Tag: energy efficiency

Color of the year: GREENERY

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 – Customize with the Color of the Year!

March may seem like the only month we can embrace the color green because, hello to St. Patrick’s Day…But why not celebrate the color green all year long?  I highlighted this in a blog at the beginning of the year for – but just as a refresher, the Pantone color of the year for 2017 –Greenery! To me, green represents a total refresh – it makes people feel good, happy and bright!  I am really excited to see this color incorporated it into our homes and styles, I think will have the same effect of positivity and happiness in people and homes too!

If you haven’t tried to add greenery into your home decor yet, here are some innovative and unique ways to bring different hues of green into your home.

Splash of Green:
Make a statement by having a splash of green on your faux iron. Faux iron is custom-built to fit any shape or size window, including arches and skylights. It can be a full window treatment or installed as a piece of wrought iron artwork for the backyard.

Green Drapery for the Bedroom:
Achieve an airy look for your bedroom with custom, full-length light green drapery. Drapery can be sheer or lined with light-filtering to blackout liners to give you total light control.

Bring nature indoors:
With just a touch of green, wood blinds can make any area feel warm and inviting. Wood blinds are made of 100% eco-friendly hardwood (making them another type of green). They will look beautiful while preserving the environment.

Let the Light In:
Green Trilight shades are pleated shades on the top to let in natural light while maintaining privacy and blackout cellular on the bottom for complete privacy and darkness.

Green for the Bathroom:
Woven wood shades layered with green drapery make for a perfect mix of glamor and rustic. Woven woods are made from renewable resources making them a “green,” eco-friendly window treatment for an organic feel.

Now that you have some great ideas on how to integrate green (and greenery) into your home, let’s get started today! Budget Blinds of Stillwater can help you go green with window coverings, including blinds, shades, shutters, curtains and drapes (and we can make it SUPER green by customizing your treatments to be energy efficient too!)

Call me today and let’s connect ~  651-351-7620 go online to budgetblinds.com to schedule your FREE, in-home consultation! I can’t wait to see green emerge in 2017, so fun!

Five Elements Needed to Create a Cozy Corner

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Our day-to-day life can be extremely stressful and finding “me” time can be difficult. But if you create a small, cozy corner in your apartment or home you could use that space to escape for some relaxing “me” time – and make relaxing in your home a reality! Creating a cozy corner in your house CAN be challenging!  If you are not sure where to start, here are five awesome tips needed to create your cozy corner 🙂

  1. Comfy Chair

The first piece of furniture you need to start with is a comfortable chair or lounge. Think of it as the centerpiece of this area you are creating. Carefully select the color of the chair. If you pick a neutral-colored chair you can add pops of color with other items in your corner for a livelier vibe. Or, if you choose a colorful chair, use neutral colors for your accents, including your window blinds and drapes, for a soothing vibe. But the most important thing about the chair is to make sure it is comfy!

comfy chair

  1. Lighting

The type of lighting can make or break the ambiance of your cozy corner. If you have too much lighting, it can become a space that is uncomfortable. And if you have too soft of lighting, it can be difficult to do any activity in the area. Depending on what type of lighting you prefer, you can start with the natural lighting from the outdoors. If the outdoor lighting is a little too much for activities you are going to do in your area you can cover them with blinds, shades, shutters or drapery to help control and defuse the light. But if there is no window or you prefer a lamp, a great suggestion is to get a light fixture with adjustable levels (like a three-way bulb or a dimmer switch); that way you can find the perfect level of light depending on what you’re doing in the space.

Light fixture with a side table

  1. Side Table

Side tables are essential in any room. They help bring a design element to your space and come in handy when you need to set down anything from a good book to a cup of tea. Also, your side table can be used to hold other items like a picture frame or flowers to add warmth and personality to your space. A great design tip for your room is to find a side table with drawers so you have a little more storage for your home.

side table

  1. Energy-Efficient Window Coverings

Having an energy-efficient window covering near your cozy corner will help out in the winter and summer months. When closed, window coverings keep in the warmth during the winter, keeping your corner nice and cozy. During the summer, window treatments keep you cooler, blocking out heat gain from the sun and blocking harmful UV rays. These types of window coverings, including cellular shades, solar shades and shutters, help with maintaining the temperature in your rooms year round and can reduce your energy bill.

Window treatment

  1. Accents

The accents for your cozy corner will create the inviting part of your area. Your accents are where your fashion sense can come into play. Coordinating items in your area can be easy when you use accents like matching your window valance with custom pillows for a designer look. Also, you can add some drama to the room with decorative hardware in shiny metallics like gold, brass or silver. Lastly don’t forget to have a cozy blanket in your area to keep you bundled up.

blue pillows

Now that you know what items are needed to create your cozy corner you can get started! Remember Budget Blinds® can help you create your cozy corner with our large selection of blinds, shades, shutters and drapes including decorative hardware, custom valances and cornices, even custom pillows and bedding to complete your cozy corner. Lastly, make this space your own with some special touches since you are going to be spending quality time there. If you already have a cozy corner, Budget Blinds would love to see it! Submit a photo in the comments below.

A Style You Need: Blackout Window Treatments

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Blackout Window Treatments for Every Room in Your Home

Blackout Shade Selections

Do I even need to detail the reasons why you need blackout shades? They are stylish, affordable and yes, you need them! Think of turning off all the lights before bed, getting into bed and having TOTAL darkness – bliss! Or picture watching the football game and having no sun glare on the screen! Yes, it can be done (and in a super stylish way too!) With blackout shades from Budget Blinds you will find the ideal solution for every room in your home!

 

DID YOU KNOW: Blackout is actually a light opacity option that can be added to most window coverings?! Its true, Budget Blinds has a variety of blackout styled shades including roller shades, cellular shades, pleated shades, Roman shades, woven wood shades, and even drapery and curtains can have blackout linings too! Depending on your style preference, we can totally match (and customize) the specific look you need.

Let’s talk specifics,

KITCHEN- 

Your kitchen is one of the brightest rooms in your home (well, it should be!)  If you’re like me, you love having the sun shine down on you while you’re drinking your morning coffee. The sun is a wakeup call. Yet, there are times when the sun is shining so bright through your kitchen windows while you’re cookingup a hot meal – hot x hot x hot = not good! During a situation like this blackout shades are the best solution for you! Blackout shades will allow you to block out the sun and will save money on your energy bill – not to mention, they look modern too!

Modern Kitchen with Roman shade

LIVING ROOM –                                                                          

retro living room with roller shade

Your living room might not be a typical place to have a blackout shade, but when you need privacy and security it is the perfect window treatment!  A HUGE reason to have a blackout shade on your living room windows is privacy. It also helps when you don’t really want to have drop-in company that come over unannounced.  A blackout shade makes it look like you’re not home just in case it’s not the right time to have guests 😉

 

 

BEDROOM – 

The bedroom is ThE BESTplace to have blackout shades. An important reason is privacy, but aside from that blackout window coverings provide BETTER SLEEP, and who doesn’t want that?!  Having the room extra dark can help you fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. Blackout treatments ensure a dark room that will help you get the sleep you deserve. Also, while you’re getting a wonderful night’s sleep, a blackout window covering can help keep in the heat during those cold winter months or keep the room comfortable and cool during warmer months too! Winning all around!

Room-darkening shade

 

CHILDS ROOM –

Blackout shades can give your child the best when it comes to their room – not only does it provide privacy and security, but it can be helpful when it comes to their much-needed sleep! For a newborn, blackout window coverings can help when baby is sleeping, and can also help tired parents catch some Z’s while their baby sleeps! Another wonderful option that can be added to your blackout treatments is motorization.  Budget Blinds offers motorization powered by Somfy, the world’s leading manufacture in specialized motors for over 45 years. With a touch of a button, you can have complete darkness to ensure your child stays asleep. Also, having your window covering motorized eliminates dangerous dangling cords making them child safe. Budget Blinds stresses the importance of motorization for all your window treatments when there are children and pets living in the home.

Nursery with blackout shade

 

BATHROOM – 

Motorized bathroom shade

The bathroom is YOUR place that needs as much privacyas possible. I don’t need to go into benefits of blackout shades in the bathroom, just trust me, you need them in this room probably the most! Motorized blackout shades are ideal for your bathroom, especially if you have hard-to-reach windows.

 

 

 

 

BLACKOUT WINDOW TREATMENTS IN ALL THE ROOMS IN YOUR HOME IS THE WAY TO GO! ! Call 651 – 351 – 7620 today or go online to budgetblinds.com and let’s connect with a free in-home design consultation!!

Have the “Cool” House on the Block with Motorized Window Treatments

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Give your house the WOW factor with motorized window treatments – not only will YOU benefit from the stylish and convenient treatments, but your neighbors and house guests will be impressed too! Trust us, these treatments pour in the compliments – “so modern!”

                somfy5  somfy_motorization  blinds_motorization

Adding motorization to your window coverings is cool and super convenient with a touch of a button and/or remote! Budget Blinds offers motorization powered by Somfy which allows you to control your window treatments for lighting and privacy (and let’s be honest, style is a huge plus too!)

Having motorized window treatments can make your life easier by covering hard-to-reach windows or helping someone with limited mobility effortlessly control their window coverings! Best of all, motorization has SO many wonderful benefits that will improve how you live in your house. Another plus – no matter your window covering preference–blinds, shutters, shades or drapes–we (Budget Blinds) can make it motorized!

somfy_tallwindows3

When thinking about motorized window coverings, it’s awesome to be able to open or close them by remote control, BUT there are other aspects of life when motorization can really come to the rescue. It can help in ways that are not commonly thought of – like covering windows to protecting your child (cordless!)

Hard-to-reach windows: Every home has at least one or more windows that are impossible to reach, making life super inconvenient, right?  Covering these windows seemed impossible until motorized window treatments came along. Instead of climbing over a bath tub or kitchen sink (or on top of a counter top!) you can close and open your own privacy without hurting yourself.

Also motorized treatments are ideal for other hard-to-reach windows like:

 

MOTORIZATION BENEFITS: 

  • Security – Somfy provides your security by allowing you to set timers making it appear as someone is home even when you are not.
  • Privacy – Motorized treatments add more privacy to your home when you just don’t have enough time to close your blinds.
  • Convenience – Easy opening and closing with a touch of a button.
  • Energy Saving – You can program your window treatments on timers during peak hours to help reduce your energy bill.
  • UV Protection – Motorization allows you to protect your furnishing by programming your window coverings to close when the sun is brightly shining down.

somfy2

Motorized window treatments are as great as they seem – honestly, why wait!?  Let Budget Blinds make your home the cool house on the block with custom blinds, shutters, shades and drapers with one-touch operation. Call 651-351-7620 today or email me directly at pbrown@budgetblinds.com

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OCTOBER is not only Child Safety month but National Window Cord Safety month too; and let’s face it, its not only children that are unpredictable, its pets, roommates and guests too.  In a blink of an eye seemingly harmless objects can become dangerous – especially with little ones! Budget Blinds is a leader in child safety and not to mention, we carry one of the best warranty polices in the industry. With this, we are able to not only offer safe solutions and window treatments, but also stylish and classy options that fit into your budget! Check it out <> 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) declared window covering cords as one of the top five “hidden hazards” in the home for strangulation and asphyxiation in children.  That’s why Budget Blinds is committed to providing innovative and beautiful products that meet today’s safety standards for your home.

 

– WINDOW COVERINGS CAN BE CHILD FRIENDLY AND PET FRIENDLY – 

Tracy Christman, Budget Blinds’ Vice President of Vendor Alliance (and a mother herself) shares, ”From cordless products that protect children from potentially harmful dangling cords to security-grade window film that protects your home during destructive weather, Budget Blinds is your source for window coverings that keep you and  your family safe at home.”

 

1. Cordless Lift System – raise and lower blinds and shades easily with one hand, eliminating the need for cords
2. Motorization – battery-operated remote control allows you to raise, lower, tilt or open and close your window coverings with the touch of a button. No hard wiring is required and you can operate up to five windows from one remote
3. Spring-assist Clutch – built-in system to raise and lower window shades that eliminates dangling cords.
4. Shutters – cord-free window covering that is perfectly safe around children and pets.
5. Sliding Track System – beautiful alternative to vertical blinds for sliding glass doors and side-to-side openings, the sliding track operation eliminates the need for cords or chains.

” IT’S A GREAT IDEA TO TAKE STOCK of all your window coverings AND ENSURE protective measures ARE IN PLACE – AND IF THEY AREN’T, TO SEE WHAT SOLUTIONS need to be instituted.”

– BUDGET BLINDS

 

  • Move cribs, beds or other furniture that children can climb on away from windows.
  • Be sure continuous-loop cords are firmly secured to the wall or floor
  • Add break-away tassels and cord stops to eliminate cord hazard.
  • Wand control for blinds is an alternative to dangling cords.
  • Keep all cords as short as possible, out of children’s reach
  • Use cordless blinds or shades where children are able to reach the window.

 


Most of our window coverings at Budget Blinds can be cordless or motorized giving you endless possibilities to find your own personal design style (and we can help when needed!)

Some of our most popular cordless window treatments include:

Whether you prefer traditional, contemporary, formal or casual surroundings, we can help you find window treatments you will love. One phone call brings hundreds of samples right into your home so you can design the windows of your dreams.  Call (651) 351 – 7620 or go online to www.budgetblinds.com/Stillwater and let’s schedule your FREE in-home consultation!

* Visit the Window Covering Safety Council or U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission to learn more about National Window Cord Safety and Child Safety Protection Month

energy saving window treatments

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Did you know that window treatments can actually save energy? Seriously, that’s what I’m talking about!

As much as 50% of a home’s heating and cooling energy can be lost through its windows!

Rather than cranking up the heat or air conditioning to avoid uncomfortable temperatures inside your home, you can avoid those costly energy bills through energy-saving window treatments.

  • Energy-saving window treatments provide effective insulation, offering your home increased protection against heat loss during the winter and heat gain during the summer.

    

Honeycomb shades (above) are designed with honeycomb-shaped pockets or ‘cells’ designed enhance your home’s energy efficiency by keeping air from escaping or entering your home.

 

  • Hardwood shutters (above) provide an insulating design that makes indoor spaces cooler in summer and warmer in winter- keeping your room at an ideal temperature!

 

  • Optional motorization options allow your blinds to become energy-efficient blinds, as they can be set on timers to maximize or minimize heat gain as needed.

I love energy-saving window treatments because they help to create a comfortable environment  family and guests – and reduce heating and cooling costs for your long-term energy savings!

Contact me today – let’s connect and schedule your complimentary in-home consultation!