Decorate Your Home - It's Easy & Fun!

Designer Screen Shades - Save Energy & Your View

2008-04-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

Remember the old roller shades your Grandmother had in her home? Today it would be hard to find ones like them because there are so many wonderful new roller shade products on the market. Hunter Douglas' Designer Screen Shades are an example of up-to-date style, texture, color and style. Please look at the attached reference library video to see how these great shades would look today in your home or office.

Reference Library - Hunter Douglas Window Fashions and check on Designer Screen Shades to see the video.

If you want to control the sun's harmful UV rays and heat, yet keep your view, try one of the open weave sunscreen style shades. They come in many colors and textures to go with almost any decor. These energy saving shades will help save your floors, furniture and wall hangings from premature fading. Add a solar film on the window itself and you create a double energy savings guaranteed to save you energy costs. Give us a call, we'd be happy to help you.

Searching for Furniture on The Internet Can be Time Consuming

2008-04-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

Shopping for home furnishings can be a daunting task - driving from store to store trying to find the perfect piece of furniture to fit into our home's decor. So, most of us now sit down in front of our computers and begin looking for information about the furniture pieces we wish to add before we actually go shopping. Recent studies found that 57% of internet researchers spend three or more hours online to research furniture and two out of five consumers, who recently bought furniture, logged on first before buying.

Unfortunately, there is so much information on the internet you can literally receive millions of links that range from blogs and encyclopedia entries, retailers very far away from your location and retailers trying to sell overstocked items on the internet. In other words, an over load of information awaits the casual information seeker.

Furniture Style magazine, a publication for furniture retailers, has created a new guide for consumers to direct them in their search for information about furniture and home furnishings. A new industry-focused search engine has been developed to deliver results to viewers who want to skip the clutter . In addition to directing consumers to furniture retail web sites and online sources of inspiration for the home, www.furniturestylesearch.com is for industry professionals too. Save this site in your favorites or you can download a FurnitureStyleSearch.com toolbar for your web browser. then you'll have it when you need it. This tool will save a lot of time when you're looking to buy or replace a furniture piece.

ATA Airline's Bankruptcy - Or, Marooned on a Tropical Island

2008-04-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite places to just kick back and enjoy a little R&R - the Marriott's Maui Ocean Beach Club on the beach at Ka'anapali in Maui, Hawaii.

We scheduled a week's vacation and took off from the Oakland CA airport on the ATA Airlines on Sunday March 30th and flew without problems directly to Maui. The tickets had been purchased and paid for some time ago.

The day after we arrived in Maui Aloha Airlines announced they were closing but they had made some arrangements with other airlines to handle the return of their passengers to the main land. We smirked with self-satisfaction that we would be OK; until early on Wednesday morning when the Marriott's personnel notified us that the ATA Airline had also filed bankruptcy sometime in the night and had already stopped flying. Luckily we had brought a laptop computer with us and my hubby immediately got on it and his cell phone to try and get us two seats back home later in the week. Were we ever surprised - ATA had made no efforts to help their stranded passengers throughout their entire flight area. Our tickets home were worthless!

The helpful customer service rep for United Airlines finally found us two tickets to get home by a circuitous route, but three days later than we had planned to go home. The one-way tickets for two people cost nearly $1,600. We then contacted the hotel's desk - and luckily for us - they had another room in the resort that we could stay but only for the two extra nights that we would be forced to stay in Maui. Adding the cost of additional nights at the resort, additional days of a car rental and food to the expensive ticket home you can imagine what these few days cost.

The route home was a very long one; Maui to Molokai, Molokai to Honolulu, Honolulu to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to San Francisco - then a $100 taxi cab ride from the San Francisco airport to the Oakland airport to pick-up our car for the drive home. We were thankful to get home because many people were still stuck in Hawaii when we left and wish to thank United Airlines for their courtesy and help in getting us to the main land.

Why do large corporations have the ability to cheat so many people? You could not convince anyone that ATA Airlines hadn't know about their financial problems far in advance of the closure date; especially since they had all the paperwork together to file bankruptcy during the night and close up immediately. Yet, they kept taking client's money selling tickets until the last minute with no plans to perform as promised. If a small company continued to sell and collect money from clients for products or services that they didn't intend to provide, the local law enforcement people would be in hot pursuit of these business owners to put them in jail for defrauding their clients. Why does corporate America have the ability to defraud people with no regret and no reprecussions?

Maybe it's time to once again regulate the airline industry - they don't seem to be able to do it for themselves. What do you think?

Wall Art...Or How to Make Your Home Special

2008-03-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

Art, either painted on a wall as in my photo, or hanging on a nail in a frame can be the "jewelery of the home". Too many times I am invited into a client's home and quickly see how carefully they have painted their walls, picked their furniture and rugs, etc. yet see unfinished walls...without art or, worse yet, with tiny pictures hung too high on a large wall, which look lonely and forlorn.

When you choose the pictures for your room pick subjects that you like to look at, not something that just goes with your colors. Art should speak of your personality, hobbies and dreams. The wall art you pick tells your guests who you are and what you love more than any other accessory in the room. Art brings color and life to your room.

Original art works are always best for your rooms because they are just that...original. Look for original works of art at local art shows and you will be surprised at the many wonderful choices you will have at reasonable prices. You will be helping a potential "starving artist" gain recognition in the art world by buying one of their pieces.

There are many prints available to decorate your walls too. Use them in combination with sconces, shelves, decorative plates, metal grates, etc. and your home will truly be unique.

Vitamin C Doesn't Belong in Your Lungs!

2008-03-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

Every once in awhile life seems to give you a little "kick in the knee" - and, boy did I get one last Sunday afternoon. Obviously, this is a story about an event, that according to all the doctors I've spoken with this week, just shouldn't have happened!

My hubby and I were working in our home office, discussing what we wanted to do about an issue, when I decided that it was time to take my daily medications being it was around 1:00 PM in the afternoon. The pills themselves are standard sizes, except for the two "horse" sized tablets I take of Calcium /Vitamin D and the Vitamin C which were not only both large, but dry and gritty. Anyway, I put the two larger pills into my mouth at once, grabbed a swig of water and swallowed. I knew that I was in trouble the second they passed the back of my tongue. The Vitamin C pill somehow turned cross ways in my throat and the Calcium acted as a battering ram as it drove the Vitamin C tablet down and into my Trachea (or as my mother used to call it the "wind pipe"). My God - what a panicky feeling it is to have a rather large foreign body suddenly and unexpectedly enter your breathing zone.

Hubby immediately began to administer blows to my back and jolts to my diaphragm with no success. Coughs began to rack my throat and a deep burning sensation began to develop in the bronchial area of my lungs on the right and center of my chest. Lucky for me the Vitamin C pill quickly began to break up and, I thought should be dissolving, as I could now breathe above and around the pain. Anyway after an hour or two I felt somewhat OK except for the persistent burning feeling. Coincidentally I had a previously made appointment with my Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)physician the next morning, so decided to wait to seek medical attention - what a fool!

When the ENT doctor heard my story and my symptoms he ran out of the examination room yelling over his shoulder that this was serious and that he was calling a Lung Specialist immediately; and I was to wait there. Less that five minutes later he directed me to the nearest hospital's Emergency Room (ER) as the specialist would be waiting for me there. What a shock - when I got to the ER they took me in immediately, no waiting in the waiting room for hours for me.

Within an hour of arriving at the ER, I was unconscious on a table having a Bronchoscopy procedure to try and assess the damage to my lungs and to try and remove as much of the Vitamin C as possible. Remember Vitamin C is an acid. The photos of the procedure were even clear to me, a non-medically trained person. Imagine the inside of your lungs covered in a white frosting-like material. When the matter was removed you can see the burned lung tissue under it. What a mess - so I spent three days in the hospital and had three different physicians and numerous nurses tell me how lucky I am to be alive. I've been left with the worst case of bronchitusI've ever experienced and am taking huge dosages of Prednisone just to keep the ability to breathe. Oh, and I'll have to undergo another bronchoscopy in about a month to see what other damage the Vitamin C may have caused.

Moral of this story - don't try to take two large capsuls of any kind of food supplement. vitamin or medicine at once like I did! Also, if you ever have a Vitamin C loged anywhere in your body get to a doctor immediately. (This experience makes me wonder what it does to your stomach.) Now, maybe I can be back to work by next week?

Wood Cornices - Beautiful Addition to Your Windows

2008-03-02T11:22:00.000-08:00

Last month Hunter Douglas released a new product to the window covering industry. They will come in 46 colors to match their Country Woods Expose wood blinds or can be purchased unfinished. Each cornice will be made of 100% domestic wood and will be hand-finished and hand-assembled by genuine craftsmen.

There will be six styles in heights of 6", 9" and 12". The unfinished cornices will be available in Basswood, Cherry, Oak or Pine and you can paint or stain them to any desired finish.

There are several design options to truly customize them:

Decorative keystones
Carved wood appliques
Coordinating mantel shelf & decorative shelves
Decorative plate groove

Cover a shade and a drape combination as in the photo with one of these stylish cornices and you have a window fit for a "queen". If you also have a fireplace in the room you can add the mantel shelf too and the room comes live with style and beauty.

Motorized Window Coverings - Introducing "Platinum Technology"

2008-01-30T15:02:00.000-08:00

Always something new in the window covering industry; especially at the Hunter Douglas company. They are the obvious leader in supplying homeowners with the finest, newest window covering products on the market.

Introducing "Platinum Technology", the next generation in motorized window coverings. This system offers both infrared (IR) line-of-sight and radio frequency (RF) out-of-sight group controls. So now raising, lowering and adjusting window coverings is as simple as touching a button.

The beauty of "Platinum Technology" is the ability to operate an individual window covering or an entire group of them, even in multiple rooms from the same remote. You can also operate multiple groups at the same time up to 100 feet away with radio frequency control.

"Platinum Technology" is available with: Duette shades, Silhouette shades, Vignette shades, Luminettes, Country Woods, Brilliance pleated shades, EverWoods and Modern Precious Metals. Look at the video below for more information. Call us for a FREE estimate.

Did You Get Your Utility Bill? Window Coverings May Help!

2008-01-29T07:03:00.000-08:00

My Gosh! Were you as surprised as we were when we opened our utility bill for last month? Wow, our energy bill had gone up 43% from the month before. Yes, it was Christmas and we did have a few low voltage lights in the trees outside in our front yard but the natural gas was the real culprit.

Just trying to keep our house warm was the real issue, especially with the high price of gas and other fuels today.

This high bill made us begin to think of what we could do to try and keep our bills down. The obvious is to wear more sweatshirts in the house and to turn off the lights when we leave a room. The other things we could do is to check the weather stripping around our doors and windows, which we did; and to turn down the water heater temperature. Probably the next best thing that we could do was to look at the energy loss we were experiencing from several windows that we had chosen not to cover because we wanted to maintain the views from these windows. What a mistake! Now they are covered with Silhouette shades and what a difference - the rooms are about 10 degrees warmer, no kidding! And, the views will not be lost as the shades disappear almost completely when they are raised into their headrails.

Window coverings cut heat loss in winter and increase your home's cozy comfort as they slow the escape of warm air. It is a proven scientific fact that heat gravitates towards cold and when a window is not covered the glass is always cold and the heat just disappears. This creates a huge loss in warmth from your room. Window treatments act as insulation, covering the glass to keep warm air inside. Window coverings also cut infiltration of solar heat, the single largest contributor to the workload of your home's cooling system in the summer. By putting the best window coverings on your window you will save money on utilities and save the natural resources used to generate energy. On top of all these benefits you save your interior fabrics, furnishings and woods from fading and deterioration.

Visit www.hunterdouglas.com for their listing of test results for their fine window covering products. R-values range from 2.01 to around 7.0. Oh, and you still have time to purchase Architella Duette, honeycomb style shades with the factory rebate now underway, see my previous entry on this blog with all the details. Visit us at our shop and we will be happy to show you all of their fine products or visit our website at www.drapesandmore.com.

Fresh Flowers - Preserving Their Life

2008-01-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

Keukenhof Gardens, in the Netherlands near Amsterdam, is one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. Its tulip display lasts for only about 6 weeks each spring but the trip is worth it as you will see some really beautiful flowers there, you will be surprised at the variety and colors. We saw so many tulips that just don't seem to grow in Northern California when we were there. (Website: www.keukenhof.com) & click on the language flag at the bottom of the home page.)

It is the middle of winter here in Northern California, I've had a little time to start "going through" some of my garden travel photos and the thought of what's to come in the spring, as our garden begins to wake up, has come to mind. It is also the season to think about bringing fresh flowers into our home so we can enjoy their beauty and to remind us that spring will be here soon. Fresh flowers improve our moods. We love them in our gardens, on our decks and patios and on our dining room tables.

When you cut a fresh flower or buy them from your local flower shop, you want them to last as long as possible. If buying flowers try to pick the ones that are just starting to open. If cutting them from your garden, gather them in the early morning before the dew has dried or in the early evening. Cut them with sharp shears, snipping above the dormant bud to spur new blooms. It is best if you immediately immerse the cut flower into a bucket of lukewarm water until you can begin your arrangement.

When you are ready to arrange them, re-cut the stems at a slant - underwater if possible. Use a clean vase. Fill the vase with warm water - about 110 degrees F. is ideal - because freshly cut stems take up lukewarm water more easily than cold water. (One exception is with bulb flowers such as tulips & daffodils, which should be placed in cool water.) Add a preservative to the water. You can prolong the life of many flowers by adding a floral preservative. Commercial brands are available but you can also make your own as follows:

Floral Preservative

1 Cup regular 7-UP

1 Cup water, lukewarm

1/2 teaspoon household bleach

After your bouquet has been completed, replace the water and re-cut stems every couple of days. Some flowers give off sap that is toxic to other flowers, so it is important to frequently refresh the water of a mixed bouquet. Water changes will also help prevent the growth of bacteria that can clog the stems and block water uptake. Keep your vase out of direct sunlight and away from the heater, the best place is in the coolest place in your room. Yes, a fresh bouquet of flowers in your home is an antidote for the winter blahs!

Trevi Fountain - The Voice of Rome

2008-01-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

Before we joined a group of window covering dealers (who sell Hunter Douglas products) in Venice in May, 2007, to board a ship for the Greek Island cruise, we spent six days in the "Eternal City". Rome, Italy has many wonderful places to visit and many fountains, but none eclipses this "voice of the Eternal City" - the Trevi Fountain.

The Trevi Fountain is huge, 65 feet wide and 85 feet high, literally part of the host palace's facade. It appears that the fountain just flows from the base of the building itself. What an impressive structure, seemingly tucked away in a confined space off narrow streets. The mythical figure Oceanus (or, some say Neptune) stands proudly in his shell-shaped chariot, controlling the flood that cascades beneath him. Water gushes around the other figures and tumbles over the rocks below. The water basin takes up a large part of the piazza making you feel as if the fountain is part of the piazza itself.

The Trevi Fountain was commissioned by Pope Clement XII and designed by Italian architect Niccolo Salvi. Construction was started in 1732 and completed in 1762. The fountain is fed by the first-century BC Agua Virgo aqueduct.

An interesting story we heard from the guide we had hired to show us Rome's fountains, was that there had been a barber shop across the street from the fountain's construction site, to the right of the photo, when it was being constructed. Evidentially, the barber gave the architect and his workmen quite a bit of trouble because he objected to the noise of the construction. So bad was his behavior towards the builders that the architect "fixed him" by building a large obstruction on the wall of the fountain in front of his shop so that the bottom shops in the building, including the shop that the barber occupied would never be able to see the beautiful fountain. This explains the rather large obstruction on the right side of the fountain's wall still standing today.

Hundreds of visitors visit the Trevi Fountain each day to toss coins into the fountain (legend says that the fountain has special wishing powers), the money left by tourists averages about $11,000 per week which is collected and donated to a religious charity.

Both Walt & I want to thank all of our 2006 clients for making this trip possible. This year, 2008, we will be again going on a Hunter Douglas trip to Europe - a cruise of the Baltic Sea. How can we thank all of our wonderful clients in 2007 for making another wonderful trip possible?

We wish everyone a wonderful, successful & healthy 2008!

Duette Architella Shades - Energy Efficiency Promotion

2007-12-17T15:06:00.000-08:00

Enjoy even greater energy efficiency, sound absorption and, for a limited time, rebate savings during Hunter Douglas' Energy Efficiency promotion which started December 1, 2007 and will continue until February 28, 2008. Limit one rebate form per household. Four unit maximum on this offer. Duette Architella honeycomb shades come in light filtering or room darkening styles and offer a choice of decorator colors to match your decor. Most importantly they offer an energy savings not matched by any other honeycomb product. Hurry rebate ends soon!

Clock Sale - Howard Miller Fine Clocks

2007-11-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

We have a large selection of in-stock Howard Miller clocks at our shop. Selection includes several floor clocks, wall, mantel & table top clocks. Howard Miller is the world's largest maker of floor clocks and they strive to be the best! Each clock shows quality craftsmanship in the meticulous attention to details - the rich, hand applied finish, the satin smooth feel of every cabinet, the beautiful chimes - which make each floor clock a sensory delight. Clockmakers have always considered the floor clock movements made by Kieninger the finest of their kind. Howard Miller uses these movements in all of their fine floor clocks.

Wall, mantel & tabletop clocks are also their specialty. All of the clock-making expertise that goes into their floor clocks can be found in these clocks too.

Drapes & More Interior's sale on in-stock clocks starts November 23rd - we are offering a 50% discount on all in-stock clocks purchased by December 21, 2007. Come into our shop at 1305A Cleveland Ave, Santa Rosa to experience the best sale ever on these fine clocks. Surprise your loved one with the gift of time this Christmas!

You can also see quite a few clocks on our website: www.drapesandmore.com. Of course, we can special order a clock if the one you want is not available; however the 50% off sale will not apply for special orders.

Colors of Mediterranean Decorating

2007-10-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

The Mediterranean style home is still very popular in our area due to its Wine Country ambiance and how the style fits into the area. Sonoma and Napa counties can easily be compared to Tuscany landscapes and views. This was recently brought to mind when a client asked us to provide her color pallets to chose from so that she can paint her home in a Mediterranean color style.

Mediterranean decorating values color above anything else. The colors are bright and bold...reflecting the sky and the sea or the beautiful warm sunset. All colors used are natural colors that appeal to everyone. Different areas of the Mediterranean use specific colors that are popular to their area. In May, 2007 we had the chance to visit Rome, then flew to Venice to board a ship that took us to Athens, Greece. The Greek isles have a color pallet all of their own and are very different from the Italian colors. The islands are very bright because of their proximity to the sea; therefore people seem to use a lot of bright white and deep, vibrate blues along with burnt oranges. and yellows These colors compliment the beautiful blue of the Agean and Ionian seas.

The colors in Tuscany are different. Beautiful shades of burnt orange, golds and muted reds complimented with tan, dark blue and dark greens are common. These colors stand out in the hilly, green home site areas and compliment the blue sky and feeling of distances one gets when looking out at the extended view. Most Tuscan colors are muted with the use of darker colors applied over the paint that have been rubbed off to give the house an older look while the Greek Islands homes are left with clear, clean colors that have not been aged.

In our area, in my opinion, colors are best muted just a little to take advantage of the beautiful surroundings. A painted house that is very sharply colored will standout and will take away from the view. Paint colors will add a great deal of value to your home if they meet with the design of the home and the topography.

Energy Efficiency for Your Home

2007-10-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

Understanding R-value

Building materials are assigned an R-value according to the product's ability to resist heat movement. The higher the R-value the better it insulates your home. Most windows have an R-value of 0.9 to 3.0 and can be responsible for 40% to 70% of heat or cold transfer for an entire home. The heat loss or gain at your home's windows is impacted by the following:

Window Properties - Window frames can be metal, wood or vinyl. The R-value of a metal frame can be 5 to 20% lower than a wood or vinyl framed window. A single paned uncovered window has an R-value of 1.75. Advances in glass coatings have improved the energy performance of new windows, but a window's age, quality and condition of weather stripping and caulking will impact how much air infiltrates or escapes from your home.

Window Square Footage - Windows make up 20% of the typical home exterior and 40% in contemporary construction. Numerous large, uncovered windows can break your energy budget when they are on a cold north exposure in winter or a sun-saturated west wall in summer.

Window Coverings - Heat moves towards cold. In the winter it is drawn to cold glass to escape your home. In the summer outdoor heat moves toward the windows of your air-conditioned home. Using layers of solar film and putting window treatments at your windows can increase the R-value by 1 to 7 points. In extreme climates, that could save more dollars than you would have spent to install these items in a short time.

Window coverings of all kinds will help you save energy. With the warming of the Earth and the melting Artic ice we must all do whatever we can individually to help our planet by cutting down our energy use. Properly installed window film and cellular shades can be some of the best money you will spend to keep your home more comfortable and to help save our planet. For more information on solar film visit my website at www.winsbysungard.com and for information about window coverings visit www.drapesandmore.com. Remember, with just a little effort you and I CAN make a difference to help our planet!

Minimum Advertised Price (MAP)

2007-09-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

Consumers need to be aware of how the furniture industry sets it's pricing because sometimes there is such a diverse range of prices for the same product in the market place.

Most people don't realize that home furniture is marked up 200% to 400%. As an example if you purchased a sofa for your home and you paid $1,000 for it; the store could have paid $250 to purchase the same sofa from their manufacturer so that they could sell it to you. Hence a 400% markup on this sofa! Many big box stores advertise that their sale prices are 50% off MSRP which would have priced the example sofa at $500, still a 200% markup. The store would still be doubling their money with this sale.

Most furniture manufacturers set their "MSRP" (manufacturer's suggested retail price), then usually in a secret meeting between them and the home furniture store, they set another price called MAP, which stands for "Minimum Advertised Price". The MAP price is the bottom threshold selling price allowed by the manufacturer. If the store sells the furniture product lower than the MAP they will loose their franchise to sell the product. Most of the online furniture discounters in the Carolinas tend to sell at MAP price. If you call them to talk about prices always ask them to go lower, until you hear them mention that they are already at the MAP price and cannot go lower.

Actually if all furniture products for sale in the market place had a MAP base, I think it would be better for the consumer because you wouldn't have to spend as much time seeking out the real price for a furniture item that you want for your home. It would also make the poor business dealers that offer little or no service stand out and maybe the better store dealers would rise above because of their customer service practices. By selling at the MAP price, a furniture store still makes a decent profit and you get a nice "discount" off some useless MSRP that really means nothing anyway.

Next time you go into a furniture store ask the sales person what the actual MAP price for your furniture choice is; pay attention to how this question is answered. Because there isn't a "book" for us to look up prices it is difficult to know if you will get the real answer so it pays to check with other dealers of the same product and ask the same question.

It would make my life a lot easier if the window covering business had MAP pricing - but, alas the window covering industry doesn't follow the furniture business in this practice. Maybe someday?

Shutter Sale - Hurry Will End Soon

2007-09-18T07:55:00.001-07:00

Drapes & More Interiors is having a special Fall Shutter Sale on all three of the Hunter Douglas shutter products. The sale will be for all Hunter Douglas shutter products purchased from Drapes & More from September 18th until October 31, 2007.

The photo at left is a photo of the NewStyle hybrid shutters. These shutters combine the great style of wood with the strength, stability and straightness of advanced modern day materials.

Also on sale are the Heritenance hardwood shutters. These shutters are made of natural hardwoods and feature hand crafted dovetail joinery combined with wonderful finishes. There are 100 colors to chose from, even custom coloring is available to match the furniture or moldings in your home.

Palm Beach polysatin shutters are available on sale too. They are ultraviolet resistant and are guaranteed never to warp, fade, chip or peel, regardless of high heat or other extreme climate considerations.

Come into our shop and see samples of these shutters or call us today at (707) 578-0849 for a free estimate.

Get Your Home Ready For The Holidays

2007-09-11T18:11:00.000-07:00

Well it's grape harvest season once again in Sonoma County's Wine Country. And, time once again to be thinking of getting your home ready for the holidays. Don't they come too fast? I remember, many years ago to be honest, how long it was from one Thanksgiving or Christmas to another and now I marvel that the dust doesn't seem to have settled on the ornament boxes I think I just put away from last Christmas!

If you plan to have a family gathering at your home and you want to spruce it up a little, it is time to get started fixing up your home. Especially if you are thinking of adding a new pair of draperies, a new valance or having your sofa re-upholstered before your family & friends get there. This time of year most of the workroom folks are putting in over-time just to get all the orders ready in time, so you'd better get going.

To get yourself motivated, I hope that you will visit us at our booth at the Sonoma County Homeshow which will be held this weekend at the Sonoma County Fair Grounds in Santa Rosa. The event will be held three days, September 14, 15, & 16, 2007. This is the 20th year that the show has been produced by G & G Productions and the shows just keep getting better and better. Please look up their website at http://www.ggshows.com/ for a complete listing of home improvement companies that will be there.

We'll be in booth #117 and I look forward to seeing you there. We'll have the new Pirouette Shade and the new Skyline shade on display, plus the Alustra line of fine window covering products. Unfortunately, Rex and his new pal Trixie (a Chihuweenie designer mutt) can't come to work with us these three days. Will have to pay a price each day when we get home from the show! See you there.

Your Home - Add Flair On A Budget

2007-08-23T06:59:00.000-07:00

Being short on cash doesn't mean you have to be short on style. This means that you can add a few sparks to liven up a stale or tired decor in your home using a little imagination; cleaning and rearranging what you have goes a long way too. Small changes can make a big difference.

Paint probably is the easiest way to freshen a room. Faux and crackle paint finishes are great ways to add an elegant look to your walls and even furniture. Painting the lower three feet of a wall in a darker color and the top half in a softer shade of the same color is a great way to add interest; add a wallpaper border or a molding piece between the colors is the final touch. Changing your walls' color from white to a warm pastel or a rich, vibrant color can make an enormous difference in a room's ambiance.

We all have an assortment of furniture that we've collected over the years; you know what I mean - Grandma's dresser, Mom's desk, Dad's favorite chair, the first piece of good furniture we bought after college. After awhile this hodge-podge of "stuff", well, just looks dowdy. Some of us have over loaded bookcases (I'm looking at one in my office as I write this!), furniture jammed against the walls, pictures hung haphazardly around the room all needing some attention. Adding a custom made slip cover to Dad's favorite chair, a couple of containers to clean and rearrange Mom's desk and a bouquet of flowers and some appropriate accessories to the top of Grandma's dresser can work wonders.

New draperies, or even moving existing draperies from one room to another, can give your rooms a new look. Adding trim to existing draperies is a good way to give them a punch that they don't have now. Greenery adds a breath of fresh air and color to any room. Invest in one large tree, real or silk, as a focal point in the room. Fresh orchids are available everywhere. I have one in my living room that has been blooming non-stop for several weeks. When it is finished I will add it to my growing collection of orchids that are surprisingly easy to grow.

Decorative pillows and throws can add texture, updated colors, bring in a new pattern and immediately jazz up a sofa or a chair. If you are handy with the sewing machine you can buy fabric remnants at reduced cost and sew pillows yourself. Add some beads or fringe to the pillow and - zap - you have changed the look of your room to a more sophisticated style.

Area rugs offer a huge variety of pattern and color. Adding a 4' X 6' size rug in front of your sofa makes an immediate improvement. Arrange your chairs around the sides and add a coffee table; you have created a warm, inviting conversation area that welcomes you and your guests to sit and enjoy each others company. Even if you have wall-to-wall carpet adding an area rug is an easy way to mark off an area in any room.

Cleaning or replacing dusty lampshades, adding new energy saving light bulbs and making sure that there is enough light fixtures in the room to give the room a triangle of light will make your rooms more comfortable. I am always amazed how many homes I go into that do not have the proper lighting; one lamp in a room just isn't enough light as it creates one bright spot and the rest of the room is gloomy and dark making the room uncomfortable.

You get the picture - it doesn't take much to change your home's environment for the better! A little elbow grease and some imagination will work wonders to add flair to your home without spending a lot of money.

INTRODUCING - Pirouette Window Shadings

2007-07-29T15:06:00.000-07:00

Here are two photos that I took when we attended the first ever Hunter Douglas hosted International Alliance Conference held in Denver, Colorado on July 26 & 27, 2007, that show the revolutionary new window shading - Pirouette. This shade will be available at my shop Drapes & More Interiors (http://www.drapesandmore.com/) in early September, 2007. These shades will be available only at selected stores until early 2008.

My photos do not do justice to this wonderful new product! The photo on the left shows two shades, one open but down and the other down and closed. The shades look very much like a roman shade - imagine the capability to open the shades to see a view through them but still have the sun control benefits of a shade and the softness of a roman shade. When the shade is open or closed completely, as you can see by the photo on the right, you will be able to enjoy a variety of 44 fabric colors and three fabric styles. With the vanes open, the sheer backing maintains privacy, reduces glare and blocks up to 86% of harmful ultraviolet rays. The shades will come in semi-opaque and black-out style fabrics, plus can be made into large sizes 120" wide X 120" long making the shade even more unique. When you raise them, they go completely up into their headrail making them almost invisible.

We hope to have our showroom samples by the end of August and also plan to have a large sample at our booth at the Sonoma County Home Show in mid-September.

Over 4,000 attendees of this International Alliance Conference, who represented "the best in the window covering industry", were privileged to hear General Colin L. Powell, USA (Ret) give the keynote address. General Powell offered insight on leadership and his vision for tomorrow. His address was well accepted and everyone agreed that he left the group with many inspiring thoughts & feelings.

As always, Hunter Douglas is the revolutionary manufacturer in the window covering industry and we are proud to represent all of their products; especially the new Pirouette window shades.

Bedspreads - The Right Way to Fit Your Bed

2007-07-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

A common question we hear from clients is: "Where can I find a bedspread to fit my bed?" This is a frustrating question because there isn't a simple answer. Retailers offered bedspreads in many stores years ago because mattresses were by-and-large the same. The "drop", or distance from the top of the bed to the floor, was a consistent 21" then; but now, the drop can vary from 18" to 38"+.

Since the popularity of pillow-top mattresses came into fashion, bedding retailers simply cannot afford to have inventories of so many bedspread sizes on hand. Consequently the popularity of separates for the bed (bed skirts, pillows, duvets and coverlets) has become the norm in the bed covering market because they can be mixed and matched. However, people are getting tired of this look and are turning to a sleeker look for their bedding; a look without the need for multiple pillows and the tedious job of making the bed because of all the pieces that make up the bedding package.

As all trends return, one piece bedspreads are gaining in popularity. Homeowners want a more sophisticated look on their beds that speaks to their tastes. Sleeker and less cluttered bedrooms is what the market is turning to. This is why custom made bedspreads are gaining in the market today.

A custom bedspread can be made of any suitable fabric. Your designer will need to measure the exact size of your bed before the spread can be made. You will have many choices of style as examples; extra long pillow wraps, fitted corners, tailored or flouncy styling, decorative trims and custom fitting to exactly fit your specialty bed frames. There are numerous choices on quilting patterns and fillers for the spreads. They are usually dry cleanable but your designer can have them made so that they can be washed.

Buying a custom fit, quality bedspread will give you the freedom to be creative and to end up with a one-of-a-kind sophisticated bedroom.

Interior Design Books - Recommended List

2007-07-15T15:06:00.000-07:00

There are so many wonderful books available today about interior decorating that I thought it would be a good idea to include some of them on my blog that are available from Amazon.com. Please see the current list below. Good reading about one of my favorite subjects - having a comfortable and beautiful home!

Woven Shades - The Natural Window Coverings

2007-07-14T12:28:00.000-07:00

Woven shades for your windows are natural, eco-friendly products. They are chic and will help save our planet while keeping your rooms stylish. On top of these benefits they are economical and last a long time too.

They are made from select natural woods, including reeds, bamboos and grasses. They add casual good looks to any room in your home. They come in various operating styles but the favorite today is the Roman Shade style with a front valance that covers the operating mechanism. When they are lowered, they lie flat; when raised, the woven shades hang in even, overlapping folds.

These shades offer varied privacy and light control options due to the fact that some of the materials used to make the shades are very light weight and airy, while others are made of more substantial woods and other materials that are set closer together when the shade material is manufactured. If privacy or light control is an issue, you can add a privacy liner that is separate from the shade itself to your window that is mounted under the shade and operates separately, which is my chosen way to add privacy or light control, or you can have a liner permanently attached to the shade itself. Permanently attaching a liner, however, will take away the beautiful filtered light and muted views that an unlined shade offers.

The shades come in many styles of woven combinations and colors. Many different finishes are available so that you will have a wide choice of shades to match your decor. These products are simple to ensure that attention remains on the architectural elements in your room. You can add fabrics to the outside edges to trim them to match your decor or just leave them plain, it's your choice.

They are also wonderful combined with decorator rods and decorative draperies. Many times I have added side drapery panels on windows that have woven shades already installed in them to finish the window's design. The addition of drapery panels adds softness, fabric texture and color to your room. You can visit http://www.hunterdouglas.com/ to see more photos of this fine product. We will be happy to give you a free quote, also see our website at http://www.drapesandmore.com/.

Your Summer Home - Simple Things To Make It Shine

2007-07-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

It is natural to want to "summerize" your home when the weather gets warm; similar to wanting to "winterize" your home when cold, wet weather is on the way. In winter you think of conserving heat while in summer you think of cooling, light, air and color.

To change your home for summer a fresh coat of colorful paint will do wonders. Change winter's darker colors for light and fresh colors that speak of fun in the sun. Accent pillows are a fast and affordable way to change the colors in your home; or change an area rug and you won't believe the difference this can make. (I keep a black background area rug for under the diningroom table for winter at my home and change it in the spring for a fresh light beige background one. Wow, what a difference this exchange makes.)

Add some glass accessories that light can go through, plus add light colored candles and flowers which will add whimsey and color. Bring in some fresh green plants and place them on tables near windows to help bring in the outside views. Take down heavy winter draperies and add light weight curtains or sheer draperies to your windows, sheers are wonderful this time of year all by themselves. Open the windows and the curtain's soft movement at the window is just lovely.

Small touches like putting on a new tablecloth, rearranging your furniture and opening the shades more often adds a great deal of light and makes your rooms more inviting. Putting a slipcover on your sofa or chairs with fresh summer colors will be a welcome addition. Clean out your fireplace and fill it with candles or flowers. Bring accents of summer to your decor by adding seashells, glass balls, dragonflies and birds to your tables. Change your bedding to a lighter weight and use lighter color fabrics.

Lastly a cleanup of your patio area and front entrance; add some blooming pots, a fresh umbrella and chair pads. These changes will bring your home a welcome additional "outside room" that can be enjoyed all summer by everyone in your family. Make sure that you can B-B-Q and dine there sometimes too. Summer-time, "when the liv'in is easy"!

Hunter Douglas Trip & More

2007-07-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful trip! We were lucky enough to participate in an annual Hunter Douglas trip, this time to the Greek Isles in May. I took this photo at the Acropolis in Athens between a break in a rainy day. Before we got on the Royal Caribbean's ship, Splendour of the Seas in Venice,we spent a week in Rome. Believe it or not, I took over 980 photos and Walt has another 600 or 700 during our trip - what a job it will be to go through them and delete the bad ones. We also are lucky to have a disc of photos that our friend Bart, also on the trip, shared with us. The digital camera has changed the way we take photos for sure.

On the cruise we visited the site of the original Olympics in Olympia, also stopping at several other Greek islands that are very beautiful and of much historical significance. The last stop was at Split, Croatia - what a marvelous place. Would love to go back there and rent a place for a few months as the pace of life seemed to us to be a little more laid back than what we're used to.

Three weeks later we were lucky to take our two grand-daughters to Monterey for a week. Monterey, California is one of our favorite places to go to rest and relax. The girls had not been there before so we took them on a five hour whale watching cruise of the bay. What excitement! We saw a pod of Orca Whales, six in number, plus Humpback Whales, a Blue Porpoise, a group of Dolphins that I didn't know existed, thousands of birds that had flown all the way from Australia and an Otter floating on his back holding an up-side-down crab on its belly while it was eating it. Many Seals and Sea Lions rounded out the nature watch. This company had a marine biologist that told us what to look for and discribed each animal and its habits. We also spent a day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We've been to many aquariums throughout the world and this one stands out as one of the best. They have another new wing that focuses on Otters, plus there is an outstanding display of jelly fish. Whatever you do don't miss this aquarium, you can look it up at http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/

Now it's time to get back to work!

Summer Sale - Hunter Douglas Window Coverings

2007-06-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

Hunter Douglas, the premier manufacturer of window coverings, has started its "first ever" summer sale in the form of rebates to consumers who purchase their products from June 1, 2007 through August 31, 2007. Hunter Douglas is recognized as the leader in the window coverings field and they have introduced many new and exciting products to the window covering market.

The rebates will be sent directly to the consumer after they send in the required rebate form and their proof of purchase to Hunter Douglas. The rebates include:

$100 rebates on every Duette and Duette Architella honeycomb shades with Vertiglide system
$75 rebates on every Luminette Privacy Sheer
$50 rebates on window fashions with the PowerRise system including Duette, Duette Architella, Vignette Modern Roman Shades, and Silhouette shades
$25 rebates on UltraGlide systems on Duette, Duette Architella, Silhouette, Nantucket and Vignette shades
$20 rebates on every standard Alouette and Duette Architella shade.

There are no minimum or maximum purchase but only one rebate per household. Rebates cannot be combined.

I have been working in this industry for almost 22 years and have never seen such a great rebate from any manufacturer. Now is the time to buy your shades and blinds to take advantage of this sale. We have working samples of their products at our showroom in Santa Rosa where you can actually see how the shades can be used at your home or office, or you can see their entire offering at http://www.hunterdouglas.com/.