Sheer Fabrics- Soft and see-through fabrics are becoming popular nowadays. Credit goes to the popularity it enjoyed in Asia. Create a soft and undulating look to your windows with these fabrics.

Controlled day lighting- Many of Hunter Douglas products possess automation features for blinds, louvers, slats, panels and vanes that can control just how much light you want in a room or in what direction you would like it to go.

Window walls- Also called ‘open spaces’, it’s becoming popular for some rooms such as bathrooms to have window walls to create or vanish the sense of privacy and increase intimacy.

Complementing with rugs- Window treatments are used to complement a favorite area rug in terms of color, shade, material and even size.

Cornices- A window treatment will never be complete without the finishing touch, a cornice.

Window gadgets- Hunter Douglas has a wide array of controls and gadgets to control the performance of your window treatments as far as amount of lighting and direction of light is concerned.

Eco friendly design- The Duette product comes in a honeycomb within a honeycomb design that offers natural heat insulation and traps harmful UV rays, thus reducing energy costs.

Online support- One can upload a photo of her own room in the Hunter Douglas website and can see instant outcome by trying on any Hunter Douglas products.

Room darkening fabrics-Products that can darken the room efficiently, thus making a person relax more and sleep better.

New! Neutral colors- Color trends tend to go to neutral palettes and new colors such as pale pink, purple and green.

Conventional window treatments are operable using a manual cord; which can become annoyingly tangled as well as a safety hazard to children and pets. A window with out cords looks clean and streamlined.  Installing automatic window treatments can add value to your home in more ways than one. These treatments provide everyday advantages such as comfort, safety and energy efficiency. Investing in such an upgrade adds considerable value to a home.

Automatic window treatments allow you to choose the desired amount of sunlight you let in; thus providing visual comfort to you and your family. Most automatic treatments include a timer setting. This feature can allow you to protect your furnishings from fading and increase privacy at any given time. Setting your window treatments to a timer can have the same added safety affect as having your lights set to a timer while away.

A number of brands offer sun-sensing technology; which senses the intensity of sunlight and can adjust accordingly to your needs. Having the option to control the amount of sun light that comes in through your windows is energy efficient because it increases the insulation quality of your home. Windows not only let light in, they also allow temperature gain and loss.

Automatic coverings give you options for saving energy each season. Having better quality and control of your insulation will keep heating and cooling cost down considerably. For example one could set the timer to open during the sun’s strongest hours of the day, in order to heat up the interior during winter. Closed blinds at night keep the warm air in and cold air out (the reversed effect is true for summer).

The many advantages of having motorized window coverings far exceeds manual, conventional window coverings. Automatic coverings will most likely pay for themselves within three to five years based on energy savings and added resale value. From an aesthetic standpoint these coverings are ideal because they do not distract or detract views; while adding a sense of warmth and comfort. The window coverings that have cords are obsolete now and will soon be extinct. Make your life easier and make the switch from manual to automatic.

One major change came from window blinds and shades. When the industry faced concerns about the dangers posed to children and pets by hanging cords, some manufacturers redesigned products to make them much more child-safe.

Hunter Douglas has proved to be an industry leader in this area. They manufacture the only roman shades with no exposed cords, avoiding choking risks. The company also developed a safer tassel on their wooden blinds that breaks open under pressure if a child or pet becomes tangled in the cord loop.

Other Hunter Douglas window products have no cords at all. Their LiteRise^® system eliminates cords completely. Shades or blinds can be raised or lowered to any desired position by pushing up from the top or down from the bottom. When you stop moving the blind or shade, it locks in the final position automatically.

An even easier tool available with Hunter Douglas window treatments is their motorized lifting system with a remote control to raise or lower your shades or blinds by pushing a button. There is one child safety issue with this product, however. Will you be tempted to strangle your children when they first discover this and your shades go up and down and up and down? For your sanity’s sake, just as with your television, put the remote beyond their reach!

Considerations:

• Light Source – different products are designed depending on which direction your windows face
• Privacy – Do you need privacy from people such as neighbors or from objects outside that are not something you want to constantly view?
• Style – Traditional, contemporary, relaxed, formal, country warmth or urban sophistication. No matter what your style, Hunter Douglas has a product for you
• Color – Hunter Douglas stays on top of all of the latest color trends to offer you all of the color choices you could want
• Shapes – Have a difficult shape? From arches to angles, circular to Palladian, there is a Hunter Douglas product to fit your shape
• Special needs – need special assistance operating your window coverings? Hunter Douglas offers a variety of lifting options such as remote controls
• Energy efficiency – Hunter Douglas window coverings are impressively energy efficient
• UV Protection – Built in ultraviolet protection gives you the power to reduce harmful rays that can fade carpet and furniture
• Safety – Kids, pets or loose cords can spell trouble. Hunter Douglas offers operating systems and special features that are designed to keep your home safe

For more information and picture of specific products, visit the Hunter Douglas website or our product catalog here. There’s a variety of tools and a wealth of knowledge to be discovered!