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.”
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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.
