There are so many colors to choose from when you decide to repaint your home and it can be daunting when trying to decide what color works best for your style. Color can set a tone, enhance mood, and make a house a home. Luckily, the Pantone Color Institute is here to help you with a little inspiration. Each year, the Pantone Color Institute names a Color of the Year, which is predicted by influences such as the entertainment industry and areas of design and will be on trend in the months to come. For ideas on ways to add this year’s color to your home, speak with a trained specialist at Window Treats, Inc serving Red Bank, NJ and surrounding areas. We’ll be happy to help you make a color change. [Read more…]
Operating Systems for Every Window Covering
Duette® Architella® Honeycomb Shades
One of the most overlooked options when selecting window treatments is the operating systems. When you buy window coverings, you’re not just buying the product—you’re also buying the way it operates. All window coverings come with standard operating systems that could be the perfect solution for your needs, but you should be aware of the many choices available when you purchase Hunter Douglas products. If your windows are high and hard to reach, consider PowerView® Motorization. If you have children or just don’t like the look of cords, consider LiteRise®. To see them in action and to find out more about each system, speak with a trained consultant at Window Treats here in New Jersey today. [Read more…]
Change Things Up
Upholstered Chairs & Parkland® Wood Blinds
It is the new year and many of you are embarking on home improvements. Perhaps you are simply adding color or a trendy pattern to your room or you are beginning a complete remodel. Window treatments are important for any home update and shouldn’t be forgotten. Like any improvement for your home, window coverings can be a major investment. Hunter Douglas offers a complete catalog of blinds, shades, sheers, and shutters at a price point you can afford that are available in a variety of styles, colors, and features. Regardless of your plans, Window Treats serving New York, will be happy to give you some quick ideas for room updates. [Read more…]
5 Easy Ways to Amp Up Your Window Insulation
Now that winter is here, the temperatures have begun to drop. Even if you don’t live in a snow-prone area, you’re likely cranking up the heat to ensure your home stays comfortable. Unfortunately, that can have major effects on your monthly energy bills — especially if you live in an older home. Because windows and doors account for nearly one-third of your home’s total thermal loss, these spots are the first ones you should evaluate. You could replace your windows, of course, or invest in better interior insulation. But there are also some quick fixes that can be highly effective. If you aren’t up for a major home renovation but want to minimize the draftiness throughout your house (and your high energy bills), here are some easy ways to amp up your insulation.
- Apply Window Film: Apartment dwellers and homeowners alike may be familiar with this simple project. Insulating window film sticks directly to the window pane to act as an extra barrier. It’s important to note that after you apply the film, the pane won’t be as transparent. It may not be an option in certain spaces, particularly if the look of the film bothers you. Used in conjunction with other methods on this list, it can make a rather significant difference.
- Add Weather Stripping: You can buy weatherstripping at virtually any home improvement store and easily install it to block out any drafts and leaks you’ll find. You should use weatherstrips in the sash of your window (the middle frame component with the locks). You can also use rope caulk around the edges to plug larger gaps.
- Use Thermal Curtains: Window treatments can be a great way to quickly add some extra insulation. Insulated thermal curtains will keep the heat inside and the cold outside. Even opting for curtains in a darker, heavier fabric will help. Just make sure to let as much light in as possible during the daytime and close them when the sun starts to go down to maximize this natural heat source.
- Opt For Cellular Shades: When you choose blinds for windows in your home, you won’t want to go with a basic model. Cellular shades, with their signature honeycomb shape, are designed to use air to your advantage. They actually act like a down comforter or warm quilt, insulating your windows and keeping the cold air away from your family.
- Install Motorized Blinds: Whether or not you like cellular shades, you can make a difference by utilizing motorization. Motorized blinds for windows will automatically adjust the amount of light that comes in or out at a certain time or day without you ever having to lift a finger. This will make energy efficiency a breeze and will instantly optimize the amount of natural heat in your home. As a plus, motorized blinds for windows are also safer and convenient — and who doesn’t want that?
You might assume that adding insulation will require a huge renovation, but it’s actually much easier than you think to add an extra barrier or two. By following these tips, you can make your home more comfortable within a day (or a few hours!) and keep it that way all winter long.
Add Elegance to Your Home With a Touch of Silk
Vignette® Modern Roman Shades in China Silk
Elegant fabrics can bring texture, color, and beauty to any home. Silk is a timeless fabric that screams style and tops the list of elegant fabrics. For more than 2,000 years, the Chinese kept the secret of silk to themselves. However, for the last 30 years, the world’s silk production has approximately doubled and is woven into the stunning textiles. Silk is also being used for upholstery, wall coverings, rugs, bedding, wall hangings, and even window treatments. If you want to add a little elegance to your home, bring in a touch of silk. For ideas on how to add silk to your home, speak with a trained consultant at Window Treats serving the New Jersey area. We’ll be happy to help! [Read more…]
History of the Honeycomb Shade
Duette® Architella® Honeycomb Shades
The honeycomb shade has come a long way since it was first developed decades ago. The name comes from the shade’s unique construction which looks like a beehive. The distinctive honeycomb design traps air before it reaches your room and are inherently energy efficient. The Honeycomb shades are also excellent for soundproofing, light control, and specialty window shapes. Even better, Honeycomb shades offer the largest opacity selection in a window treatment, including sheer, semi-sheer, semi-opaque, opaque, room darkening, or blackout. [Read more…]
3 Surprisingly Common Misconceptions About Motorized Blinds
As any homeowner knows, the way light enters a room can dramatically change the way a space looks. Well-lit, bright areas create an atmosphere of energy, productivity, and excitement. In contrast, darker, moodier rooms create a sense of calm relaxation.
While some rooms in a home require one atmosphere or the other, some interior spaces require flexible lighting to meet a variety of needs. For these transitional rooms, motorized blinds make an elegant and logical choice. Motorized window blinds allow homeowners to change the light of their space with the simple touch of a button.
Though motorized window shades work well for nearly any home, some individuals hesitate before installing them due to misconceptions about their function and style. They think: why choose motorized blinds, when they come with so many downsides?
Once and for all, we’d like to clear up some misconceptions surrounding automated window blinds. Here are three myths about motorized window blinds you shouldn’t believe:
1. Motorized Blinds Are Hard to Maintain
Due to their technical nature, some individuals assume that motorized blinds require special upkeep. However, manufacturers specifically design these blinds to be easy to clean. With a damp cloth, you can remove dust and stains from the blinds with ease. Simply give them a gentle wipe-down every now and then, and you’re good to go!
2. Motorized Blinds Cost Way Too Much
While motorized blinds may be more expensive than traditional window treatments, they are also a long-term investment. In fact, typical shutters can last up to 20 years, but these window treatments may last even longer with proper maintenance. As a bonus, window treatments can better insulate your home by preventing heat from escaping through the glass of your window panes. Keep the motorized blinds closed on chillier days, and you might actually save money on your heating bills!
3. Motorized Blinds Aren’t Stylish
Finally, some people avoid buying motorized blinds because they’ve seen other automated blinds that are just plain ugly. However, today’s manufacturers produce a wide variety of styles that can pair well with different home architectures and interior designs. With a little online research, you might find a set of blinds that match your personal style perfectly!
Why Choose Motorized Blinds?
Because the myths simply aren’t true! Motorized blinds can be affordable, stylish, and convenient. To order your own set of automatic shades, contact Window Treats today.
Avoiding Winter Window Woes: How to Make Your Energy Bills Less ‘Pane’-ful
Winter is on its way, which makes many families worry about how high their energy bills might climb in the coming months. While there are a lot of things you can do to cut down on unnecessary energy use and make the most of what you’ve got, there’s arguably no better way to accomplish both goals than to focus on your windows. In today’s post, we’ll discuss some top tips for keeping your energy bills low with just a few simple changes to your routine and to your home.
Opt For Efficiency
You probably already know that energy-efficient appliances can help you save in several ways. Not only will they make it easier to go green, but they’ll also keep more green in your pocket once the bill arrives. The same principle applies with your home’s windows. Energy efficient windows and even storm windows can help keep the warm air in and the cold air out, particularly if you’re living in an older home that’s prone to draftiness. If you can’t commit to replacing all of your existing windows, you may want to opt for sealing any cracks or replacing the oldest and most worn-out in the bunch.
Change Up Your Habits
In winter, you’ll want to do everything you can to work with your HVAC system and the natural light, rather than against them. That may mean being a bit more diligent about when you open your blinds for windows and when you close them, especially as the days get shorter. South-facing window shades should be kept open during the day and should be closed at night. Of course, there are easier ways to accomplish this — but we’ll expand on that in a bit.
‘Treat’ Yourself
According to the Attachments Energy Rating Council, window attachments (including window treatments) can improve the performance of your windows and reduce your household’s energy use by up to 13%. That’s no small feat, particularly if you’re spending a lot to keep your home comfortable in winter. Your shades, draperies, and blinds for windows should fit tightly, which means you may want to investigate custom options to ensure they’re sized correctly. You may also want to explore thermal window treatments to boost your energy-saving efforts even more.
Get Your Motor Running
Finally, why not take the guesswork out of energy efficiency by opting for motorized window shades? It’s a far easier way to make certain you’re taking full advantage of daylight hours and don’t forget to shut your blinds once it gets dark in the evenings. With motorized blinds for windows, you’ll automatically make your home consistently comfortable and can save some money on your heating bills. What more could you possibly ask for this winter?
To learn more about how our motorized blinds for windows can improve your energy efficiency and the aesthetic value of your home, please contact us today.
Hunter Douglas Season of Style Savings Event
At Window Treats serving Holmdel area, we’re always excited to offer our customers additional savings on the already great value they get with Hunter Douglas window fashions. That’s why we’re happy to tell everyone about the 2018 Season of Style Savings Event that’s going on right now. If you’re interested in learning more, read on, and then speak with one of our consultants today!
Act Fast…Ends December 10th
This promotion is going on only through December 10, so you need to act fast to earn your rebates. Some of the most popular Hunter Douglas window fashions, including Vignette® Modern Roman Shades, Sonnette™ Cellular Roller Shades, Pirouette® Shadings, Silhouette® Shadings, Luminette® Privacy Sheers, and Duette® Honeycomb Shades, are eligible to earn a $100 rebate. Simply purchase the required minimum of the product, and if you purchase more, you can earn incremental rebates as well. Be aware that some restrictions apply, so be sure to get all of the details before you buy.
Meet the Products
Hunter Douglas products offer numerous features and benefits; you can’t go wrong. However, the products up for the rebate deal are some of the most popular, and for good reason. For example:
- Vignette® Modern Roman Shades. Offered in numerous styles, fabrics, and fold sizes, these shades are the perfect alternative to the traditional Roman shade. Consider the new Duolite® option to get two opacities in one shade.
- Pirouette® Shadings. Its softly contoured vanes can be closed for complete privacy or opened to let light in, and the shades offer excellent UV protection with the vanes either opened or closed.
- Luminette® Privacy Sheers. With a sheer fabric facing, Luminette offers vanes that let you control light and privacy in the room.
Lift Systems
Don’t forget about the lift system for your new purchase. One of the most overlooked options when selecting window treatments is the operating system. If your windows are high and hard to reach, consider PowerView® Motorization. If you have children or just don’t like the look of cords, consider LiteRise®. We have a wide variety of operating choices for you to select from.
Season of Style Savings Event in the Middletown, Holmdel New Jersey Area
Window Treats, Inc., is a service-oriented business specializing in custom blinds, shades, shutters, draperies, top treatments and window treatment motorization options.
We serve residential and commercial customers throughout New Jersey including Middletown, Holmdel, Rumson, Colts Neck, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Long Branch, Elberon, Deal, Shrewsbury, Allenhurst, Spring Lake, Jersey Shore, and all of Monmouth County, NJ.
A World of Color
Designer Screen Shades
At Window Treats serving Holmdel, we know that many of our customers feel overwhelmed when they try to introduce new color to their homes. That’s why we’re always happy to help share tips and tricks to finding and using the colors they love. One way to learn about new colors is to follow the chosen Color of the Year. Read on to learn more!
Past Colors of the Year
Each year, the Pantone Color Institute predicts what will be the trending color for the year. “The Pantone Color of the Year has come to mean so much more than ‘what’s trending’ in the world of design; it’s truly a reflection of what’s needed in our world today,” noted Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute. Here are some of the colors that were popular in years past:
- Character-Inspired. In 2015, for the first time ever, Pantone color system based a color on a movie franchise: Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Despicable Me. They used their playful yellow to coin “Minion” Yellow, a color designed to lift our moods and environment.
- 2016: Rose Quartz and Serenity. In 2016, the Color Institute offered up not just one but TWO trending forecasted colors. Rose Quartz and Serenity, known for their calm and peaceful approach, were forecasted to replicate how we would want to feel in the following months.
- 2017: Greenery. Reminiscent of the first day of spring, this yellow-green, snow pea color “is the color of hopefulness and of our connection to nature.”
- 2018: Ultra Violet. Provocative, visionary, and a symbol of unconventionality, Ultra Violet has always been considered a mystical or spiritual color.
Color Tips
Remember that you can add as little or as much color as you’d like—in anything from wall paint to window treatments to throw pillows. But choose your color wisely. As you can see from the list above, trends come and go. If you find that you’ve fallen in love with a past color of the year, don’t be afraid to use it even today. It’s your home, and you need to choose colors you’ll love to see day in and day out.
Color Choices in the Middletown, Holmdel New Jersey Area
Window Treats, Inc., is a service-oriented business specializing in custom blinds, shades, shutters, draperies, top treatments and window treatment motorization options.
We serve residential and commercial customers throughout New Jersey including Middletown, Holmdel, Rumson, Colts Neck, Fair Haven, Little Silver, Long Branch, Elberon, Deal, Shrewsbury, Allenhurst, Spring Lake, Jersey Shore, and all of Monmouth County, NJ.
