Click here to view the embedded video.

In the end, it’s still a roller shade. It acts like a roller shade, just rolling up and down at the customer’s whim, but by adding that banding, it took something that looked “functional” and turned it into something of a conversation piece. The process of deciding how to do this window covering was actually a little complicated. It started as a discussion of valances and ended up as a functioning shade. Sometimes, clients only have an idea of what they are looking for, and a good designer’s job is to probe their minds and help them figure out what will best suit their needs. In order to see the reaction of the homeowner, follow this link.

Click here to view the embedded video.

The reason that this product was chosen was to mimic the look on the window to the side, even though we were covering a wall and not a window. If you look at the before images, you will see that the shutter covers a sheetrocked wall and that there is no opening at all. It’s amazing how the mind works in that we fool our brains into thinking that the window actually exists now and that we have just chosen to keep the louvers of the shutter closed. In this sense, the height of the window has literally changed in our mind. By using an actual window covering as a valance, it is implied that their MUST BE a window underneath it.

Design is about creativity. It is important to think outside the box and in this case we did so literally, as the box (the frame of the window) was just the cake, to the shutter’s frosting. mmmmm, cake!

Click here to view the embedded video.

This application will be very popular for my clients in and around the Reno area who have windows with very little stacking space on either side of the window. The finials are such an important part of the drapery rod design. Without them, the rod can look so plain. So, overall, I love the potential for this product, but keep in mind that one solution does not work for all applications. You need to make the right choice and a professional window fashions expert can help you to do so.

“Nowtro”. It’s the word of the day. It represents things from the past that have come back. Hip-huggers, tie-dye, bangs and many other type fashion statements from our past come and go regularly. The window fashions world is no different. 2″ horizontal mini-blinds, cornice boxes, swags and roman shades have come and go many times over. Some of these styles though have become classics. One such product is an Austrian Shade. Here in Reno, with our connection to the Victorian era, we have seen this type of shade many times. I think of the old mansions here and in Virginia City as places that this type of shading would be completely typical. It has such amazing fullness of fabric, at about 3 1/2 times its length that it exudes luxuriousness. It is perfect for the home today that is looking for something that will provide a very comfortable feel. All that fabric that billows out toward you in the room just makes you feel good about yourself. Well, that’s how it makes me feel. See if you like the look for your windows. It’s not an inexpensive treatment, but like most things, you get what you pay for.

Every once in a while a client offers to tell my other potential clients why they used Kempler Design. This testimonial, though long, explains the differences between our services and our competitors. Thanks for watching.

How am I supposed to feel about this?

When I think about the name Hunter Douglas, I think of the world leader in window fashions; whether they be blinds, shades or other specialty window coverings. They have done a great job in promoting themselves as the “king of the market”. Now, as a business owner, I understand trying to capture as much of the market as possible, but here is my concern.

My representative asked me who I purchase the entry level product from. When I responded, they told me that they would like to get that business back and are willing to offer super-aggressive pricing in order to do that. Now, again, when someone offers you great pricing, it provides an opportunity to pass that pricing on to your clients and everyone wins. But there is another side of this, that my cynical mind struggles with. The company that Hunter Douglas wants to beat out is a Hunter Douglas owned company. A number of years ago, Hunter Douglas bought up a bunch of companies that were eating into their market share. I have no issue with this, as I’d do the same thing, if I had the same options. But when they start attacking their own company, then my antennae come up. To illustrate why, I will discuss a local company that many of you in the Reno and Lake Tahoe area will remember. Reno Air.

Do you remember them?

Reno Air was a start-up airline based in this area. They used Reno as a hub and we got great service at great prices and we supported a local business. So, what happened to Reno Air? American Airlines profits were impacted by the success of this smaller company, so they bought it. We were told that they just wanted to take advantage of the profits and customer base that Reno Air had and that they wouldn’t make any major changes to the airline. In reality, American Airlines made wholesale changes. They closed the airline completely, they took the flights from dozens per day down to two per day and effectively raised the prices per flight dramatically. So, American Airlines maintained their profit margin, reduced their competition and forced the public to deal with the higher prices and reduced convenience.

How does this relate to Hunter Douglas? When they purchase a competing company and then attack it, in the end, it hurts the consumer. When you have fewer options of where to buy from, the end result is usually not good. If they were competing against an independent company, I would have no issues. It’s just that they are buying up companies, seemingly to shut them down. When they have enough of the market share, what will happen to their prices? In reality, Hunter Douglas has some products that are premium in function and design and therefore have premium prices. My customers have no problem paying a premium price for such products. But, when Hunter Douglas forces out the lower price competition for the entry level products, like standard window blinds, roller shades, vertical blinds and the like, I fear that they will eventually cause price fixing and an escalation of the prices for everyone.

The good news is that there are still plenty of other window coverings manufacturers. There is nowhere near a monopoly by Hunter Douglas at this point, but this was a troubling trend that manifested itself to me recently.

Not that they are asking me, but my suggestion to Hunter Douglas would be to focus on the products that are truly unique and position itself strictly as the premium window fashions leader. Maybe they should re-brand their “entry-level” products as being “A Hunter Douglas Company”. Still maintaining the brand, but not cheapening the upper end product by price competing on the basic blinds and shades.

In conclusion, I love the Hunter Douglas products. When someone wants a unique product with tons of style, I almost always pull out my HD products. When someone wants cost to be their primary focus, usually the Hunter Douglas product won’t be shown. I just want those options not to be blurred. Short term, people will be able to get great quality products from Hunter Douglas for a fantastic price, but long term, I fear that once the competition has been cannibalized, the prices will go up significantly.

Design Studio Roman Shades

Design Studio Roman Shades by Hunter Douglas

There is a new style of hobbled construction with an improved inner liner. They have also enhanced the way that they finish the back liner. Also, the side stitching which keeps the edges from unraveling, has been improved and is nearly invisible. If you want to mount them as an outside mount, you will have new options as well.

Duette and Applause Honeycomb Shades

Duette Architella from Hunter Douglas

There are four new fabrics available in the Duette line. They are all in the Architella fabric, which is the cell inside of a cell technology. They have improved the headrail in a couple of key areas. One way is by reducing the depth of the headrail to make it possible to mount in even more casings. The other improvement will keep the level of the shade more even than before.

EverWood Alternative Wood Blinds

Everwood Alternative Wood Blinds by Hunter Douglas

These faux-wood blinds now come in some pretty amazing new finishes, including: Grass Weave, Linen and Leather. They are very impressive. Even the white colors have been improved. Lite-Rise, the cordless lift system is now available on the larger and more custom look 2 1/2″ beveled blinds. de-Light, the routless feature that used to be an upgrade is now offered at no charge.

Pirouette Window Shadings

Pirouette Window Shadings by Hunter Douglas

The Pirouette shade has been one of the best sellers for Kempler Design in the premium window shadings category and the new adjustments will just add to their appeal. There are five brand new fabrics in the new collection and they are truly beautiful. My personal favorite has a metallic finish. I am excited to bring this book into my clients’ homes.

Palm Beach Polysatin Shutters

Palmbeach Shutters by Hunter Douglas

Hunter Douglas has introduced a new finish to their vinyl shutters that is very reminiscent of a painted wood shutter. They are not the first to have this finish, but I’m sure theirs will be very nice as well. They have added frame choices and sill covers, which are a nice finishing touch to boring sills, which we have plenty of here in the Reno area. They promise that their product will NEVER warp, crack, fade, chip, peel or discolor.

Silhouette Window Shadings

Silhouette Window Shadings by Hunter Douglas

One of the powerhouses of the premium window coverings market, the new Silhouette now offers a truly cordless operation with the introduction of the LiteRise lift system. It will work on all but the largest shades by just grabbing and moving the bottom rail to the desired location. I have a sample that you can play with if you are in the Reno or Lake Tahoe area.

Vignette Modern Roman Shades

Vignette Tiered Roman Shades by Hunter Douglas

Modern roman shades…they mean roman shade that functions as a roller shade. An interesting concept that Hunter Douglas has been tinkering with for a long time. Over the years they have made adjustments to the operating systems and now they function more like standard roman shades as well as their roller systems. I have good feelings about some of their new adjustments. They are releasing four new fabrics in updated colors. If you prefer motorization to your window coverings, Vignette will now have more options for you.

Well, there you have it. Some new stuff to think about. As always, there are so many adjustments and changes to put into the equation, that we suggest speaking with a professional in your area.

It’s funny how things happen. For years and years, people lifted their shades and blinds by pulling on a cord. Then, for various reasons, some due to the natural progression of industry and others for reasons of government involvement, there are a whole slew of new ways to lift your window coverings. I’m not going to go into the rational behind the regulations that now affect the industry other than to say that eventually these changes will benefit the end-user.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Standard Lift Cord System with Cord Lock-
The original lift cord system is still in use. In most cases, this is the no charge option that companies will offer you as a standard. The major difference between the older versions and the current version is that due to safety concerns, you will receive cord cleats in order to tie the cords to the wall and out of the reach of young ones. The major drawback to standard corded window coverings is the length of cording that hangs down from the headrail. This is especially a problem on very tall windows, where it can be common for the cord to be touching the floor when the blind or shade is stacked all the way up to the top of the window.

Cordless Systems-
This is the strongest of the new entries into the lift system market. There are many different types of cordless window coverings and they are all very popular as people like the clean look of the product without cords. With these lift systems, you literally grab the rail that you want to move and adjust it manually. The mechanism in most cases is spring-loaded, so it makes moving large shades quite easy. There are some drawbacks as well. Because there is a finite amount of movement within the mechanism itself, there are size restrictions that will limit the window you may be able to do. Also, because there are no cords, in order to lift a bottom rail to the top of the window, you will need to be either able to reach the top of the window with your hand or use some sort of a tool to make your adjustments.

Retractable Cord Systems-
One of the leaders in the industry is Hunter Douglas. They have come up with a proprietary mechanism, named UltraGlide. This system is kind of a combination between a corded and spring-loaded cordless system. What happens is that you pull down on the cord to its limit, and then the cord retracts, thus resetting the spring mechanism and allowing you to “pump” the cord. In effect, because the cord always returns to its original position, you could almost call this a cordless product, because you can shorten the position of the cord to basically just hanging directly out of the headrail. There are a couple of issues to be aware of with this product. One, there is a learning curve. It is not the best system for a guest bedroom, for example, as it can be complex for those that are not instructed in its use. Also, durability can be an issue, though the current generation is better than previous ones.

Continuous Cord Loop System-
Other than the standard cords, this is the oldest of the specialty lift systems. Originally they were designed to help lift very heavy shades and to avoid having cords hanging down to the floor. They still work very well at both of these goals. Essentially, what is happening inside of the headrail is that the continuous cord goes through a clutch, which is attached to an axle that spools the cords that run through the product down to the bottom rail. (If you were able to follow that explanation, you get bonus points!) If you have very tall windows, keep in mind that it takes a LOT of hand over hand pulls to raise and lower your shades. It is an effective, but not very efficient method to operate your shades or blinds.

Motorization
This is one article I DID write, and so I’ll just link to that. The main point is that there are two different types of motorization. One is powered by an integrated system that comes from wires embedded in your walls. The other is essentially a battery operated system, but there are a few variations on this theme.

As you can imagine, this is NOT an exhaustive discussion of this topic. There are variations on this theme and more products will be coming to market in future. Therefore, if you are trying to figure out which combination of products and lift-mechanisms is best for you, contact your window coverings professional and let them help you.

We’ve all had the circumstances where we have to lift a really heavy shade. It’s a challenge! I’ve seen all the tricks people use, from helping the shade up by grabbing the bottom rail to grabbing the cord with two hands and bracing your foot against the wall to gain the most leverage. Whichever method you use, you might try using technology to your benefit. There are many ways to lift window coverings these days, but this video shows a very simple one that you might consider using if you have a large roller shade.

If you are young and healthy, these lift systems are more of a luxury, but I deal with a lot of elderly clients or those with disabilities, and, for them, these options are a necessity.

Please make sure that your consultation with your window coverings expert includes a conversation about all the lift choices for the product you order.

Often times, it is difficult to know what type of a valance or top treatment will look the best for your windows. One design challenge is when the tops of the windows are quite low on a wall. Visually, this is unsettling. The need is to create more height on the window. Your blinds, shades or shutters are creating the functional solutions to the problem, but it is difficult to choose what goes over the top. You could put a standard valance of many different types on it, but it won’t help in using the amount of space over the window that your dilemma creates. In this video, I show the type of window that I’m talking about here and one solution that I like to use.

The roman shades in this video are a great solution, because they are designed to be tall and skinny, and so when you artificially create height above the window, they seem to be appropriate to the room. These shades, though they have a lot of pleats at the bottom would NOT go to the bottom of the window if they were extended. They are there strictly as decoration.

Keep in mind that these examples are not “one size fits all”. A good designer will be able to assist you in choosing the right product for your windows.