Blinds or Shadings : Get them Right

Window treatments are an important decor element of homes and offices. They can enhance or mar the looks and feel of your interiors. Selecting the right treatment for your windows is a complex task, as there are various options available depending on the type, shape and size of the windows.

They could be woven woods, shutters, roller shades, sheers and shades, honeycomb shades, roman shades, horizontal blinds and vertical blinds. You should examine all the window treatment options, assess their pros and cons and then select the right one for your windows.

Blinds

The earliest patent of window blinds can be traced back to 1888, which bears testimony to their popularity. With time, manually-operated blinds have given way to automatic or motorized blinds, which can be operated with a remote control.

Blinds are generally of two types: vertical and horizontal, depending on how the slats are aligned. They are one of the oldest options for window coverings and can be used with or without curtains. In addition to ready-made blinds that are installable as they are, you can order blinds to fit the size of your windows.

Blinds are made of different materials like fabric, wood, metal, bamboo, etc. They can be broadly classified into five categories: roller blinds, roman blinds, venetian blinds, pleated blinds and vertical blinds.

Shadings

Window shadings are large coverings with different opening patterns and systems. They are much older than blinds and can be traced back to 17th and 18th century England, France and Holland. Early patterns of shadings were manually pulled up to a hook and tied with the help of a string or lace.

They evolved into different types of roller shades depending on the requirements: in 1855 alone, ten different patents of roller shades were applied for. There are several more patterns and types of shades in vogue today, and the right type must be selected carefully, keeping in mind the interior colors and style of the windows. Honeycomb shades, roman shades, roller shades and sheers are a few popular examples.

Blinds or shadings?

The choice between blinds and shades depends solely on your preference, and the requirements of light and air through the window, in a given area. If you want a mild quantum of adjusted light and air to circulate in your home you can select blinds, and if that is not a priority, shades would be the right option.

Selecting between window blinds and shades is an important decision. It would make your windows appear significantly dark or bright subsequently. Most of the time, the shape and size of the window become the determining factor; only a particular type of covering may be suitable in contrast with the rest.

It’s important, therefore, to seek guidance from experienced professional experts or a reputed interior décor firm. They would survey the interior area, take into account the optimum light and air requirements, examine the external environment, and then arrive at the right option for you.

So You Want Window Coverings

At some point in everyone’s life, they will be in the position of needing to enhance their living space. There are so many things that may need to be done such as painting, getting new flooring, new furniture and window coverings. The process, if taken on without help, is daunting and stressful. Calling The Yardstick will alleviate all of these issues.

Countless times I have gone to someone’s home and was told that, once they painted, all the other items in their room looked worn. All of a sudden, the furniture that was fine needed to be replaced or re-upholstered; their carpet looked worn, or their wood floor was in need of refinishing. And, naturally, their draperies or blinds were in use way past their “due date”.

The Yardstick specializes in creating rooms that the customer desires. Everyone has their own style. Some interior designers go to a home, take control and tell the homeowner what is best and pushes it on her. Many times this leaves a customer with a finished product that she doesn’t really like but convinces herself that it was best for the room because the designer knows what he/she is doing.

The Yardstick designers go into each house and talks with the customer and gets an idea of their lifestyle and what their needs are for the room.

It’s rare that a customer doesn’t have any idea what they want. What they need is someone to have design and product knowledge. The customer wants to be shown options and make intelligent decisions based on the information given them from the designer. The Yardstick designer provides this confidence.

The initial meeting is one where the designer and customer walk around (or sit) and discuss how each room is utilized and what would be the perfect end result. The trend over the last few years is to use less draperies and valances and more blinds. There are many blind manufacturers and multiple options for their products. Bringing samples into the house and discussing how each works, their plusses and minuses, allows the customer to see what’s new and determine what she likes. A good designer will steer the customer to products that will follow the parameters they discussed, such as color, light or temperature control. Budget often plays a part in the decision but it’s always best to show customers all the options, including expensive ones. Window coverings are done, on average, about every ten years, and many people splurge on them because they finish a room. The fact that this is a room they live in, makes the price less relevant.

Once blinds are decided, customers often want side panel draperies to frame the windows. The Yardstick designers have a large selection of fabrics to show the customer in the home. Colors and styles are discussed with the customer and the designer selects from his/her’s hundreds of books and narrows them down and brings in what the customer should see. This makes an overwhelming decision easy for the customer because of the designer’s experience. Our great designer’s make this pleasurable. I have been told by customer’s that “this is so much fun”. The first time I heard that, it seemed out of place, but when I hear it now, it tells me I am doing a good job.

The Yardstick also re-upholsters furniture and can make custom furniture. Upon request, we can also help the customer select tables, dressers, Persian carpets and more. It’s not the core business but some clients have been so happy with our services that they requested additional help with doing their interiors.

Having the right company help you make these decisions provides you with many years of living in a comfortable space. The customer is secure that they have made the right choices and are happy with the results.