The Finishing Touch

Q & A: Tom Rodgers, Green Team Leader at Springs Window Fashions

If you knew there was an easy, inexpensive way to shrink your carbon footprint, would you do it? That’s what Springs Window Fashions, makers of Bali and Graber blinds and shades, is helping customers do with window treatments. Tom Rodgers heads up the Green Team at SWF. Kind of sounds like the Superfriends of green living, doesn’t it? But that’s really what they call themselves; they’re a team of managers workings towards real solutions for everything from cleaner, more efficient manufacturing to helping their outside sales representatives use less fuel. SWF’s Green by Nature campaign focuses on continual examination and upgrades to eco-manufacturing practices, surpassing government standards of eco-building every year, and providing affordable, eco-friendly products to consumers.  

After reading about all of the great things SWF is doing to help the environment, I had to find out the intimate details from the man himself, Tom Rodgers. I hope you’ll find what he had to say as remarkable as I did.  

On Top of the World at Alltop.com

I'm excited to report that The Finishing Touch is featured on Alltop.com at http://interior-design.alltop.com. Make sure to check back there for lots of great updates on many of the top blogs and sites discussing Interior Design.

Unfamiliar with Alltop? Alltop is "all the top" sites, brought together in one place for you to explore. Updated constantly and automatically, content is displayed on pages organized by content. Whether you're interested in Interior Design or scuba diving, you'll find the best and most up-to-date information on your subject of choice. Enjoy!

Happy decorating,

Trending Towards Solar Shades in 2009, Sunglasses for your Windows

Get this: Solar Shades increased in popularity nearly 63% from 2007 to 2008. Why is this small category experiencing rapid growth? Because they do a fantastic job of blocking solar heat – energy savings, woohoo! The room will literally cool down the instant you hang the shade. They are one of the best and most popular options for reducing glare on your flat screen television and computer monitor (which is why Starbucks uses them), and they protect your furniture, carpet, and paint from fading in the sun. They’re one of the only modern/contemporary products that accomplishes all of these things… without breaking the bank.

Twitter, Meet Blinds.com.

Awhile back, I signed up for Twitter. Whales, and birds, and RT and DM, it pretty much meant nothing to me. Plus, when the work is piling up on your desk and it’s already 6:00, squeezing your thoughts into 140 characters or less can seem a bit, um, frivolous. After trying to import some Twitter contacts from my address book and finding nobody using it, I abandoned the effort.

Who Said Plates Had to Be White? Tracy Porter Tablescapes

If wild, distinctive dinnerware is too much for your taste, Tracy Porter probably won’t be for you. Even if that sounds like you, take a look at Tracy Porter’s tabletop accessories anyway. You’ll be converted instantly. A designer of all things, including jewelry, clothing, bags, shoes, she has fashioned multiple unique lines of serving platters, cake and pastry stands, bowls, canisters, pitchers, and teapots. Matching dinner plates are available with some collections. Her color palate ranges from collection to collection. The life-like flowers, the creamy pastels paired with fiery, bright colors, and the attention to detail are inspiring. You’d be able to host a Spring lunch in your backyard or a formal dinner party for six; either way, your table would require little else than patterns like these:

In Honor of St. Patrick's Day... Green Blinds and Shades!

I know it’s Monday, but I’m feeling festive. Whether you’ll be drinking green beer or decorating shamrock cookies with your kids on St. Patrick’s Day, it’s a great day to spend some time catching up with friends and family. It’s also a great day to start thinking about your Spring décor. It’s almost April, and before you know it, the sun will be beating down on you and your furniture. Make sure to cover your windows and reduce your need for air conditioning. Green blinds are a perfect way to honor St. Patty, but they’re also very in style in 2009. By utilizing a wide range of colors on your windows, you’ll be right in line with the window treatment trends of 2009. Don’t be afraid of a little color. Express your creativity this year, and branch out. I'm a sucker for green; it's been my favorite color since I knew what color was. Maybe that's why I enjoy these window treatment so much. Green is the color of rebirth, it's the color of nature, and it's a restful, restorative color. Use it with abundance in your home to make you feel energized and safe. Below are some beautiful examples to model your home after:

Tricky Design Problem: Blinds and Shades for a Home Gym

This is a week of Q&A, it seems like! Your questions have been pouring in, and I'm going to answer as many of them as possible. Many of you asked about home gyms, so on to the problem solving!

Q: We have an exercise room with a shower and sauna and a large window.  We want a shade for privacy but want natural light to come through.  What type of shade do you recommend?

-Melissa

Tricky Design Problem: Odd Shaped or Trapezoid Windows

Q: I need to block the sun from my larger trapezoidal windows approximately 87" h x 18" h, long side-short side, with a 72 ' width.  What can I use and where can I get them? They are in the top of a chalet wall so are also up high.

Thank you,

Jackie M.

Do You Have Design Questions About Window Treatments?

Need help designing the perfect window treatments for your home? Trying to figure out whether your need inside or outside mount? Are you wondering which window treatments go with your paint? E-mail me! I'll answer your questions right here on The Finishing Touch. E-mail me here.

The Right Way to Use a Drapery Valance

Valances are a wonderful way to dress up a window without a full-on fabric overload. They’re great in so many situations. If you have small windows, a simple accent, like a valance, is a great way to keep your windows feeling open but not bare. If you have a lot of windows side by side and touching, you can install one long valance over the top of all of them. Savvy Blinds.com customer Katie B. shared her bathroom décor with me a few days ago. Check out her great use of a grommet valance.