BTG Bloggers

By Gina G.

Motorization is a great way to incorporate technology and ease of use with your window treatments.  Although it has an added expense, the convenience and value of having automatic shades is unparalleled.  So motorized is trendy and cool?  Why else would you get it?  Believe it or not, there are certain situations wherein motorized isn’t just a trendy mechanism, but the best option.  Here are a few situations wherein motorization should be considered:

Motorized window treatments can be a worthwhile option for the elderly, arthritis sufferers, or the immobile.  For some, operating window treatments (especially those with cords) can be cumbersome.  More specifically, people with arthritis can have difficulty operating traditional wands and cords and therefore may need an alternative like motorization.  Having to simply push a button on a remote without having to approach the window to move blinds and shades can also be helpful and convenient to those wherein mobility or fine motors skills may be difficult.

Another example of when having automated window treatments is a practical option may be a bit more obvious: for high windows.  High, difficult to reach windows are often seen in great rooms or hall areas.  Some great rooms even have second level foyers wherein windows and small spaces are across from stairs and the rest of the second floor.  Prior to the availability of motorization, there were very few options for these unreachable windows.  Either you settled for not being able to operate the window treatment, or you dealt with unsightly extended cords or wands.  And, although these are two options are still available, most people opt to motorize these windows which gives them both access and control.

Sometimes, a specific room layout forces the placement of furniture in front of a window.  If this is the case, getting to a window treatment may not always be easy, especially if the furniture is substantial such as a couch or bathtub.  Motorized window treatments are feasible options for these instances because it helps with the limitations that the room and furniture present.  You can still operate your window treatment and control your room’s lighting and privacy without having to reach over or stand on your furniture.  This can be useful in smaller bedrooms where both light-control is preferred or in bathrooms where privacy is essential.

Finally, motorization is perhaps the best option for those who are fans of synchronization. Some people prefer not to have multiple window treatments that are right next to each other because it is difficult to get the treatments to be level or even.  Moreover, it requires a bit of patience and effort to operate each single treatment.  However, having one large treatment may not be available due to sizing or may not be visually appealing either.  This can be especially true for bay or bow windows.  Motorization is a viable solution in that window treatments can be programmed to move at the same time, to the same level without having to singularly address each window.

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By Gina G

It’s the holiday season and you have a beautiful, big bay window to decorate and cover.  With each holiday’s seasons decorations becoming more and more elaborate, where do you start?  First, think about your window’s set up.  Bay windows are comprised of three windows, usually two smaller side windows and a large middle window.  Often times they have an extended sill that can resemble (and thankfully be utilized) as a shelf to display decorative items.  They present an opportunity to incorporate additional décor to any room without infringing on space.  So now that you understand the configuration, what do you do to get the max out of your gorgeous window space?
Next, decide if you’re going to decorate your shelved bay for you and your family (designing for the interior of the home) or if you’re showing of your holiday decorating skills to the neighbors.  If you opt for the former, then consider dressing each window independently.  This way, your window treatments won’t take up your shelf space.  Consider whether or not each window has its own frame wherein you can mount brackets.  If they are not framed out very deep, don’t fret!  You can still do individual treatments and simply mount the brackets to the frames of each window or to the ceiling of the bay window itself.  And, while you have so many options to choose from in terms of style, pleated, cellular, and roman shades are really good options for this approach because their head rails (tops of the shades) are smaller than larger treatments like wood blinds.  Both cellular and pleated shades can easily be “butted” next to each other without too much fuss and don’t have the light gaps that roller shades do.  Moreover, you can choose a top down, bottom up feature to give yourself more light control with these shades.
If you feel like a holiday decorating pro and want to share your skills with the world, consider an alternative.  Instead of doing individual treatments, perhaps doing one big treatment in the front of the bay is a better option for you.  Some bay windows have very deep sills and will allow an inside mount across the entire bay.  If this is so, then you can certainly do this!  You’ll then have plenty of space to create a spirited holiday showcase.  Again pleated, cellular and roman shades are good options here.  You could also use vertical blinds for this application, although you may have some gaps on the sides.  However, if you do not have enough space at the ceiling of the bay to mount inside the window across all three windows, then consider an outside mount.  In this case, the Allure or verticals might be your best bet.  Either of these options are great outside mount treatments and are often used to cover bay windows because they can accommodate large widths and heights. 

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By Gina G

Although the general idea of providing privacy or adding to a room’s décor is applicable to treatments for windows and doors, there are some differences you should consider when looking for a covering for your door.  First, the window treatment you decide on should depend on what kind of door you are trying to cover.  The way the door functions will play a role in determining what kind of blind or shade you should put on it.  For instance, if you have a sliding door, you may opt for a blind or shade that moves from side to side instead of up and down.  This is perhaps why vertical blinds are common choices for sliding doors.  Other vertical treatments such as sheers, panel tracks and vertical cellulars are also popular because they operate like the sliders.  Conversely, if you have a set of French doors or just a single door, you may want a treatment that moves up and down.  

If you have French doors or just a single door, there are additional considerations to review prior to selecting a window treatment.  For instance, if the glass on the door is particularly long and you plan on lifting your treatment up and down often, you may want to think about the weight of the treatment.  Pleated, cellular, roller or aluminum blinds may be the best options in this case.  While you can certainly use a wooden blind or roman shade, you would need to be comfortable with lifting the heavier weight.  Another consideration would be how much the window treatment will stick off of the actual door.  This is especially important because of how French or single doors move and sometimes open into a wall or another door.  You want to be sure that the treatment has a low profile so that it doesn’t get damaged from colliding into another door or wall.  Finally, if your door swings open and close, make sure your blinds or shades come with an option to hold down the bottom either by bracket or some type of fixture.

The look of a window treatment for a door is also very important when trying to cover the glass.  Before you look for a window treatment, think about the other windows in the same room or near the door.  Often, it makes sense to try and match the blind or shade for the door with that of the windows in the same room or near it.  However, if an exact match is not possible, it is certainly okay to do something similar. For instance, if you have wooden blinds on your windows, you can certainly use a mini blind to cover the glass on your door. 

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There’s a slight chill to the air, the days are getting darker earlier and thoughts start to change from beach trips and swimming pools to cozier things like warm beverages and hiking through the now fire-hued woods. This change of season of course merits a change of decor as well. Long gone are the colorful summer blooms making room for more hearty plants like fall mums and astors. If you have a wreath on your front door consider making way for a style that incorporates corn husks & multi colored corn cobs. It’s a good time to pick up some decorative pumpkins and gourds as well to make a statement on your front stoop or – assemble them in a pot of their own. 

As far as interior decorating goes, try using monochromatic colours in warm, late-summer sun kissed hues. This is the time of year where deep rich burnt oranges take centre stage, with accents of golden yellows and chocolate browns. But don’t feel limited to the traditional fall themed pallet…in the past few years we’ve seen a spike in more unusual accent colours like deep teals, and magentas. You’ll also find no shortage of golden coloured accents in decor stores, they are a great way to brighten up an area while keeping in line the warm fall colours. 

No matter your style, there is no wrong way to approach fall decor.  Just keep a few simple things in mind: the cozier the better (think warm fluffy throws for your book nook/living room),
muted, relaxing pallets (if you’re feeling adventurous try adding pops of color ), and definitely bring in those potted plants that need to stay out of the colder weather and accent your front porch or deck with some gorgeous and simple fall pots or dried out corn stalks. The days may be getting shorter but your decor can still brighten things up!

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By Delilah C.

I love the fall and autumn leaves! Even though, I am not too fond of the colder climates. I always love a cozy autumn season. It means knee high boots, scarves of different colors, leaves falling off the trees. Growing up and living in New England, I have tried and always succeed in making the best of the fall and winter seasons. Decorating can be a little stressful because when you’re a perfectionist it gets harder and harder. What I do know is how to catch a good deal, though! I always look for coupons or deals somewhere, because I never want to pay for something full price.

Here are my go-to ways:

Baskets are your best friends, especially thrifty ones.

There’s something about woven baskets that adds such warmth and texture to invoke “fall” while still adding storage. It’s definitely a WIN/WIN!

When I was younger, my mom used to use a woven trunk as a makeshift end table to store DVDs in our living room (even though we definitely STILL watch them, I know totally stone age). She kept a basket tray on the coffee table to collect the remotes and any other random stuff in there.  We also used the baskets to throw extra throw blankets in there. Obviously, because fall is for movie nights and snuggling, am I right?

You don’t have to go with a certain color scheme. Use what you have.

I always thought as a kid we HAD to decorate with orange because that was the rule, and I would try to reinvent the whole thing in our house. Decorate your house with what you love, any autumn color works for fall décor these days. Now, I look through my décor stash and I just decorate with the stuff I already have. Anything is “fall” if you just throw a white or orange pumpkin in there, right?

Reuse and Recycle every year.

Fresh greenery is so nice and always makes the house smell wonderful. However, they always die after a few days to a week and make a big mess in the house. In the past I’ve learned to just get the faux greenery and keep and change them through the holiday seasons. I also have gone to get the faux stuff after the holidays are over, which normally are on sale for either half the cost or close to half the cost. Savings on top of savings!

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