swags of lace or dramatic velvet in the same tone as blinds and shades for a new and modern twist on Victoriana.
Easier still, another way to create a beautiful window design regardless of decorating style is with Luminette® Privacy Sheers from Hunter Douglas. “These offer both soft fabric sheers and privacy in one fell swoop,” says Morse. “With neutral white fabric rotating vanes at the rear, they present a consistent look on the outside, and because they are sheers and available in a subtle palette of neutrals and gently saturated tones, they work with all colors and patterns on the inside. And, the filtered light warms up short days and adds a gorgeous glow to any room.” The sheer face fabric of Luminette sheers range from a traditional elegant sheer, to subtly patterned designs, including a graceful scroll and barely-visible checks.
Holiday Cheer in Every Part of the Country
Even in warm climes like Los Angeles where Kenneth Brown operates his interior/exterior design business, one can conjure up the holiday spirit in a myriad of ways. “Capture and enhance the light in your space,” he says. “Trade your daily window dressings for ones with an opalescent finish (Duette® honeycomb shades are available in such a fabric that contains the naturally iridescent mica) or with glass bead, sequin or small mirror accents in the fabric. That way they’ll pick up light from the fireplace and candles, and colors from your holiday decorations, creating an artistic focal point.” Another way to add pizzazz and a personal touch to your home, Brown says, is by sewing a fun trim on plain draperies.
Brown’s concept of relating home décor to a person’s wardrobe makes decorating easy. “Just as we wear lighter clothes in the summer and heavier ones in the winter, so should your house. Think of summer window treatments as shorts and a tank top, winter ones as tweedy pants and a leather jacket. With all the new ideas out there, who can resist tearing down the old and getting new? The holidays are a good time to try out new colors and textures. And don’t forget all the blinds now available in exotic woods, bold colors and all kinds of funky fabrics. Think about celebrating and then go for it!”
Another hot-weather specialist is Ty Burks, who with Christopher Ridolfi, owns the renowned interior design firm William-Christopher Design in Dallas. "While we rely on window treatments here in Texas to keep out damaging UV rays and the often stifling heat," says Burks, "we also use them to frame a wonderful outdoor garden and figuratively to bring the outside in, especially when it’s brightly colored flowers like
bird of paradise and bougainvillea.”
For the holidays, the partners like to exchange cotton and linen draperies with more festive, yet still simple looking, rustling taffeta, and whenever possible, add mirrored pieces to a room to reflect the lights from the tree and masses of candles grouped about on tables and mantles. “The appearance of your windows sets the stage for a room’s ambiance. Remember, your home is a gift to friends and family alike,” they say. “Gift wrap it for them, so to speak, and they’ll know you care.”
"We think one of the best products out there is Hunter Douglas Duette honeycomb shades. They do everything – control and diffuse light, increase insulation, block UV rays and even block out noise. You can use them as a stepping stone to all kinds of window treatments because they're available in hundreds of colors and sheer, opaque and
semi-opaque fabrics."
“No matter where you live, windows really are the focal point of every decorating scheme,” adds Morse. Whatever you do, be it simple or grand, they draw attention to a beautiful view, the holiday treasures you’ve lined up on the sill or, at night, reflect the mirrors and artwork on opposite walls to create, in effect, a masterpiece all their own.
Holiday Tips that Work ‘Round the Year
“The holidays are freezing in Kansas City,” says Alan Karlin whose eponymous design
firm is based there, “and because we spend a lot of time indoors out of necessity, it’s extra important to trim the windows along with the rest of the house.” Karlin brings up another point that is valid elsewhere in the country, too. “Window treatments are key to holiday safety. With the right ones, you can very beautifully and discreetly, keep nosy neighbors, or worse, burglars, from seeing what Santa might have brought or your best silverware laid out for a dinner party. It’s also a good thing to keep in mind when you go away on a trip summer, fall, winter and spring.”
.
Morse agrees with the safety issue and suggests one terrific solution is Hunter Douglas Silhouette® window shadings with the new Top-Down / Bottom-Up TiltAnywhere™ hardware application. These can be open at the top, at the bottom or both at the same time, giving you full control as to how much or little of your home is on view to outsiders. The vanes can be tilted the way you want them as well.
“While it’s great to have all the generations together at this or any time of the year,” says Morse, “sometimes kids need a break, which may be one reason media rooms are gaining in popularity. So while your friends enjoy an aperitif in the living room, send the kids off for video games or a movie.” Perfect for that room is her company’s new Alouette® LightLouvers, a totally new concept that boasts the look of a shutter without the heavy framing and also available in a selection of room-darkening fabrics.
Great New Ideas for the Holidays and Beyond
“Our goal,” says Morse “is to create what people want and need for their homes before they even know it.” Among the latest Hunter Douglas offerings are Modern Precious Metals® aluminum blinds with state-of-the-art PowerTilt™ motorization and an expanded range of colors finishes and textures; and “for that extra nap you know you’re going to need during this party-filled season,” the billowy folds of Vignette® window shadings in the new EveScape™ room-darkening option.
With some advance planning, advice from the experts and a little help from family members, decorating for the holidays can be fun. Sometimes it turns out so well that you’ll want to keep parts of it in your décor for all-year-round enjoyment.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
INSPIRATION IS ALL AROUND YOU
Reinvent a Room’s Lighting with Blinds & Shutters
There are many kinds of light: filtered, direct, reflected, indirect, natural, so you want to enjoy as much variety as you can in your room. Too many people treat a window as a mere hole in the wall; it’s much more satisfying to think of windows with blinds or shades that control the light coming through as an integral part of the room. Light comes from two opposite extremes: from the untouched corners of natural sun and from room light. If you can incorporate the effects of both – filtered light with louvered shutters, blinds, or shades and strategically placed artificial room lighting; you will have something really special. Hunter Douglas room décors’ provide these options. JustRightBlinds.blogspot.com, www.JustRightBlinds.vpweb.com
There are many kinds of light: filtered, direct, reflected, indirect, natural, so you want to enjoy as much variety as you can in your room. Too many people treat a window as a mere hole in the wall; it’s much more satisfying to think of windows with blinds or shades that control the light coming through as an integral part of the room. Light comes from two opposite extremes: from the untouched corners of natural sun and from room light. If you can incorporate the effects of both – filtered light with louvered shutters, blinds, or shades and strategically placed artificial room lighting; you will have something really special. Hunter Douglas room décors’ provide these options. JustRightBlinds.blogspot.com, www.JustRightBlinds.vpweb.com
Friday, October 9, 2009
You Should Borrow as Much as You Possible Can from the View Outside.
Think of Your Blinds and Shades as Links Rather than Barriers.
There’s a wonderful world outside your windows, and it is my belief that you should borrow as much as possible and use it inside. Claim that view outside your window by breaking down the barrier between interior and exterior. Window blinds and shades help that transition. Try this single trick: Select an arrangement of natural clippings or flowers from the world outside your window; make it a part of your inside space. This visual connection brings the view inside, creating a feeling of a much larger room. For blinds and shutters that let the outside in, contact Todd Zimmerman, 630.292.3756,
www.JustRightBlinds.vpweb.com
There’s a wonderful world outside your windows, and it is my belief that you should borrow as much as possible and use it inside. Claim that view outside your window by breaking down the barrier between interior and exterior. Window blinds and shades help that transition. Try this single trick: Select an arrangement of natural clippings or flowers from the world outside your window; make it a part of your inside space. This visual connection brings the view inside, creating a feeling of a much larger room. For blinds and shutters that let the outside in, contact Todd Zimmerman, 630.292.3756,
www.JustRightBlinds.vpweb.com
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Cultivate Your Mind and Every Day is an Adventure
Just Right Blinds & Shutters, Wheaton, IL
An open mind is essential to good home design for blinds and shutters. People come to a project of designing and redecorating the windows in their homes with their minds full of ideas. When they clear their minds of these preconceived ideas they begin to be much more creative when they look at blinds and shutters and how they fit into the interior design of their home. A lot of people believe only a design professional can decorate their home. They copy ideas from magazines to make their home look like those ideas. The real truth is that you can design your own room with blinds and shutters when you begin to analyze who you are and what makes you comfortable in your room. Then you can move on to how the room should look with blinds being a part of the design. Who you are and what blinds you use also change over time. How you live and what you can afford changes too.
Your home is your world as you’ve heard. Designing with blinds and shutters is all about who you are and what you enjoy. I hope I’ve inspired you to use your home design as a means of creative expression and to be bold with blinds and shutters from Just Right Blinds, Todd Zimmerman, Wheaton, IL 630.292.3756
http://www.justrightblinds.vpweb.com/
An open mind is essential to good home design for blinds and shutters. People come to a project of designing and redecorating the windows in their homes with their minds full of ideas. When they clear their minds of these preconceived ideas they begin to be much more creative when they look at blinds and shutters and how they fit into the interior design of their home. A lot of people believe only a design professional can decorate their home. They copy ideas from magazines to make their home look like those ideas. The real truth is that you can design your own room with blinds and shutters when you begin to analyze who you are and what makes you comfortable in your room. Then you can move on to how the room should look with blinds being a part of the design. Who you are and what blinds you use also change over time. How you live and what you can afford changes too.
Your home is your world as you’ve heard. Designing with blinds and shutters is all about who you are and what you enjoy. I hope I’ve inspired you to use your home design as a means of creative expression and to be bold with blinds and shutters from Just Right Blinds, Todd Zimmerman, Wheaton, IL 630.292.3756
http://www.justrightblinds.vpweb.com/
Friday, September 18, 2009
GOING GREEN THIS WINTER IS MORE COST-EFFECTIVE THAN EVER
~ Hunter Douglas Can Help Reduce Heating Bills ~
Hunter Douglas, the company that pioneered the category of highly energy efficient yet fashionable window coverings with the development of the Duette® honeycomb shade in 1985, has the following tips to help save on those heating bills without giving your home a major overhaul:
· Weatherize – First, test your home for air tightness. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends lighting an incense stick on a windy day and holding it next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures and other places where there is a possible air path to the outside. If the smoke travels horizontally, you have located an air leak. Seal up these holes, weather-strip doors and insulate attic floors. And, when the fireplace is not in use, keep the damper closed tightly.
· Insulate – Don’t just insulate your attic. The Department of Energy calculates that 10 to 25 percent of a heating bill goes out the window, literally. Duette honeycomb shades, boasting a cellular structure that traps air in the honeycomb pleats, can dramatically increase energy savings at the window. Insulation is measured in R-values and the higher the R-value, the better a window resists the transfer of heat. A single layer of uncovered window glass has an R-value of about 1, while a typical double-glazed window (two panes of glass or with a storm window) has an R-value of around 2. By selecting an energy-efficient window treatment, you can increase the R-value one to four points.
Duette honeycomb shades with three layers of honeycomb pleats more than double the energy efficiency of a double-glazed window and nearly quadruple the efficiency of a single pane of glass with a very high insulating R-value of 4.8 (on double-glazed windows). For more detailed information on the insulation R Value, Email Todd at tz@justrightblinds.vpweb.com
· Improve and maintain your mechanical systems – Make sure your gas or oil furnace is serviced and cleaned at least once a year and change or clean furnace filters often during heating season. Also, clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators as needed.
And, replace your thermostat with a programmable one that allows you to set temperatures at different times of the day. Turning the heat down from 72 to 65 degrees for at least eight hours a day can reduce heating bills by 10 percent according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Portland General Electric, Portland’s largest utility company, has dispelled the popular notion that the higher you set your heater’s thermostat, the faster your home will warm up. In reality, they say, it takes the same amount of time for the temperature to reach 70 degrees F whether the thermostat is set at 70 or 90 degrees. Setting the thermostat all the way up only increases your heating costs.
Another hint, according to Tom Silva, general contractor on PBS’s “This Old House,” air conditioning units should be removed in the fall as they are drafty and suck the air out of a house. If that is too much work, use an insulated jacket that goes on the exterior.
· Watch Your Windows – For the rare sunny day, open your shades to help heat the house with the sun, but be sure to close them at night. Also, keep the windows on the south side of your house clean to ensure maximum solar gain.
· Landscape – Let Mother Nature work for you. Trees that lose their leaves in the fall permit winter sunlight to reach and warm your house. Plant deciduous trees on the south and east sides of your home. Stop chilling winter winds by planting evergreen trees and shrubs on the north and west sides.
www.justrightblinds.vpweb.com.
Hunter Douglas, the company that pioneered the category of highly energy efficient yet fashionable window coverings with the development of the Duette® honeycomb shade in 1985, has the following tips to help save on those heating bills without giving your home a major overhaul:
· Weatherize – First, test your home for air tightness. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends lighting an incense stick on a windy day and holding it next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures and other places where there is a possible air path to the outside. If the smoke travels horizontally, you have located an air leak. Seal up these holes, weather-strip doors and insulate attic floors. And, when the fireplace is not in use, keep the damper closed tightly.
· Insulate – Don’t just insulate your attic. The Department of Energy calculates that 10 to 25 percent of a heating bill goes out the window, literally. Duette honeycomb shades, boasting a cellular structure that traps air in the honeycomb pleats, can dramatically increase energy savings at the window. Insulation is measured in R-values and the higher the R-value, the better a window resists the transfer of heat. A single layer of uncovered window glass has an R-value of about 1, while a typical double-glazed window (two panes of glass or with a storm window) has an R-value of around 2. By selecting an energy-efficient window treatment, you can increase the R-value one to four points.
Duette honeycomb shades with three layers of honeycomb pleats more than double the energy efficiency of a double-glazed window and nearly quadruple the efficiency of a single pane of glass with a very high insulating R-value of 4.8 (on double-glazed windows). For more detailed information on the insulation R Value, Email Todd at tz@justrightblinds.vpweb.com
· Improve and maintain your mechanical systems – Make sure your gas or oil furnace is serviced and cleaned at least once a year and change or clean furnace filters often during heating season. Also, clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators as needed.
And, replace your thermostat with a programmable one that allows you to set temperatures at different times of the day. Turning the heat down from 72 to 65 degrees for at least eight hours a day can reduce heating bills by 10 percent according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Portland General Electric, Portland’s largest utility company, has dispelled the popular notion that the higher you set your heater’s thermostat, the faster your home will warm up. In reality, they say, it takes the same amount of time for the temperature to reach 70 degrees F whether the thermostat is set at 70 or 90 degrees. Setting the thermostat all the way up only increases your heating costs.
Another hint, according to Tom Silva, general contractor on PBS’s “This Old House,” air conditioning units should be removed in the fall as they are drafty and suck the air out of a house. If that is too much work, use an insulated jacket that goes on the exterior.
· Watch Your Windows – For the rare sunny day, open your shades to help heat the house with the sun, but be sure to close them at night. Also, keep the windows on the south side of your house clean to ensure maximum solar gain.
· Landscape – Let Mother Nature work for you. Trees that lose their leaves in the fall permit winter sunlight to reach and warm your house. Plant deciduous trees on the south and east sides of your home. Stop chilling winter winds by planting evergreen trees and shrubs on the north and west sides.
www.justrightblinds.vpweb.com.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Finding Peace and Quiet in A Noisy World
FINDING PEACE AND QUIET IN A NOISY WORLD
~ Hunter Douglas Can Help ~
Oh for a little peace and quiet. There is noise everywhere we go. Boom boxes blare in our parks. People yell into cell phones on public transportation and on our streets traffic roars, machinery drones, planes zoom overhead and pedestrians scream at one another and into their cell phones to be heard above it all. According to the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, a national non-profit organization with extensive online noise-related resources, (www.nonoise.org), “Noise is among the most pervasive pollutants today…Noise negatively affects human health and well-being. Problems related to noise include hearing loss, stress, high blood pressure, sleep loss, distraction and lost productivity, and a general reduction in the quality of life and opportunities for tranquility.”
More than ever we yearn for our homes to be peaceful sanctuaries but too often noise from the outside imposes on even our most personal spaces. Not only are our cities noisier than ever, but also, our suburbs, where even large houses are being built closer to their neighbors.
Hunter Douglas, the nation’s leading manufacturer of custom window coverings, can help. Its products provide great style at the window and are engineered to improve the quality of life at home by providing privacy, climate and noise control. In fact all its products are rated for sound absorption and all their window coverings are custom-made to your window’s specific sizes for maximum light and privacy control as well as sound absorption.
Duette® honeycomb shades, whose construction mimics the inside of a honeycomb, have especially high sound absorption ratings with several fabric styles absorbing 55 and 60 percent of reflected sound. Duette shades in Phenomena™ fabric with three layers of honeycomb pleats absorb an impressive 65 percent of reflected sound. And now the most comprehensive offering of honeycomb shades on the market has even more varieties from which to select. In honor of
its 20th anniversary this year, Hunter Douglas has added a significant line extension built around its proprietary 1 ¼-inch pleat size, which speaks to the trend for larger-scale window coverings. This offering consists of two new fabrics and three lifting system extensions, including PowerRise® battery powered remote control motorization, an ideal option for large windows, especially for bedrooms and media rooms where sound and light control are high priorities.
Most of the popular Silhouette® window shadings that softly diffuse light through two sheer fabric layers and gently curved fabric vanes absorb 30 percent of reflected sound. This window covering also has the unique ability to diffuse light protect against the sun’s harmful UV rays, while still revealing the view out the window. Hunter Douglas has recently introduced three new fabrics for this product – The Matisse Collection™, which features colored sheer fabrics as well as fabric vanes, Lumiere™ and BonJour™ – and the new fabric-covered headrail designated Palette™. Luminette® Privacy Sheers, a similar concept to Silhouette window shadings that is oriented vertically, provides up to 50 percent sound absorption with most fabrics.
For those who prefer a window covering with the timeless beauty of a Roman shade and the practical functioning of a totally modern window covering, Hunter Douglas has made Vignette® window shadings available with the PowerRise® easy, affordable motorization option. Offering billowy layers of fabric folds, Vignette window shadings with EveScape™ room-darkening fabrics absorb 60 percent of reflected sound.
Hunter Douglas continues to innovate with window coverings that combine high style with practical performance. New Alouette® LightLouvers feature 2 ¾-inch wide elliptical fabric louvers that seem to magically float at the window because there are only two support cords, no matter how wide the product, and because the headrail, which is also elliptical in shape, tilts with the louvers to virtually disappear. Alouette LightLouvers offers the timeless look of a shutter with the light control of a blind and the softness of a shade, and with “Clair” fabric they provide
45 percent sound absorption.
Window coverings can make a big difference in bringing peace and quiet to a home. Hunter Douglas is pleased to share some additional tips from the Noise Center of the League for the Hard of Hearing:
Pay attention to the noises around you and whenever possible, turn down the volume.
Limit exposure time to loud noise sources in the home.
Wear adequate hearing protection such a foam ear plugs or ear muffs when using loud equipment.
Buy quiet products. Contact the Consumer Products Safety commission and the manufacturer of noisy products.
Try not to run all appliances in your kitchen at the same time.
Make your home acoustically sound by following recommendations of the National Bureau of Standards:
Place vibration mounts under major appliances and foam pads under small appliances.
Install padded carpeting, vinyl tile or thick linoleum to absorb sound.
Seal holes or cracks in doors and windows with caulking or a minimum expansion foam sealant.
For even greater noise control, many Hunter Douglas products, such as Silhouette window shadings, are ideal for use in combination with drapes. Combined they will provide maximum sound absorption – a lullaby for your windows!
~ Hunter Douglas Can Help ~
Oh for a little peace and quiet. There is noise everywhere we go. Boom boxes blare in our parks. People yell into cell phones on public transportation and on our streets traffic roars, machinery drones, planes zoom overhead and pedestrians scream at one another and into their cell phones to be heard above it all. According to the Noise Pollution Clearinghouse, a national non-profit organization with extensive online noise-related resources, (www.nonoise.org), “Noise is among the most pervasive pollutants today…Noise negatively affects human health and well-being. Problems related to noise include hearing loss, stress, high blood pressure, sleep loss, distraction and lost productivity, and a general reduction in the quality of life and opportunities for tranquility.”
More than ever we yearn for our homes to be peaceful sanctuaries but too often noise from the outside imposes on even our most personal spaces. Not only are our cities noisier than ever, but also, our suburbs, where even large houses are being built closer to their neighbors.
Hunter Douglas, the nation’s leading manufacturer of custom window coverings, can help. Its products provide great style at the window and are engineered to improve the quality of life at home by providing privacy, climate and noise control. In fact all its products are rated for sound absorption and all their window coverings are custom-made to your window’s specific sizes for maximum light and privacy control as well as sound absorption.
Duette® honeycomb shades, whose construction mimics the inside of a honeycomb, have especially high sound absorption ratings with several fabric styles absorbing 55 and 60 percent of reflected sound. Duette shades in Phenomena™ fabric with three layers of honeycomb pleats absorb an impressive 65 percent of reflected sound. And now the most comprehensive offering of honeycomb shades on the market has even more varieties from which to select. In honor of
its 20th anniversary this year, Hunter Douglas has added a significant line extension built around its proprietary 1 ¼-inch pleat size, which speaks to the trend for larger-scale window coverings. This offering consists of two new fabrics and three lifting system extensions, including PowerRise® battery powered remote control motorization, an ideal option for large windows, especially for bedrooms and media rooms where sound and light control are high priorities.
Most of the popular Silhouette® window shadings that softly diffuse light through two sheer fabric layers and gently curved fabric vanes absorb 30 percent of reflected sound. This window covering also has the unique ability to diffuse light protect against the sun’s harmful UV rays, while still revealing the view out the window. Hunter Douglas has recently introduced three new fabrics for this product – The Matisse Collection™, which features colored sheer fabrics as well as fabric vanes, Lumiere™ and BonJour™ – and the new fabric-covered headrail designated Palette™. Luminette® Privacy Sheers, a similar concept to Silhouette window shadings that is oriented vertically, provides up to 50 percent sound absorption with most fabrics.
For those who prefer a window covering with the timeless beauty of a Roman shade and the practical functioning of a totally modern window covering, Hunter Douglas has made Vignette® window shadings available with the PowerRise® easy, affordable motorization option. Offering billowy layers of fabric folds, Vignette window shadings with EveScape™ room-darkening fabrics absorb 60 percent of reflected sound.
Hunter Douglas continues to innovate with window coverings that combine high style with practical performance. New Alouette® LightLouvers feature 2 ¾-inch wide elliptical fabric louvers that seem to magically float at the window because there are only two support cords, no matter how wide the product, and because the headrail, which is also elliptical in shape, tilts with the louvers to virtually disappear. Alouette LightLouvers offers the timeless look of a shutter with the light control of a blind and the softness of a shade, and with “Clair” fabric they provide
45 percent sound absorption.
Window coverings can make a big difference in bringing peace and quiet to a home. Hunter Douglas is pleased to share some additional tips from the Noise Center of the League for the Hard of Hearing:
Pay attention to the noises around you and whenever possible, turn down the volume.
Limit exposure time to loud noise sources in the home.
Wear adequate hearing protection such a foam ear plugs or ear muffs when using loud equipment.
Buy quiet products. Contact the Consumer Products Safety commission and the manufacturer of noisy products.
Try not to run all appliances in your kitchen at the same time.
Make your home acoustically sound by following recommendations of the National Bureau of Standards:
Place vibration mounts under major appliances and foam pads under small appliances.
Install padded carpeting, vinyl tile or thick linoleum to absorb sound.
Seal holes or cracks in doors and windows with caulking or a minimum expansion foam sealant.
For even greater noise control, many Hunter Douglas products, such as Silhouette window shadings, are ideal for use in combination with drapes. Combined they will provide maximum sound absorption – a lullaby for your windows!
Light-Nature's Natural Mood Transformer
LIGHT
~ Nature’s Natural Mood Transformer ~
If you have any doubts about the emotional effects of light, ask Dr. Judy. According to world-renowned radio advice host Dr. Judy Kuriansky, it can increase your energy, elevate your mood and when properly controlled, it can facilitate more healthful sleep patterns and create a romantic atmosphere. Window coverings play a crucial role in controlling light. “The key to a good relationship is creativity and flexibility and that is also what to look for in a window covering,” Dr. Judy advises. Perhaps most widely known as a radio call-in therapist, Dr. Judy is an adjunct professor at the Clinical Psychology Program at Columbia University Teachers College and at the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia Medical Center.
“Light has a tremendous effect on mental health,” she says. “There are early birds and night owls.” Dr. Judy asks that people think carefully about both their own circadian rhythms (the 24-hour psychological rhythms associated with the 24-hour cycle of the earth’s rotation), and those of their significant other. “It is important for people to feel that they have control over their environment and some window coverings enable you to do that,” she says. Dr. Judy advises consumers to be assertive about their needs when shopping and favors Hunter Douglas products for the variety and flexibility they offer in controlling both light and views from wide open to the outside sunshine to the glow of diffused light, the dramatic effect of deflected light and to the warmth of screened light. If in order to get a good night’s sleep you need a window covering that will totally block light, demand it!
She encourages people to experiment to see what gives them the most pleasure with light control as well as romance! Continuing its tradition of award-winning innovation, Hunter Douglas has recently introduced Trio® Convertible Shades, a window covering that offers so much flexibility in light control that it invites experimentation. This soft window covering features 1 1/8-inch individual, hexagonally shaped horizontal vanes that “open” (compress) and “close” (expand), even when the shade is partially raised. Vanes close for soft, diffused light
and complete privacy; can be adjusted to anything in-between for full control of an environment; and open for a full view-through. A single operating cord both opens and closes the vanes and raises and lowers the shades – allowing the product to transform itself from a shade to a blind in one smooth motion for options in light control never before available.
Dr. Judy notes that there is a segment of the population that is so seriously effected by light deprivation that during the short days of winter they may suffer serious bouts of depression. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half a million people every winter. It is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypolthalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter. Hunter Douglas window coverings can help alleviate this disorder because many of the products beautifully soften and diffuse through two fabric layers or gently filter incoming natural light, rather than simply blocking it, so that its positive effects can be felt without its harsh glare and heat.
Cheryl Terrace of New York City-based Vital Design, an advocate of green, or ecologically sensitive design, is so acutely aware of the emotional effects of light that she advises friends and clients to take a walk on the sunny side of the street every day. For window coverings, Terrace likes Alouette® LightLouvers, one of the newest products from Hunter Douglas – it has a shutter-like look without the heavy framing. This innovative window covering consists of soft fabric 2 ¾” rotating louvers that are elliptical and cellular in shape with a headrail that pivots with the louvers to virtually disappear. Because the louvers consist of two layers of fabric with space in between they soften and diffuse light while controlling it. Terrace also favors natural fibers, like woven woods, especially bamboo for the texture they add to décor. Provenance® woven wood shades from Hunter Douglas has unique designs in bamboo, reeds, grasses and wood slats, and has expanded its offerings to 65 fabric options.
Christine Baumbach, an interior designer in Oak Park, Illinois, says, “The winters here are long and dreary, so people need as much light as possible, but in the summer my clients are concerned about light and heat control.” Moreover, although Oak Park is a suburb, houses are frequently only 20 feet from their neighbors, so Baumbach generally specifies top-down / bottom-up window coverings for all first-floor rooms and for second-floor bedrooms to give rooms privacy and still allow them open to be open to sky and sunlight. Hunter Douglas recently introduced its popular Silhouette® window shadings with the Top-Down / Bottom-Up
TiltAnywhere™ feature for ultimate flexibility. Silhouette shadings provide a soft diffused light with its two layers of sheer fabric with rotating fabric vanes between. Baumbach also likes the flexibility provided by Alouette LightLouvers.
Eminent Atlanta-based designer Nancy Braithwaite admits that as a young designer, she favored “the clean look of no window coverings at all.” Several years and many complaints from clients later, Braithwaite has come to appreciate the light-diffusing qualities offered by some window coverings. Braithwaite found woven wood shades to be a good solution to the afternoon glare in a sunroom and now understands that there are a variety of products that offer a clean look plus light control, a big plus in Atlanta’s climate.
Dr. Judy suggests that another important emotional factor to consider in selecting window coverings is that the window is your access to the world. Some people like the sense of enclosure provided by layered window dressings, while others want open access. Dr. Judy says to ask yourself, “When you are at home do you need to feel part of the world or do you prefer to escape?” Los Angeles designer, Peter Dunham says that most Californians like to bring the outdoors in, yet there is a need to filter light for heat control. He is partial to window treatments that “dress the room without blocking the light,” such as products like Silhouette shadings that offer top-down / bottom-up flexibility. Baumbach notes a generational difference among her clients, saying “my older clients like the sense of privacy and concealment provided by layered windows, while my younger ones want to be open to the outdoors but still have privacy at night. Hunter Douglas gives me both the reliability and variety I need for all of my clients.”
When selecting a window covering, Dr. Judy advises to also analyze and express your personal style. “It has a lot to do with fantasy,” she says. “Are you the French maid or cheerleader type? Classic people tend to like traditional relationships and traditional decoration as compared to people who prefer experimentations, surprises and wild colors. Remember that in your home you are the subject of the painting. Do you prefer the chiaroscuro of the Old Masters or the light-filled canvases of the Impressionists?” Whatever your needs and desires, Hunter Douglas has a window covering that’s a perfect match.
~ Nature’s Natural Mood Transformer ~
If you have any doubts about the emotional effects of light, ask Dr. Judy. According to world-renowned radio advice host Dr. Judy Kuriansky, it can increase your energy, elevate your mood and when properly controlled, it can facilitate more healthful sleep patterns and create a romantic atmosphere. Window coverings play a crucial role in controlling light. “The key to a good relationship is creativity and flexibility and that is also what to look for in a window covering,” Dr. Judy advises. Perhaps most widely known as a radio call-in therapist, Dr. Judy is an adjunct professor at the Clinical Psychology Program at Columbia University Teachers College and at the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia Medical Center.
“Light has a tremendous effect on mental health,” she says. “There are early birds and night owls.” Dr. Judy asks that people think carefully about both their own circadian rhythms (the 24-hour psychological rhythms associated with the 24-hour cycle of the earth’s rotation), and those of their significant other. “It is important for people to feel that they have control over their environment and some window coverings enable you to do that,” she says. Dr. Judy advises consumers to be assertive about their needs when shopping and favors Hunter Douglas products for the variety and flexibility they offer in controlling both light and views from wide open to the outside sunshine to the glow of diffused light, the dramatic effect of deflected light and to the warmth of screened light. If in order to get a good night’s sleep you need a window covering that will totally block light, demand it!
She encourages people to experiment to see what gives them the most pleasure with light control as well as romance! Continuing its tradition of award-winning innovation, Hunter Douglas has recently introduced Trio® Convertible Shades, a window covering that offers so much flexibility in light control that it invites experimentation. This soft window covering features 1 1/8-inch individual, hexagonally shaped horizontal vanes that “open” (compress) and “close” (expand), even when the shade is partially raised. Vanes close for soft, diffused light
and complete privacy; can be adjusted to anything in-between for full control of an environment; and open for a full view-through. A single operating cord both opens and closes the vanes and raises and lowers the shades – allowing the product to transform itself from a shade to a blind in one smooth motion for options in light control never before available.
Dr. Judy notes that there is a segment of the population that is so seriously effected by light deprivation that during the short days of winter they may suffer serious bouts of depression. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half a million people every winter. It is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypolthalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter. Hunter Douglas window coverings can help alleviate this disorder because many of the products beautifully soften and diffuse through two fabric layers or gently filter incoming natural light, rather than simply blocking it, so that its positive effects can be felt without its harsh glare and heat.
Cheryl Terrace of New York City-based Vital Design, an advocate of green, or ecologically sensitive design, is so acutely aware of the emotional effects of light that she advises friends and clients to take a walk on the sunny side of the street every day. For window coverings, Terrace likes Alouette® LightLouvers, one of the newest products from Hunter Douglas – it has a shutter-like look without the heavy framing. This innovative window covering consists of soft fabric 2 ¾” rotating louvers that are elliptical and cellular in shape with a headrail that pivots with the louvers to virtually disappear. Because the louvers consist of two layers of fabric with space in between they soften and diffuse light while controlling it. Terrace also favors natural fibers, like woven woods, especially bamboo for the texture they add to décor. Provenance® woven wood shades from Hunter Douglas has unique designs in bamboo, reeds, grasses and wood slats, and has expanded its offerings to 65 fabric options.
Christine Baumbach, an interior designer in Oak Park, Illinois, says, “The winters here are long and dreary, so people need as much light as possible, but in the summer my clients are concerned about light and heat control.” Moreover, although Oak Park is a suburb, houses are frequently only 20 feet from their neighbors, so Baumbach generally specifies top-down / bottom-up window coverings for all first-floor rooms and for second-floor bedrooms to give rooms privacy and still allow them open to be open to sky and sunlight. Hunter Douglas recently introduced its popular Silhouette® window shadings with the Top-Down / Bottom-Up
TiltAnywhere™ feature for ultimate flexibility. Silhouette shadings provide a soft diffused light with its two layers of sheer fabric with rotating fabric vanes between. Baumbach also likes the flexibility provided by Alouette LightLouvers.
Eminent Atlanta-based designer Nancy Braithwaite admits that as a young designer, she favored “the clean look of no window coverings at all.” Several years and many complaints from clients later, Braithwaite has come to appreciate the light-diffusing qualities offered by some window coverings. Braithwaite found woven wood shades to be a good solution to the afternoon glare in a sunroom and now understands that there are a variety of products that offer a clean look plus light control, a big plus in Atlanta’s climate.
Dr. Judy suggests that another important emotional factor to consider in selecting window coverings is that the window is your access to the world. Some people like the sense of enclosure provided by layered window dressings, while others want open access. Dr. Judy says to ask yourself, “When you are at home do you need to feel part of the world or do you prefer to escape?” Los Angeles designer, Peter Dunham says that most Californians like to bring the outdoors in, yet there is a need to filter light for heat control. He is partial to window treatments that “dress the room without blocking the light,” such as products like Silhouette shadings that offer top-down / bottom-up flexibility. Baumbach notes a generational difference among her clients, saying “my older clients like the sense of privacy and concealment provided by layered windows, while my younger ones want to be open to the outdoors but still have privacy at night. Hunter Douglas gives me both the reliability and variety I need for all of my clients.”
When selecting a window covering, Dr. Judy advises to also analyze and express your personal style. “It has a lot to do with fantasy,” she says. “Are you the French maid or cheerleader type? Classic people tend to like traditional relationships and traditional decoration as compared to people who prefer experimentations, surprises and wild colors. Remember that in your home you are the subject of the painting. Do you prefer the chiaroscuro of the Old Masters or the light-filled canvases of the Impressionists?” Whatever your needs and desires, Hunter Douglas has a window covering that’s a perfect match.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
TOP TRENDS IN DECORATING TODAY
~ Your Home is Your Sanctuary ~
We are looking for a respite from an increasingly chaotic world. We want homes that are sanctuaries, spas and above all, safe. Windows have been described as the house’s eyes to the world. Window coverings are what separate personal from public space and as such, now more than ever, they are a prime element in home décor. Hunter Douglas, always the innovator in window fashions, has new offerings to meet the latest needs and trends at the window.
Light Can Change Everything
It is a scientifically proven fact that light affects our moods and health. Window fashions like light-transforming Silhouette® window shadings put you in charge of this vital natural resource in your home. Since its introduction 15 years ago Silhouette window shadings with two sheer fabric layers and gently curved fabric vanes between them have transformed the light in a room from harsh and unyielding to soft and controllable. In addition, because of their unique construction, they are one of the few products that protect against the sun’s harmful UV rays without compromising the light or view. There are more options than ever with the following fabric selections: The Matisse Collection™ is the first-ever fabric with colored sheer facings as well as colored vanes. The Lumiere™ fabric features a chiffon-textured fabric vane with a semi-sheer opacity. Even when the semi-sheer vanes are closed, there is a soft, diffused view to the outside, while the view into the home is obscured. The Bon Jour™ fabric is translucent, similar to most of the fabrics in the existing line, but offers a horizontal linen-textured vane for a less formal, yet elegant look at the window.
Serenity Reigns Supreme
“Spa” and “zen” have become aspirational buzzwords associated with the home. Trend-spotters at the recent Maison et Objet show in Paris reported frequent sightings of figures of Buddha in materials as varied as fine crystal to rough-hewn rock. But even with a figure of a Buddha presiding, a room without privacy and filled with harsh light will not seem serene. Luminette® Privacy Sheers, a similar concept to Silhouette shadings that is oriented vertically, is available with PowerGlide® remote control motorization, an ideal solution for rooms with large expanses of glass like sliding glass doors. If the doors open to a beautiful view, you can see the view and control light with the touch of a button!
The World is Flat
Communications are instant, travel is frequent, and economies are connected. We are citizens of a global village and our homes reflect that. Rooms or wardrobes that feature only one style or place of origin seem as out of date as last week’s headlines. As photos from outer space reveal, we are all neighbors on one small planet and should be concerned about preserving its resources. Hunter Douglas has introduced what’s said to be the first-ever hybrid shutter. Hybrid – a term usually used to describe a type of car designed to appeal to consumers concerned about energy savings – here is used to describe a new type of interior window shutter that combines the style of finely painted wood with the strength and straightness of advanced modern-day materials, to create a quality shutter at an economical price that is also easy on natural resources – NewStyle™ hybrid shutters. Hunter Douglas Designer Screen Shades – offered in dozens of colors and even stripes – are another good option for rooms in the global village. They provide UV protection to preserve your world treasures while screening the light.
The Healthy House
We want our homes to be safe and healthy, not only for our families, but also for our furnishings and artwork. Duette® honeycomb shades, which today are available in single, double and triple honeycomb layers and a multitude of fabric and hardware options, increase the energy efficiency of your house and help protect furnishings from the suns harmful UV rays. Duette shades with three layers of honeycomb cells in winter, with an insulating R-value of 4.8 (double glazing), more than double the energy efficiency of a double-glazed window, and increase the efficiency of a single pane of glass by nearly four times. In the warmer months, they block up to 80 percent of solar heat from entering a home. New fabric and color introductions have enhanced Duette shades, making them now, more than ever, a fashionable and healthy choice for your home. Moreover, they reduce noise.
The New Antique is Modern
Dealers report that classic modern furnishings are so sought after that they are
commanding the prices of centuries-old antiques. These furnishings are complemented by rooms with large windows and simple, tailored window treatments. The new modernism is a softer, gentler more welcoming look that the hard edged 60’s style. Vertical blinds have always been a favorite feature of modern interiors. Hunter Douglas has recently introduced Crosswinds™ Wood Vertical Blinds which combine the warmth and richness of wood with modern ingenuity. There are four paint and six stain finishes to select from and all have as a standard feature the exclusive TopShield™ finish, a clear top coat that is applied to every vane and valance and helps protect against everyday wear and is smooth and easy to clean.
High / Low
Just as consumers feel franchised to pair a Chanel jacket with Gap blue jeans, rooms can sport priceless antiques with money-saving furnishings. Designed to capture the warm, luxurious look of real wood, while offering all the benefits of an alternative wood product for the value-conscious consumer, the EverWood® Collection boasts a complete assortment of slat sizes and colors plus a host of options and top-quality components and hardware that make it the premium collection in the alternative woods product category.
Jewel Tones
Homeowners are discovering that they don’t need to limit decoration to neutrals and pastels. Rooms can have the same brilliant shades seen on fashion runways, jewel tones have become increasingly popular, adding a rich glow to interiors and making rooms sparkle. To fulfill this desire in window fashions, the Matisse Collection from Silhouette window shadings comes in the following lively colors, which cast a tinted-toned glow: Watercolor Glass, Ink Sketch, Artist’s
Wine, Wooden Easel, Seascape and Purple Palette. They are all available in both the two- and three-inch vane sizes.
Back To Nature
We increasingly want to bring nature indoors. Just as spas add tranquility to their interiors with natural materials and the addition of flowers and plants, homeowners are seeking furnishings with natural finishes. Currently the best seller in the Alustra™ Collection, which marries the flawless engineering of Hunter Douglas window fashions with a touch of luxury, is Alustra Woven Textures™. These shades are an innovative alternative to solar screen shades and woven woods that highlight natural textures and exquisitely filter light, with 20 unique natural-textured and light-filtering fabrics available in both Roman shades and window shades.
The New Urbanism
Not only does the younger generation gravitate toward cities, but also newspapers across the country report that aging baby boomers as their nests empty are attracted to the culture and convenience offered by city living. Many of these urban residences feature the large windows of loft-like interiors. Duette honeycomb shades are a great choice for urban interiors. Not only do they offer superb light, temperature and noise control and UV protection, but a 1 ¼-inch pleat size is ideal for today’s larger windows.
At Your Service
Time is our most valuable commodity and so anything that makes life easier is popular. Both hotels and condominiums are marketing their services as much as their location. As the window fashions innovator, Hunter Douglas is adding the value of convenience to many of their products. Now combining the timeless beauty of a Roman shade with the practical functioning of a totally modern window covering, Vignette® Modern Roman Shades boast the PowerRise® easy, affordable, battery-powered remote control option.
We are looking for a respite from an increasingly chaotic world. We want homes that are sanctuaries, spas and above all, safe. Windows have been described as the house’s eyes to the world. Window coverings are what separate personal from public space and as such, now more than ever, they are a prime element in home décor. Hunter Douglas, always the innovator in window fashions, has new offerings to meet the latest needs and trends at the window.
Light Can Change Everything
It is a scientifically proven fact that light affects our moods and health. Window fashions like light-transforming Silhouette® window shadings put you in charge of this vital natural resource in your home. Since its introduction 15 years ago Silhouette window shadings with two sheer fabric layers and gently curved fabric vanes between them have transformed the light in a room from harsh and unyielding to soft and controllable. In addition, because of their unique construction, they are one of the few products that protect against the sun’s harmful UV rays without compromising the light or view. There are more options than ever with the following fabric selections: The Matisse Collection™ is the first-ever fabric with colored sheer facings as well as colored vanes. The Lumiere™ fabric features a chiffon-textured fabric vane with a semi-sheer opacity. Even when the semi-sheer vanes are closed, there is a soft, diffused view to the outside, while the view into the home is obscured. The Bon Jour™ fabric is translucent, similar to most of the fabrics in the existing line, but offers a horizontal linen-textured vane for a less formal, yet elegant look at the window.
Serenity Reigns Supreme
“Spa” and “zen” have become aspirational buzzwords associated with the home. Trend-spotters at the recent Maison et Objet show in Paris reported frequent sightings of figures of Buddha in materials as varied as fine crystal to rough-hewn rock. But even with a figure of a Buddha presiding, a room without privacy and filled with harsh light will not seem serene. Luminette® Privacy Sheers, a similar concept to Silhouette shadings that is oriented vertically, is available with PowerGlide® remote control motorization, an ideal solution for rooms with large expanses of glass like sliding glass doors. If the doors open to a beautiful view, you can see the view and control light with the touch of a button!
The World is Flat
Communications are instant, travel is frequent, and economies are connected. We are citizens of a global village and our homes reflect that. Rooms or wardrobes that feature only one style or place of origin seem as out of date as last week’s headlines. As photos from outer space reveal, we are all neighbors on one small planet and should be concerned about preserving its resources. Hunter Douglas has introduced what’s said to be the first-ever hybrid shutter. Hybrid – a term usually used to describe a type of car designed to appeal to consumers concerned about energy savings – here is used to describe a new type of interior window shutter that combines the style of finely painted wood with the strength and straightness of advanced modern-day materials, to create a quality shutter at an economical price that is also easy on natural resources – NewStyle™ hybrid shutters. Hunter Douglas Designer Screen Shades – offered in dozens of colors and even stripes – are another good option for rooms in the global village. They provide UV protection to preserve your world treasures while screening the light.
The Healthy House
We want our homes to be safe and healthy, not only for our families, but also for our furnishings and artwork. Duette® honeycomb shades, which today are available in single, double and triple honeycomb layers and a multitude of fabric and hardware options, increase the energy efficiency of your house and help protect furnishings from the suns harmful UV rays. Duette shades with three layers of honeycomb cells in winter, with an insulating R-value of 4.8 (double glazing), more than double the energy efficiency of a double-glazed window, and increase the efficiency of a single pane of glass by nearly four times. In the warmer months, they block up to 80 percent of solar heat from entering a home. New fabric and color introductions have enhanced Duette shades, making them now, more than ever, a fashionable and healthy choice for your home. Moreover, they reduce noise.
The New Antique is Modern
Dealers report that classic modern furnishings are so sought after that they are
commanding the prices of centuries-old antiques. These furnishings are complemented by rooms with large windows and simple, tailored window treatments. The new modernism is a softer, gentler more welcoming look that the hard edged 60’s style. Vertical blinds have always been a favorite feature of modern interiors. Hunter Douglas has recently introduced Crosswinds™ Wood Vertical Blinds which combine the warmth and richness of wood with modern ingenuity. There are four paint and six stain finishes to select from and all have as a standard feature the exclusive TopShield™ finish, a clear top coat that is applied to every vane and valance and helps protect against everyday wear and is smooth and easy to clean.
High / Low
Just as consumers feel franchised to pair a Chanel jacket with Gap blue jeans, rooms can sport priceless antiques with money-saving furnishings. Designed to capture the warm, luxurious look of real wood, while offering all the benefits of an alternative wood product for the value-conscious consumer, the EverWood® Collection boasts a complete assortment of slat sizes and colors plus a host of options and top-quality components and hardware that make it the premium collection in the alternative woods product category.
Jewel Tones
Homeowners are discovering that they don’t need to limit decoration to neutrals and pastels. Rooms can have the same brilliant shades seen on fashion runways, jewel tones have become increasingly popular, adding a rich glow to interiors and making rooms sparkle. To fulfill this desire in window fashions, the Matisse Collection from Silhouette window shadings comes in the following lively colors, which cast a tinted-toned glow: Watercolor Glass, Ink Sketch, Artist’s
Wine, Wooden Easel, Seascape and Purple Palette. They are all available in both the two- and three-inch vane sizes.
Back To Nature
We increasingly want to bring nature indoors. Just as spas add tranquility to their interiors with natural materials and the addition of flowers and plants, homeowners are seeking furnishings with natural finishes. Currently the best seller in the Alustra™ Collection, which marries the flawless engineering of Hunter Douglas window fashions with a touch of luxury, is Alustra Woven Textures™. These shades are an innovative alternative to solar screen shades and woven woods that highlight natural textures and exquisitely filter light, with 20 unique natural-textured and light-filtering fabrics available in both Roman shades and window shades.
The New Urbanism
Not only does the younger generation gravitate toward cities, but also newspapers across the country report that aging baby boomers as their nests empty are attracted to the culture and convenience offered by city living. Many of these urban residences feature the large windows of loft-like interiors. Duette honeycomb shades are a great choice for urban interiors. Not only do they offer superb light, temperature and noise control and UV protection, but a 1 ¼-inch pleat size is ideal for today’s larger windows.
At Your Service
Time is our most valuable commodity and so anything that makes life easier is popular. Both hotels and condominiums are marketing their services as much as their location. As the window fashions innovator, Hunter Douglas is adding the value of convenience to many of their products. Now combining the timeless beauty of a Roman shade with the practical functioning of a totally modern window covering, Vignette® Modern Roman Shades boast the PowerRise® easy, affordable, battery-powered remote control option.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
COUNTRY WOODS COLLECTION WOODS BLINDS
ACHIEVE THE DRAMATIC EFFECT OF DEFLECTED LIGHT
For the chiaroscuro of the Old Masters and the dramatic effect of deflected light, choose Country Woods® Collection™ wood blinds from Hunter Douglas, the most complete and innovative wood blind offering on the market. As showcased in the living room above, this product makes for a dramatic architectural statement and allows you to direct the light precisely where you want it.
Featured is the Country Woods Reflections® line with 2 5/8-inch beveled slats for a shutter-like look. It is one of four lines offered. Also showcased: a 4 ½-inch valance, Sage Foliage decorative tapes that are the perfect complement to the Sugar Maple color of the blinds and furnishings, and fixed specialty arches with rounded corners. All Country Woods Collection wood blinds include the exclusive TopShield™ finish to help protect against everyday wear.
ACHIEVE THE DRAMATIC EFFECT OF DEFLECTED LIGHT
For the chiaroscuro of the Old Masters and the dramatic effect of deflected light, choose Country Woods® Collection™ wood blinds from Hunter Douglas, the most complete and innovative wood blind offering on the market. As showcased in the living room above, this product makes for a dramatic architectural statement and allows you to direct the light precisely where you want it.
Featured is the Country Woods Reflections® line with 2 5/8-inch beveled slats for a shutter-like look. It is one of four lines offered. Also showcased: a 4 ½-inch valance, Sage Foliage decorative tapes that are the perfect complement to the Sugar Maple color of the blinds and furnishings, and fixed specialty arches with rounded corners. All Country Woods Collection wood blinds include the exclusive TopShield™ finish to help protect against everyday wear.
LIGHT
~ Nature’s Natural Mood Transformer ~
If you have any doubts about the emotional effects of light, ask Dr. Judy. According to world-renowned radio advice host Dr. Judy Kuriansky, it can increase your energy, elevate your mood and when properly controlled, it can facilitate more healthful sleep patterns and create a romantic atmosphere. Window coverings play a crucial role in controlling light. “The key to a good relationship is creativity and flexibility and that is also what to look for in a window covering,” Dr. Judy advises. Perhaps most widely known as a radio call-in therapist, Dr. Judy is an adjunct professor at the Clinical Psychology Program at Columbia University Teachers College and at the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia Medical Center.
“Light has a tremendous effect on mental health,” she says. “There are early birds and night owls.” Dr. Judy asks that people think carefully about both their own circadian rhythms (the 24-hour psychological rhythms associated with the 24-hour cycle of the earth’s rotation), and those of their significant other. “It is important for people to feel that they have control over their environment and some window coverings enable you to do that,” she says. Dr. Judy advises consumers to be assertive about their needs when shopping and favors Hunter Douglas products for the variety and flexibility they offer in controlling both light and views from wide open to the outside sunshine to the glow of diffused light, the dramatic effect of deflected light and to the warmth of screened light. If in order to get a good night’s sleep you need a window covering that will totally block light, demand it!
She encourages people to experiment to see what gives them the most pleasure with light control as well as romance! Continuing its tradition of award-winning innovation, Hunter Douglas has recently introduced Trio® Convertible Shades, a window covering that offers so much flexibility in light control that it invites experimentation. This soft window covering features 1 1/8-inch individual, hexagonally shaped horizontal vanes that “open” (compress) and “close” (expand), even when the shade is partially raised. Vanes close for soft, diffused light
and complete privacy; can be adjusted to anything in-between for full control of an environment; and open for a full view-through. A single operating cord both opens and closes the vanes and raises and lowers the shades – allowing the product to transform itself from a shade to a blind in one smooth motion for options in light control never before available.
Dr. Judy notes that there is a segment of the population that is so seriously effected by light deprivation that during the short days of winter they may suffer serious bouts of depression. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half a million people every winter. It is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypolthalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter. Hunter Douglas window coverings can help alleviate this disorder because many of the products beautifully soften and diffuse through two fabric layers or gently filter incoming natural light, rather than simply blocking it, so that its positive effects can be felt without its harsh glare and heat.
Cheryl Terrace of New York City-based Vital Design, an advocate of green, or ecologically sensitive design, is so acutely aware of the emotional effects of light that she advises friends and clients to take a walk on the sunny side of the street every day. For window coverings, Terrace likes Alouette® LightLouvers, one of the newest products from Hunter Douglas – it has a shutter-like look without the heavy framing. This innovative window covering consists of soft fabric 2 ¾” rotating louvers that are elliptical and cellular in shape with a headrail that pivots with the louvers to virtually disappear. Because the louvers consist of two layers of fabric with space in between they soften and diffuse light while controlling it. Terrace also favors natural fibers, like woven woods, especially bamboo for the texture they add to décor. Provenance® woven wood shades from Hunter Douglas has unique designs in bamboo, reeds, grasses and wood slats, and has expanded its offerings to 65 fabric options.
Christine Baumbach, an interior designer in Oak Park, Illinois, says, “The winters here are long and dreary, so people need as much light as possible, but in the summer my clients are concerned about light and heat control.” Moreover, although Oak Park is a suburb, houses are frequently only 20 feet from their neighbors, so Baumbach generally specifies top-down / bottom-up window coverings for all first-floor rooms and for second-floor bedrooms to give rooms privacy and still allow them open to be open to sky and sunlight. Hunter Douglas recently introduced its popular Silhouette® window shadings with the Top-Down / Bottom-Up
TiltAnywhere™ feature for ultimate flexibility. Silhouette shadings provide a soft diffused light with its two layers of sheer fabric with rotating fabric vanes between. Baumbach also likes the flexibility provided by Alouette LightLouvers.
Eminent Atlanta-based designer Nancy Braithwaite admits that as a young designer, she favored “the clean look of no window coverings at all.” Several years and many complaints from clients later, Braithwaite has come to appreciate the light-diffusing qualities offered by some window coverings. Braithwaite found woven wood shades to be a good solution to the afternoon glare in a sunroom and now understands that there are a variety of products that offer a clean look plus light control, a big plus in Atlanta’s climate.
Dr. Judy suggests that another important emotional factor to consider in selecting window coverings is that the window is your access to the world. Some people like the sense of enclosure provided by layered window dressings, while others want open access. Dr. Judy says to ask yourself, “When you are at home do you need to feel part of the world or do you prefer to escape?” Los Angeles designer, Peter Dunham says that most Californians like to bring the outdoors in, yet there is a need to filter light for heat control. He is partial to window treatments that “dress the room without blocking the light,” such as products like Silhouette shadings that offer top-down / bottom-up flexibility. Baumbach notes a generational difference among her clients, saying “my older clients like the sense of privacy and concealment provided by layered windows, while my younger ones want to be open to the outdoors but still have privacy at night. Hunter Douglas gives me both the reliability and variety I need for all of my clients.”
When selecting a window covering, Dr. Judy advises to also analyze and express your personal style. “It has a lot to do with fantasy,” she says. “Are you the French maid or cheerleader type? Classic people tend to like traditional relationships and traditional decoration as compared to people who prefer experimentations, surprises and wild colors. Remember that in your home you are the subject of the painting. Do you prefer the chiaroscuro of the Old Masters or the light-filled canvases of the Impressionists?” Whatever your needs and desires, Hunter Douglas has a window covering that’s a perfect match.
Hunter Douglas Inc. is a national sponsor of Habitat for Humanity, covering windows in every Habitat home built in the U.S. and Canada.
~ Nature’s Natural Mood Transformer ~
If you have any doubts about the emotional effects of light, ask Dr. Judy. According to world-renowned radio advice host Dr. Judy Kuriansky, it can increase your energy, elevate your mood and when properly controlled, it can facilitate more healthful sleep patterns and create a romantic atmosphere. Window coverings play a crucial role in controlling light. “The key to a good relationship is creativity and flexibility and that is also what to look for in a window covering,” Dr. Judy advises. Perhaps most widely known as a radio call-in therapist, Dr. Judy is an adjunct professor at the Clinical Psychology Program at Columbia University Teachers College and at the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia Medical Center.
“Light has a tremendous effect on mental health,” she says. “There are early birds and night owls.” Dr. Judy asks that people think carefully about both their own circadian rhythms (the 24-hour psychological rhythms associated with the 24-hour cycle of the earth’s rotation), and those of their significant other. “It is important for people to feel that they have control over their environment and some window coverings enable you to do that,” she says. Dr. Judy advises consumers to be assertive about their needs when shopping and favors Hunter Douglas products for the variety and flexibility they offer in controlling both light and views from wide open to the outside sunshine to the glow of diffused light, the dramatic effect of deflected light and to the warmth of screened light. If in order to get a good night’s sleep you need a window covering that will totally block light, demand it!
She encourages people to experiment to see what gives them the most pleasure with light control as well as romance! Continuing its tradition of award-winning innovation, Hunter Douglas has recently introduced Trio® Convertible Shades, a window covering that offers so much flexibility in light control that it invites experimentation. This soft window covering features 1 1/8-inch individual, hexagonally shaped horizontal vanes that “open” (compress) and “close” (expand), even when the shade is partially raised. Vanes close for soft, diffused light
and complete privacy; can be adjusted to anything in-between for full control of an environment; and open for a full view-through. A single operating cord both opens and closes the vanes and raises and lowers the shades – allowing the product to transform itself from a shade to a blind in one smooth motion for options in light control never before available.
Dr. Judy notes that there is a segment of the population that is so seriously effected by light deprivation that during the short days of winter they may suffer serious bouts of depression. SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) is a type of winter depression that affects an estimated half a million people every winter. It is caused by a biochemical imbalance in the hypolthalamus due to the shortening of daylight hours and the lack of sunlight in winter. Hunter Douglas window coverings can help alleviate this disorder because many of the products beautifully soften and diffuse through two fabric layers or gently filter incoming natural light, rather than simply blocking it, so that its positive effects can be felt without its harsh glare and heat.
Cheryl Terrace of New York City-based Vital Design, an advocate of green, or ecologically sensitive design, is so acutely aware of the emotional effects of light that she advises friends and clients to take a walk on the sunny side of the street every day. For window coverings, Terrace likes Alouette® LightLouvers, one of the newest products from Hunter Douglas – it has a shutter-like look without the heavy framing. This innovative window covering consists of soft fabric 2 ¾” rotating louvers that are elliptical and cellular in shape with a headrail that pivots with the louvers to virtually disappear. Because the louvers consist of two layers of fabric with space in between they soften and diffuse light while controlling it. Terrace also favors natural fibers, like woven woods, especially bamboo for the texture they add to décor. Provenance® woven wood shades from Hunter Douglas has unique designs in bamboo, reeds, grasses and wood slats, and has expanded its offerings to 65 fabric options.
Christine Baumbach, an interior designer in Oak Park, Illinois, says, “The winters here are long and dreary, so people need as much light as possible, but in the summer my clients are concerned about light and heat control.” Moreover, although Oak Park is a suburb, houses are frequently only 20 feet from their neighbors, so Baumbach generally specifies top-down / bottom-up window coverings for all first-floor rooms and for second-floor bedrooms to give rooms privacy and still allow them open to be open to sky and sunlight. Hunter Douglas recently introduced its popular Silhouette® window shadings with the Top-Down / Bottom-Up
TiltAnywhere™ feature for ultimate flexibility. Silhouette shadings provide a soft diffused light with its two layers of sheer fabric with rotating fabric vanes between. Baumbach also likes the flexibility provided by Alouette LightLouvers.
Eminent Atlanta-based designer Nancy Braithwaite admits that as a young designer, she favored “the clean look of no window coverings at all.” Several years and many complaints from clients later, Braithwaite has come to appreciate the light-diffusing qualities offered by some window coverings. Braithwaite found woven wood shades to be a good solution to the afternoon glare in a sunroom and now understands that there are a variety of products that offer a clean look plus light control, a big plus in Atlanta’s climate.
Dr. Judy suggests that another important emotional factor to consider in selecting window coverings is that the window is your access to the world. Some people like the sense of enclosure provided by layered window dressings, while others want open access. Dr. Judy says to ask yourself, “When you are at home do you need to feel part of the world or do you prefer to escape?” Los Angeles designer, Peter Dunham says that most Californians like to bring the outdoors in, yet there is a need to filter light for heat control. He is partial to window treatments that “dress the room without blocking the light,” such as products like Silhouette shadings that offer top-down / bottom-up flexibility. Baumbach notes a generational difference among her clients, saying “my older clients like the sense of privacy and concealment provided by layered windows, while my younger ones want to be open to the outdoors but still have privacy at night. Hunter Douglas gives me both the reliability and variety I need for all of my clients.”
When selecting a window covering, Dr. Judy advises to also analyze and express your personal style. “It has a lot to do with fantasy,” she says. “Are you the French maid or cheerleader type? Classic people tend to like traditional relationships and traditional decoration as compared to people who prefer experimentations, surprises and wild colors. Remember that in your home you are the subject of the painting. Do you prefer the chiaroscuro of the Old Masters or the light-filled canvases of the Impressionists?” Whatever your needs and desires, Hunter Douglas has a window covering that’s a perfect match.
Hunter Douglas Inc. is a national sponsor of Habitat for Humanity, covering windows in every Habitat home built in the U.S. and Canada.
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