How to Treat Your Windows Right

December 8, 2011 by Diane Bianchini

Looking out the window of your home in the Hamptons offers beautiful sights to behold. Well, looking at your windows should yield the same thing. How to create that sensation? Diane Bianchini, owner of Dream Windows & Interiors in Westhampton, shares her expert insights.

DIane Bianchini, Owner of Dream Windows & Interiors in Westhampton

The Question: I’ve looked at ready made curtains for my home, and so many of them look the same. I have a few rooms that need new drapes and want to learn more about custom window treatments—what’s the difference?

Diane Bianchini says: The investment of carefully chosen window treatments can yield results for years. That’s the answer when people question the how and why of custom window treatments.

In fact, custom window treatments offer an unlimited selection of fabric choices, so you have a fabric that perfectly complements your decor. And you have a designed treatment that exactly fits your window. Much like fine art or furniture, window treatments are an investment in your home. Generally speaking, you can expect your custom window treatments to last about 10 years.

Custom window treatments are produced with higher quality fabrics and linings. In addition to the obvious practical functions, they can be used to set a mood, enhance the home’s style, or create illusions.

There is usually more attention to details, such as trim, pattern matching or specialty pleating—just a few of the extras that make it special for your room.

A window treatment specialist will evaluate the windows in your home and make recommendations as to what styles and fabrics are best to use. For instance, an upholstery-weight fabric would not be the best choice for a treatment that swags.

Certain fabrics like silk need to be both interlined and lined so they will have body and be protected from the sun’s rays.

If the drape is to function it must be installed on a quality drapery rod. This rod could be decorative, such as a pole with rings, or nondecorative, in which case it would get installed under a valance or cornice.

When working with a professional you will be offered fabrics that work in your space and fit within your budget. Once a few fabrics are selected, a memo sample will be ordered. It is important to see the fabric in the room in which it will eventually hang. The wall color, lighting and other furnishings in the room all need to be taken into consideration. Remember, you want this to be a showcase, whether it’s close up or from afar. Consideration needs to be given to the print in relation to the size of a treatment.

And today, many professionals have software that illustrates the design, and is superimposed on a photo of the window: no more guesswork, but rather an accurate rendering of how the finished product looks.

Much like a fine painting, drapes need to be installed professionally. The rods need to be hung at the proper heights if the drapery is to traverse. A valance may need to be hung at a certain height so the shade beneath is hidden when raised. Cords need to be properly fastened and checked for proper functionality.

Custom shades are now compliant with child safety standards that have arisen over the past few years due to poorly manufactured shades and blinds mass produced in China.

Your home is an investment, and custom window treatments represent an understanding of the value of that investment.

Have more questions about window treatments for your home? You can contact me at Dream Windows & Interiors at 631-325-5900, or visit our showroom at 29 Montauk Highway, Westhampton, NY 11977 and always online at www.dreamwindowsandinteriors.com.

TAGS: Ask the Expert, hamptons, Home Improvement, House and Home, interior designAs Seen in Dan's Hamptons

Window coverings can re-energize this Fall.

Fall is a great time to update your home. It’s also a great time to evaluate your needs as the summer ends.

All summer we have been working with unusual fabric pairings.
I love to mix and match patterns and haven’t limited that mixing and matching to just sofa and chair fabrics.

Drapery can really energize a room when patterns and designs are mixed together.

A traditional style room can attain a more contemporary look and feel by mixing up the drapery fabric. When fabrics are mixed together it not only makes the room appear more dramatic, but adds depth to the space.

One of the challenges of decorating a resort or second home is to make it work as an all year round home. It’s difficult finding that perfect balance of fabrics that work well in all seasons. The Duralee collection has inspired some dynamite rooms this summer.

As we settle into the school year we are discovering some great looks in kid decor. Your child will probably be spending less time outdoors playing and more in their room studying. Hanging drapery panels on the sides of a window is both practical and a decorative way to provide privacy. Make sure their bedroom is a place they would want to spend more time in by freshening up the room with great fabrics.


Drapery panels not only provide privacy, but help keep a room cool or warm, and complement your interior decor.




We also specialize in Hunter Douglas window coverings.

Design your own pillows at our Annual Pillow Sale!

From the Hampton line at Hodsoll McKenzie, London We love pillows.  So every year we have a Pillow Sale, just for the fun of it. NOW until Labor Day we are offering 20% off any pillow order. Some clients change over their entire house. It is an easy design fix. So come visit with us on Montauk Highway in Westhampton, and take a look at our extensive library of fabrics and add-ons. We'll help you select the perfect pillows.    Consider your lifestyle and the style of the room you want to freshen up. Trina Turk for Dream Windows and Interiors You can draw your color inspirations from carpeting or area rugs, furntiture draperies, window coverings or artwork. Decorative pillows can  pick up the colors in the opposite side of the room and give your decor a more cohesive look. Subconsciously, it will be pleasing to the eye. Consider your lifestyle, and what your room is used for. In a family room where there are children and pets, select a practical, durable fabric.  Mix those pillows with a sturdy tapestry pillow, washable cottons and cotton/polyester blends and silk-like polyester pillows. In a formal living room, you can use elegant silk throw pillows, more delicate decorative pillows with beading, and tassels. -Always here to help. DIANE

Get ready for summer!

This is the time of year the Hamptons wakes up.

It is a hectic time but a wonderful time. We have had a sleepy, and snowy off-season. The sun is out now, the town sidewalks are bustling with preparation.

From experience I know that if we get started now we could get your project finished by summer time. It is also the time of year that Hunter Douglas issues a huge Summer Sale with rebates and discounts.


Their technologies,
pattern choices and easy handling make them one of the finest choices out there. Some shades can be installed by Memorial Day.







It is Spring in every sense.

-Always here to help.

Can this furniture be saved?

A few months ago a woman stopped by my studio to see if we could help her with some furniture. She had a few pieces that she had collected over the years and wanted them rebuilt, refinished and reupholstered. Would we be able to do it?

I put together a color board with some complimentary Kravet fabrics, and off we went!
All fabrics were backed for durability and coated with Pro Seal II for stain protection. The transformation was fabulous, and my clients were very happy with the end results.

We love Trina Turk this season.

Make a Splash with Trina Turk.

I have a full library of fabrics. 

After all,

 summer's just around the corner. 

isn't it?

dwandi.com

Don't forget the power of a great tablescape this Valentine's Day.

Nothing says love 

like a great table. 

And it is the simplest 

thing to do.

Decorating with Candles

According to the National Candle Association, U.S. candle manufacturers offer thousands of varieties of candles in their product lines.  So if you are looking for an accessory to make your table setting feel comfortable, warm, and even romantic, there is certainly no shortage of candle styles to use.  

When creating an arrangement of candles, use an odd number (three or five) of varying heights.  You can choose candles all in the same color for an elegant, textured look, or vary coordinating colors.  Place candles at least one inch apart to prevent the shorter candles from melting the walls of the taller ones.

Candleholders can be created from anything.  Get creative.  Instead of purchasing mass-produced items, craft a candleholder from items around your home.  Try cupcake tins, juice glasses, flower pots, or tea cups.   Your candleholders will harmonize and add to the overall style of your room.

Floating candles really help set a mood.  Place several in water-filled glass containers and dim the lights.  This is really lovely for a Valentine's party.

Embellish your candles for an elegant, designer look.  Use upholstery studs, metallic string, raffia, cinnamon sticks, paper, paint, etc.  The ideas are limitless. 

Candle Safety

While you are being fashionable, make sure you are also safe. 

•    Keep lit candles away from drafts.  You can use a decorative container that helps accentuate your design. 

•    Trim wicks to no more than ¼-inch on new candles and between each burning to maintain even wax melting.

•    Never leave burning candles unattended.

Candles have the ability to evoke warm, happy emotions.  While enriching your home, you will also enrich your life.

Place cards can be fun too.

Curtains Can Create Good Luck

Here’s another Feng Shui tip from Dream Windows and Interiors.

Curtains and all the soft furnishings in your home can be designed to enhance the Feng Shui of your personal space. You can energize the elements in your home just by adding the right window treatments.

Using the five elements of wood, fire, water, earth and metal as the base, it is good to note the productive cycle of these elements. Wood produces fire which produces earth which produces metal which produces water which produces wood in a never-ending cycle. Any element combination where one produces the other is harmonious.

The directions and their elements are as follows: East and South-east are wood; South is fire; North is water; West and North-west are metal; and South-west and North-east are earth.

In a west room, white curtains are excellent for suggesting the element of metal; ideal for “deflecting” excessive yang energies of the afternoon sun.

 (Left: This is an entire wrap around treatment.  The sheers are imported from Poland.  We used a box pleated valance and stationary panels from Robert Allen Fabric, and the trim is from RM Coco.)

In a bedroom that is located in the North corner of the home, an element to consider is water. Blue hues in your curtains work here and suggest water.

(Right: Fabric is Duralee, Hunter Douglas woven woods help keep light out. )

Feng Shui is often the place to start, the rules provide inspiration and inspire confidence in your choices.

Harmony and energy are always the goal.

As always, I’m here to help,

-Diane

Harness your home's energy with Feng Shui

Whew, back to work and reality after the holidays can be chaotic. We rush, we feast, we give and we get and then, the New Year hits. Suddenly, we’re up in the dark morning, back to work, school, errands and yes, even planning.

Now we'll renew, we'll refresh, we'll plan, and we'll resolve to make this year the best year yet.

First stop: a critical eye around our home. We’ve heard from you! One client wants to re configure her dining room - “the kids are bigger, and we were so squeezed,” while another wants to paint her office a color that works for potential resale.

Yet another client is ready to tackle the guest room – which has languished for years.

At times like these, we can look to the ancient masters for inspiration. The Art of Feng Shui is an ancient Chinese design tradition that allows you to harness the positive energy in your home.

Take a moment to read these ideas from the basic philosophy of Feng Shui (pronounced Fung Shway).
 

Like any design choice, you get to pick and choose so that your home reflects you and your family.

Feng Shui incorporates five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Each element invokes a different mood or attribute. When incorporating all five elements into every room design – using specific elements according to your objectives, you have a customized space for your family’s life style.

• Wood represents the rising sun. It has an active energy, and it evokes the power of creativity and expansion. Use wooden objects to promote motivation, inspiration, and passion. To add more wood energy to a room, use vertical shapes.

• Fire is the most powerful of all the elements. Fire represents energy and passion. To increase the fire element in your space, add candles, animal prints, and shades of red, pink, and purple.

• Earth / Soil resemble the secure energy of the setting sun. It generates an overall feeling
of balance and stability. If you feel disorganized or unfocused, your space could use some earth elements. Look for anything in earth tones, and use images of calm landscapes.

• Metal affects mental clarity and logic. The right amount of metal in a room can help you feel
organized and focused. To enhance a space with the metal element, choose round or oval shapes; use white, gray, or silver colors; and use metal materials, like steel, iron, or aluminum.

• Water influences spirituality and emotions. A balance of water brings about inspiration, wisdom, and insightfulness. For water energy, add deep colors, reflective surfaces, and wavy shapes. Water features, such as aquariums and fountains, also work well.

These are the basic characteristics of the Feng Shui elements, one of the many choices to design your home in a balanced, comfortable way. We can help you “test” some Feng Shui choices, to create a home