Duette Architella Shades - Energy Efficiency Promotion

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

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

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

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!