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REAL DESIGNER SECRETS TO ORDERING PERFECT WINDOW TREATMENTS EVERY TIME! Mary Etta McCurdy Window Fashions Certified Professional – Master Owner of Mary Etta Designs California 1 Real Designer Secrets to Ordering Perfect Window Treatments Every Time! By Mary Etta McCurdy, WFCP Master
I’m Mary Etta McCurdy, owner and principal designer of Mary Etta Designs, a specializing in custom window treatments. We have clients who need window coverings for just one window in their kitchen, to several in their homes or business, or for entire homes and offices. In business since the year 2000, I’ve had offices in Cincinnati, Ohio as well as Orange County, California where we are now based. As a Window Fashions Certified Professional (WFCP) at the master’s level, I have had extensive training in design, business and workroom and installation aspects of creating beautiful window treatments that function in the proper manner for clients. WFCP certification required that I display a thorough understanding of specialty window fashions as well as advanced business, fabrication and design strategies. We’ve designed, installed and overseen numerous jobs over the years that meet the need for light control in a simple manner utilizing blinds or shades. And we’ve tackled more complex and decorative finishes utilizing custom draperies and top treatments. No job is too small or too large So, here are a few real designer secrets that will guarantee success for perfect window treatments every time! 2 Real Designer Secrets to Ordering Perfect Window Treatments Every Time! By Mary Etta McCurdy, WFCP
Let’s face it. Nothing completes a room like window treatments. You can dramatically affect the style of your environment with functional, yet stylish window coverings. And window treatments are, indeed, an investment. They protect your home or office furnishings from the harsh affects of ultraviolet rays. You definitely will save on your energy bill as they insulate against the heat or cold on the other side of your windows – even if they are double-­‐ glazed. Sure, they may cost more than your granite. But your granite just lies there. They need to operate efficiently day in and day out for probably the next 15 or 20 years. Not only are they going to be operated by you, but also, possibly children and adolescents. You might even have to take into account the elderly and the limitations that aging in place will bring to lowering and raising your blinds or shades. Attention: a lot of thought should be given to the purchase of window coverings in the process of remodeling or replacing existing window treatments. I recommend that you put them into your budget early in the process. Repeat: consider your window covering needs early in the design of any room. Why? Honestly, you really cannot live without them. And, if like most of my clients, you don’t shop for window treatments often, you will want to read this primer on the research you must do before you make your purchase. I’ve included five things you can do to guarantee perfect window treatments, every time! 1. DEFINE YOUR WINDOW COVERING NEED FOR EACH ROOM What is your main reason for wanting something on the window? Is sunlight waking you earlier than you would like? Is the room too hot or too old? Are your neighbors able to see you eating dinner, showering or sleeping? Is your artwork fading quickly? Here’s a thought. Even if it is overcast, remember you can still get sunburned. So, too can your sofa and flooring fade over time. The answers to these questions will direct you towards your window coverings solution. 3 Real Designer Secrets to Ordering Perfect Window Treatments Every Time! By Mary Etta McCurdy, WFCP 2. DECIDE YOUR PLAN OF ACTION Now that you have decided that you need, say, privacy, will a shade, blind or shutters do the job? Do you plan to install it yourself? It might affect your manufacturer’s warranty? So be sure to check with your supplier on warranty stipulations. Speaking of warranties, a good deal is not so great five years down the road, if the warranty is only for three years. The term buyer beware means do your homework. The style of treatment you select will need to blend with your home’s décor. Simple and modern décor will look just fine with blinds, shades or shutters. Traditional styles look great with layers of these type treatments layered with side panel drapes. If you opt for draperies, should they stop at the apron of the window? Or should they extend to the floor? How far above the window should you hang them? 3. EDUCATE YOURSELF ON THE SOLUTIONS The questions above will require a bit of thought on your part if this is your first time making this type of purchase. Or if the last time that you purchased window treatments was 15 to 20 years ago, or never, look at your shelter magazines. Here you will find many clues on what is in vogue. And styles look current for about a 10 to 12 year cycle. Just in time for your next purchase! How convenient. There are several rules of thumb for window treatments, all varying by type – shades, drapes, top treatments, shutters. It is an area of design specialty and no one expects the customer to know everything. Here are just a few that I try to impart on my clients when we plan their custom window treatments. a) A custom window treatment is made for a specific window in a specific color or pattern for you. Even if the pattern is popular, it will look as if it fits that window perfectly. If you saw it in a shelter magazine and it works as it should, (pictures sometimes are just for show), it will also blend perfectly in color, texture and style. And it is made to that that space. 4 Real Designer Secrets to Ordering Perfect Window Treatments Every Time! By Mary Etta McCurdy, WFCP b) Custom window treatments are going to cost you significantly more than off the shelf window treatments. For instance, custom industry standards dictate draperies have 2 ½ to 3 times the fullness and in most cases returns the wall that block any unnecessary light. They feature double turned hems, an overlap at the center for both panels if they are fully traversing panels. And that is just a snippet of the standards. The point is you will need to investigate so that you can prepare your budget. They will not fade prematurely, are usually lined, in many cases, are treated to be soil resistant and sometimes stain resistant. If organic, natural or precious fabrics are used; they will need to be properly lined to protect them from the sun. c) Familiarize yourself with the new bells and whistles. You know how much our technology has changed in the last 10 years in terms of communication? Now apply that change to opening and closing window treatments. You will be amazed. Most people no longer want cords to lift their blinds or shades. Cordless – a simple tab to lift and lower the apparatus – will do nicely thank you. Or maybe that shade is in a loft window or foyer. Advances in technology have made motorization in window treatments are considerably more affordable these days. And now you can operate them with our smartphone or tablet! Imagine going to a bank of windows and with a flip of a switch, lower all of the shades at the same time. An investment you will thank yourself for every day and night. You can do all your research by going from showroom to showroom and playing with the gadgets. Or check the myriad of websites that each manufacturer has on their products. 5 Real Designer Secrets to Ordering Perfect Window Treatments Every Time! By Mary Etta McCurdy, WFCP 4. MEASURING IS KEY I can’t stress this point enough. You will definitely need to measure carefully for your window covering for a proper fit. Shutters need to fit within 1/16 of an inch. Most other products for alternative window treatments fit to within 1/8 inch if mounted inside the window frame. That brings us to knowing the difference of proper mounting of your window treatments. a) Inside Mount If you are installing blinds or shade and want to show off that molding you painstakingly picked, you will need to measure your windows in three places – top, middle and bottom inside the window frame for both width and height. You will want to take the smallest of the width measurements and the longest of the height measurements. Windows are more of the than not out of square (meaning that they vary somewhat in a couple places due to settling and construction conditions). If the variance is significant, I suggest you mount the window treatment outside the window if space permits. Pros – Your molding is exposed to show off your investment -­‐ You save wall space, which is beneficial in tight spaces -­‐ Window treatments fit closer to the glass, better insulation -­‐ This is ideal for w blinds and shades that will have a top treatment or draperies as a second layer 6 Real Designer Secrets to Ordering Perfect Window Treatments Every Time! By Mary Etta McCurdy,
Cons – Your molding is exposed to show off its possible need for maintenance. -­‐ You may have a light strike (a peek-­‐a-­‐boo good morning sliver of light waking you prematurely). -­‐ A severely out of square window will show its face by looking as if your window blinds or shade is hung crooked, when it is really the window that is crooked. -­‐ An out of square window may make your blind look too small for the window. b) Outside Mount If you believe, as I do, that the molding is not the star of the window, but merely the framework to accent the window and add depth to the space, you will opt for outside mount in many cases. 7 Real Designer Secrets to Ordering Perfect Window Treatments Every Time! By Mary Etta McCurdy, WFCP Pros -­‐ This treatment allows you to install treatments that have a larger head rail or even the standard sized head rail in a window of narrow depth. -­‐ You will avoid light strikes with the proper overlap of outside mounted shades and blinds, usually 2 to 4 inches on either side depending upon the type of treatment and how tall the window may be. This is a perfect solution for windows that are in the same room but have different drops from the ceiling. You can mount them all at the same height for continuity. Cons – In a tight space, there may not be enough room for the head rail to be accommodated if it is a combination sheer and louver type shade that rolls up inside a larger head rail. -­‐ If you prefer to see the molding, you will most likely not see it unless your window treatment is fully raised. -­‐ There will be a need to patch and possibly touch up paint when you change your window treatments (15 to 20 years from now) 5. HIRE MARY ETTA DESIGNS AS YOUR WINDOW FASHIONS DESIGNER Seriously. I have been in the business since the year 2000. My specialty has always been window coverings. My design career focused early on in the area of designing custom draperies with designer fabrics and hardware. The last five years has been a mixture of draperies and alternative treatments, also known as hard treatments. As a well -­‐rounded specialist of window coverings, I am a solutions based window coverings designer. And as a Window Fashions Certified Professional, I have had extensive training and experiences in specialty window shapes, appropriate fabrics, thermal insulating, room dimming and various controls and lifting systems. Couple that with my team of qualified, extensively trained installers and fabricators, we bring you the confidence you will need to oversee your investment in the custom window treatments that you will need to perform for years to come. 8 Real Designer Secrets to Ordering Perfect Window Treatments Every Time! By Mary Etta McCurdy, WFCP Save time by doing it right the first time. You save money by not buying lesser quality products that don’t meet the function or quality that you expect and need for high performance window treatments. Just go to our website www.maryettadesigns.com and see the different ways that we can help design the solutions-­‐based window coverings just for your specific need. Or email me at [email protected] and tell me what your needs are. We will find the right solution for your home or business. Mary Etta Designs “We’ve Got Your Windows Covered” ™ 9