{window treatment wednesday}

I think that pretty much sums it up! If you’re thinking about purchasing window treatments, you have until April 2, to take advantage of 2012 prices. Hunter Douglas is also offering Energy Smart rebates on the following window coverings:

• Duette Architella Honeycomb Shades
• Silhouette Window Shades
• Vignette Modern Roman Shades

What a perfect time to take advantage of these great offers. Give us the opportunity to quote you a price; our customers tell us our prices are less than those buying club superstores. Walk. Do not run. However, hurry on in before April 2, 2013. The selection of product and color choices from Hunter Douglas are fabulous! You’ll be ready with a new outlook for a wonderful spring!

{window treatment wednesday}

House of Turquoise is an excellent resource for inspiration. Whether you want ideas for paint colors or just want to see what other people are doing in their homes, House of Turquoise is a site to check out. Erin works very hard at curating all that is turquoise, and the majority of what you see on her site is the result of Erin’s hard work. She finds all those lovely homes to share with her thousands of readers.

I chose some window treatment photos from her site, and asked Shannon Scarrella (Manager of Hirshfield’s Shop at Home) to share her window treatment expertise. It’s all in the details.

House of Turquoise

A great picture to show the effects of layering. Hardwood shutters, while they provide a handsome look with nice privacy, the top treatments and draperies softened the feel.  The tassel fringe breaks up the linear lines of the shutters and the stripes in the drapery fabric.

House of Turquoise

The roman shades on the doors provide privacy when lowered and the valance provides uniformity, when the function of a shade isn’t needed. In this case, the custom roman shades and valance bring in the needed pattern and color to a neutral kitchen.

House of Turquoise

This is one lucky girl! The honeycomb shades are neutral, to disappear, but also providing privacy and light control when needed. The drapery panels, tie backs, and trimmings give the room a classic feel. The layering of pattern, texture, and color help to keep the room age appropriate and fun.

House of Turquoise

Custom Shutters with Pinch Pleat Draperies provide a clean backdrop to the teal and green table combination. The pleating on the draperies helps to add fullness and depth to the neutral drapes.

House of Turquoise

My favorite! Upon first glance this appears to be teal drapes, but look closer…..it’s actually a sheer with a soft stripe over a teal colored fabric. The header at the top is sewn to create the illusion of one piece, when it’s actually two materials sewn together. The layering of the sheer over the top softens the fabric underneath and the stripe in the sheer adds another dimension. The fluted detail in the rod mimics the custom molding beautifully, while the metallic matte finish compliments the accessories in the room.

House of Turquoise

More shutters with side panels….must be a trend! The white on white provides a classic, clean look, while the darker rods pay respect to the other furniture pieces in the room. 

House of Turquoise

People see our windows from the outside too. The chevron patterned fabric is attached to the rod with rings and clips; this allows the soft fold and less serious look to them. They are outside after all. The fabric framed windows also make a great backdrop for the skirted bar or buffet.

House of Turquoise

Natural Roman Shade with blackout lining and coordinated cotton edge banding gives the bathroom something more organic, yet structured. The color of the shade ties the color of the bedding into the bathroom.

Wasn’t that a treat? It’s like looking into houses on your nightly walk, without having to worry about being busted.

Here’s a link for more information on Hirshfield’s Shop at Home Division. And to see what’s on sale in the window treatment world at Hirshfield’s, you can click right here!

Erin also runs the shopping blog, Everything Turquoise, jammed packed with turquoise goodies for sale. We’re very proud of our Minnesota girl.

{window treatment wednesday…it’s a sale}

There’s a lot going on at Hirshfield’s when it comes to window treatments: price points for every budget, quality products (Hunter Douglas always wins awards for product design and technology), and this month, a fantastic selection of window treatment sales.

• Free installation offer* ends Tuesday, March 12, 2013

• Free Top-Down Bottom-Up on Natural Shades and Roman Shades from the Premier Collection thru March 30, 2013

• An additional 25% off on select wood blinds – Classicwood and Durawood thru March 30, 2013

• An additional 25% off on Sienna honeycomb window treatments thru March 30, 2013

• Free cordless promotion on Premier Collection honeycomb standard shade thru March 30, 2013

• Mail-in rebates of $25 on Duette® Architella® Honeycomb or $50 mail-in rebate on Silhouette® Window Shades and Vignette® Modern Roman Shades thru April 2, 2013

If you don’t know what your options are for window treatments, shopping for them can be overwhelming. Our window treatment experts will help you sort through all the products, options, and sales offerings. They will give you the information you need to make an informed decision. We want your business. Give us an opportunity to quote you a price. Hirshfield’s knowledgeable staff  have the highest “window treatment IQ” in the world! (Can I say that?)

*Minimum Order of $500. Any order under $500 is a $55 install
Ask our staff for details on the exclusions

{window treatment wednesday}

Averté knob option

Don’t know how to cover those large windows or patio doors? We are all very familiar with vertical blinds. You know those 3” wide fabric or vinyl strips that hang from a metal track. While they are very practical for these applications, they have been on the market a very long time. There are many new products that have been introduced the past few years that work great for those large windows, patio doors or even as room dividers.

Averté treatment by Dawn Feda

Averté
Averté is like a drapery for a patio door or large window. But unlike a drapery, this isn’t made with fabric. An Averté is made up of natural materials like grasses, reeds and bamboos. The uniqueness of these materials provides something very different than what we are used to seeing on large windows.  The track is grooved and allows small wheeled carriers to slide back and forth.  These small wheels allow you to operate the Averté quickly and effortlessly with your hand. There are no draw cords on the Averté. Combine this with a decorative wood track and the look is truly one of a kind. Averté is available at select Hirshfield’s  locations. To see one on display, visit Hirshfield’s Lakeville.

Skyline® Gliding Panels

Skyline® Gliding Window Panels

Skyline® Gliding Panels
Skyline® Gliding Panels from Hunter Douglas offer clean lines and a contemporary look. They allow for 11 ½” Panels or 17” Panels. The headrail system allows for panels to stack to one side, or split stack off the window. With over 187 color and fabric combinations available, there are plenty of fabrics to select from. The fabrics range from sheers to screens, textures to opaque. The Skyline® Gliding Panel fabrics also offer options in roller shades for coordinating the look of a room.

Sienna with Long-Vue

Sienna with Long-Vue
There are many names for this type of treatment, but in short it is a honeycomb shade done vertically. The honeycomb fabric is placed between two rails that slide along a track.  There are no exposed cords and you get all the energy efficient benefits of a honeycomb shade. Even better…when the Long-Vue is stacked open to one side, the stack is approximately 6 ½.

Vignette™ Traversed with Vertiglide™

Vignette™ Traversed with Vertiglide™
This is a newer concept on the market from Hunter Douglas. Hunter took their ever popular Vignette Roman Shade and created a vertical application…the Vignette™ Traversed with Vertiglide™. By doing this, they offer the soft fold of a fabric with a mechanism built for large windows. With 11 fabrics and 75 fabric and color combinations, there is a nice selection to choose from; it also comes standard with a fabric-covered headrail and side rails.

So next time you are thinking of covering those large windows, know there is more out there than a “vertical.”

Shop at Home 651-366-6969

Guest post by Shannon Scarrella, manager of  Hirshfield’s Shop at Home

{window treatment wednesday}

HELP! What to do with these windows?

A customer (me) needs some window treatment advice for her family room windows. This room was painted just about a year ago (Benjamin Moore Gray 2121-10/ Acadia White AC-41) and I still haven’t figured out the windows. I keep thinking I’ll get to the store with my photos to discuss my options, but that hasn’t happened. So here goes.

Currently, I have Duette shades on my windows and I’ve enjoyed and appreciated the privacy they have offered all these years. My house sits very close to the street and the opaque Duette shades have prevented the Galdys Kravitzs’ from seeing into my home. I had a valance on the windows, but it’s not going back up.

My thought is I’d like to have some sort of woven wood shades. I like the added texture a natural shading brings to the party and I feel it will play nicely with the gray wall color. The room also has hardwood floors and carpet, and I’m hoping a bamboo, grass or reed shade will help tie in the different flooring colors.

Here are some questions I have:

Can I put up natural shades and also leave up the Duette shades for privacy in the evening?  Will they be able to function separately and will there be room?

If I can’t leave up the Duette shades would you suggest an inside or outside mount? I have approximately an 1 1/2″ for an inside mount.

Do any of the natural woven shades offer a privacy backing?

Will my windows look bare without a valance?

I’m looking forward to the recommendations by my very knowledgeable Hirshfield’s co-workers. I’m confident they will point me in the right direction and I’ll find the perfect window treatment which will meet my needs.

The impetus for finishing this project? Next on my list is a new coat of paint for my bedroom, which means the stained baseboards need to come off and replaced with the new and improved painted baseboard trim. I’m slowly (three years in) switching out the trim in my home. Home improvement? It’s a vicious cycle, but we all love it. Don’t we?

{window treatment wednesday}

Word on the street is that customers are liking the extra discounts on Hunter Douglas and Premier window fashions. Shop 15 Hunter Douglas Window Fashions showroom or call Hirshfield’s SHOP AT HOME – 651-366-6969 – for an in-home window fashions consultation.

Additional sale information can be found right here.

{window treatment wednesday}

Sidelights are the long windows on either side of your front door or French doors. Offering a hearty welcome, doors with sidelights tend to be the focal point of the front or back of the home. Covering the sidelights for privacy can be challenging, as not all window treatments are available for that size of window.

Hunter Douglas’ dynamic duo, Sally and Jen, have these recommendations for covering the sidelights.

The windows on either side of your front door are known as sidelights. Keep in mind that when the front of the house coordinates, you make curb appeal more attractive. Most of our products are available in a 12″ size, so putting the same product on your sidelight that is on your other front facing windows is a smart option. The first product that I recommend is Silhouette^® window shadings. They are essentially a soft 2″, 3″ or 4″ fabric vane that has a sheer to the front and back. In the open position, you will have filtered visibility outside with the sheer. Sheers always look elegant and are very practical for a sidelight as well. Close the vanes and you will have your privacy. Then with the pull of the cord, they roll up to disappear up into the headrail when you want full visibility outside. These are a perfect solution for your sidelights!!

Sally recommends Hunter Douglas Shutters. Sally has them in the sidelights in her own home, and they make a dramatic statement with curb appeal (also because they are on all of her windows that face the street). The fact that you can tilt and turn the bold louvers for privacy and light control is very appealing. She has Heritance^® hardwood shutters, but there are several other Hunter Douglas shutters to choose from. Jen

 If other windows in your home are sporting honeycomb shades then the Duette Honeycomb shade should be considered.  The Duette is available in an non-operable sidelight, meaning you do not have the option of lifting the shade up and down, or is also available as a cordless operable sidelight, with the option to add Top-Down or Top Down/Bottom-Up. The top and bottom rails are stationary with both shades.

Hunter Douglas Silhouette

 Hirshfield’s window treatment experts can walk you through all the nuances of window treatments and offer up their many years of expertise. Your style. Our expertise.

{window treatment wednesday}

FASHION IN MOTION

Virtually every Hunter Douglas product can be outfitted with a motorized system. The system appropriate for your custom window coverings depends mostly on the type of product you purchase. If you have to step into the bathtub to raise or lower your window treatment, you’ll want to check out these motorized options for your windows. Some systems raise and lower window treatments and adjust slats, vanes and louvers, while others move the window covering from side to side, rotating vanes and louvers.

Now through September 4, 2012 Hunter Douglas is offering a mail-in rebate on their motorized blinds and window shades. Stop in at your neighborhood Hirshfield’s and have one of our window treatment experts show you the very impressive motorization options.

Hunter Douglas offers the most innovative technology in the industry and Hirshfield’s offers the most knowledgeable staff. Plus, Hirshfield’s has been in business for 118 years and if anything should go wrong, you know Hirshfield’s will take care of the problem.

{window treatment thursday}

What’s your Window Treatment IQ? If you’re like me, you know enough to be dangerous. I was curious about the different lifting options, manual and motorized, so I delved into the information offered by Hunter Douglas. Whoa! My eyes started to glaze over when I read “PowerTilt™  with Platinum™ Technology system and UltraGlide®  Retractable cord system.” What does that mean?

I spoke with Cindy (Hirshfield’s Maple Grove ) and Michelle (Hirshfield’s Edina) and asked how they explain the different lifting systems and how they determine which lifting system will work best for the customer. Cindy and Michelle both told me as they talk about options and features, they will demonstrate the product for the customer, and give the customer the opportunity to operate the window treatment. Cindy and Michelle also ask and answer a lot of questions.

When it comes to Window Treatment IQ, Hirshfield’s employees rank among the best. Period. Listening in on conversations between our sales staff and window treatment customers, I’m in constant awe of their product knowledge.

To give you an idea of what’s out there for lifting systems I found some interesting questions and answers on the Hunter Douglas site.  It’s pretty amazing all the options Hunter Douglas offers with their products.

We have very high windows. I would like to cover them because they allow a lot of sunlight in the morning, which heats up the house. I would like something that I can control with motorization.

I would recommend our patented PowerRise^® with Platinum™ Technology battery-powered system. This system allows you to raise or lower window fashions individually or in groups from a sleek handheld remote control. This system is available on our Silhouette^® window shadings, our Duette^® and Applause^®honeycomb shades, our Vignette^® Modern Roman Shades, and our Brilliance^®pleated shades. All of these products are lovely. You can’t go wrong with PowerRise!

We also have hard-wired systems with Platinum™ Technology, offering simple wiring solutions for guaranteed operation and precise control via a contemporary-styled wall switch or remote control. This is a wonderful alternative.  (HOT TIP FROM MARSHA:  Hunter Douglas consumer rebates on motorization become available the end of June.  Gather your information now, but if you can, wait another couple of week to buy.)

 I want to put up a shade in my daughter’s room that blocks the sun. I’m concerned about safety, too, because I’ve heard of the terrible stories of children being hurt or worse by getting tangled in blinds and cords. What should I use?

We’re very concerned with child safety at Hunter Douglas. All Hunter Douglas products provide standard and/or optional safety features, and some products offer more than others. For example, our LiteRise^® cordless system has no operating cords. It just pushes up and pulls down from the bottom. The shade or blind raises or lowers evenly to the desired position, and then holds that position, locking in automatically.

LiteRise® cordless lifting system

Some products offer the UltraGlide^® retractable cord system, which is a single cord that is retractable. It hangs about 2/3 of the way down and to pull the shade upward, just pull the cord and it retracts back into the original length. It looks nice and best of all, it is very child and pet friendly.

I’d like to automate the control of my window fashions in my great room. How do I know which Hunter Douglas motorized system is right for my home?

When deciding on motorized window fashions, the most important decision is whether or not you’re able to run individual wires to each window opening. If yes, you can choose a hard-wired switch system that operates from a wall panel or a hard-wired remote control that allows operation by wall switch or remote control. If not, your choice is battery operation with our PowerRise^®,  PowerGlide,^® or PowerTilt™, all with Platinum™ Technology system.  (P.S.  Don’t forget about Marsha’s Hot Tip.)

{window treatment wednesday}

Roller shades are the most basic of all window treatments; functional, yet still fashionable.  Don’t conjure up images of the shades of the past:  shades that curled on the edges and, often times, unexpectedly opened themselves as if by magic, noisily flapping and slapping at the top of the window.  Today’s roller shade features a flat panel of fabric that rolls up neatly into a tidy headrail; when lowered, roller shades provide varying levels of privacy.

Depending on your fabric choice, roller shades offer a variety of light control choices and options to maintain your view to the outside. For a look that’s both custom and classic, roller shades offer a clean appearance in a beautiful range of fabrics along with a variety of design options and lifting systems.

Roller shades minimize glare, block harmful UV-Rays, and help control the room’s temperature.  They complement just about any decorating style and can coordinate with many other decorative products.   They can be sheer and translucent to completely room darkening — and everything in between.  With hundreds of fabrics to choose from, you can select a fabric to fit your decor and personal style.  Whether it’s an elegant and tailored design, a natural grass cloth or a sophisticated silk-like fabric, today you’ll find a roller shade to suit any taste.

 

Roller shades can be installed in single, double hung or casement style windows and are most often used as a practical under-treatment beneath draperies or valances.

Take a look at roller shades again.  They’ve come a long way since grandma’s day.

Guest post from Lisa Gardner, Hirshfield’s Maplewood