{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…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

{hunter douglas country woods wood blinds at hirshfield’s}

Add character, charm and a touch of country to your home with Country Woods Wood Blinds from Hunter Douglas, available at Hirshfield’s. Crafted from the finest North American hardwoods, including genuine oak and cherry, these wood blinds add warmth to any room.

Hunter Douglas

TopShield™ II finish: This Hunter Douglas exclusive finish will protect your wood blinds from everyday wear including fading, moisture, chemicals and scratching.

Wood grain quality: The presence of distinguished markings, grain patterns and natural color variations are part of the unique features that enhance the beauty of the blind and confirm the authenticity of the wood.

De-light™: An optional feature, de-light is a routless design reducing light leaks and increasing privacy.

Upgradable features: For additional design options, decorative tapes and valances are available.

Hunter Douglas

Operating systems: Choose from our standard system with lift cord or our optional enhanced LiteRise® cordless safety system.

{window treatment wednesday}

Simple. Durable. Environmentally friendly. Not your mother’s blinds!

Natural Elements is the latest introduction from Hunter Douglas Window Fashions.  This new collection of precious metals blinds is now available at Hirshfield’s stores. The 2″ slats are a spring-tempered alloy offering superior resiliency. This alloy is made from 95% recyclable aluminum. It is lightweight, easy to lift, with minimal stack. Another cool feature is called MagnaView. Even though the slat is 2″, the view-through is comparable to a 4″ slat. When tilted open, the slats nest together, doubling your viewing pleasure.

This is an example of MagnaView™ where the slats nest together.

Hunter Douglas offers 22 different slat finishes in three collections:

• Riverstone™ Collection – Earthy and natural, works well with organic materials.
• Metallic™ Collection – Shimmery and fashionable, accents furnishings and fixtures.
• Matte™ Collection – Sophisticated and classic, blends with any decor.

Three different lift systems are available. Topping off the treatment is a wood valance in 12 popular colors and finishes. Decorative tapes are also an option.  Natural Element blinds are a great complement to granite, brick, and marble. Windows, especially above a kitchen sink, can be a challenge due to splashing and dirt accumulation. However, this blind is easy to wipe down as it bounces back to shape after handling. I can also see the Natural Elements Metallics used in lofts giving the space an edgy vibe. You can control your light and privacy needs and still pull them up if you want a completely unobstructed view. These blinds will make a striking statement at your windows.

Come and check out these not-so heavy metals at one of our Hirshfield’s locations or have one of the Shop at Home designers out to your home.

Guest post by Bonnie West, designer with Hirshfield’s Shop at Home

651-366-696

I think all window treatment posts need a Gladys Kravitz ending!

{window covering safety month}

October is Window Covering Safety Month.  It’s a nationwide effort to remind parents and caregivers to check their window coverings for exposed or dangling cords that can pose a hazard to infants and young children.

Hunter Douglas Silhouette with LiteRise

Here are some tips from the Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC) to keep in mind:

• Move all furniture, cribs, beds and climbable surfaces away from windows.
• Keep all window cords well out of the reach of children.
• Install only cordless window coverings in homes with young children.
• Make sure tasseled pull cords are as short as possible. Continuous-loop pull cords on draperies and vertical blinds should be pulled tight and anchored to the floor or wall.
• Be sure cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit inner-cord movement.

Save this month on save window coverings for your home with Hirshfield’s! Receive a  Free LiteRise® cordless lifting system with the purchase of Hunter Douglas Duette Architella honeycomb shades, Silhouette window shadings or Vignette Tiered™ Roman Shades. The LiteRise system lets you raise and lower your shades or blinds

{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: save money and energy with the right window treatment from Hirshfield’s}

Summertime weather forecasts here in Minnesota usually include the three “H’s” – hot, hazy and humid. Sure you could crank up the AC or turn on some fans to help cool your home down, but you could also simply add a fourth “H” to that list – Hirshfield’s – and combat the summer heat (and summer energy bill) with some beautiful window treatments!

Yes, brains and beauty come together in the energy efficient window treatment offerings at Hirshfield’s. Look for window treatments with a low Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), which is the amount of solar heat that passes through a window, where 0 = none and 1 = all. The lower a product’s SHGC, the less solar heat it transmits, which can help a home stay cooler in the warm summer months.

A customer favorite at Hirshfield’s is the Hunter Douglas Duette® Architella® Honeycomb Shade, the most energy efficient and best-selling honeycomb product Hunter Douglas carries.