Simplified: Choose sunblock

I finally believe that spring is coming. I’m watching the snow recede in my front yard every day, and the cat wants to go out for a walk every ten minutes. She’s getting on in years, and I think she has a touch of Old-timers. But I don’t mind, so much; it makes me stop and go outside. Which isn’t a bad thing at all.

With the coming of spring and summer comes my semi-annual rant about window coverings.  I talk and talk, and sometimes people listen, but mostly the people who really need to listen and get moving don’t bother till it’s after May Long and their homes have heated up to unliveable unless they put the blinds down and then it’s like living in a cave.

So, let’s all get on the same page and think about this.
Sunrise on the first of the month: April 6:30 a.m. May 5:30 a.m. and June 5:00 a.m.
Think about that. 

From order to installation, blinds, shades and window treatments take a minimum of four weeks. Longer as we get closer to summer. So plan ahead. Please.

Which window treatment should you consider? This is a GUIDELINE for you. There are no rules, here. The window treatment police will not come by if you choose something out of your lane; this is a simplified path if you don’t know where to go. And there is no rule, either, about combining treatments.

Step 1. Decide what you need your window treatments to do for you.

You need them to protect against the morning sun and provide room darkening at night.

-The best treatments for room darkening are black-out lined drapery, blackout cellular shades or black-out roman shades.

In the summer you need to protect against heat gain while allowing the view through.

-The best for this are solar shades with a view-through of 5%

 

Step 2.

Is the room a Contemporary style? Or more Traditional? Perhaps rather Shabby Chic? Or maybe Modern Farmhouse? Or is it more Eclectic?

Traditional, Shabby Chic and Old-world rooms are best suited to fabric window treatments.

Modern, Modern Farmhouse and Contemporary rooms are best suited to structured window treatments (Cellular shades, Slatted fabric shadings like Silhouettes, Roman Shades).

Eclectic or Bohemian: Casual drapery — rod and rings or grommets, for example, OR Roman shades. Or both.

Step 3:

Window coverings should be almost last on the decorating list. They come after paint color, decorating and furniture placement. Think of this ‘ Form Follows Function’. This means that the function of the window treatments is the first criteria to consider, and the form that takes follows. The smart thing to do is get some professional help here.

Call a window covering specialist and book a consultation. Not someone who sells just blinds, but someone (like me) who knows blinds AND fabric treatments. That way you can get to what you really need, not just what they sell. Ask for a consultation, not a sales call. A consultation is a question and answers session. And expect to pay for this; remember that a window covering can easily cost more than the window itself and you don’t need to be making mistakes.  A consultation can save you a lot of money. And agro. Which everyone likes.