Treatment Transformations: Tami’s Tiny Window

n our new “Treatment Transformations” blog segment, we’re taking user-submitted photos and suggesting window treatments that will help customers get the look they want. To get YOUR room featured, submit photos to cehrke@blindsgalore.com!

Tami wrote: “These poor drapes, they are trying so hard, but the wrinkles and outdated lace pattern just don’t cut it!”

The really tricky thing here is the size of the window – such a small window needs to be taken advantage of to let in as much light as possible! Drapes are actually okay to use with a small window, but only if they’re positioned in a way that helps accent the window, as opposed to cover it up. A good way to balance the heaviness of drapery with the light needed from a small window is to use a pair of two panels to frame the window nicely on either side.

We were initially inclined to choose a white drapery to lighten up the room, but when white curtains were laid directly against the muted yellow walls, it made the paint look somewhat dirty. So we went with a dark-colored drape for a bold look. We also added some coordinating furnishings to complete the look. Here’s the final outcome using Levolor® Natural Woven Wood Shade Classics paired with Blindsgalore® Custom Drapery Poly Blend Solids in Chocolate:

These curtains bring interest to the window without overpowering it, and the woven wood shades pair well with the bold curtains to make the look a bit more casual. The woven wood also pairs well with a rattan or wicker bench, and they give Tami a lot more privacy than the sheer curtains she had before. What do you think of the finished look?

If you’d like us to suggest a treatment transformation for you, just submit a photo of your windows with a description of your design dilemma tocehrke@blindsgalore.com, or upload your photo towww.facebook.com/blindsgalore.

Disclaimer: The material and information on this website is for general information only and does not constitute any form of offer for sale, advice or recommendation. While every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided is accurate, it does not constitute legal or other professional advice. All opinions expressed on this website are solely the author’s own. The use of this information to form or base decisions is completely voluntary by website users. People who submit photos for the “Treatment Transformation” segment are under absolutely no obligation to make a purchase from Blindsgalore.

How to select the best blackout window treatment

1: How dark do you really need the room to be?

How dark are you trying to make the room? For many, making a room significantly darker is enough, for others, the room must be totally blacked out.

As it turns out, ‘dark’ is far from simple or objective. There are degrees of opacity of the material, and the construction and installation options also influence the amount of light coming in from a window. Remember, room darkening and blackout aren’t the same and you may or may not need true blackout. To keep it simple, decide if you want your room totally dark or mostly dark. If totally dark is your goal, go for blackout and then choose your style. If not, choose the style you like and then decide if it provides sufficient darkening. If you need help, call a pro.

2: How much do you want to spend?

Is this for an apartment window that you will leave behind in a year – and no extra spending is justifiable, or are you settled in a home with a very distinct style that you would like to maintain or improve, and you’re willing to purchase quality?

The least expensive kind of window treatment that will darken a room is roller shades. While these will darken a room and they may be great for your needs, these are not truly blackout shades. (More info below on roller shades.)

3: What is your style?

Is this purely utilitarian where a simple, even spartan look will do, or should the function of the blackout window covering be ‘invisible’ to visitors, who will only see a beautifully styled window treatment.

For most window treatments, blackout is achieved by sewing a liner onto the window treatment. For this reason, the ‘interior styling’ of the window treatment is virtually unchanged and blackout can be considered an a la carte option.

Going Green with Bali Natural Shades

Bali Natural Shade made from woods, reeds, and grasses.

Did you ever think the “go green” movement would extend as far as window treatments? Well it has. And for those of you who are looking for environmentally friendly window shades here is a recommendation worthy of your time. Bali, a leader in the window treatments industry for nearly four decades, offers a beautiful selection of natural window shades. Bali’s natural shades, often called woven shades, are made from organic materials that not only help to preserve the earth’s resources but also have great style and visual appeal. Such organic materials like bamboo, grasses, jutes, and reeds provide a wide range of natural colors and textures to match your home’s decorative theme all the way from casual to elegant.

In addition to saving the environment, feel free to customize your Bali natural shade to your liking. Blackout and privacy liners options allow you to get the light control and privacy you need. For maximum light control and privacy choose a blackout liner. A blackout liner will stop all light from coming into the room and even prevent silhouettes from appearing to the outside street. Or, for rooms that require privacy but not necessarily a complete blackout experience, choose a privacy liner which will increase your privacy but still allow some outside light into the room. Both liners are available in neutral colors to blend well with the exterior theme of your home.

The hem of your natural shade is an important finishing touch that will help to complete the look of the window. A standard hem will give your natural shade a smooth edge without any fray, keeping the focus on the material, color, and texture. Beyond the standard hem, Bali natural shades also offer the deco-pocket hem and the deco-trim hem to accommodate all style preferences.

It’s really simple, if you want to decorate your home while taking care of the environment at the same time then Bali natural shades are the perfect solution for you. These Bali products will not deprive the environment of any precious resources and the organic materials used to make the natural shades can be recycled and reused. Some may think that organic materials equal higher prices. This is not the case. In fact, Bali natural shades are very affordable and they are currently offered with great discounts and free shipping at Blindsgalore. Being an environmentally conscious shopper takes extra effort to seek out green products with the same quality and style as products made from traditional materials. Hopefully this article has made your shopping process a little easier in the world of window shades.

Top Down Bottom Up Shades – When You Need Privacy

Top down bottom window shades are all about privacy and light control. So, If you are like my brother who, on occasion, vacuums in the nude (or something similar), this blog post is for you.

We all need privacy from time-to-time and you’d think that would be a no-brainer in your own home. Think again. It’s harder to achieve than you might think, especially in a world where nearly half the world’s population lives in cities. So if you are one of the millions – wait billions – of people living in high-density urban environments allow me to introduce you to your window treatments salvation –top down bottom up shades.

The reason top down bottom up window shades are so cool is that they give you both privacy and light. Sure you can make a room private by lowering your window shade, granted it is made with a room darkening material, but then you lose all that beautiful natural sunlight.

Top down bottom up shades offer the ultimate in privacy and light control by allowing you to not only raise the shade from the bottom but also lower it from the top. This feature allows you to choose how much natural light you want in the room while still maintaining privacy from the prying eyes of your neighbors or passersby on the street.

Top down bottom up is an option (yes, it costs a little extra) on numerous types of window shades including: cellular shades, woven wood shades, pleated shades and roman shades. If you want to add insulation to your windows, consider top down bottom up cellular shades. If you want a selection of rich fabrics, check out top down bottom up roman shades. Lastly, if you want a selection of natural materials woven together (like bamboo, grasses, reeds, etc.), check out top down bottom up woven wood shades.

A few more things you should know:

When ordering a top down/bottom up option, remember that the shade will come with two lift cords, one on each side of the shade. Typically, the right cord will operate the bottom rail, and the left cord will operate the middle rail (the top down portion). When operating the shade, be sure to fully raise the middle rail before raising the bottom rail to the top.

When ordering a cordless top down/bottom up shade, remember that a cordless blind or shade typically operates by gently pushing up or pulling down on the rail of the blind; you can then position the shade to any height you desire. For this reason, it’s important to make sure you will be able to reach as high or as low as you will need to position your blind. For very tall or hard to reach windows, you may want to consider a standard top down/bottom up shade.

Cordless pleated shades offer a number of benefits, primarily in terms of styling and safety.

Cordless pleated shade - subtle style application

In regard to styling, the simple look of a uniform texture, like cellular shades, allows you to have attractive and functional window treatments that don’t pull attention away from other styling elements. If you are highlighting a piece of art or furniture, for example, cordless pleated shades do their job and can contribute to a look of a room while keeping distraction to a minimum. They become a positive contributor to the room, without stealing the show.

Remember that the styling effects change during the day and night; shades with relatively high opacity (lots of light allowed to pass through) still offer a lot of privacy, though the ’silhouette effect’ may still occur, revealing a profile of items near the window in a well-lit room.

Cordless pleated shade - high-contrast application

On the other end of the subtle-bold spectrum, the same shade in a different room can be striking based solely on color selection and contrast to other room elements while the simplicity of a cordless shade still keeps the look clean (no wands or cords). When desired, cordless pleated shades shades can be made striking by selecting a shade that emphasizes the horizontal nature of the pleats, allows the window’s framework to show through or has a contracting headrail or bottom edge. (pic) One way to dial in this feature is to order a shade in different opacity, or the amount of light that can come through.

In regard to safety, cordless pleated shades have the obvious advantage of being… cordless. The hanging cords, firmly affixed to the window frame, offer a strangulation risk for children and pets. Cordless shades of any kind do not share this problem. (Note, if you have existing corded blinds and want information or a retrofit kit to make them cordless, visit our cordless window blind safety article.)

Special features:

In addition, for kitchens or other areas where fire safety is a particular concern,fire-retardant window shades are a no-compromise way to have the style and function…and safety that you demand.

Top down bottom up pleated shades

Another form of cordless is the top down, bottom up pleated shades. These also have no messy and dangerous cords, and offer the additional benefit of opening from the top. Great for letting light in with a more opaque shade while retaining privacy. Because the opening is at the top of the window, any passersby would only see your ceiling.

For media rooms, a room darkening pleated shade is a great choice. Whether you want the room darker or truly blackout, the varying surface texture and fabric materials have the additional benefits of not bouncing sound like a metal, wood or plastic shade and dark colors prevent glare and reflection from other light sources.

Wood Blinds: Wide Range of Colors

Many people mistakenly think that when you order wood blinds, that your only color options are light brown and dark brown. Nothing could be further from the truth. Wood blinds come in a wide array of colors and when you add the decorative tape, you have almost limitless choices.

Quality First
Before we talk about the color, let's discuss the quality of the blinds you get when you order from Blinds Chalet.

Each real wood blind is made with high quality components and wood slats. They also come with a standard crown-molding valance. In addition, you can choose the traditional look of 2-inch wood blinds, go with a larger 2 ½-inch wood blind, or several other options both bigger and smaller.

Variety of Colors
Now we can talk about colors. Long gone are the days of light brown and dark brown blinds.

• The Signature 2" Wood Blinds comes in 14 different colors.
• The Platinum 2 1/2" Wood Blinds comes in 15 different colors.
• The Embassy 2" Wood Blinds comes in a range of 21 different colors!

These are just three of the wood blinds that we offer. Looking at the 21 colors, you can see the range available. It comes in:

• Alabaster
• Antique White
• Blanco
• Bourbon
• Cherry
• English Oak
• Evening Oak
• Golden Oak
• Kona
• Light Oak
• Mahogany
• Mink
• Natural
• Pure White
• Sugar Maple
• Sunrise Oak
• Toasted Walnut
• Vivid White
• Walnut
• Warm Cherry
• Warm Chestnut

It is easy to see that when it comes to quality and variety, you can't go wrong with real wood blinds