Fabulous Fall Sale!

Fantastic Fall Savings are here! We are offering great savings from two great companies this fall - Hunter Douglas and Graber Window Fashions!



Hunter Douglas is promoting their SEASON OF GIVING from Sept. 25 - Dec. 15 with generous rebates between $25 - $600 per window on window coverings such as Duettes, Skyline Gliding Window Panels, Silhouette Window Shadings, Luminettes, and Vignettes.

As well, in recognition of National Window Covering Safety Month in October, Hunter Douglas is offering free upgrades to the Literise Cordless Lifting System on Tiered Vignette Modern Roman Shades, and Duette & Applause Honeycomb Shades. This offer runs from Sept. 25 - Nov. 16.



Graber's offer begins Oct. 1 and runs till the end of the year. Receive $25 cash back on blinds and shades purchased with safety upgrades, to a maximum of $100, on qualifying products.

As part of National Window Covering Safety Month, we are also offering retrofit kits for your older window treatments.

Call 360-966-4142 for details!

Are Your Window Coverings Child-Safe?

Major Recall of Blinds and Shades after Child Deaths, the headlines screamed yesterday. 5.5 million blinds and shades were recalled by six different manufacturers yesterday, after three children died after being strangled by loose cords. CNN Money carried an excellent article detailing the companies involved and more of the facts surrounding the recall. A Consumer Product Safety Commission spokesman said that in the U.S., one child dies every month as a result of strangulation by a window cord.

I've long been an advocate for child safety when it comes to window coverings. I have been very thankful that the major brands that I sell, Springs Window Fashions/Graber, and Hunter Douglas, have been at the forefront of ensuring that their products are safe both for children and pets.

How can you keep your children safe around your window coverings?
* Repair or replace your pre-2001 window coverings - new safety standards were adopted in 2001 improving safety. You may be able to retrofit your old blinds or shades - ask me how to get retrofit kits.
* Install only cordless window coverings in children's bedrooms, and wherever else possible
* Move beds, furniture and cribs away from window coverings
* Use cord cleats and attach tension pulleys and safety hold down brackets if they are provided
* Keep cords out of reach of children

Still concerned? I can come and do a free safety audit on your window coverings and suggest ways to help. Together we can work toward the goal of no more child deaths due to unsafe window coverings.

Beating the Heat with Window Coverings

Last week the heat was incredible in the Pacific Northwest. We broke the all-time heat record in Seattle,hitting 103 degrees and then further north in Bellingham, close to my home, with a whopping 96 degrees by the water.

I'm thankful for all the clients I have in this economy, so I am grateful to be able to have installs to do. In this heat, though, I am doubly thankful that I have a great installer, so I can just assist and watch him do all the hard work. Last week was tough! It really did point to the importance of window coverings for lowering the temperature in the home.

One of the last installs of the day was in Lynden, WA, a quaint little farming town close to the Canadian border. The windows we were covering were mostly west facing, directly in the full force of the setting evening sun. It was brutal! A large picture window in the living room, as well as a number of windows in the dining room, were no match for the enormous amount of heat radiating in from the sun.

It took only a few minutes for my installer to put up brackets spanning the width of the large window and install the beautiful Graber Traditions 2" Wood Blind in a Peru color, complete with a decorative wood valance. The relief from the heat was immediate! Then the next three window blinds were installed. Wow! What a tremendous difference that made!

There were other choices the homeowner could have made that were even more energy-efficient; however, these blinds suited her style, her budget and her home. Graber has a great article about Energy Efficient Window Treatments. When I go out to visit clients, I carry charts comparing the energy efficiency of various window coverings so we can choose the best option for a particular window.

There's no reason an uncovered window has to add to the misery of a hot house in a heat wave. Adding a window covering to that bare opening will lower the temperature in your home, protect your furniture and carpeting from UV radiation, and add beauty and style to the interior of your home.