Hunter Douglas Wooden Cornice

We just received a Country Woods Expose Wooden Cornice Board sample from Hunter Douglas. I saw this at the show last year, and loved it, but we didn't have a spot for it in the shop. Now that we are moving stuff around, we saved a special place for it! This piece really needs to be show-cased. It's beautiful!

This window-top treatment looks like a fine piece of furniture. It would go wonderfully over a blind or drapery; a nice, tailored, Ralph Lauren-type design that would be a handsome addition to a library or study. The one we received has the classic "Egg & Dart" carving just under the crown of the board. The finish we ordered is called "Cabernet", which looks like a rich mahogany, but it is available in 15 paint colors and 25 stain colors. And as if that wasn't enough, we can purchase it unfinished (in 4 species of wood) to be painted or stained to match any decor. Furthermore, the top is finished just as professionally as the face, which would be ideal in a loft situation.

Speaking of professional, I had better call Rich to install this one.

New Displays are Arriving!

I just received some of the new Hunter Douglas blinds and shades that will replace the old ones that have been hanging in the shop for altogether too long! I couldn't wait to start replacing.
A shutter was on the front window, which I was never crazy about. I love shutters, but it just didn't work on that window. Maybe I will move it to the outside front wall since it's all vinyl. At any rate, I was thrilled to take it off of the window today and replace it with a new Nantucket shade.
Nantucket is very similar to the well known Silhouette sheer shade, except it's the better priced cousin! Nantucket only comes in the 3" vane (which is the most popular size anyway) and offers all the same lift systems as Silhouette, except TopDown/BottomUp- even motorization with the Platinum 2 technology! Additionally Nantucket now offers 3 fabrics in 51 different colors! The one we chose for the display has the new "screen" backing, called "Sunscreen Privacy Shading" which gives a little more light & privacy control than the standard Nantucket. It looks awesome in the window! And it may even work for a time with the existing banded drapery. It's a completely different feel than the shutter. Soft, but still with the horizontal vanes for privacy control.

Customer Response to New front Porch Vignette

Theresa said a customer came in yesterday looking for exactly what we just made as a display for the front porch. Using remnants as we did, we worried about this, that a customer would come in looking for fabric of which there is no more available. The solution is that many companies now offer fade resistant fabrics, designed specifically for outdoor use and interiors that are flooded with sun (such as a sun porch or atrium). Some of these fabrics have a lot of body, and are best suited for something like seating. Others have a softer hand and are perfectly suited to valances and other soft treatments. Most of them are 100% polyester. We have books of them in the shop from Waverly, Kasmir, Robert Allen and Thibaut to name a few. The colors we used on our display are popular this year, so those colors also are available through those other vendors.

Updating the Show Room

We are in the process of updating all of our Hunter Douglas displays. There are many new colors and patterns being offered this summer, so we thought it was time to do some renovating. We are starting with the blinds for now, but most of the soft treatments will eventually be replaced with the newest fabrics.

Along that line, we had a free day last Friday so using some remnants of fade resistant fabrics, we re-made the valance-and-bench set on the outdoor front porch of the shop. The fabrics are sun and weather resistant, so the colors should remain bright for the length of the summer.

The valance has a bright blue background with large yellow flowers and green leaves. For the bench, first we gave it a badly needed coat of paint. Then, making a box cushion, we pulled the yellow and green colors out of the valance using a vibrant stripe. We were working with remnants, so we had to get creative with the pillows. That's when they always come out the best! Drive by and take a peak!

Hunter Douglas Summer sale on blinds

It's been such a hot spring (warmest at least in recent history) in the north east region. It's made our customers truly aware of the sun and the damage it can cause to furnishings. Air conditioners went on early this year to control the heat, as the lower springtime sun cast long, hot rays into homes and office buildings. Now that Hunter Douglas products can only be purchased in non-big box stores, our shop front door has been a revolving one.
To make things interesting, Hunter Douglas is offering a summer rebate program that will allow customers to purchase items such as Luminettes, Silhouettes with rebates of up to $100- no limit in quantities. We just posted pictures on our website (www.thecustomdecorator.com) of an awesome Luminette/Silhouette combination use. Check it out!
Also, the TAX CREDIT opportunity (for most buyers, up to $1,500) will be on going through 12/31/10. This credit can be claimed against your income tax on the purchase of energy saving Duette Architella honeycomb shades. These shades are not only beautiful! They are offered in all the latest colors and 2 new fabrics to go with your decor. Additionally, they reduce energy loss by up to 50% with the help of the "cell within a cell" design, which keeps the heat inside in the winter and outside in the summer. This tax credit is available on inside mounted shades. Take advantage of this 2 way savings!