We discuss things going on in the Wilmington NC area. Also talk about different trends with window treatments. Discussing new blinds, shutters, and shades that out on the market know. Plenty of design ideas.
I love putting a fresh spin on something old. For your windows treatments, I would suggest a classic treatment- a cornice board brought up to date with a geometric pattern fabric in soft colors. Then for consistency, use the same pattern and colors elsewhere in the room.
Think of using layers with your window treatments and highlight the window. Possibly adding a roman shade or honeycomb shades to give privacy when you need it. Curtain panels nicely frame the windows. Roman shades in the same ivory linen and then can be lowered when needed, and the cornice will pull everything together.
Draw a line with a Silhouette & Color I love the contrast of black and cream in fabrics and in window treatments..Hunter Douglas makes a beautiful product called Silhouettes.Silhouette window shadings are a shade, but a yet combine the option to open and close unlike most other shades. Silhouette shadings are comprised of a "S-vane" fabric vane suspended between two soft sheer facings. These vanes are available in a variety of textures and colors, from linen-textured vanes to the elegant raw silk textured vanes. There are eight different fabric choices in 2", 3" and 4" vane sizes. The suspended vanes tilt to any angle, giving you full control over the level of privacy and light you desire. In the open position, you have a softened view as if you were looking through a sheer. In the closed position, you have full privacy and can even have the option of a room darkening vane.
Privacy? Go for blinds or shades such as woven wood shades or a tight weave fabrics like twill or micro suede. Do you want total darkness from your window treatments? Shades such as roman shades and shades honeycomb shades can be lined with a room darkening lining.They have an acrylic foam coating or a cotton fabric attached to the back of shades that will block more than 99% of light. You need to think of your budget because they do cost about 20% more than conventional shades? Ask your window covering consultant about shades that have a very high R-value. a number indicating how well a material resists heat flow into( in summer) or out ( in winter) your home. Any shade or window treatments with an r-value of 4.0 and above would be considered a energy efficient window covering. Your top rated shade would be a honeycomb shades which can get up to a 7.7 R-value. There are many affordable blinds and shades on the market and can fit most any budget on the market. Most of the blinds, shades retailers offer in home consultations. I would recommend to schedule the consultation on a day when it is really hot outside so that you can hold up the shade or window treatment material and see for yourself how much heat is block out. Most of all be unique with your window treatments to make the home reflect your own style.
When you see your energy bill this summer you start thinking of how to cut down the heat coming in the house. You may not think of your window treatments when considering ways to cut down on the energy bill and help keep the house cool on these hot Wilmington NC days. Do you realize that 50% of a home’s heating and cooling energy exits through windows? The summer heat can travel inside your home from your roof and walls. There are affordable ways to reduce the heat coming in through your windows. You can not completely block the heat on these hot days in Southeastern North Carolina. However it is possible to keep on a budget and cut it down considerably on energy bills with your window treatments. There are a few materials that can restrict a percentage of the heat from entering your home on the market today. Insulation is measured in R-Value. R- Value is the measurement of the insulation's ability to resist heat traveling through it and relates to the ability of a material to reflect light and heat out of the home. Therefore the higher the R-Value the better the material is going to insulate your home. Window treatments with a higher R-Value can reduce heat loss up to 50% and save you money.
There are quite a few different affordable window treatments to use out on the market. Hunter Douglas makes products with a range of R-Values and Solar Heat Gain Coefficient rating so you can meet both your design and energy efficient needs on a budget. For example, a bare double glazed window has up to a 3.5 R-Value. Choosing a triple cell honeycomb shade by Hunter Douglas with Panache opaque fabric brings the R-Value up to 7.86, which can reduce heat loss significantly. There are treatments for your windows such as hardwood shutters, composite shutters and wood & faux wood blinds that have R-Values ranging between 2.77 and 3.17 this is quite a difference when you are sitting in the house on a hot Wilmington NC day. Some new faux wood shutters have an R-Value of 6.01, this is accomplished by a seal on the edge of the shutter and the frame which acts as a barrier there by increasing the R-value. Actually, last year the government gave you a tax credit if you used a window treatment that could reach an R-value of 6.00 or better. Vertical blinds, aluminum blinds and sliding panels have R-Values ranging from 3.87 to 3.94. When shopping for your window treatments go to someone who can tell you the R-Value of the product’s true insulation ability. Be sure to do your own research.
