Fresh Ideas For Your Home - Simple Style

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A clean and simple design style can make your life less stressful. 

The look of your home can give you peace of mind and a sense of calm. Many of us have feelings of stress because we’re overwhelmed by the demands in our lives. What better goal to consider in your home decorating plans than to create a home environment that’s calming and relaxing, both on the eyes and on the soul. 

Simple doesn’t mean plain or unattractive. Simple design can create a sophisticated, traditional, elegant look or a modern, minimalist feel. The bottom line is reducing chaos and over-decoration, and minimizing clutter and confusion.

• Plan only one or two focal points per room, so you can really “see” the beauty, rather than having a hodge podge of color and design elements. 

• Limit the number of colors in your design and stick with gentle colors, rather than bold primary colors. 

• Make color transitions gentle. Avoid making too strong a statement between dark and light colors, such as black and white. (However, keep in mind that you may want energizing colors in a room; for example, in a kitchen or home office where you’d like to be engaged and active.)

Once you’ve created a simple, clean design, enjoy it! Allow yourself relaxing time to read a book or watch your favorite TV show, without answering the phone or responding to text messages. Spend time with your family or friends in a quiet way, without over planning your activities. 

Achieving a calm and simple home environment can help you find peace of mind every day. 

11 Budget Friendly Tricks Interior Designers Use to Create Luxurious Looking Spaces

Dotted throughout the United States are master planned communities made up of homes that are identical to each other. As each home resembles the one next to it, it becomes more desirable to have an interior that is unique and offers a perception of affluence. We all want to have our homes look like that of high end professionally decorated mansions, but often lack the funds to achieve it. Living in a space that looks expensive and is easy on the budget does not have to be out of reach. Anyone can have dapper dwellings with a few careful considerations.

1. Crown Molding

A space that lacks crown molding tends to look average. The lack of detailing tying the walls and ceiling together gives a space an unfinished cheapened look. For very little money, crown molding applied to the walls provides richness to the space. When picking out molding opt for a wide trim for more impact. In fact the wider the trim, the more expensive the room can look.

2. Paint

The toughest decision anytime you decorate can be what color to paint a space. Opting for either a crisp white or high pigment paint in a neutral hue will lend an air of sophistication and affluence to the room. Neutral walls allow for the rotation of accent colors seasonally if desired. Another easy trick that really adds that lux finish to a home is to paint interior doors black. It will instantly give the space an expensive vibe; just be sure to tie the doors to the rest of the decor with other uses of black accents. 

3. Pillows

Throw pillows are always a fabulous accessory for your sofa, loveseat or oversized chair. A collection of small store bought pillows appears to be trying too hard and shouts unoriginal and cheap. First, they are not quite big enough to be impactful and are too small to be of any real benefit. Secondly, if the goal is to look luxurious, pillows that any home can have defeats that idea. So ignore the 12-18 inch pillows that you can pick up at the local home store. Opt instead for the larger 22 inch pillow covers and stuff them with 24 inch inserts. The overstuffed pillows offer that luxurious feel you desire. 

4. Window Treatments

The options for window treatments are endless and cross many price points. It is best to spend moderately on the best quality you can afford. Avoid flimsy curtains and ones that are unlined, there are two telltale signs of poor quality. Sure, the price might be nice, but you want your room to look elegant and expensive right? Instead of buying them right off the rack at the local home store, find a selection at a specialty fabric store. Their experts can help you create window treatments within your budget that will looks like you spent a lot more for them. Once you have picked out your curtains, hang them as close to the ceiling as you can to draw your eye up and project the illusion of fullness. Curtains hung just above the window tend to look sparse.

5. Hardware Finishes

Most tract homes built come with very standard hardware finishes. They are generally cheap, in both cost and appearance. Builders use these bulk items, as they are more cost effective to use, but not always the best for a homeowner desiring a more custom look. Oddly enough, hardware is also not that expensive to replace with more personalized options. Change out the drawer pulls in the kitchen and replace them with more unique pieces. You can find them at any hardware store, specialty shop or even at a flea market. The goal is to locate ones you love and not mirror your next door neighbors. You can change out the builders basic faucet for something more interesting as well. Any good plumbing shop can work within your budget too.

6. Lighting

Just as with hardware, lighting is another one of those builders standard accessories that lack personality, character and style. Toss out nondescript chandeliers and ceiling fans; replace them with a unique designer look. There is not need to shop the high end lighting store, try scouring a flea market or second hand store for a budget friendly piece. A bargain found on a chandelier goes a long way toward creating the expensive designer inspired look. The right one may even have your friends talking! Add table lamps and floor lamps in each room, too. Lighting of any kind will also create an expensive look and feel.

7. Hardwood

While wall to wall carpet is soft and ward underfoot, it does not lend itself to a lavish look. Hardwood, on the other hand, provides that classic visual appeal. It seems like a budget buster, but it will last for years making the investment well worth it, especially if you compare it to replacing carpeting every few years. Hard wood comes in many types of wood and some are more luxurious than others. Opt for a dark wood that will add richness to the space, similar to the idea of painting your interior doors black. You can layer a beautiful area rug on top of the wood flooring to anchor the room and tie design elements together.

8. Accessories

Gold, often considered synonymous with heath, can actually appear rather tawdry. Gilded frames, gold baubles and brass lighting can be tacky when all used together. The color can be hard on the eyes while trying too hard to provide a luxurious look. Silver, chrome and brushed nickel are easier on the eyes and offer a truly polished look. Trade out those old gold frames for some new silver ones; replace that brass table lamp with a brushed nickel lamp and sell the gold at your next yard sale. Silver will also help to reflect light better than gold will, adding to the look you want to achieve. 

9. Furniture

Furniture is usually the single largest investment made in a room, but not always an area that one can invest in heavily. Yet, spending money on cheap poorly made furniture will cost more in the long run. Instead, try shopping secondhand stores, consignment shops and estate sales for well constructed pieces to be reupholstered. This will give you the opportunity to customize your look for a fraction of the cost.

10. Housekeeping

As Albert Hadley once said, "There's no point in creating something beautiful for someone who is a slob." We have to agree! The easiest and least expensive way to make a home look posh is to keep it cleaned. Dust and vacuum weekly, avoid clutter and your home will shine. All of the other touches will stand out and be noticed. Isn't that the whole point of a designer like home?

Finally Number 11.

Window treatments by Hunter Douglas. An attractive window and the right light can change everything - from your room to your mood. Hunter Douglas has mastered the art of window dressing by engineering innovative functions into stylish, versatile looks for every window in your home. Try Hunter Douglas Roller Shades for in inexpensive product that will look like a million bucks!

So you can see it does not take a lot to achieve an expensive look. Just follow these tips and tricks and you too can have a great looking home on reasonable budget.  How do you give your home a designer look on a dime store budget?

Stop by Read Design Plano or Read Design Southlake to see all of the innovative products from Hunter Douglas including Plantation Shutters, Silhouette Window Shadings, Duette Honeycomb Shades and more! Our designers will help you find the look that is perfect just for you. We will  show you the latest trends and the current styles and give you customized ideas for your whole home. 

Read Design services these area: Denton, Robson Ranch, Little Elm, Prosper, Celina, Frisco, McKinney, Allen, Wylie, Rockwall, Rowlett, Plano, Dallas, Highland Park, Lewisville, The Colony, Farmers Branch, Coppell, Colleyville, Fort Worth, Irving, Las Colinas, Southlake, Westlake, Trophy Club, Keller and everywhere in between!

blog credit: Wendy

Energy Smart Style Savings Event!

Save energy year round

The stunning beauty of Hunter Douglas Window Fashions speaks for itself. Their stylish designs and gorgeous fabrics are certain to please. During the Energy Smart Style Savings Event, you have an opportunity to take advantage of another benefit that makes Hunter Douglas such a smart choice: energy efficiency. Order your shades now and be ready for a new year and new you! Beautiful Hunter Douglas window fashions are essential to an inviting home decor with function. What's more, savings are available right now on a range of styles! So, shop today, order now and have your window fashions professionally installed. 

Did you know that most of a home's energy is lost through its windows? It's why insulating Hunter Douglas window fashions can help you save on your energy bills.

Hunter Douglas window fashions can help homes stay warmer in winter and cooler in summer, which means year round energy savings and year round comfort

Take advantage of rebate savings on the following products January 14, 2017 through April 10, 2017

• $100 rebate per 1 Duette Vertiglide Honeycomb Shades *plus $100 for every additional unit purchased. Bring the insulating power of honeycomb shades to large expanses of windows like sliding glass or patio doors.
• $100 rebate per 2 Vignette Modern Roman Shades *plus $100 for every 2 additional units purchased. The classic folds of these Roman Shades also offer a modern benefit: energy efficiency. 
• $100 rebate per 4 Duette Honeycomb Shades *plus $100 for every 4 additional units purchased. Duette is the original honeycomb shade, specifically designed for insulation. It creates a pocket of air at the window that helps save energy.
• $100 rebate per 4 Solera Soft Shades *plus $100 for every 4 additional units purchased. With it's unique cellular construction, this contemporary design helps keep rooms cozier in winter and cooler in summer.

Shop Small This Saturday

Small businesses are an essential part of a healthy local economy. We have something to offer that most large corporations simply cannot. We have a tight knit group of people that thrive on and are invested in customer satisfaction. In our case here at Read Design, we are a hard working family. This November, we are participating in Small Business Saturday, a shopping holiday designated for small companies. 

With the coming of the holidays, it's easy for small businesses like us to be overshadowed by large corporations and Black Friday. We just don't have the resources to compete in the ever growing, million dollars promotions. But with over 28 million small businesses in the US (2.5 million in Texas) and 54% of all US sales, it's hard to deny that we have the biggest impact on our economy. We keep our money local and our profits go right back into our community. Circulating money in your area helps the community thrive and enables individuals and businesses to support each other. 

When you visit our shops, you always know who is going to greet you. We don't have a "revolving door of nameless salespeople" like big businesses. 

Show your love and shop small this Saturday! At Read Design, we can offer you exceptional service and a unique experience for all your home decor and interior design needs. We are the Hunter Douglas and Interior Design experts in Dallas with over 25 years of experience. We are passionate about what we do and work hard to make your house feel like home. 

So stop by one of our locations either in Plano or Southlake to take advantage of our shop small experience! 

PowerView Motorization From Hunter Douglas

Intelligent Shades...... That Simplify Your Life

 We didn't invent light. We just created a smarter, simpler and more convenient way to control how it plays through your daily life. Welcome to PowerView Motorization from Hunter Douglas!

The Modern Lifestyle

With PowerView Motorization from Hunter Douglas, the world's most beautiful window treatments are now the most intelligent. This innovative wireless system controls any powered Hunter Douglas window treatment in your home. Operate a single window treatment or all of them in perfect concert - all on your command.

Precise Operation: PowerView offers precise control of a variety of different Hunter Douglas products and styles whether up, down, tilt or traverse.

Flexible Schedules: With the PowerView App, you can quickly create customized scenes that control all the shades in your home to operate together or in any combination you desire. Then you can easily schedule those scenes to move your shades automatically so you don't have to.

Energy Efficient: Easily link schedules to sunrise and sunset time calculated by PowerView to control solar energy throughout the seasons or to wake up with the sun. 

Secure: Adjust your shades while you're away via the RemoteConnect feature on your smartphone or tablet.

Child Friendly: Simple, battery powered and cord free operation is aesthetically pleasing and safer for children and pets.

Diverse: With the widest array of innovative styles, colors and fabrics in the industry, your motorized window treatments are as beautiful as they are intelligent.

Battery Powered: Most PowerView window treatments are battery powered so they are easy to install, operate and maintain. The battery pack is hidden behind the headrail so there is nothing to mar the beauty of you window treatments. 

Here’s how it works:

Start Simple

Meet the PowerView Pebble, the stylish handheld control and the entry point for the entire PowerView system. With the Pebble Remote or wall mounted surface remote, you can quickly adjust any single powered window treatment or all the treatments in a specific room totally on your command. Enter a room and, like switching on a light, your shades operate at your command with the stylish surface remote. Or reach for the Pebble Remote and adjust your shades on the fly to block the glare on a TV set, open to the view or lower the shades for privacy without lifting more than a finger. The Pebble is the perfect union of form and function. Both simple elegant and elegantly simple.

Direct Control From Your Phone or Tablet

For more precise individual shade control or group control, use the PowerView App to send shades to specific positions with just the swipe of a finger. The PowerView App is available on Apple iOS and Android mobile devices and requires a PowerView Hub for operation. The innovative PowerView Hub, which east connects to your home's existing WIFI router, acts as the central nervous system for the entire PowerView Motorization System. It integrates all your motorized window treatments with the PowerView App, providing direct shade control and customized Scene settings from a single, central devise. Then, from the convenience of your phone or tablet, use the PowerView App to quickly, precisely and with endless variety control the positions of all the shades in the room. Simply create your Rooms, add your shades to those Rooms, make a selection and use product specific slider bars to adjust your shades to precise positions.

Set Your Scenes

If you prefer to have Rooms operate independently, or work together in total synchronization, you can use the PowerView App to create distinct Scenes that fit your daily life. Your unique collection of personalized Scenes is easy to set up, operate and manage. Name them, color code them and organize them in the way that is easiest for you and your family to use. For example, greet the day with the arrival of the sun by opening the shades in your Master Bedroom and Kitchen to the perfect position for your morning activities. In the evening, have the whole home gracefully close our the day and ensure your privacy. The choice is yours. Scenes can be created within individual Rooms and compiled into Multiple Room Scenes to activate a whole house of activity throughout the home with a single press of a button.

Bring Your Scenes to Life

Once you have your Scenes created, you can control them on command with the PowerView Pebble Scene Controller or on your phone or tablet from anywhere in the world using RemoteConnect.

The Smarter Side of Style

It is time to experience for yourself how our intelligent shades can simplify your life. PowerView Motorization is available with an unrivaled selection of sophisticated styles, fabric and colors from Hunter Douglas, the world's leader in window fashions. With PowerView, your window treatments will become such an essential part of the way you live, you'll wonder how you ever lived without them.

Contact Us

Give us a call today at either our Plano or Southlake locations! 972.608.4999 for Plano and 817.416.7164 for Southlake.

We gladly service all of Dallas - Fort Worth including McKinney, Frisco, Prosper, Celina, Gunter, Allen, Keller, Westlake, Garland, Richardson, Colleyville, Coppell, Grapevine, Lewisville, The Colony, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, North Dallas, Roanoke, Trophy Club and many more!

Luminette Privacy Sheers From Hunter Douglas

Luminettes for Sliding Glass Doors

We are noticing here in the Dallas - Fort Worth areas that more and more home builders are using large sliding glass doors to the patio. These large expanses of window definitely open up the indoors and gives a full view to the outside. We have seen these doors in Robson Ranch, Plano, Prosper and Frisco to name a few. We recently did a Luminette Privacy Sheer for a client in Southlake. This turned out to be one of our favorite installations!

Southlake Luminette

Our client called the Southlake store asking for help on what to do with their sliding glass door that opened up onto their large patio. They use their outside living area all the time - in the summer for fun in the pool and now for football watching parties. They certainly did want their privacy so the area needed some sort of covering. The design of their home is a soft transitional look with a lot of color in the accents - particularly their art and throw pillows. They were concerned that the only option would be the traditional vertical blinds because that was not the look they wanted. We showed them the Luminette Privacy Sheers by Hunter Douglas and that was it! They fell in love with the soft look that easily opens up the whole area and just as easily closes for privacy with some light or completely closes for full privacy. 

What is a Luminette

Sheer inspiration...The joy of natural light, the benefit of UV protection.

Luminettes are a Privacy Sheer made by Hunter Douglas, the leader in Custom Window Fashions/ They offer subdued light with the privacy of a drapery. Fabric vanes rotate for privacy while controlling the light in a room. They can also open all the way for complete view to the outdoors. Luminettes are perfect for large windows and sliding glass doors, their superior UV protection meets both your decorating and practical needs.

The Southlake Design Plan

For our Southlake client we selected the Luminette in color Linen Flirt. We used the split stack option so the sheers open from the middle and the PowerView Motorization operating system for convenience. This way our client can easily open up their room to the patio. We also added side drapery panels to frame the windows and create a softening effect. Here we chose a fabric from Fabricut called Wow Lattice in color Slate. It has a large, neutral pattern that added the drama that was needed without a lot of color. This is one of our favorites! Soon we will be adding  a few throw pillows for their large sectional sofa in bright colors of orange, yellow, indigo and purple. These pillows will complement the room very well.

Call Read Design in Plano or in Southlake for Help with your Sliding Glass Door and Inspiration for you Winodws

Read Design has been a Dallas - Fort Worth leader in Window Fashions, Wallpaper and Interior Design for over 27 years. Our Hunter Douglas galleries have over 65 working sample products for you to operate and feel. We are here to help you discover the latest trends and current styles. Our goal is to design a home that is reflective of you as an individual and suit your needs whether you need a comfortable place for your young children or a pristine showcase home to host your parties. We have thousands of fabrics in our showroom that help us creative a one of a kind home for you.

Read Design proudly services Fort Worth, Trophy Club, Westlake, Southlake, Keller, Colleyville, Coppell, Robson Ranch, Grapevine, Arlington, Flower Mound, Lewisville, Highland Village, Little Elm, Frisco, Prosper, The Colony, Celina, McKinney, Allen, Plano, Richardson, Garland, Carrollton, Dallas, Irving, Preston Hollow, Highland Park, Rockwall and everywhere in between. Give us a call today!

Fresh Ideas For Your Home - Pantone Colors 2016

Rose Quartz and Serenity are the colors of the year, according to the Pantone Color Institute.

Try using these calming shades of pink and blue in your interior plan.

The Pantone Color Institute has selected two shades – Rose Quartz and Serenity – as their colors of the year for interiors. Each year, Pantone selects a color that expresses a mood and an attitude for the year; and this is the first time the organization has selected two shades as color of the year!

These soft shades of calm blue and serene pink make us feel more secure and at peace. When used in home décor, they add to our sense of well-being, helping take away the daily stresses of life in our own home environments. 

“Joined together, Rose Quartz and Serenity demonstrate an inherent balance between a warmer embracing rose tone and the cooler tranquil blue, reflecting connection and wellness as well as a soothing sense of order and peace.”

— Leatrice Eiseman

Leatrice Eiseman is the Executive Director, Pantone Color Institute®. "Rose Quartz is a persuasive yet gentle tone that conveys compassion and sense of composure, while Serenity is weightless and airy, like the expanse of the blue sky above us, bringing feelings of respite and relaxation even in turbulent times.” 

Whether you use each color alone or use them together in your home environment, this year think Rose Quartz and Serenity for upholstery and drapery fabrics, rugs and carpeting, paint, tile and backsplashes, bed and table linens, and accessories. 

Soften your home environment this year by decorating in Rose Quartz and Serenity.

Child Safety Is Serious Business

Hunter Douglas Vignette with LiteRise (cordless) lifting system for child safety

Hunter Douglas, along with us here at Read Design, believe it is our duty to bring awareness to the hazards or hanging cords. All of our products are designed with safety in mind — a responsibility we take very seriously.

Children are innately curious about the world around them. So, even basic household items like window coverings can turn into potential hazards. Making our window fashions safer for homes with infants, young children and pets is a top priority at Hunter Douglas. That's why we developed a wide range of products to help reduce the risk of accidents. From cordless and motorized operating systems, retractable lift cords, cord tensioners and wand controls, we offer a wide array of lifting system options for enhanced child and pet safety.

October is Child Safety Month and hanging cords from window coverings is one of the top seven hidden dangers in the home. Help us spread awareness about this very real hazard. Always take extra precautions and opt for the safe window treatments in all environments where children and pets interact with shades. We recommend cordless or motorized window coverings because they really are the safest choice for all of your windows. We love our kiddos, whether they be two legged or four and want to make sure every person knows about the alternatives to keep our loved ones safe. Any chance to remove a potential hazard from a home is a win for us because we all know one accident is too many.

“I have a 2 year old and a dog at home. Growing up in the window covering industry, I’ve always been aware of the dangers of hanging cords. When I found out I was pregnant with my son, I immediately got rid of my blinds with cords and invested in Roller Shades with PowerView and Silhouette Shades with UltraGlide. Watching my son and dog play around the shades and moving them to see out the window, I know I made the right decision.”

— Kate, Read Design

The window coverings industry uses warning tags, labels, and other methods to communicate the potential hazards of corded window coverings. The warning labels communicate the important message about cords being a potential strangulation hazard and suggests choosing cordless or inaccessible-cord alternatives. Together with the Window Covering Safety Council, Hunter Douglas encourages you to install only cordless window coverings in rooms where young children play and sleep. For more info and repair kits for other window covering products, visit the Window Covering Safety Council website.

A detailed chart of safety options across our products can be found in our Safety Reference Chart.