UV Protection for the Home

Just as UV rays can damage skin, they can also damage furniture, flooring, and more when they come through the window. Of the three main culprits, UVA and UVB rays cause 45% percent of the damage, while heat/infrared radiation causes 25% percent and visible light causes 25% percent. Most glass windows in homes filter out UVB radiation, but UVA and infrared radiation can still sneak through, which is why the room tends to heat up on a sunny day.

While there are a few things homeowners can do to protect their home from UV rays, installing window treatments is probably the easiest. Window treatments help to block these rays when lowered, lessening the temperature of the room, and reducing fading of furniture and flooring.

To help homeowners protect their home and its contents, Hunter Douglas designs most of their window treatments to filter out 75% of the sun’s harmful UV rays when installed over double-glazed glass windows. Some blinds can even protect up to 99% when they are fully lowered with their slats, vanes, or louvers in a closed position.

Most people want sunlight to lighten up the room, and with most window treatments from Hunter Douglas, that is still possible even when blocking harmful rays. Many of their window coverings are designed to still allow light to filter in, giving the room a soft glow.

Don’t sacrifice natural light for UV protection and vice versa. Check out the large selection of light-filtering, UV-protecting window treatments at Window Coverings of Idaho. With so many styles, colors, and materials, everyone can find the perfect fit for their home.

Window Treatments for Office Spaces

Finding the right office window treatment can be tricky. There are a few factors to consider before making your selection including:

• The amount of natural light that comes into the office
• Glare on computers or other electronics
• The amount of privacy needed
• Direction the windows are facing
• Personal preferences

Natural Light and Glaring

It is important in a professional setting to have adequate lighting, but it is always nice to utilize more natural lighting than artificial lighting. Natural lighting is easier on the eyes, and can help improve workplace productivity. Invite the natural light in, but keep the option to limit it to reduce glaring with honeycomb shades and cellular shades especially during the brightest part of the day.

Privacy and Window Placement

The direction the windows face can determine when the sun shines through the windows, and the amount of privacy needed. Top-down, bottom-up shades allow the user to position the shades to block out the glaring sun during certain parts of the day, or limit who can see inside the windows. Many of the Hunter Douglas shades available from Window Coverings of Idaho offer this function.

Personal Preference

Sometimes personal preference plays the most important role in selecting window coverings. With a huge selection to choose from, and the option for custom designs, Window Coverings of Idaho can find something to fit everyone’s personal preference.

When choosing new window treatments for your office, custom Hunter Douglas window coverings allow more options, a better fit aesthetically, and the perfect balance of natural lighting. Talk to the team at Window Coverings of Idaho about creating custom window coverings for your office today.

Decorating a Sunroom

Sunrooms make for a gorgeous space to entertain or just relax with a cup of coffee each morning. The sunroom needs to make people feel like they are outside, yet still connected to the rest of the home. How it is decorated can have an impact on these impressions.

Before decorating, read these tips:

Painting

The paint choice or choices should consider the natural light that comes into the room. Whites and yellows are common in sunrooms for their cheeriness and how they work with the light. For those wanting something different, most bright colors work well.

Furniture

Make the sunroom flow into the rest of the house with furniture choices. Anything used should complement the style of the home. Popular materials for sunroom furniture are wicker, rattan, and other natural materials. Be sure to use fabrics that won’t fade as fast from the sunlight.

Window Treatments

Although the idea is to let in as much natural sunlight as possible, sometimes that isn’t ideal during extreme temperatures. Window treatments are still necessary in sunrooms. To blend in with the feeling of the room, opt for woven shades made with natural materials, wooden blinds or shutters, or roller shades. These window treatments will allow light to come in but offer the option to block it when needed. The right window treatments also help keep fabrics from fading as quickly.

For help choosing the perfect window treatments for the sunroom, talk to Window Coverings of Idaho. Visit the website to see our large selection of window treatments and more home decorating tips.

Summer Color Trends for 2017

Summer is a great time to update home décor and include some new colors to bring a fresh feeling into the home. Each summer brings new color trends and it’s time to see what 2017 has in store. Here are some new color trends to inspire a summer home makeover:

1. Yellow

Not everyone is a fan of the cheery tone, but it can be used to brighten up any room. Yellow pairs well with neutral grey tones. All different shades of yellow from pale to dark mustard can be used in furniture, wall colors, or window coverings to bring a pop of sunshine into a space.

2. Pastel Pink

Pink isn’t just for little girls’ rooms anymore. Many are using it as a neutral color in rooms to accentuate the natural light that filters in. If pink sounds a little daunting, try starting with small pink accent pieces before working up to larger pink pieces like window coverings or furniture.

3. Dusky Blue

This more somber tone of blue mimics the ocean, making a calm feeling wash over the room. It pairs well with white and light grey accents. A great idea is using white, sheer window treatments to filter in light beautifully over dusky blue walls.

4. Earthy Greens

An olive or earthy green can be sophisticated and calming at the same time. It brings a peaceful feeling without being too dark or dingy. Try matching olive throw pillows with a beige couch or chair.

5. Dark Grey

Cool tones have been popular for the last few years, but a darker grey is making its comeback in 2017. It can be a solemn shade, but brings with it a richness that brings the room up a notch.

Try incorporating these 2017 summer color trends with new window treatments from Window Coverings of Idaho. They have window treatments in a variety of colors. Visit the Window Coverings of Idaho website to see more decorating tips and tricks.

Professional Window Covering Installations

There are so many different sizes and shapes of windows available. Therefore, it’s incredibly important to work with a professional when getting new window treatments. Homeowners who measure windows for treatments themselves might not get the correct measurements for the type of window treatment they are installing, creating all kinds of issues.

When looking at coverings for the windows, keep these three questions in mind:

1. What shape are the window frames?
2. Are the treatments going to be mounted on the inside or outside of the window area?
3. Which products have an inherent gap between the shade and the window frame?

The answers to these questions can have an impact on what type of window treatments will work best for each situation. When these three questions have been answered, the measuring can begin. Without the perfect fit, the window coverings won’t look as nice and they might not function as well either.

Odd-shaped windows such as those that are round at the top or extra wide can be hard to find options for by oneself. The professionals at Window Coverings of Idaho can find solutions for these odd-shaped windows and take the stress off the homeowner.

There are more aspects to consider when measuring and installing window treatments than just the width and length of the window. The Window Coverings of Idaho staff is trained to keep these aspects in mind when installing window treatments.

Don’t end up with the wrong size or crooked window treatments. Call Window Coverings of Idaho for a professional measurement and installation of new window treatments.

Caring for Window Treatments

Cleaning window treatments keeps them in top shape and the house sparkling. One of the nice things about Hunter Douglas window treatments is they are designed to require minimal cleaning. Homeowners will only have to worry about dusting and some vacuuming to keep these window treatments looking their best.

For regular care and maintenance, follow these tips:

• Dusting

Blinds, shutters, shades, sheers, and window panels benefit from a light dusting regularly. Magnetic cleaner should never be used on light-dimming fabrics as they could damage the light-dimming backing.

• Vacuuming

Not all Hunter Douglas window treatments benefit from vacuuming. Alustra Luminette and Luminette privacy sheers should not be vacuumed with a brushed attachment or with vertical strokes. This could cause the fabric to crease. Never vacuum Architella Elan and Architella Elan Eclipse fabrics either. For the rest, vacuum them gently with the brush attachment in vertical strokes.

• Blowing

A can of compressed air or a hair dryer on a non-heat setting can also be used to dust off certain window treatments.

When it comes to spot cleaning, products vary. Some cannot be spot cleaned. Look at that product’s specific care and cleaning instructions to see if it is safe. If it is allowed, use a non-abrasive detergent that has no additives and a clean, white cloth.

Professional cleaning can be beneficial for those who are worried about cleaning window coverings themselves. Always check the specifications for each product before having it professionally cleaned. There are two cleaning methods that Hunter Douglas acknowledges as being safe and effective. These are:

• Injection/Extraction Cleaning: A cleaning solution is injected into the fabric and the dirty solution is extracted in one motion.
• Ultrasonic Cleaning: This involves immersing the product in a tank of cleaning solution.

In general, cleaning window treatments helps to preserve their lifespan, but should be done carefully. Always check out the care and cleaning instructions before any type of cleaning.

Decorating with Window Valances

The right window valance can transform a room. Although more decorative than functional, this window treatment adds softness, color, and even a pattern to a hard-architectural element of the room.

There are many styles of valances, so everyone can find a type that fits their aesthetic. Here are some of the common styles and how they are often used:

• Simple Valance

This is generally just a piece of fabric, that hangs on a horizontal bar. It’s a casual style that works well in family areas like the kitchen. It can also be paired with window treatments such as blinds, shades, or shutters in areas that need more privacy.

• Box Pleat Valance

This tailored style fits in well with formal rooms such as dining areas and master bedrooms. The pleats lie flat against a mounting board, attached to the wall of the window.

• Simple Swag

This loosely slung fabric is draped over a decorative rod to dress up the room. The middle of the fabric acts as the valance while the sides hang down the sides of the window framing it. The material it is made of determines if it feels more formal or casual.

• Tie-Up Shades

While technically labeled a shade, it is a more decorative style, only being adjusted by hand. They are generally tied up close to the top of the window, acting as a valance instead of a shade.

• Cornices

Generally made from plywood, this wood valance is painted or covered with fabric and mounted above a window. It looks great when paired with a soft window treatment such as a curtain or fabric shade. It creates architecture in rooms that might lack it.

Talk to Window Coverings of Idaho about creating custom valances for any room of the home.

Mixing Patterns in a Room

Patterns can make a room come alive, but too many patterns in one space can confuse the eye. When done carefully, mixing patterns in a room can look great. Read on to learn the do’s and don’ts of mixing patterns.

1. Patterned Rugs

A striped rug looks great with patterned seating, such as a couch, or throw pillows. When those two are combined with solid walls and window treatments, it all comes together nicely, even in a more modern space.

2. Patterned Window Treatments

Window coverings are constantly shifted to let in light or keep it out. This means the amount of pattern shown changes, and can overpower any other patterned items in the room.  Solid window coverings look better in a mixed pattern room, but if they don’t compete with the focal point, then patterned treatments can work.

3. Patterned Sofa

Rooms with solid walls and window treatments need some type of pattern to create a focal point. The role then moves to the furniture to draw the eye in and create interest. Patterned sofas aren’t very common, but they certainly make a statement. If patterned sofas aren’t going to work, use patterned throw pillows instead.

4. Percentages

When deciding how much of a pattern to use in a room, use the 60/30/10 rule to start. The dominant pattern should take up 60%, the second pattern 30 %, and the last pattern should take up 10% as just an accent.

5. Colors

To make patterns relate to each other, keep them in the same color family. Relating colors from pattern to pattern helps them relate to each other and the room look less busy.

Window Covering of Idaho can help pick out the perfect patterned piece for a room whether it’s window treatments, bedding, or throw pillows.

Bedroom Accent Pillows

Accent pillows are a great, inexpensive way to spruce up the bedroom or add some extra style to a new bedding set. When picking out accent pillows, keep these factors in mind:

1. Color

Throw pillows don’t have to match their surroundings, but they should relate in some way. Let the color palate of the bedroom inspire the look of the throw pillows. Too many colors will clash, and make the room too busy. Try to stick to a palate and maybe throw in one pillow that’s stands out from it.

2. Number

Odd numbers tend to work better when putting together throw pillows. For a bed, try using three or five, depending on the size of the bed and pillows. There are instances where an even number might work out better though.

3. Patterns

Mixing patterns is totally fine. Mix pillows that have bold, graphic prints with some that have a subtler pattern. Also choose prints that include neutral colors so they aren’t too bright and distracting from the rest of the room.

4. Texture

The pillows chosen to rest on the bed should have a different texture than the bed itself. Put velvet against a cotton comforter, or find a pillow with fringe. Playing with textures helps to create interest when using pillows with more muted colors and patterns.

5. Shapes

The pillows don’t all need to be square. Mix in an oblong or round pillow with a few standard square styles to keep it interesting.

Window Coverings of Idaho can help find the perfect throw pillows for any bedroom. Visit our website to learn more about our custom bedding services.