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Comparison: Blinds vs. Shades

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What is the difference between blinds and shades? You may be familiar with the terms blinds or shades but y ou may be wondering what the main differences are between each.  What are the pros and cons of each? Here are a few tips to help you narrow down the selection process... Basically, blinds are window coverings made up of individual slats. They can be completely raised for an unobstructed view or, when lowered, the slats can be rotated to let in more or less light. Shades, on the other hand, are made from single panels of fabric or woven wood rather than slats, so they can only be raised or lowered to achieve light control and privacy.  Blinds come in both horizontal and vertical slats or louvers and have the primary function of controlling the amount of light coming through. There are many types of shades with unique functional benefits from light diffusion to energy efficiency, along with a variety of design options and much more.  So What Do I Choose? Blinds? Shades?   Before ma

Decorating with Black

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Decorating with Black Every room needs just a bit of black! Adding a touch of black is a design necessity for almost every room. There’s something about this dark and mysterious shade that enhances other colors and moors a room. Even if it’s a small touch that you and your guests hardly notice, a pinch of black does make a difference.  One of the best things about black is that, unlike other colors, it never goes out of style!  Adding a touch of black is a design necessity for almost every room. There’s something about this dark and mysterious shade that enhances other colors and moors a room. Even if it’s a small touch that you and your guests hardly notice, a pinch of black does make a difference.  One of the best things about black is that, unlike other colors, it never goes out of style!  Ideas for adding black accents. Ideas for a dab of black include: – Wrought iron bed frames or stair railings – Upholstery fabric or leather – Flooring – Painted walls or

Window treatment solutions for sliding glass doors, utah

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This has been one of the most popular posts, so I'm updating it and publishing it again. If you need help with ideas for sliding glass doors, or want to see any of these options in person, please contact us, we would love to help. I get asked constantly from clients how to cover sliding glass doors. There are actually a lot of options... There is the standard go-to of vertical blinds, which work really well for sliding glass doors. You can tilt the vanes as well as draw them open. But I must admit, when my clients ask the question it is usually, "What is there to cover a sliding glass door besides the typical vertical blinds?" So... I thought I would show you all some different options.  If you want a more modern look to the vertical blind. There are the Skyline gliding panels. I must say these are really cool. They traverse back and forth, but don't tilt open like standard vertical blinds. They are available in many different fabrics and screen shades de

Decorating with Gray

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Decorating in many shades of gray adds layered elegance. Gray is a versatile and sensuous color to include in your home decor. Gray is a very flexible interior design color because it comes in so many variations; in fact, there are probably at least fifty shades of gray! People most often use gray as a neutral, instead of beige, white or cream. You can go cool or warm, depending on the version of gray you select. There are so many shades, and very few of them are simply a mix of black and white. Usually gray includes tones of blue, pink, green, yellow or other colors. Gray can come in varying intensities too, from the lightest dove gray to dark steel gray. And don’t just think of gray as a solid, smooth color when you use it in design. Part of the beauty of gray is in its texture; think wood grain in flooring and furniture, texture in tweed or silk fabrics, and matte or lacquer finish in paint. Gray is subtle and goes well with a lot of colors, letting the oth

Top 5 Quick Tips for Saving Energy at the Window

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Keep your Utah home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer Ensure your windows and doors are properly weather-stripped. Caulk around basement and storm windows. When heating or cooling, keep windows locked. Open your window coverings during sunny  winter  days to catch free solar heat then close them at night to keep that heat in. Close your window coverings during  summer  days to keep the heat out. Without energy-efficient window treatments, as much as 50% of a home's heating and cooling energy can be lost through its windows. In winter months, your home heating escapes to the outdoors through your windows while in the summertime, the outside heat flows into your home through these same windows. With  window treatments that provide insulation , you can reduce energy consumption, save on heating and cooling costs, and create a more comfortable atmosphere The warmth provided by the sun, its solar energy, may be desirable during the win

Room Darkening and Blackout Explained

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Getting Light Under Control Need to darken your bedroom to help you sleep more soundly? Reduce glare on your television when watching a movie? Hunter Douglas offers a range of options for the right amount of room darkness.  "Blackout" Explained If you want to block out as much natural light as possible, look for Hunter Douglas products designated with our highest Privacy & Light Control rating of 5. These products offer not only fabrics and materials with maximum light-blocking qualities, but they are uniquely designed to minimize light gaps, seams and rout holes such as the de-Light™ feature on many of our horizontal blinds. Window shades and blinds cannot completely eliminate incoming light as there are almost always slight light gaps.  Everwood Truegrain Alternative wood blinds, for more information, visit our page here. Room-Darkening Materials and Fabrics While every Hunter Douglas product allows you some measure of light control, some produc

Decorating Ideas for Salt Lake City, Utah

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Decorating in Pairs Two of almost any home furnishings adds soothing symmetry and balance. It’s easy. Just add one home furnishing element, such as a throw pillow, picture or chair; then repeat. Interior design elements that lend themselves to pairing include: - Furniture, such as chairs, ottomans, end tables, even sofas - Throw pillows and decorative towels - Artwork hanging on walls or standing on tables - Mirrors, lamps and light fixtures Pairs add flexibility too. You can easily move them to change the function of a room for a party or other event. And if you buy new furniture, a pair of items is easier to re-arrange in the same room or settle harmoniously into another room. Even when you move, pairs of home elements are more flexible to fit into a new house and new decor. The pairing concept can be applied to colors too. Selecting a color palette for your home with two complementary colors is an effective decorating strategy. For example: - Brown and Ivory