Summertime all that much better with beautiful window coverings...

So we are well into summer and what can I say, it's amazing.  I love this time of the year, and I love that we've had one of the best July's I've seen in a long time!  It's more than welcome to continue through to October as far as I'm concerned.

Well today's topic is...I so wish I knew!  Oh I know, let's talk window coverings, it is a topic I know lot's about after all.  The weather is hot, and while we love it, it is affecting everything to do with your house. Your windows while offering a great view, are also the greatest source for heat retention and loss, or as Hunter Douglas calls them - 'windows are energy holes'.  Simply put, even if they are triple pane, they are still making your house so much hotter (or colder depending on the time of year) than it needs to be; so basically despite the fact that your windows only make up about 10% of your house, you loose about 50% of your energy through them.  Add to that the UV damage to your floors, furniture, artwork, drapery (and the list goes on) caused by the suns rays, windows are to blame for a large percentage your heating and cooling bills all year round.  

I know what you're thinking, who's got the funds for "those" kinds of window coverings, well big picture, and long term, they pay for themselves in the energy savings and protection of your floors and belongings.  Course I'm not trying to "sell" you on any particular product today, I just want you think about it, so that when you finally do decide on replacing what you have, you'll consider the long term value of a good window covering!

I'm going to touch on two products today, not extensively, but more to make you aware of what they look like and what purposes they serve.

The most cost effective are the screen shade. They are essentially a roller blind, but are designed to provide you with a small % of light (ranging from 3 - 14% openness).  They come in a variety of neutrals, and look best within a cassette (meaning that the roller and mechanism are hidden from view within a casing).  There are also some beautiful patterns, still neutral, but with a bit more style than the blinds you see in Starbucks!  

Screen shades with a 3-5% openness block more than 85% of UV rays, and make a significant difference to the temperature of your room.  They are also easy to clean! Also in my professional opinion, should you go with the product please never go with more than 5%, anything higher and you can forget about privacy and real light/UV control, at 14% openness they won't even help with heat control.

While the photo's show living rooms, and more formal spaces, my personal preference is that they be used in a sunroom, kitchen or very casual space.  If you put them in your living room, remember that what you can see out during the day, others can see in come night when your lights are on.  It's why I don't recommend them for spaces that you want evening privacy.  The back of house is fine, but generally the front not so much.  However, if you live in a high-rise as featured in the below image by Hunter Douglas Blinds, then privacy in the evening isn't as big an issue, but again, if you put them in your bedroom, there is no guarantee that people in the space across from you can't see you or at least what's going on via shadows at night.

They are also great out of doors, designed specifically for outside by Hunter Douglas, you can use them on one side of your deck just for some privacy and help with the days heat, or everywhere.  Check out this gorgeous patio idea.

Next I want to talk about Hunter Douglas Honeycomb shades, and while others make them, they are but a poor cousin to the inventors of the brand. The Duette Architella blind is the most versatile product in the entire range of blinds, hands down.  They fall in the middle price point, meaning that there are many cheaper products and many much more expensive products. They are called honeycomb because from the side, that's just what they look like. 

Offering superior sun protection, they come in an amazing array of fabrics and styles.  From top down/bottom up, to duo lights, they can be controlled by remote, and work superbly in skylights.  Offering 95% UV protection when closed.  They can reduce your heat gain from 76% down to as little as 15%.  Imagine how cool your house would feel if you closed them all before going to work, and didn't open them till the sun had passed.  This is probably my favorite product on the market for the sake of versatility and efficiency.  While there are "prettier" blinds on the market, none come close to the versatility and energy savings that you get with the Hunter Douglas Architella Shade.

These two examples are called top down / bottom up, and come cordless or with a lifting system.

Now imagine how much better they'd be if you motorize them, you can add the free app to your portable device (smart phone/iPad, etc.) and set your blinds to open and close at specific times of the day, optimizing the efficiency of this product!  I won't go on about it any further, I think that the pictures will speak for themselves!

The duo-light show here is lovely, and this particular one is of an opaque (meaning black out) with a sheer, so basically you get two shades in one. The Opaque Duette is also the best blackout product on the market, leaving such a small light bleed that most light sensitive people have no problem sleeping with this product in their windows.

And last but not least is the sheer Duette, this photo shows the product with the sheer alone, offering a contemporary level of privacy (over traditional sheer drapery), and while it offers more than 60% UV protection, it won't do for you with a semi opaque can and will do.  It does however, look beautiful.

So that's it just a little taste of two beautiful but very different styles of window covering.  

Whether you need them today or next year, there's always room for a little knowledge when making your choices.

If you have any questions at all, please don't hesitate to ask.  You can also find me on Houzz under Live Beautiful Designs.  Yeah I just realized that this last bit sounded like a bit of a sales pitch, but hey I'm a self employed designer, I guess it needs to be once in a while!  Hope you found it of interest.