Hard Window Treatments – Talking the Same Language

Decorating can be confusing and intimidating. After all, it is difficult to be adept at something that’s done approximately every 10-15 years. In that time period, styles, products and terminology changes. In spite of that, you must know what to ask for when it’s time to begin your important decorating projects. Our design consultants have a wide-range of product samples and in store displays to help in that process. Much of our time with customers, however, is spent explaining the options and narrowing the choices to the appropriate selection. Our time together would be more efficient and less confusing with the knowledge of a few basic terms. The word “shade” does not refer to roller shades alone. It could also be a roman shade, a honeycomb (cell) shade, a woven wood shade etc. When you ask for a “blind”, we are thinking, “horizontal or vertical”. If it’s horizontal, are we talking about a 1” mini blind or a 2” wood or faux wood product? If you really want vertical blinds, do you want soft fabric vanes, PVC vinyl vanes or have you considered a woven wood instead? Hard window treatments are priced based on the size and the fabric selection with additional features available. Shades can be built to open from the top and/or the bottom. We call that option, top/down-bottom/up. A cassette with matching fabric can be added to shades that roll up. This presents a clean look that conceals the blind’s mechanism.   We must know if you want the window treatment installed inside the window frame (inside mount), or outside – either on the trim or just off the edge of the trim (outside mount). Do you want a “flush mount”? That means the treatment will be inside the window frame and even with the trim in the front of the blind. Keep in mind that often requires 3-3 ½ inches of space between the glass and the trim. These terms are just the starting point for an in-depth discussion about your hard window treatments.