Do you doze off out of boredom at the repetitious color schemes in your home? If you'd rather not look like every other beige home on the block, why not try something a little out of the ordinary in one of your rooms? Yellow, is 2009's hottest color. Accentuate your favorite shade of yellow with black accents. Might seem a little out of the ordinary to go for black home accessories, especially since we are in the full swing of Spring, but you'd be amazed by the brightness of black. Don't believe me? Check it:
Continue reading "Yellow and Black, Not Just for the Bees" »

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.
Continue reading "Q & A: Tom Rodgers, Green Team Leader at Springs Window Fashions" »
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.
Continue reading "Trending Towards Solar Shades in 2009, Sunglasses for your Windows" »
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:
Continue reading "In Honor of St. Patrick's Day... Green Blinds and Shades!" »
Pretty, curvy furniture is good for the modern soul. I love the calming effect of sitting in a swervy chair, or eating from a delicate round plate. There are so many ways to depart from the ordinary, so go ahead and don't be afraid to change things up around your house.
Continue reading "Add a Little Curve to Your Decor" »
Since the Green Craze began, one of the noticeable effects on
interior design has been the stylization of unfinished wood. In the 90’s
and early 00’s, you’d scarcely find unfinished wood furniture or furniture with
noticeable imperfections. The rise in popularity of wood blinds, under-processed
or not completely sanded, began a few years ago, and is now more prevalent than
ever. This return to the organic marks the reemergence of wood as a working,
sustainable material that can be reused easily and displayed beautifully in
spite of flaws. This reemergence is a commentary on the very idea of conventional beauty. As we begin to move towards more accepting and open ways of thinking, we embrace new views of beauty, whether they are found in other people or in the ways they decorate their lives.
Continue reading "Trending Towards Natural and Organic Wood Window Treatments in 2009" »
Though whites, off-whites, and standard wood stains will
never lose their appeal in decorator and designer circles, a noticeable rebirth
in color is making its way into traditional window treatment trends. Draperies
have always been a popular way to add color to a room, as have roman shades,
but shoppers are beginning to notice that blinds can make a similar impact. No
longer do designers and homeowners feel restricted to using traditional window
treatment colors. Many products are available in a myriad of shades, and window
treatments are a fun (and temporary, if necessary) way to creatively add a
burst of personality to a room. Those who gravitate towards muted beiges and
off-whites are tossing green or yellow blinds into the mix to liven up existing
décor. Cellular shades, aluminum blinds, pleated shades and roller shades offer
the most color choices, though we are beginning to see wood and fauxwood blinds
in distinctive hues.
Continue reading "Trending Towards Brightly Colored Window Treatments in 2009" »