How can colors impact your feelings

We have chosen Red, White, and Blue! It is July, we are celebrating our independence

 

The colors our flag!

As we all know, colors have a direct effect on how we feel. Most of us also know that changing the colors in one area can dramatically change the way a room looks and feels. Colors can affect different people in different ways; sometimes our perceptions of color are affected by our specific cultures, experiences or traditions.

Blue: It’s considered a calming color, primarily because that’s how most people feel looking at a body of water. Light blues – such as aqua or turquoise – are serene and suggestive of energy and creativity. On the other hand, deep blues – such as navy and indigo – are more formal and suggestive of tradition, sophistication, and intelligence.

Red: Red has a variety of meanings that range from love to war! Red suggests warmth, energy, and strength. It is considered royal in some cultures and exudes confidence in others. It’s a very strong color and must be used carefully!

White: What comes to mind when most people think of white are purity, clarity, and innocence. (At least that’s what comes to my mind … what about you?) To you, white might represent integrity, calmness, and cleanliness. It definitely can be used to make a space look larger, lighter and brighter.

Like red, white can be tricky. Sometimes people think they can use any white with any other color and it will work nicely. Well, there are so many shades of white – and they can look very different next to other colors – so choose wisely. Sometimes mixing various shades of white in one space can add sophistication and class so you might consider this approach.

 

Paint consultation

If you’re planning a painting project for your home or place of work, we offer paint consultations for a very small fee. If you make a custom window covering purchase or custom bedding purchase, our paint consultation is free.

Take advantage and call us now for your free consultation: (630)420-0800 or (630)854-9082

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A tip on saving money dressing a large window with a modern look!

OK, so you have a large window, wall to wall, ceiling to floor and the cost to use any type treatment to cover it is going to be enormous!

Here is a tip to think about reducing the cost by half or less, that is if you used lining only!

Yes, I agree, it is not for all styles and it is not for everyone, but, if your home has a modern or contemporary style, then this idea could work and it will save you money!

For example, homes in south Florida, California, or homes by a cost, even downtown condos this look can be very attractive, stylish and economical!

To add richness, one can use a unique decorative hardware, and, voila! Amazing look without breaking the bank!

Below is and idea for modern drapery hardware that looks unique and attractive!

For one of a kind, ideas call (630)420-0800

We offer a free consultation and an estimate!

 

 

Why our Clients Love Roman Shades!

Five Reasons Why My Clients Prefer Roman Shades

Have you considered the warmth, simplicity, and elegance of a Roman Shade?

There’s nothing new about a Roman Shade, but my clients prefer them over any other shade time and time again.

• They provide you with practical privacy but pull them up and you have the look of a custom valance to go with the beautiful view outside of your window
• They’re “green”! Line and interline your Roman Shades for energy efficiency
• Roman shades are a great beginning, and you can always add more. Side panels or a valance add texture and provide a more complete look to the room
• They are timeless. Traditional, contemporary,  you can always dress Roman Shades to fit your personality and lifestyle
• With the variety of styles, you’ll always find what you’re looking for

Now Roman Shades come cordless! This is a wonderful feature for child and pet safety!

Call for free estimate and consultation: (630)420-0800 or (630)854-9082

 

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Top 3 tips for creating Window Treatments on a Budget!

Tips on how to create beautiful top treatments without breaking the bank!

What determines the cost of any window covering are the labor cost, materials used and the installation cost.

Here are some tips to consider when you are planning your next window covering project!

• The design: the simpler the design, the less expensive the treatment will be. Flat valances, inverted pleat valances, shirred and pinch pleated on a board, or a cornice board is considered less costly to fabricate. You can add a little touch to a simple flat valance by adding a contrast trim, tassels on each end, or perhaps some buttons in a coordinating fabric.
• The cost of the materials: The variety is endless when selecting fabrics. You can find gorgeous kinds of cotton, silks, and woven blends at an affordable price. Mixing textures, or adding coordinating inexpensive trims, will give you that designer quality look at an affordable price. Another tip is to perhaps splurge on the hardware, and choose a modestly priced fabric. The rich, opulent look of the hardware will make up for the simplicity of the style and your choice of the fabric.
• The installation cost: One way to cut on the installation cost is by choosing economically installed treatments. Cornices and board mounted valances are less expensive to install than sheared or pleated on a rod.

Finally, the best way to save money is by work with a professional, who will help you avoid costly mistakes, direct you, share expertise and resources, and respect your budget and work within it.

Here are some pictures of low-cost valances

 

Call us for a free consultation and free estimates!

(630)420-0800 OR (630)854-9082.

Top 3 Drapery Trends for todays home!

Drapery Trends: Panels Are Perfect In So Many Places

 

In recent years, we’ve seen increasing use of drapery panels as window treatments, replacing swag treatments or valances in popularity.

Most drapery panels are used to add warmth to a room. Most are stationary panels that also serve as something of a palette, letting people add patterns, textures, and colors to their rooms to create their own special look.

Simplicity is the trend in drapery panel design. The eye-catching details are in the fabric itself, or in the pleating – or perhaps decorative hardware is the design element that adds the “wow” factor to the window treatment. The design itself is clean and simple; it’s the extras that express creativity and individual style.

Private Residence

Drapery panels in urban homes are almost always stationary, and they’re often combined with shades or blinds for privacy. The pleating styles most frequently used include French pleats (sometimes called tacked-top pleats), or two-finger pleats, which is my personal preference because they look awesome and so very rich. Ripple folds also are a favorite in urban homes because they stack so well and allow more “view exposure,” which is especially important in high-rise condominiums where the view is sacred!

In the suburbs, however, most clients like a bit more decorative flair in their panels (at least this has been my observation), although some clients do request simplicity to complement their “clean look” design style.

Horizontal banding in one or more contrasting colors can be fun, as are buttons, unusual pleating, decorative hardware, and “breaking” on the floor, which is very trendy at the moment and preferred by many clients. One reason for the popularity of panels that break on the floor is because it’s frequently seen on television programs, such as HGTV, and in home décor magazine.

The variety of beautiful fabrics available in the market today is astonishing. Fabrics with shiny stones, sparkles, modern embroidery, and shimmery elements are all very popular. And all kinds of textures can be woven into the fabric, which makes them special and unique!

The use of short rods on each side of the window is growing in popularity, and panels are even sometimes mounted on boards instead of on rods.

Dressing up windows with panels enhances the height of the space and gives it a finished look. Consider some of these fun drapery panel projects I have recently completed and give me a call with ideas of how YOU would like to dress up YOUR windows!

Call (630)420-0800 or (630) 854-9082.

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Modern Draperies

The client’s style is modern. She likes simplicity and strives to find unique items for her home. The Baker dining set was purchased years ago for a modern urban home. The challenge was to create contemporary-style window coverings to complement a space with traditional touches – such as the crystal chandelier that came with the house – which she was not ready to change.

The client wanted privacy at night and semi-privacy during the day, to diffuse a less-than-desirable view of a brick wall. She wanted formality and said she loves metallic, sparkly fabrics and décor.

Allure from Lafayette provided the privacy and semi-privacy she was after. Several of its fabrics have shimmery, metallic characteristics. One nice discovery was that the mounting space was perfect for an inside mount, the client’s preference.

The depth and texture of the drapery fabric were a perfect choice. The cut-outs gave it a unique look, and the color provided enough contrast to be interesting but not so much as to distract from the room’s other focal points.

The client absolutely loves the fluttering effect the draperies have whenever the air conditioning is on. (I had noticed air registers on each side of the windows, and I knew the fabric cut-outs would move when air circulated around the fabric. So happy the client appreciates my vision!)

Creative cornice window treatment

A custom cornice was designed for a young artist! She is very creative, artistic not only in painting, she is an amazing dancer, she loves animals, and she has a collection of masks displayed on the wall that represents Central America’s culture.

The room was painted in deep blue, and the room backs to a yard with many trees.

Here was the challenge: The room is dark and has no definition, and the design has to appeal to my young client to reflect her artistic personality, her love of animals and birds, and her love of the culture of Central America.

 

The design included a cornice that was made from three sections, the sides on the left and write projected a bit forward, more than the middle section that almost resembled two columns.

 

A light blue fabric was used for the cornice to create a definition to the window, the two sides were embellished with real feathers that were inserted in the center. The color of the feathers was deep red that popped out to draw the attention and a printed linen panels were installed under the side cornices to provide further definition to the window. The fabric was printed with feathers in different sizes and various colors of blues and aqua. The finished product was unique in design and material selection. Our young artist was very happy. I am sharing what testimonial I have received from her mom.

Her mom wrote a testimonial on Houzz:

I asked Susan to create a window treatment for my teenage daughter’s bonus room. The room lacked direction and theme. Susan took the time to really get to know my daughter and interviewed her to get a sense of her interests and desires. My daughter’s love of animals and art inspired
Susan to create a window treatment that is an art piece in itself. She incorporated beautiful feathers on a 3D valence! This room was once without direction, but now is personalized and inspirational- exactly what my daughter wanted. Thank you Susan!

For more information and a free consultation and an estimate call (630) 854-9082 or (630)420-0800.

 

 

 

Award Wining Draperies,

These Custom draperies had won the 2nd place International award at the Vision annual design competition!

The category of the competition was the creative use of drapery hardware and trim.

 

Imagine my surprise when I saw this window for the first time! My first thought was, “It is going to be a challenge installing any treatment for this window!”

The client expressed her desire to have the window treatment as “open” as possible since her family likes the light and the beautiful view of the lake. She also said she likes swags. Her third request was to design the window treatment with the chandelier in mind. And she also requested that the color of the fabric complement her existing furnishings and the beautiful Persian rug in the room.

A textured sheer fabric was selected for the cascading swags in order to keep the window open, as the client requested. Layered side panels sweep down from the second tier of the window to the floor, with a slight break to give definition to the window and visually support the swags. The first layer is interlined silk, and the textured sheer used for the swag comes over as a second layer to create a visual connection. The soft mango color of the fabric was selected because it beautifully complements the client’s furnishings.

The hardware was created by connecting several wrought iron pieces from the Helser Brothers Artigiani collection. The pieces selected resemble the chandelier; the crystal pieces were carefully selected and added to create a unique design which looks perfect with the chandelier!

The Illuminated Room! Burr Ridge IL

The Illuminated Room

A new client in Burr Ridge, Illinois, asked me to design his living room and said he wanted a unique design. He further said he wanted me to create “the WOW! factor” with a design that I’ve never done for another client.

An exciting challenge for a designer, right? Well, after giving it some thought, I decided to create “sculptural” window treatments for the five windows in the room.

The room has a curved wall with a faux finish with honey, gold, gray and a hint of golden green. That was my base for a color scheme.

We selected furniture with contemporary styling, in black and gray with a hint of rust/copper. The coffee table was very interesting! It’s oval-shaped and finished in copper, resembling a smooth pebble.

Deep thought was given to the design of the five tall, slender all windows. I needed to create a design to enhance the overall look of the room and the play up the height of the windows.

I found this amazing fabric that was perfect in terms of colors and texture. The background was in blackened, antiqued silver with woven lines of copper that stretched up and down across the length of the fabric. Perfect choice! I also found an amazing trim with diamond stones woven in rows across the band, which added amazing elegance and style.

So, I thought to myself, “Why not create curved cornices to echo the curved wall?” I imagined covering the cornices with that perfect metallic fabric and using the diamond-covered trim as a decorative element to add sparkle and draw the eyes up to enhance the height. Another thought: “Why not install  LED lights within the cornices to illuminate the ceiling, and install drapery sheers under the cornices?”

Voila! Unique idea, I hadn’t done this before, and I was positive that my client would love it!

As expected, the client approved. Construction and installation took 12 weeks, a little longer than average; the delay was because I had to find the perfect electrician to make my design come to life.

I found the perfect light fixture for the narrow wall that one sees when entering the room. It looks Like a shield with the light right in the center. A unique choice for a unique room! The room is not quite complete. We need an area rug, side tables, and accessories. I will post photos of the room when we have selected the right elements to complete the look. The following photos show the room as it is now:

Call (630) 420-0800 For free consultation and estimate!

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Roman Shades!

In addition to classic and hobbled, there are other styles of Roman shades. We have the London shade, relaxed Roman, Austrian shade, balloon shades, and the mock Roman.

 

London shade: There are several styles of London shades (sometimes they’re called dog ear shades), as you can see in the illustration below. The shade is strange on the sides, leaving few inches on each side, which will cause the sides to stay loosely hung, resembling a dog’s ears.

 

 

 

Austrian shades:

This type of shade has fabric “falling” in a series of puffy swags that are created by vertical rows of shirring.

Take a look at these videos for dramatic demonstrations of beautiful “fabric in motion.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T30nhNHRPr4&t=210s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4vkPlVeVPs

 

Austrian shades are formal, traditional, and expensive to create because they are laborious to construct. They represent a combination of two popular types of window covering – swags (or festoons) combined with the Roman shade style, to enable the shade to be lifted.

Note: One point I would like to make is that the sides of the shade have the tendency to cave in, creating bowing on each side of the window. To remedy that situation, side panels are often used to hide the not-so-pleasant look of the caved-in sides.

The image below is by Key Decorators.

It illustrates how the sides of the shade can cave in.

 

The image above is by Key Decorators.

It illustrates how the caved sides of the shade was remedied by installing side panels to cover the sides.

The relaxed Roman shade: 

Relaxed Roman shades look very similar to the flat Roman shade, except the lower edge has about three pleats and a bar is inserted to allow the pleats to hang in a relaxed manner. The top remains flat and it will lift up and down easily, leaving the pleated bottom to bow and creating a valance-like effect.

One can be creative with these shades by adding fabric trims, beaded trims, and fringes of many different types to enhance the décor and reflect the homeowner’s personal taste.

Note: If banding is used, one must make sure it does not disappear in the folds. Personally, I might add the bands to the sides and leave the lower edge without any banding.

 

A final note for all shades:

Most fabrics are 54 inches wide. If the window is wider than 52 inches, the shade will have a seam. To remedy that, here are two tricks of the trade that I can share with you:

• Add banding, tapes, or braids on the seams to hide them.
• “Railroad” the fabric (use the width of the fabric for the length). That will give about 52 inches for the length. If the window is longer than 52 inches, an additional fabric can be added and seamed together. That will work with hobbled Roman shades and the flat Roman shades.

For more information or to book a free consultation and an estimate call (630)420-0800 or (630)854-9082.