Category: energy efficiency

Using Hunter Douglas Honeycomb shades for maximum energy efficiency.

Earth Day at Home: How Window Coverings Can Help You Save Energy Year-Round

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Light & Living by Pamela Brown, Budget Blinds Stillwater / Lake Elmo

🌎 Earth Day is a great reminder that small changes at home can make a big impact.

But what many homeowners don’t realize is this:
👉 Your windows are one of the biggest sources of energy loss in your home.

The good news?
The right window coverings can make a noticeable difference—both in comfort and energy use.

🏡 Why It Matters (Especially in Minnesota)

Living in Stillwater, Lake Elmo, and the surrounding St. Croix Valley, we experience it all:

  • Cold winters with heat loss through windows
  • Sunny summers that can overheat your home
  • Drafts and temperature swings near the glass

👉 Without proper window treatments, your HVAC system works overtime.

đź’ˇ How Window Coverings Help Save Energy

1. Insulation Where You Need It Most

Certain window treatments act as a barrier between your home and the outdoors.

âś” Cellular (honeycomb) shades trap air and reduce heat loss
âś” Layered treatments add another level of insulation
âś” Proper fit makes all the difference

👉 This helps keep warm air in during winter—and out during summer

2. Blocking Heat from the Sun

Sunlight is great… until it overheats your home.

âś” Solar shades reduce glare and UV rays
âś” Light-filtering options soften natural light
âś” Exterior shades can block heat before it even hits the glass

👉 Less heat inside = less strain on your cooling system

3. Smart Control with Motorization

Energy efficiency isn’t just about the product—it’s how you use it.

âś” Schedule shades to close during peak sun hours
âś” Open them to naturally warm your home in winter
âś” Control everything with the touch of a button

👉 It’s one of the simplest ways to improve efficiency without thinking about it daily

4. Layering for Maximum Performance

One of the most effective solutions we recommend:

âś” Shade for function
âś” Drapery for added insulation and style

👉 Together, they help regulate temperature while giving your home a finished, designer look

🛠 What We’re Seeing Locally

In homes across Stillwater and Lake Elmo, more homeowners are prioritizing:

  • Energy-efficient shades
  • Layered window treatments
  • Motorization for convenience and control

It’s not just about style anymore—
👉 It’s about comfort, efficiency, and long-term value

đź‘‹ A Local, Family-Owned Perspective

At Budget Blinds of Stillwater & Lake Elmo, we’re proud to be a family-owned and locally operated business.

That means we understand:

  • Our climate
  • Our homes
  • And what actually works here

We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions—
👉 We help you find what works best for your space and your lifestyle

🌱 Final Thought

This Earth Day, creating a more energy-efficient home doesn’t have to mean a major renovation.

Sometimes, it starts with something as simple—and impactful—as your window coverings.

đź“ž Call us or Text

If you’ve been thinking about improving comfort and energy efficiency in your home, we’re here to help.

We offer free in-home consultations throughout Stillwater, Lake Elmo, and nearby communities—so you can see what works best in your space.

Office: 651.351.7620

Web: http://www.budgetblinds.com/stillwater

Tell Us What You Love, We’ll Make it Happen

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Ready to go custom? Make your window coverings one of a kind? At Budget Blinds of Stillwater/Lake Elmo, you’ll find exactly what you want in custom blinds, shades, shutters, drapes and accessories. We can also custom color match window coverings to coordinate with your walls, furniture, and dĂ©cor. 

Budget Blinds of Stillwater/Lake Elmo does custom at a price that fits you. That’s why we say we have style and service for every budget. See for yourself — let us bring the showroom to your home!
call 651-351-7620

To stay up to date on design trends, schedule your free consultation or to request a design guide, reach out at pbrown@budgetblinds.com or visit my web page budgetblinds.com/Stillwater

-Pamela Brown

Freshen Up Your Windows for the New Year

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Start 2020 with eco-friendly window treatments from Budget Blinds. With our vast selection, embracing sustainability with gorgeous window treatments has never been easier. With eco-friendly window coverings, you can do your part in helping to preserve our natural resources and still be on-trend with innovative products. 

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Hardwood window treatments utilize renewable resources and environmentally friendly forestry techniques without sacrificing style.

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Cellular shades, with their honeycomb-shaped cells, act as an insulator, and when combined or layered with other window treatments can reduce heat loss.

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Woven shades are made from natural eco-friendly materials such as reeds, grasses and rattan, making them environmentally friendly and completely recyclable.

To stay up to date on design trends, schedule your free consultation or to request a design guide, reach out at pbrown@budgetblinds.com or visit my web page budgetblinds.com/Stillwater

-Pamela Brown

 

Make Your Guest Room Cozy for Holiday Visitors

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The holiday season brings family and friends together for fun and quality time — but with that comes a need for a place to stay while they visit. Create a space that is unique and comfortable for your visitors. It’s the little touches that make guests feel welcomed and right at “home.” At Budget Blinds, we have a few simple ways to make your guests cozy this holiday season.

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Book your free in-home design consultation, today!

Going Back to the Basics

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With the end of summer nearing and school starting up again, it’s the perfect time to focus your attention on framing your windows and your lifestyle beautifully with custom window treatments from Budget Blinds.

Cellular window shades, also known as pleated or honeycomb blinds, are a modern window treatment solution. Constructed of multiple small honeycomb cells within the shades, cellular shades offer excellent insulation and improve every room’s energy efficiency.

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While the kiddos go back to school, treat yourself to the convenience of motorized blinds that open and close at the touch of a button.
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Make sure you’re ready for family dinners by adding wood shutters that elevate your dining room beautifully.
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Layer drapes over window shades to give you additional energy-saving insulation and light control so you can take that well-deserved snooze.

HOME AUTOMATION MADE SIMPLE

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With Budget Blinds, I’ve partnered with Lutron®, the worldwide leader in smart home technology.  With Lutron’s whole-home wireless automation, your shades can open and close at the touch of a button, or at a pre-selected time of day or night, giving you effortless control of your window coverings.

Automated shades provide a safer environment for children and pets, due to their cordless nature. Also, programmable features allow you to use heating or cooling only when you need it for maximum energy efficiency.
Make everyday life just a little bit easier, safer, and more secure.

Call me today! I’d be happy to help! 🙂
651-351-7620!

Pamela Brown

Retrofit – Smart Home

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Everyday life just got easier!

With our Smart Home Collection the shades and blinds you already own just got a whole lot smarter! Because now, we can motorize your existing window coverings with retrofit solutions!

Motorization provides you with home security, child-safety, and energy savings all at the touch of a button! With Retrofit solutions, you can control your window coverings with the touch of a button from anywhere!

Motorized shades are ideal for family rooms, playrooms, kids rooms, and virtually any room in your home. With advances in technology and increased demand for smart and connected living, excitement about motorized blinds has been steadily rising. They provide convenience, safety, and energy efficiency!

First, let’s talk about convenience. Motorized blinds allow you to automate a repetitive task with the touch of a button, located right on your smartphone!

The next benefit is safety. As any new parent knows, cords are dangerous! Most motorized blinds are cordless which takes the danger of choking or accidental strangulation off your mind. Remember, your four-legged fur-babies are susceptible to this as well. The final touch point for today is the benefit of going green.

Maximize your home’s energy efficiency with motorized blinds by keeping the hot sun out while running the air and the heat in during those chilly months!

Explore the many benefits for yourself today! Call me, Pamela at Budget Blinds serving Stillwater at 651-351-7620 to schedule your free in-home consultation and I will help you determine which type of motorized blinds make the perfect choice for your home!-Pamela

New Year, New Eco-Friendly Window Treatments

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Start 2019 with eco-friendly window treatments by Budget Blinds. With our vast selection, embracing sustainability with gorgeous window treatments has never been easier. We believe in finding the perfect marriage between style and promotion of a healthy environment. With eco-friendly window treatments, you can do your part in helping to preserve our natural resources and still be on-trend with innovative products. Take a look!
Hardwood Blinds

Through sustainable-yield forest management, the amount of wood harvested for our hardwood window treatments is below the levels of tree growth. Not only do they provide excellent privacy control, our wood blinds are a natural insulator that helps lower your heating and cooling bills, ensuring your home maintains comfortable temperatures throughout the seasons. They utilize renewable resources and environmentally-friendly forestry techniques without sacrificing style.

Cellular Shades

Cellular shades, with their honeycomb-shaped cells, act as an insulator, and when combined or layered with other treatments and placed close to the glass, can reduce summer heat gain by as much as 45%. A wide range of opacity choices, from transparent to light-filtering, to room-darkening, allow you to customize natural light. And a vast selection of the latest fabrics and colors ensure a perfect match with your décor.

Woven Shades

Our woven natural shades from our Inspired Shades™ Collection are made from hemp, kenaf and flax, are 100% organic and environmentally-friendly, and completely recyclable! They allow for an operational roller shade on the back of the woven wood in solar, room-darkening, or light-filtering options that allow you to adjust the level of light and reduce heat gain from rising temperatures.

Bamboo Shades

From Roman style to a more streamlined flat style, bamboo shades combine the natural beauty of organic materials with inspired design for a refined, relaxed look to any room. These shades fuse eco-friendly materials, including bamboo, reeds, jutes and grasses, with a variety of designs that can be integrated into the perfect customized window treatment.


Start the New Year with new eco-friendly window treatments that are stylish and sustainable. We use 100% recyclable packaging when shipping our products, and most of our non-wood product components can be recycled as well. Most of our window treatments offer superb energy efficiency that help reduce dependence on electricity and natural gas for cooling and/or heating your home. Start your New Year’s shopping today with Budget Blinds! For more information contact your me today!

NEED HOLIDAY GIFT IDEA’S? – CHECK OUT OUR DESIGN GUIDE!

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Are you stumped on gift ideas this holiday season? What better gift for your family than the gift of safety? What better gift for yourself than beautiful window treatments that save you money on your energy bill? Get all these things with new window treatments from Pamela Brown at Budget Blinds!

Choose Safer Window Coverings

“Going cordless” is a trend across several industries.  But the movement in window coverings is not just about modern style and convenience.  It is an issue of safety for homes with small children.

Some styles of traditional corded window coverings pose a tempting hazard to infants and toddlers who view dangling cords as playthings. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, at least one child dies from window cord strangulation every month, and during that one-month period, at least one more child suffers a near strangulation.

Budget Blinds® recommends cordless treatments for homes where small children or pets live or frequently visit.  Cordless options include:

  • Shutters:Offer a classic and inherently cordless window covering option
  • Motorized shades:Motorized shades can be raised and lowered with the touch of a button using a battery-operated remote control
  • Cordless cellular shades:A sleek and modern option, cordless cellular shades can be easily raised and lowered with one hand

Choose Energy Efficient Window Coverings

Budget Blinds offers a variety of energy-saving window coverings that are not only stylish but will help you save money in the winter AND the summer too (note: efficient treatments help in the summer by to regulating indoor temperatures!)

Cellular and Roman Shades

Cellular shades and Roman shades are the TOP  energy-saving window coverings. Both of these styles are very trendy and have plenty of factors that help you save money on your energy bill.

Cellular shades (aka pleated or honeycomb shades) are designed to create insulation by trapping the warm air inside and keeping the cold air out! Cellular shades are very versatile window treatments with a variety of fabrics and colors to choose from. We have light filtering options including sheer, light filtering, room-darkening and blackout fabrics which help with privacy and insulation too!

Roman shades are like cellular shades and are one of the most popular windows coverings for energy efficiency. They are stylish and offer plenty of energy-saving qualities. They too come in a variety of colors, prints and textures to add elegance to your home. Due to heavier fabrics, Roman shades can trap in warmth which can save you money on your electric bill as you would ultimately use your heater less and less. Also, like cellular shades, Roman shades come in various degrees of light filtering options for privacy and light control.

So, do I have your attention? Then it’s time to browse our Design Guide below! And don’t forget to place your orders by November 9th to ensure installation before Christmas! Visit www.budgetblinds.com/stillwater to book your appointment today!

Budget Blinds Design Guide