Thermal Drapes - Stylish Solution for Energy Savings

Snow is falling in the Mount Baker ski area! It's getting cold out there! The layer of snow blanketing the area is a beautiful sight, but the cold has its own set of challenges.

When a favorite client called to see what I could do about blocking the cold from coming in her large French doors and the picture windows atop them, I was happy to have solutions for her. Our first line of defense was Hunter Douglas' Duette shades. Their line of Architella fabrics boasts a very high R-value of 7.9 when installed with double-glazed windows and are eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $1500, with some qualifications. The best solutions for the upper high windows were motorized Duettes; easy to operate and beautiful at the same time.

However, the French doors required more than just the shades to increase the living comfort in the enormous great room. A beautiful cinnamon-colored tweed fabric from Kasmir Fabrics was chosen for the face fabric. But how could we make the drapes as energy-efficient as possible?

The help of my Kasmir fabric sales rep, Anita Faulkner, and the handy Temp-Assure brochure from Hanes steered me in the right direction. A discussion with Ralph Angel at Angel's Distributing also helped firm up my decision. Since the drapes are not desired to be black-out, I will be lining the drapes with Angel's Premiere Napped Sateen then interlining with Domette flannel. By creating insulating layers of trapped air, there will be an over 300% increase in the R-Value over identical unlined drapes!

I'm looking forward to installing these eye-catching and highly energy-efficient thermal draperies in this stunning home.

Call or email if you would like to discuss what we can do to make your living space more comfortable and energy-efficient. I may have just the solution you were looking for!

WFCP Launch Party Excites, Inspires!

Grace McNamara and the WFCP team kicked off a new era in the Window Fashions Certified Program! In their words, "We’ve been hard at work behind the scenes so we can offer window covering pros the BEST certification and membership program in the industry." The launch party included a motivational presentation by Drew Gerber of Pitchrate.com, a PR guru, who discussed key steps in promoting oneself in cost-effective ways to land media coverage.

It was exciting to see some of the new initiatives set out by the WFCP team. A new wiki will be appearing soon, providing a go-to place for information on the window coverings industry; new ways to receive credits toward professional certification were discussed; the TrendSpot blog was mentioned; and many features and benefits of WFCP membership were enhanced. Topping it off were great prizes and give-aways.



Digital certification using MinutesMatter will make attaining the next level of certification much easier. It gives me renewed energy to work toward the Master WFCP designation!

For more information, explore the WF Vision website to see all that WFCP has to offer for the window fashions professional, whether workshop, designer or installer.

Grace, once again you and your team are setting the standard for the window coverings industry! Kudos to you!