{window treatment wednesday}

Dawn Feda, Hirshfield’s Shop at Home

Well, Window Treatment Wednesday isn’t always about windows.  In the world of window treatments we work a lot with fabrics and working with fabrics allows the opportunity to cover more things . . . and showers are no exception.  Shower curtains can be much more decorative than what you’d typically find available at a traditional department/home stores.  So many bathrooms look the same: a long rectangle with a shower/tub combo at the end.  Creating a custom shower curtain can add distinctive character and really show off your personality in that small space.

Questions that come up when creating a custom shower curtain:

Can it get wet?  A traditional shower curtain liner will help protect the fabric from the water.  There is also the option of sewing a liner onto the curtain.

Do certain fabrics work better? Certain fabrics do work better than others.  Polyesters alone or blended with other materials are a good choice.  Polyesters are a synthetic material and will hold up better than a natural material like silk.  There are also numerous fabrics on the market that are classified as washable that would work for making shower curtains. Outdoor fabrics are gaining in popularity (Hirshfield’s Design Resource Showroom carries the Maria Flora line) and if a fabric can handle the outdoors, it sure can handle a bathroom!   Polyesters, washable fabrics and outdoor fabrics come in all ranges of patterns, colors and styles to fit your needs.

Dawn Feda, Hirshfield’s Shop at Home

Can you use a drapery rod in place of a shower curtain rod?   Yes.  Decorative rods come in numerous finishes and styles and most companies sell an end mount bracket that allows the rod to rest in it.  If you are having a traditional shower liner behind the custom curtain, two rods are typically used: a decorative rod in the front, with a standard shower rod hidden behind.

Atlanta Design Works

Kravet trim

Don’t Forget.  Decorative trims can be added to the shower curtain, from fringes to cording to beading. Tiebacks can also enhance the treatment.  Any pleating that is available in custom draperies can also be used in your custom shower curtain.

Arrange a free in-home consultation with one of Hirshfield’s Shop at Home designers. We specialize in custom bedding, draperies, hard and soft window treatments, and custom shower curtains…here’s our number, so call us, maybe?

Shop at Home 651-366-6969

Guest post by Dawn Feda from Hirshfield’s Shop at Home

{window treatment wednesday}

For more than thirty years, Hirshfield’s Shop At Home window fashions designers have been welcomed into countless homes to provide practical and decorative solutions for every size and shape window imaginable. From simple wood blinds to custom-built shutters; and tailored valances to elegant draperies, a visit from Hirshfield’s Shop At Home practically guarantees a perfect balance of light control and privacy needs with your budget and decorating objectives.

Charlotte Moss

Often times, a simple throw pillow or two in a living area can make a world of difference; so much can be accomplished with the right touch of fabric. And that‚ is what makes custom designed bedding so much fun. After all, you spend one-third of your life in the bedroom. It should be as unique and individual as you are.

Bedding design is only limited by imagination. It can have a masculine tone with a deep color palette combined with pin stripes, nautical themes, woodland motifs, or as plain and simple as a monk’s cot.

The feminine version might include elements of lace, bead work, fringe, and sheers fabrics such as voile or tulle in soft pastel colors.

The components of bedding are spreads, quilts, comforters, duvets, shams bed skirts and the infinite variety of decorative pillows.

Charlotte Moss

But whatever style, theme or palette, it all begins with fabric.

Pick and choose, mix and match, use stripes with flower prints or plaids and solids. Then integrate detailing such as flanges, fringe, buttons, pleating, tucking and beading to give bedding its own unique personality. Imagine a soft supple suede bed skirt or an embossed faux leather skirt with silver bolo tie embellishments, how about monogrammed linen shams trimmed in hand-made lace or a merino wool throw? Choose natural fibers such as linen, silk, wool and cotton. They contribute to both texture and comfort. Who can resist the softness of velvet or the luxury of silk? Have a furry member of the family that sleeps with you?  Use pin stripe corduroy, washable and durable, or a cotton with buttons and a few tuck pleats to add character.

Bedding sets the ambiance for that final experience of sliding in between the sheets. Let Hirshfield’s Shop At Home help you create the bedroom of your dreams.

Guest post by Kathryn Gravening from Hirshfield’s Shop at Home

Images:

{window treatment wednesday}

Decorative hardware can be used to enhance many different styles of custom window treatments. Any decor style from traditional to contemporary to casual or eclectic can be found to suit your decorating scheme. Choosing the right drapery hardware is not only important for the design of your treatment but also the function of your treatment.

Does your drapery hardware need to function so that you can move draperies with ease or do you need a pole to hang panels or valances from?

If needing to move panels back and forth there are a few things you should consider when selecting hardware. Heavier pinch pleated draperies are best suited for traverse rods which allows you to open and close your panels across a window by using a draw cord. These rods are typically supported properly, so that the rod can hold the weight of the drapery.

Drapery panels can also be hung by using clip rings, tabs and grommets. This type of drapery is hung onto a decorative pole and requires you to draw the panels by hand. One thing to consider is that if you have a wider window to cover, your rod should have a center support. Hand draw draperies will not move over a center support, so a one way draw will not work. Consider using this type of treatment with a split draw drapery. Hand draw draperies do not always move easily back and forth and require the user to “dress out” or fix the panels to look nice in their resting position.

Decorative hardware is also used to hang stationary side panels and fixed treatments like open swags. For this application there is a wide variety of holders, poles and end pieces or finials available. For the more challenging window designs, there are even specialty brackets that can create a bay or bow rod.

Decorative drapery hardware is available in a limitless array of materials, styles, colors and finishes. Most decorative poles are constructed of wood, brass or iron and are capped at the ends with decorative finials. Selecting the right hardware can make or break the overall appearances of your custom window treatment. Many times I have been in a home furnished with beautiful custom draperies or valances and the overall appearance is compromised by unattractive hardware.

Working with a Hirshfield’s Window Treatment Specialist such as myself, you can achieve a custom home decor that provides a desired function with a unity of design. Call me!

Guest post from Andrea Mandel, Hirshfield’s Shop at Home

Images:

1/2/3/4/5

{custom window treatments by Hirshfield’s}

As the employees at Hirshfield’s can attest, there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a room transform from the “before” to the “after.” Whether that means simply applying a fresh coat of paint to the walls, adding a new rug to anchor a room or, in this case, adding custom window treatments to complete the look of a space.

Hirshfield’s customer, Sharon, worked with Dawn in the Hirshfield’s Shop at Home department to create these beautiful custom, Accordia Fold window treatments.

Dawn was very helpful in going over all the options with me, and then in deciding the details of the draperies. It took awhile for me to find the right fabric, and she was very patient and helpful along the way.
- Sharon

"Before"

Sharon said the reason she was shopping for new window treatments was because of a larger renovation project they were doing on their house – replacing all of the windows and doors. The new windows would be a different size, so the wood shutters you see in the photo above would no longer work.

{employee feature: Andrea Mandel}

We’ve got more employee spirit coming your way! This week we’re featuring Andrea Mandel, a member of our Shop At Home team. Andrea has been with us for 24 years! Get to know her a little better in today’s feature! You can check out the other employee features here.

Andrea Mandel
Designer
Hirshfield’s Shop At Home

What is your favorite part about working at Hirshfield’s: Family atmosphere among the employees. Also the loyalty the company has to our customers.

What is your favorite Hirshfield’s product: The variety of window treatment options we offer and the great decorative fabrics.

What are some of your hobbies outside of work: Camping, scrap booking and trying new recipes.

Do you have a favorite home improvement memory: When I was 14, my mom and I redecorated my bedroom. I was given the opportunity to select a theme. Since the red shag carpet was not going to change,  I  created a rainbow room. We found rainbow bedding, added rainbow ribbon to the bottom of plain white roller shades and made fabric balloons to hang on the wall. It was  my first adventure in a room makeover and led me to a career in interior design.

Best advice for someone thinking of tackling a home improvement project: Carefully crafted home improvement projects can be exciting and satisfying. However, it is important to match the scope of the changes to the resources available without sacrificing quality. Working with a designer provides the advantage of experience that enables the homeowner to realize improvements that will provide long-term satisfaction within their budget.

What is something your coworkers might not know about you: I played a form of hockey for girls called Ringette. I even had the opportunity to travel to Canada to play in a tournament.

How would you describe the “Hirshfield’s spirit”: My goal is to provide service and products that will ensure long term trusting relationships with my customer. The Hirshfields Spirit has encouraged me in achieving this goal.

{friday finds: roman shades}

When “Sex and the City II” came out last year one of the design features that caught my eye was the Roman shade in Charlotte’s kitchen. I immediately knew this window treatment would be gracing the pages of future decor magazines and blogs.

I went to one of our window treatment experts, Bonnie West, from Hirshfield’s in-home shopping service, and asked her to share her thoughts on the movie, but she only wanted to talk about Roman Shades. Roman shades can add softness and texture to a room, she told me. They offer a more tailored and finished look than some other treatments such as a honeycomb shades, which may need a valance to complete the look. Roman shades are often a good choice in a room where you may want to combine draperies on a patio door with roman shades on other windows. Roman shades are a product she uses when people want a soft look but may not have room for draperies due to the stacking requirements.

Hobbled Roman Shade – Christopher Peacock’s kitchen

Elements of Style

Odi et Amo

Hunter Douglas – Design Studio™ Roman shade*

Hunter Douglas Vignette® Modern Roman shade – from the outside looking in

Ideal Home

Junk Garden Girl did a fun post showing room shots from the television show Parenthood. Roman shades are shown in just about all the shots, and a bonus round of Benjamin Moore paint colors for your viewing pleasure.

Aren’t Roman shades the best? Prints, textures, and solids; you can have what fits your lifestyle and design preference.

Choosing product features can be overwhelming and that’s where our staff are able to help you select the best options for your home. Stacking of the shade, folds, 4″ or 6″, hobbled or flat, privacy issues, colors, and fabric selection are some of the  features that need to be taken into consideration. Our staff know the questions to ask. Your style. Our expertise.

When you are shopping for window treatments please stop by one of our 15 locations and let us quote you a price. If you need someone to come to your home, we offer free in-home visits by our Shop at Home consultants.

 

*The Hunter Douglas Design Studio™ Roman shade is a new product which will be in our stores very soon.