The Finishing Touch

Recycling Blinds

At least once a week, someone emails me asking, “How do I recycle blinds?” Being the Super Sleuth that I am, I decided to take a more in-depth look at our options, because recycling can be complicated if you’re attempting to getting rid of something other than computer paper in an eco-friendly way.

My first attempt at “research” was a Wikipedia search because, as Michael Scott would say, “anyone in the world can write anything they want about any subject so you know you are getting the best possible information.” He was wrong in this case; Wikipedia turned up nothing on how to recycle blinds. Not even so much as a placeholder page. Moving on.

My second attempt was a Google search. I came up empty-handed again, but was drawn to one particular link: Ecocycle.org. Upon further investigation, I learned that Ecocycle has an entire section on their website dedicated to educating people on how to recycle hard-to-recycle items. They even have a Boulder-based center for dropping off these items called CHaRM (Center for Hard-to-Recycle Materials). Bad news: I found no information about how to properly recycle blinds here either.

I gave them a call and was connected with Kate, a recycling expert if there ever was one. Kate gave me a lot of helpful information:

1. Aluminum blinds – Aluminum blinds are the easiest to recycle. Recycle miniblinds and aluminum components pretty much anywhere. Call up one of your local scrap metal dealers to have these taken off your hands and make a little money while you do it.
2. Wood blinds – Though wood blinds seem perfectly recyclable, they are not. Most wood blinds are treated with a chemical sealant and various types of paint. Wood recycling is most often turned into mulch for gardens and farms. The chemicals used to treat wood blinds, while safe for the home, are not safe for vegetable-growing. Double check to see what types of chemicals have been used to treat your blinds before you drop them at your local center. If they have not been treated, they can safely be recycled.
3. PVC (fauxwood, verticals) – These are not recyclable.
4. Draperies – Most recycled textiles are turned into industrial rags. This is a great use for your old draperies, should you decide to get rid of them. Contact the Secondary Materials and Recycled Textiles Association (SMART) to find out how to turn your old drapes into something useful for someone else.

While I was sad to learn that some of our most popular products cannot be safely recycled, there are plenty of other safe, smart options for getting rid of your window blinds in a responsible way.

Habitat for Humanity is always in need of home items like blinds, shades, shutters, and draperies. Find out if your city has a Habitat for Humanity ReStore, which are outlets that accept donated home goods for resale. The even-better news is that if you do donate or recycle window blinds, then take a picture or video of yourself doing so and send it to us, we’ll give you 10% off your purchase at Blinds.com. If you’re not familiar with Blinds for Clunkers, click the link for more details.

One of hundreds of customer-submitted Blinds for Clunkers photos

And, of course, if you’re trying to make a buck or two, post them on Craigslist or eBay.

If you’d like more information, shoot me an email and I’ll see what else I can dig up.

Blinds.com Partners with Linens N Things to Sell Custom Blinds

Look Ma, we’re growing! Now you can buy Blinds.com-brand blinds and shades directly through Linens-N-Things (LNT.com) while buying all kinds of other household goodies. Check out their awesome line of custom window blinds by going to LNT.com.

 

Don't forget to follow Blinds.com on Twitter! @BlindsDotCom

Pantone Announces 2010 Color of the Year: Turquoise

If you’re a design fanatic like I am, then you wait with baited breath for the announcement of Pantone’s choice for Color of the Year. The color choice speaks to design and décor trends, a collective feel for the direction design will go in the year to come, and it’s also kind of fun to see what they choose. A little information about turquoise, from Jacci Howard Bear on About.com:

“This in-between color represents water, thus the names aqua and aquamarine. It's also a valuable and popular mineral often turned into jewelry. Turquoise is closely associated with the Middle East and the American Southwest.”

Turquoise is considered to be a spiritual color by modern mystics. It is a color that is said to warn off negativity and help protect property. Knowing this about turquoise, it is only fitting for it to be chosen. As we climb out of the pit of Recession, we’ll need all the help we can get.

Feng Shui tells that turquoise, though vibrant, is actually a relaxing color. Used in the home, it can help you be a better communicator. Turquoise also represents healing. If you want to create a healthier, happier, more relaxed home in 2010, make turquoise a part of your design scheme.

There are a few ways you can do this. You can either overhaul your entire home, painting walls and putting in new carpet, but who has time and money for that? Instead, choose a few key accents or furniture pieces that tie in with the colors you’re already using. Here are a few suggestions:

This Bali DiamondCell Storm Cellular Shade with 5 1/2" white Noble Cornice is perfect for your comfy kitchen. Delicate white accents, a little greenery, and a splash of turquoise wall calm you as you tidy up. Turquoise blinds and shades can make a major impact.

Hunter Douglas 1" Celebrity Aluminum Miniblinds are perfect for a playroom or child's room because they're durable, long-lasting, and can be made cordless for safety reasons. The deeper, more vibrant turquoise color is a strong color, and is gender-neutral.

 

If you'd rather choose new draperies in a beautiful turquoise hue, I recommend Tuscany Panels in Impressions Waterfall, from the Manor House Formal Solids and Sheers collection. Should you ever tire of turquoise, you can easily replace them with something else and keep the original hardware. 

 

For just a splash of muted turquoise, go with the Tuscany Panels in Rugged Mist, from the Cottage and Cabin Casual Stripes and Plaids collection.

 

Of course, you can just toss in a few well-placed accessories, like this fun, polka-dotted chair. Buy the Kid's Modern Polka Dot Chair from Target.

This is truly the greatest kitchen mixer every invented for the home baker. If you don't have one already, why not pick up the KitchenAid Stand Mixer from the Martha Stewart Blue Collection from Amazon?

 

For the completely non-committal home decorator, toss a couple of throw pillows, like this printed silk pillow from Target, into the mix. Turquoise pairs well with a variety of colors, so add a few to your decor. Once you get sick of them, donate them, or move them to a different room

Love turquoise too? How will you be experimenting with the 2010 Color of the Year? Tell me!

Editor's Pick: Enclosed Blinds Are a Simple, Child Safe Solution

Once in awhile, a product comes along that is so exciting and innovative, that it’s totally worth a blog post dedicated to ONLY it. One such product has come through the door of the Blinds.Complex. ODL Enclosed Blinds are sleek, energy efficient, and super safe for homes with kids and pets. They’re truly revolutionary. Enclosed Blinds increase thermal efficiency up to 104%. I don’t know about you, but I’d love to watch my energy bill deflate, even as it gets colder this winter. I get asked about Enclosed Blinds a lot, and I highly recommend them if you have steel or fiberglass doors. You won’t have to worry about dangerous cords in your home anymore.

It’s not complicated; the blind is actually sealed between two pieces of tempered safety glass. Cellular shades and aluminum miniblinds are available. Because the blind is enclosed (obviously), it’s controlled via the Light-Touch operating system. 

 

Enclosed Cellular Shade

 

Enclosed Cellular Shades

 

Enclosed Aluminum Blind

 

Child-safe Enclosed Aluminum Blind

Blinds.com Corporate Culture and Why This is a Weird, Wonderful Place to Work

Are you forced to wear pieces of flair at work? Do people make you talk about it? This is not the way to create corporate culture.

Corporate culture is certainly getting a lot of buzz these days, and it's critical to your organization’s success. Sure, it’s nice to be talked about, and having a unique work environment makes for great word-of-mouth (eg, Zappos, Facebook). But that’s not really what makes cool office spaces so instrumental in creating culture. A workplace that reflects the attitudes and ideas of the company collectively makes for happy, energetic, proactive employees.

Many months ago, we decided to start looking for new office space. For several years, we were operating out of two different offices, which made it very difficult for us to get to know each other. Some team members had spoken on the phone over several years, and had never met in person. Each office had its own culture. When we came together for company events, there was a noticeable divide between who worked at which office. It was frustrating at times.

Cut to now. We’re finally under one roof, working together, collaborating and sharing ideas in what we’ve dubbed The Blinds.Complex. Several things have happened to increase people’s outlook and productivity:

1. Everyone had a hand in decorating the space. First, we brought in well-known space planner Scott Strasser, who helped us lay out the area, choose color and give the space personality. Then, every department was allowed to decorate as they saw fit. Customer service chose a superhero theme because they are always coming to customers’ rescues. Sales chose music, because customers’ voices are “music to their ears.” 
   
2. There is a general lift in mood due to everyone’s communal efforts. We are a small business, of about 75 employees, and rely on each other for small things from keeping the kitchen clean, to helping out with an order someone else doesn’t have time for. The entire team has really come together in this new office.
3. CEO Jay promotes a culture of transparency. Now that everyone is together and he has the ability to speak to every employee on a daily basis, that need for transparency has virally spread. It is contagious; it starts from the top.
4. We are a dotcom company. Our new office reflects that. Though there are few of us in Houston, TX, we take pride in being the largest dotcom in the city. One of our conference rooms, nicknamed “The Alley,” is filled with beanbags instead of chairs, and our IT department has a Flux Capacitor of Back to the Future fame hanging on the wall. These are just two of the many small touches that make our office distinctive.

Let’s be clear. Culture does not come from Flux Capacitors and bean bags. Culture is derived from a community that values transparency and the opinions of the entire team. If you work in a law firm, maybe some of these eccentric touches aren’t for you. It’s time to find out what IS you, and implement those things. They might seem like no big deal, but they’re the things that foster imagination and curiosity. And no matter what your profession, imagination and curiosity should be valued at the highest level.

Customer Service Representative Sarah Batalla had this to say about The Blinds.Complex:

“The new office is amazing it is so much more than I expected!  There is a sense of pride that is now present in everyone.  It’s as though the entire company has been reanimated.”

When establishing and building your own culture, remember to focus on what works for you and helps your employees be their most productive. You’ll have a better, stronger team.

 

What's unique about YOUR corporate culture that makes employees excited to come into the office every day? Share them with us!

Order Free Samples Before You Buy Blinds: What’s the Point?

The Internet is a great resource for buying quality products at prices much lower than those found in brick-and-mortar stores, we know that. But can you really get the same in-store experience from an online retailer that? Is it possible to have your cake and eat it too? The team at Blinds.com say “Yes!” Buying online is not only a great option, but a better one when buying your custom blinds. We were the first to give customers free samples before they buy. It’s just one of the ways online retailers like Blinds.com are adding value to the shopping experience and making it easy to shop online. Taking advantage of free samples is a great way to get up close and personal with quality, material and color.

I feel strongly about this, not just because I work here at Blinds.com, but because I’ve been to the big box stores. I’ve experienced the frustration of chasing down a salesperson who knows the floor map of the store, but doesn’t know the first thing about blinds, shades, shutters, and draperies.

What’s truly amazing about the evolution of the Internet is how much customer service and user experience has evolved. Now, you can call us 7 days a week with questions, get advice from certified Design Consultants who will tell you exactly what you need, and get free samples of the products you’re considering in just a few days. Samples come in a beautiful, easy-to-keep packet, filled with useful tips, instructions for how to measure, and unique coupons only available in our sample kit.

Order free samples and see how hassle-free it is to shop online.

Five Questions with… Dixie Dalton, Blinds.com Design Consultant

Dixie is more than just a fantastic Blinds.com team member, she is a barista extraordinaire, a fabulous photographer, and someone whose joy is infectious. Meet Dixie:

1.       In your free time, what do you love to do?

Wow…  Well, since tv and movies don’t exist in the land of Dixie, taking photos and going to concerts would have to be my top two!  I run a photography business out of my home, in addition to working here at Blinds.com….  www.dixieanndalton.com       

2.       If you could be any animal, what would it be and why?

Well, because I love my dog (Arley Madoc Dalton) so much, and he is so smart, precious, affectionate and spoiled…  I would have to say that I would want to be a German Shorthaired Pointer J  How great it would be able to sleep in the bed, be a vegetarian, only go outside when I wanted to, and have tons of love from all around!

3.       What is your favorite food?

Hmmm…   my favorite food….  Saturday through Thursday I eat extremely healthy so I would say either Salmon or Falafel…   On Fridays, however, I splurge to all extreme, so I would say Chocolate Ice Cream or Italian Cream Cake!!

4.       What are some tips for being a sales representative?

Tips that I would pass on to someone in training on how to be a successful sales representative would be:

a. Product Knowledge is the key…  Learn the products because the less time I have to spend looking something up, the more I can sellJ

b. Asking the Right Questions!

c. Confidence

e. Positive Outlook

f. Setting Goals

5.       What do you love about working for Blinds.com?

a. I love the casual atmosphere (especially with the move to our new office)

b. I love the presence of our CEO Jay Steinfeld, he is usually pretty refreshing to be around and always promotes self worth, improvement and change…  (He even pays for my gym membership)

c. I love my night crew, they are the best!

d. I love my hours (1-9pm CST)

e. I also love the culture and that they give back to the community, and do special things like this interview!

Home Insulation – How Window Treatments Keep Your Home Warm in the Winter

If you think all you need is a Snuggie to keep you warm in the Winter, you are sorely mistaken. Window treatments are an critical part of home insulation. Home insulation is a topic on everybody’s minds these days, but most people don’t really understand their options. There are plenty of super expensive ways to help keep the heat inside your home (aluminum siding, attic insulation), and you should most likely do those things too, especially if you live in colder climates. But window treatments, believe it or not, do a great job of insulating your home. Certain blinds and shades trap expensive heat in, just as they block solar heat in the summer. Plus, there are some new, exciting, and innovative products on the horizon that you’ll want to know about for even better insulation!

First, take stock of what you already have. A good rule of thumb is that shades, which are made from a single piece of material that can’t tilt open and closed, are better insulators because heating and cooling can’t escape through the slats.

There are a few shades that I highly recommend for home insulation:

1. Blinds.com ComforTrack 3/8” Double Cell Blackout Shade: The ComforTrack products at Blinds.com are approved for federal tax credit, meaning that because they are so energy efficient and help reduce energy spending so much, the government is actually going to give you a refund for putting them in your home. They are Energy Star approved. The system consists of side tracks that attach to your window frame with magnets. They have specially fitted end caps which, along with the notched sides of the shade, minimize energy loss. They are available in Light Filtering too, but the Blackout version will provide total light blockage and privacy when you need it.
2. Blinds.com One Day ¾” Single Cell Blackout Shade: This shade will not only be made for you in record time (one day! seriously.) but the cells are lined with mylar. Mylar is a strong but thin polyester that lines the wall of each cell, creating a real and noticeable barrier between you and the frosty outdoor air. If you’ve ever stood by a window that has no covering on a cold day, you know that air can and will seep in through little cracks. This shade will prevent that from happening.
3. Bali DiamondCell 3/8” Midnight Double Cell Blackout Shade: Another great insulating honeycomb shade from one of my fave brands, Bali. This shade comes in more colors than you can imagine.

Join Blinds.com in the Fight Against Homelessness

Every once in awhile, I take a break from the world of window treatments to talk about a great cause. Today is one of those days. We at Blinds.com are BIG supporters of Habitat for Humanity. We donate all blinds sent back to us and extra product to the Habitat for Humanity ReStore, a resale home improvement store that new Habitat homeowners can buy from at heavily discounted rates.

October 5, 2009 is World Habitat Day, a day for citizens of the world to come together to fight for decent, affordable housing for everyone. As homelessness increases – it is estimated that over 100 million people are homeless – we need to raise awareness of this problem more than ever. If we’re standing idly by, we’re part of the problem.

You can donate to the cause online. It’s easy and safe. Your small donation will make a big difference in the life of someone less fortunate. Take a look at the photos below of the people that need your help:

Diego Manasyan is six years old. He lives his deserted and crumbling Soviet-era building. 

Future Habitat homeowner Linet Gesare Maroko with her son, John. They are pictured in front of the makeshift tent she and her family, including children orphaned by her sister’s death, currently occupy.

Please help out, raise money, and raise awareness for World Habitat Day, October 5, 2009.

Considering Shutters for Your Windows?

We at Blinds.com are obsessed with helping you choose the perfect product. So it’s no wonder that our latest product feature video, Plantation Shutters, is one of our favorites. If you’re wondering who the girl in the video is… well, I’ll give you 3 guesses, but you’ll only need one.

Plantation Shutters really are the Cadillac of window treatments (aside: do people still say that?). We love them because they really, truly increase resale value, and give your home an instant designer boost. Though they can run you thousands of dollars at a big box store, and even more from your local store, if you buy them at Blinds.com, you’ll save literally hundreds, even thousands of dollars.

Blinds.com actually offers several lines of fauxwood shutters that are considerably less than real wood, and look fabulous to boot. The Blinds.com Economy Quick Ship Fauxwood Shutter is the least expensive of them all, giving you big-time bang for your buck.

Even if you can’t afford shutters in all your rooms utilize them in rooms that get the most traffic, like living rooms. Also use them in rooms that have street-facing windows for extra curb appeal.

Enough out of me. Watch the video, and let us know what you think!