• search

Blog » Roman shades

Window Treatment Ideas for Apartments

Window Treatment Ideas

Window Treatment Ideas

Sometimes living in a small space can be tough, but there’s no reason to take it out on your window treatments. Decorating a small space can be challenging, but there are plenty of options to choose from including draperies, window shades, roller shades and more that will suit your needs perfectly.

One of the most common window treatments for apartments is draperies and curtains.  Draperies are a great window treatment for any size room. They help increase energy efficiency and have the ability to adjust horizontally to the sun’s movement. Draperies block heat from entering during hot summer months and keep in the warmth during the winter. Draperies come in so many different fabrics; you even have the ability to add a blackout liner to have the option of room darkening shades. There are different design elements you can add to draperies as well such as tassels or decorative rods.

Another great window treatment for apartments is roller shades. Since roller shades are a clean/minimal look, they are a great complement to any modern or contemporary home. Roller shades control the sun, heat and glare making them a perfect solution to any window treatment need. Roller shades can be customized to include blackout materials or solar control sunscreen materials. This type of window treatment is also available in a variety of fabrics to give you the look and feel you need for your home.

Both draperies and roller shades are great window treatments for any apartment, whether you’re in New York City or Los Angeles. Both provide sun and heat control and given the choices, can be customized to match any décor. There are also other window treatment options to consider including Venetian blinds, window film, valences and more. Depending on your personal style and preferences, any of these window treatments will work for your apartment.

Types of Window Shades

Posted: Monday, April 23rd, 2012 | Filed under: blackout shades, Folding Shades, Roller Shades, Roman shades
Window Shades

Window Shades

There are two distinct categories for window shades: folding shades and rolling shades. Both offer great shading solutions and are excellent window treatment options for your home or office. Since folding shades and roller shades have a few different features, one may be a better option than the other, depending on what you’re looking for in window treatments.

Folding shades come in many different styles. The three main types of shades are Roman shades, honeycomb shades and pleated shades.

  • Roman shades are used to block out the sunlight. What makes Roman shades different from other window shades is that when opened, they stack up evenly.
  • Honeycomb shades are accordion-style pleated shades. If you look at these shades from the side, they look like a beehive, hence the name. What makes honeycomb shades a great window treatment option, if there high level of energy efficiency.
  • Pleated shades are similar to honeycomb shades except that don’t have the cell. These shades don’t block light fully, but offer great style features and privacy.

 

Rolling shades are usually a single, solid piece of fabric that is opened and closed on a roller mechanism. These types of window shades offer great solar control. There are two main categories: Solar roller shades and privacy or blackout roller shades.

  • Solar shades are designed specially for controlling heat and light. Because of the variety of fabric choices designed for these two demands, solar shades can satisfy both function and style demands.
  • Privacy shadeswere designed for privacy solutions, but there are a variety of levels of privacy. Basic privacy shades block other from seeing inside your commercial or residential space.
    • Room darkening and blackout shades serve both privacy concerns and light concerns. These types of roller shades are usually installed to block visible light from entering a room. Often times, businesses seek shading solutions for media and conference rooms in the New York City are to block the outside light and noise.

 

Folding shades and roller shades are both great window treatment options. With all of the style choices as well as the fabric choices available, it’s easy to customize your window treatments to fit your style and aesthetic demands.

Window Treatments and Window Design

Posted: Thursday, August 18th, 2011 | Filed under: interior design, Roman shades, window blinds, window shading, window treatments

There are endless ways to decorate your windows. Window treatments help create the look and feel of your home where you want it to be and serve a functional purpose in keeping out heat and sunlight. There are many types of windows and window treatment options so if you’re shopping for a certain window, here are different window treatment options to keep in mind.

For very large windows, covering it entirely can cause a lot of tension. The weight of the window shade can become very heavy. Instead, consider dividing your window shades into multiple blinds on a single rail and install them next to each other. If you don’t like the idea of splitting the shades on your large window, consider other control options instead of a string. You can motorize them or all a more sturdy type of control.

Window treatments for French doors are very popular. You can cover your doors with a few different types of window shades. Consider keeping your room consistent and choose a similar, if not the same type of window shade for your French door and you did the windows in the room. Think about blinds with smaller slats so you don’t interfere with opening and closing the doors. You can put any kind of folding shades on your doors, Roman shades, honeycomb shades or others. Sometimes you may want to consider keeping it simple since it’s in addition to window treatments already in the room.

Covering skylights in your home of office building may help block heat and cold form coming in while still bringing in the natural light. Skylight shades help control and regulate how the sunlight enters the room throughout the day. Skylight shades are available in a number of different styles, including folding, or Roman shades, flat roller shades, sloped shades and pleated shades. You can even customize your window shade based on the dimensions of the skylight you’re covering.

Many windows are designed differently, but window treatments can be customized to your liking, from the style, to the color to the type of fabric. Based on what you want you window shades to do, or which windows you want to cover, Shading Systems Inc. can work with you to help choose the right option for you. If you’re in the New York City area, contact us today!

What are Venetian Blinds?

Posted: Tuesday, January 18th, 2011 | Filed under: interior design, Roman shades, Shading systems, window shading, window treatments

Venetian blinds are a type of window treatment that serves the purpose of blocking out the light and for giving your home the privacy that is desired. Venetian blinds are very popular and found in most homes new and old. A Venetian blind has slatted horizontal strips attached one above another, usually by string in rows. Using a metal or plastic wand is how you normally would open or close the blind slats, and a draw string usually lifts or lowers the blinds in whole. Venetian blinds are usually made of metal of vinyl.

Venetian blinds can come in a mini blind form, which has real narrow slats, often used to make a tighter connection and keep more light out. Other types of Venetian blinds are wooden Venetian blinds, window Venetian blinds, and vertical Venetian blinds. You can, also, find custom Venetian blinds, and plastic Venetian blinds.

No matter which type of Venetian blind you choose you can count on privacy if you choose these simple blinds. One would have to be at your window looking for cracks to peer into your window to see in your home, unless your blinds were left open by someone in your home. Venetian blinds allow for a dark room if closed tightly. Another added benefit of these blind types is that they’re an affordable option with many color options available as well.

Venetian blinds have a few drawbacks but these drawbacks are few. Being Venetian blinds are slatted horizontally, they can be dust collectors. Venetian blinds aren’t usually a beautiful site but they’re very functional. Venetian blinds are very easy to install, but it is vital you measure Venetian blinds. If they don’t fit your window’s measurements you will have to take a trip back to the store for an exchange. Lightweight Venetian blinds are damaged easily. A child pulling the cord to hard can mean you have repairs to do sooner then if you purchased a quality Venetian blind. Making sure you purchase a sturdy option will fix this. In the end, Venetian blinds are a great pick for the home.

Safety of Window Shades

Posted: Tuesday, December 28th, 2010 | Filed under: Folding Shades, Roller Shades, Roman shades, Shading systems

We are all aware of the dangers of hanging window cords. Families with small children or pets must be aware of the strangulation hazards and take steps to protect them.

Child safe window treatments

Child safe window treatments

Older window coverings are particularly dangerous and often have long, tangled cords that reach the floor. These products do not meet the latest standards for window treatment safety.

Older shades and blinds should be replaced with cordless window products, according to The Window Covering Safety Council. This is particularly true for rooms of young children and infants, where cords pose a strangulation threat.

Parents of pets must also keep in mind that cords can also be a danger to curious cats and dogs. Cats enjoy perching on window sills and dogs often like to look out windows to see where you go during the day, if you’re coming home, and who might be trespassing in their yard. Therefore, they open themselves up to the strangulation hazards that many pet parents do not even consider.

Addressing safety issues in window coverings with newer cordless blinds can also provide a cleaner appearance to windows. Cords can be an eye-sore, particularly for older blinds. Oftentimes, the string needs tied to prevent it from touching the ground, even when the blinds rest on the window sill. When the blinds are pulled open, the string lengthens and needs to be adjusted, tied up, or hidden, resulting in an unkempt appearance even in a spotless room.

New cordless blinds are slick, stylish, and come in a variety of styles and designs. Folding shades, for instance, are available in accordion-style pleats, honeycomb, and Roman shades. Additionally, there are a virtually unlimited number of fabric and pleat options to design the perfect match to your room and your tastes. Custom fabric designs and a variety of shapes can be used to create a unique window treatment specific to your needs.

Cordless blinds are also available with remote control technology, allowing you to raise or lower the shading system with the touch of a button. Systems can adjust automatically to light levels, temperature, or other factors.

Removing a safety hazard from your home is especially beneficial when you replace it with something that is elegant, convenient, and uniquely you.

http://www.windowcoverings.org/basic_cord_safety.html