Drapes and More Interiors - Frequently Asked Questions

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Q: What can I use to cover the sliding door in my family room?

A: There are several products that you can use. There is the familiar vertical vaned blind that will slide from side-to-side with a wide choice of fabrics, the newer style Vertiglide shade made of Hunter Douglas' Duette fabric, the Luminette Shade that looks like a sheer drapery and many other items. Draperies, of course, will work very well. You need to take into consideration the wall space available for stack-back, the view that you have & the sun exposure. We can help you make these determinations on a free house call.

Q: What window covering products will "black-out" my bedroom?

A: One of the best products on the market is a Hunter Douglas Duette black-out shade. There are several colors from which to choose. Also black-out roller shades are available and draperies can be lined with a black-out lining that will make your room very dark.

Q: What can we use on our windows to keep out the sun and not lose the view?

A: Sunscreen roller shades are very popular right now. They come in a variety of weaves and colors. If you like the natural look these shades have many natural looking woven fabrics available. Also Silhouette Shades are a great choice because of the sheer fabric between their vanes which allows you to see the view when down and also because they roll up into a narrow headrail when up usually clearing the glass.

Energy saving sun film will also help keep out the sun's damaging UV rays and heat. See www.winsbysungard.com for more information.

Q: We have very high windows in our living room and we want to be able to open and close shades to see the sky, how can we do this?

A: The easiest way to be able to open and close the shades is to install battery operated shades that can be operated with a remote control. The Hunter Douglas family of shades will be a perfect solution: Duette Shades, Vignette Shades and Silouette Shades can all be operated with a Power Rise headrail system. The batteries last for a long time with regular use and are easy to change when they run low. If you have the electrical available at the window's location we can also add electrically operated shades which can operate on a remote or switch controls.

Q: What kind of drapery should I purchase for my living room?

A: This is the hardest question to answer because we need to know so much more information to help you decide. What are the colors in the room, what style of furniture do you have or plan to buy, how are the windows configured on the walls, etc? Custom draperies are made to fit the exact application and must be given careful consideration before they are actually installed. We will be glad to come out to your home and make a site survey, then invite you to come in to our shop and look at the thousands of fabric samples available to you. We will help you coordinate your colors and will recommend the right style of fabric to complete your room. Picking the "just right" drapery rod to finalize the look you want is important. We have a wide selection of decorative drapery rods to show you.

Q: Is my sofa/chair worth recovering?

A: There is a lot of confusion about reupholstering furniture. Everyone seems to think that it costs more to do this than to purchase a new upholstered piece. This may be true if you are buying low end furniture but not true if you have a good framed piece. It has been my experience that it costs about half to reupholster a good quality chair than it is to purchase one of the same quality. Most important to consider though is to put the best quality fabric you can afford on the piece because the labor to do the work is the same no matter the fabric's quality.