3 Steps to Being Your Own Designer

Sometimes, the world of window coverings can seem intimidating- especially when you are ordering online. The prospects seem beautiful, but you are afraid of ordering a blind, hanging it in your window, and discovering it doesn’t suit you at all.  Take a breath- we are here to help you recover your Zen with these three easy steps to window coverings harmony.

1. Find Your Style.

Take a look around your home, making note of what you love and what you don’t.  Are you redecorating? What do you want your home to look like? This is the easiest time of year to do this, as you clear out the clutter from winter and open your windows for some fresh air at long last. Now choose the group of words below that best describes you and your ideal home.

1. Clean, Cool, Simple
   

 


2. Timeless, Soft, Warm
   

 


3. Textured, Bold, Energetic
   

We won’t dig into all the myriad of different “style” labels out there- because this is about simplifying your decision, not stuffing you in a box. Instead, we’ll stick to three basic categories of styles- Contemporary, Classic, and Adventurous.

If you chose “a”- you like more contemporary styles. You want all the clutter of life neatly concealed and in its place. You favor clean lines, cool colors (or grey scale), and simplicity. You have a hard time resting when you see knick-knacks taking up space, and don’t want anything that feels fussy.  Some great choices for your windows would be:

-Solar Shades

-Simple Roller Shades

-Cellular Shades

-Pleated Shades

-Panel Track Blinds

If you chose “b”- you like more classic styles.  You love small personal touches in your décor, and want your home to be inviting to anyone who enters. You favor timeless patterns, soft neutrals (or earth tones), and a sense of warmth.  You don’t like it when things feel sterile or impersonal, and want the room itself to invite you in. Some great choices for your windows would be:

-Roman Shades

-Dressed-Up Roller Shades

-Sheer Shading and Draperies

-Vertical Blinds

-Wood Blinds

If you chose “c”- you like adventurous or funky styles. You love a room that pops with personality and provokes thought and creativity. You favor textures, bold colors (or fun prints), and a sense of energy. You don’t like being tied to one theme, and often mix multicultural influences from around the world with your own personal flair. Some great choices for your windows would be:

-Bamboo/Woven Shades

-Fabric Verticals

-Colorful Mini Blinds

-Bali’s Diffusion Blinds

-Textured or Printed Roller Shades

-Bold Colored Cellular Shades

2.  Take Your Measurements.

You still have a lot of choices in front of you. Taking your measurements before you look at each individual brand can help narrow things down, because some products have size limitations. Use our printable worksheets and easy-to-follow measuring videos to measure each window with confidence

3.  Order Samples

Now comes the fun part. You’re armed with measurements and a list of products that seem interesting and will work in your windows. Now you can order samples! Go to our “Order Samples” page and select samples for any colors that seem interesting to you. We’ll send 10 samples for free, so pick whatever you like! When you receive your fabric samples, you’ll be able to see the quality and colors of the fabrics, hang them on your wall, and compare them to other things in your home.

How do you choose? The best advice we can offer is to go with your gut. Always pick “love” over “like”- if you are true to your vision for your home your purchase will bring a smile to your face for years to come.

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Picture of the Week: Protecting Your Privacy

You made a great choice when you picked out those beautiful woven wood samples. Their rich texture stands out in your room, and does it without making a big fussy scene.  But before you click “Continue With Checkout”, take a moment to add a liner to any shade that’s destined for a bedroom or bathroom. The unique weaves of a Natural Shade are beautiful, but they are also semi-sheer. Add a natural liner to hold on to both your sense of style and your privacy.

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Picture of the Week: Bali Diffusion

Welcome to natural light and a bright, open feel with privacy intact. Welcome to a sleek, modern appeal. Welcome to Bali Diffusion.

Bali Diffusion is an innovative product offered exclusively by Bali. The privacy is created by the textured side of the blind, which scatters light while allowing it to fill your room, creating complete privacy in your home. From as little as 6 inches away from your blind, your privacy is complete- and so is your enjoyment of the beauty of natural light.

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Spring Cleaning for Your Blinds

The gloom of winter is finally lifting away for the brightness of summer. Now is the perfect time to open up windows for fresh air and clear away the last stronghold of winter dreariness: dingy window coverings.  Your shades have been down all winter, keeping the cold out of your home, and they too may need a little TLC. Here’s a breakdown of the “how-tos” for the most common dirty-blind culprits.

Vinyl Vertical Blinds and Faux Woods:

Because these are usually made of PVC or a PVC-Wood Composite, the size of faux wood and vinyl vertical blinds needn’t stop you from cleaning them up. A rag and some warm water will easily clean up lingering dust. If you’re wiping them down and notice a thick layer of grunge that resists your efforts and just sticks to the blind, constantly being pushed forward by your rag, don’t despair! This is usually the result of oils from fingers, hair, and airborne skin particles sticking to the surface, and can happen anywhere. Add a few drops of mild dish soap (not dishwasher detergent!) to your warm water and watch the grime lift away.

Mini Blinds:

Although they are dust resistant, aluminum blinds still collect dust over time. However, aluminum blinds are exceptionally easy to clean. In fact, most mini blinds can be taken outside and sprayed off with your garden hose. If you do this, be sure to avoid spraying the headrail directly and to allow your blinds to drip-dry on the grass or open the window your blinds hang in so they can dry out quickly. While the aluminum won’t rust, the headrail may if not properly dried. Don’t want to take your blinds down? Most feather dusters work great for a quick cleaning, and the tips above on dealing with greasy spots on your blinds also work for vinyl and aluminum minis, with one added step. Because mini blinds use a thinner slat than faux wood or vertical blinds, they bend more easily and need a more gentle touch when scrubbing the slats. Make sure to rinse and dry them off thoroughly after using soap and water.

Wood Blinds:

Wood blinds are a thing of beauty: all they truly need is a good dusting. However, if you live in a dry climate, you can restore some beauty and add extra protection against the splitting that can occur over time in any wood product with wood polish. Pick your favorite: they are safe on stained woods and will add a luster and shine to your home in keeping with your spring cleaning goals. It should be noted that these cleaners aren’t meant for painted woods, only stained woods. The paint on a white or cream wood blind offers all the protection you need. For spots, use a damp cloth and dry thoroughly.

Cellular Shades:

Cellular shades can collect reasonable amounts of dust, especially in the winter. After long months of being down to keep you warm, the first time they’re raised you may see little poufs of dust press out of the pleats, leaving you wondering about the inside of the honeycomb. There’s good news though: most fabrics can be cleaned in your home with no professional help. Using a feather duster, start at the top of the shade and run the duster horizontally across the blind and work your way down the shade in rows. Shake off the duster over a trash can and repeat the process on the back of your blind. Then, lowering your blind as far as you can, run the duster up and down on the shade to knock out any dust bunnies that were hiding in the crease. If you need a deeper clean, use a vacuum cleaner with an upholstery  attachment. Don’t use the brush attachment, as it may damage more delicate fabrics. If you know the inside of the honeycombs need cleaning, call the manufacturer. Some fabrics can be submerged in your bathtub, while others can be cleaned through injection-extraction cleaning, and you’ll need the manufacturer’s opinion on which should be done. Injection-Extraction cleaning is done in your home by a professional without taking down your shades, so you won’t need to carve out too much time for the process.

Are you shopping for blinds and shades? Check out the “Details and Specs” tab on each product for cleaning and care information to choose the blind that’s right for your needs.

When properly cared for, your window coverings will create exceptional beauty and privacy in your home. So don’t skimp your windows this spring cleaning, and enjoy the beauty of a fresh and bright view for years to come.

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Picture of the Week: Reverse Vane View

All S-Curve vanes require you select a “Vane View”. Vane view is the direction the pattern faces- right or left- in relation to the stack of the blind. In Standard Vane View, the colored side of the vane faces away from the stack. For example, if the stack on the blind is on the left, the color faces right. Sometimes, the layout of your room will make Standard Vane View undesirable, because the area of the room you sit in the most will make it so that you are always looking at the back of the vane. In the room above, this would have been the case. The stack of the vanes needs to be on the right, so the door could still be opened. If Standard Vane View had been selected, the color would be facing to the left, and whoever was sitting drinking their coffee would have been looking at the back of the vanes- not very visually appealing. So Reverse Vane View was selected, and the pattern now faces not only the stack, but the person looking at it.

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