Motorization - A Great Solution

This week we installed Hunter Douglas' motorized Duettes for a special client. As you enter her stunning log home, you see a wall of glass on the far side of the great room. Two large pairs of French doors are topped by stacked sets of windows, reaching up to the arched 20 foot ceiling. The vista beyond the windows is gorgeous, framing Mt. Baker in the distance, with nearer views of the river and the nesting bald eagles.

That much glass presented a problem in the winter. Those expansive windows allowed the cold to seep through, casting a chill in the room that even a roaring fire was not able to alleviate. The sheer height of the windows made it very difficult, if not impossible, to operate any window coverings manually. Motorizing the highly energy efficient shades was an ideal solution.

The client chose shimmering Opalessence fabric in Copper Blaze, which complemented the warm wood tones of the log home. Hunter Douglas' new Platinum remote made it possible to use either infrared or radio frequency technology to operate the shades together or singly.

The result? Beautiful window coverings that combine energy savings and insulation in the winter with reduced heat gain in the summer, in one easy to use package. And one satisfied client!

HD Duettes complement any room or style

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!

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.