Fresh Ideas For Your Home - Leather

Make a decorating statement with leather furnishings.

This bold design move shows you have skin in the game.

Consider a touch of leather in your next decorating project. It will be a moo-ving experience that’s sure to enhance your home environment! And most leather design elements are practical too!

Leather adds great texture, softness and color; however, beware that it can be a heavy look, especially in its most typical design colors – dark brown and black. That’s why it’s best to soften a big leather piece of furniture with other elements such as creamy paint colors, cushy throws and pillows, silky rugs and soft fabric furniture and window fashions.

Another way to lessen the heaviness of leather design elements is to select a lighter color of leather, such as beige, white, gray or sage green. Or you can add a tidbit of brightness with green, red or yellow leather!

Complementary materials and textures can also lighten up a heavy leather look. Think:

• Glass or Lucite tables

• Metal chairs and lamps

• Light filtering, soft-looking window fashions

• Bamboo flooring

• Natural grass wallcoverings

Leather is a versatile choice that adds beauty to most any decorating style from a traditional dining room to a classic living room to an ultra-contemporary great room. Think about leather for these design elements:

• Leather sofas and easy chairs, and even recliners!

• Leather dining chairs

• Leather headboard

• Leather-fronted sideboard in the dining room or dresser in the bedroom

• Leather-covered walls in a powder room or home office

Add leather to your next design project and you'll be ahead of the herd!

Stay Warm With Energy Efficient Window Coverings

Stay Warm with Energy Effiecient Window Coverings

It is winter and the cold months are here to stay for a while. During these chilly months being bundled up next to a warm fire while you read a book or watch TV is the best feeling ever. But the worst feeling is trying to keep your energy bill down when on an average we spend 59% more on energy bills. But don't worry - Read Design has a solution for you with energy efficient window treatments from Hunter Douglas.

Cellular Shades and Roman Shades

Cellular Shades and Roman Shades are the top energy-saving window coverings. They both are very trendy and have plenty of factors that help you save money on your energy bills.

Cellular Shades, also referred to as Duette Honeycomb Shades by Hunter Douglas, are the most energy efficient window coverings. They are designed to have dead-air spaces which increase their insulation by trapping the warm air inside which helps to keep you warm all winter long. With the introduction of Hunter Douglas Architella Duettes, this got even better. The Architella Duette is a honeycomb within a honeycomb which gives 3 air pockets and keeps even more of the warmth inside. Duette Honeycomb Shades are very versatile window coverings with a variety of fabric and colors to choose from. They offer various degrees of light filtering options including sheer, light filtering and room darkening. This also helps with privacy and insulation. Duette Honeycomb can also be made in specialty shapes including arches and skylights. There are a number of lift options including Ultraglide, LiteRise, or can be motorized with Hunter Douglas PowerView Motorization making them easy to open and close as well as child safe.

Roman Shades are similar to cellular shades and are one of the most popular window coverings today. They are both functional and beautiful And they offer great energy efficiency. Hunter Douglas has the Vignette Modern Roman Shade and the Solera Soft Shades to choose from. The both come in a variety of colors and textures that add beauty to your home Roman Shades can also trap in the warmth which can save you money on your electric bill. Also, like the Duette Honeycomb Shades, Roman Shades come in various degrees of light filtering options for privacy and light control. They also have a number of lift options to choose from.

Here is one of our recent installation in Prosper, Texas. We used Tierred Vignette Modern Roman Shades by Hunter Douglas. The fabric we choose was Drake. The color of the fabric blended all the colors in this new home together. They have a total of 10 windows in the Family Room so we chose to use PowerView Motorization which will make it easy to open all of the shades at once and with this system the customer can set the shades to raise to their favorite spot. We all were very pleased with the look the Vignette Modern Roman Shades created.

Right Now Hunter Douglas is offering Rebates on these Energy Efficient Window Shades- Duette Honey Comb Shades, Vignette Modern Roman Shades and Sonnette Shades. For every Vignette shade you purchase, you will get $50 back (with a minimum of 2 shades). For every Duette and Sonnette Shades, you will get $25 back (with a minimum purchase of 4 shades).

Custom Drapery

At Read Design Plano and Read Design Southlake, our Designers can also help you with Custom Window Treatments including Draperies, Valances, Cornice Boards and much more. And now we are receiving New Fabrics from all of the manufactures which makes now an exciting time to start thinking about updating your home. Many drapery treatments are designed for insulation which also helps with the energy efficiency of your home during the window but also during those hot summer months in the North Texas area.

Where to find Energy Efficient Shades in the Dallas / Fort Worth Area

Read Design has bed a leader in Hunter Douglas and Custom Window Treatments in the Dallas / Fort Worth area and have 2 convenient locations- one in Plano and one in Southlake. At Read Design you can see our many displays and our designer can help you find a solution just for your windows. And we can help you solve all of your interior design needs. Stop in or give us a call.

Plano. 972-608-4999
Southlake. 817-416-7164

We service all of these areas and more
Irving, Dallas, Grapevine, Plano, Highland Park, Preston Hollow, Carrollton, Allen, McKinney, Richardson, Rockwell, Garland, Prosper, Celina, Southlake, Keller, Trophy Club, Colleyville, Arlington, Westlake, Northlake, Robson Ranch, Flower Mound, Little Elm, Lewisville, The Colony, North Richland Hills, Mabank, and all areas in between.

We will be having a Window Dressing Event starting in February and will have a number of events running throughout the Spring. Watch for our Blogs and info on Facebook.

Why Hunter Douglas

BETTER WINDOW TREATMENTS, BY DESIGN

We believe that the perfect window treatment should do more than just cover a window.

For almost 100 years we have dedicated ourselves to studying the properties of light at the window, discovering new ways to manage the daily illumination, privacy and energy management needs of a home, and pioneering innovative window treatment designs that add value and style to any room.

We invented many of the window treatment designs that lead the industry today, including the iconic Duette® Honeycomb Shade, whose shape and revolutionary energy-efficiency benefits have become a design standard. Our most recent products have even gotten their own intelligence, with smart-home operating systems that move the shades automatically to their perfect positions throughout the day.

By constantly innovating and pairing our designs with the most elegant performance fabrics, we create long-lasting window treatments whose beauty, functionality and durability are simply like no other.

Imagine what our window treatments can do in your home:

LIGHT CONTROL & PRIVACY

Harsh light at the window? Our products feature innovative fabric designs that transform sunlight into a wonderful soft glow and help protect your furnishings from damaging UV rays. Want more light? Our products can help channel light deeper into your room, filling dark corners and reducing your need for electrical lighting. Want daytime or nighttime privacy? Our products and operating systems provide clever ways for giving you the privacy you want while maintaining your view-through to the outside.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Keep your rooms warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer thanks to our energy-efficient products—specially engineered with cellular air pockets that can block up to 50% of the heat transfer at the window. At Hunter Douglas, we're an industry leader in making a big energy savings difference at the window. In 1985, we invented the highly energy-efficient Duette® honeycomb shades in response to the energy crisis of the late 1970s. Our latest innovation is the Duette Architella® honeycomb fabric featuring a honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb design for even greater energy efficiency. Today, we continue to think about the impact all of our window fashions can make. Without energy-efficient window treatments, as much as 50% of a home's heating and cooling energy can be lost through its windows.

SMART-HOME SHADE AUTOMATION

Imagine your shades moving automatically to the exact position you prefer—to achieve the specific lighting effect you love or adjusting themselves for the optimal energy efficiency throughout the day. Our revolutionary PowerView® Motorization system automatically moves your shades according to schedules you set. Your shades will always be in their perfect positions 24/7—no hands required​. The PowerView App unlocks the full potential of PowerView Motorization. Using the App, you can control your shades with a swipe of a finger. Or, create customized Scenes that move the shades to positions you set, and automate those Scenes to operate on their own throughout the day.

BEAUTIFUL, UNIQUE DESIGNS

Whatever your aesthetic style or home lighting need, Hunter Douglas has a visually stunning and functionally amazing window treatment solution designed to wow you. We offer the broadest selection of innovative product types, elegant performance fabrics and intelligent shade operating systems​. Everything we do at Hunter Douglas is inspired by a passion for beautiful, highly functional design. And nothing illustrates this enthusiasm quite like our extraordinary collection of over 2,400 unique fabrics, thoughtfully and practically designed to help you express the spirit of your home.

SAFETY

Create a safer home environment for children and pets with advanced, cordless operating systems from Hunter Douglas. ​From cordless and motorized operating systems, retractable lift cords, cord tensioners and wand controls, we offer a wide array of operating system options for enhanced child and pet safety. The window coverings industry uses warning tags, labels, and other methods to communicate the potential hazards of corded window coverings. The warning shown here, for example, communicates the important message about cords being a potential strangulation hazard and suggests choosing cordless or inaccessible-cord alternatives.

LIFETIME LIMITED WARRANTY

Your stylish additions to your room also become sound long-term investments for your home. Our long heritage and passion for craftsmanship helps deliver window treatments with the highest quality and construction, and the lifetime limited warranty helps ensure beauty that endures.

Give us a call or visit our showroom for an in-depth consultation about all of our products. Our experienced designers can tell you the features and benefits of each product, while narrowing it down for the perfect window treatment for your unique style. We appreciate that every consumer has their own special needs and work hard to create a look that is both functional and beautiful. 

We serve all of Dallas Forth Worth from Celina to Dallas, Wylie to Grapevine, Denton to Benbrook and everywhere in between.  

RD Home

We have exciting news at Read Design, the expansion of Read Design Home (RD Home Collection). New Products are coming in everyday and we are busy in our remodeling mode. Our shop is taking on a new and fun look. Stop in and see us soon!

At Read Design Plano, we are a full service Interior Design studio. It all starts with your window coverings. We have a Hunter Douglas Gallery and can show you Blinds and Shades - including Silhouettes, Pirouettes, and many other styles of Shades. And do not forget Plantation Shutters. 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. Hunter Douglas is the leader in light control, energy efficiency, operation systems and motorization, which makes your home smarter, your days easier, and every room more beautiful. When you stop in make sure you ask for a free copy of our Art of Window Dressing book.

Now that the windows are taken care you can move on to softening your windows with drapery panels, cornice or valances. With so many fabrics to choose from we are sure that we can find the perfect solution for your home.

​We recently helped a customer in Dallas who needed window treatments and more. First we started with Roller shades from Hunter Douglas. The shades are there for sun control and privacy and when they are up, they completely disappear into the headrail. We also added the PowerView motorization options which give give our customer ease of operation. Next we added drapery panels in a navy pattern that coordinates with the new color scheme of her home. They soften the windows and draw out the view to the back yard.

For the master bedroom our customer wanted to keep her king size bed. It works nicely in this large room with tall ceilings. First from RD Home Collection we used a 9’ x 13’ Rug in a contemporary design that brings together the soft grey, silver, and blue colors. We added a blue velvet throw at the end of the bed, blue linen euro shams and 3 custom pillows. All of the fabrics are from Kravet. To finish the look we hung 2 large art pieces behind the nightstands. What you don’t see are the 4 1/2” louver Shutters from Hunter Douglas and 4 drapery panels. The room looks very inviting and comfortable. 

In her sitting room we selected another piece from RD Home. This is a versatile piece that can be used in a Living Room, Dining Room, or just about anywhere. We also used a large rug to set the tone for the color pattern. We will soon be continuing furnishing this room with chairs and a cocktail table.

Below are some of the new pieces you will find at Read Design Plano and RD Home. We will continue get new pieces weekly. Or if you would like to have one of our Interior Designers help you with floor planning and design, just let us know. We can put together a Interior Design Plan just for you. Because we have a ton of furniture in our showroom, we are able to get you a new piece for your upcoming holiday party! We deliver! Give us a call at your earliest convenience to set up your consultation today!

PowerView Savings Event Ends September 11!

OK. Less than a week left of the 2017 Hunter Douglas Motorization Rebate Event.

This past week we completed a beautiful Vignette Modern Roman Shade installation in Plano. All of the upstairs bedrooms face east and have a wonderful view of a golf course. Our client wanted soft window treatments and it was important that the shades operated both top down and bottom up. We selected a textured fabric called Sahara in the Oasis color for two of the bedrooms. For the middle bedroom, including the bath, we used Indian Silk in the Vin Blanc color. All of the Shades are motorized with Hunter Douglas PowerView and can be operated by the Pebble Remote or smartphone. 

We have attached pictures of the shades and videos of the motorization in process. We all were very pleased with the outcome and our client is looking forward to her motorization rebate from Hunter Douglas.

PowerView - As you wish. Choose your level of control.

Start with the Basics.

Use the PowerView Pebble Remote - or the wall-mounted Surface Remote - to quickly adjust any single, powered window treatment or groups of shades with just a push of a button.

Upgrade to a full smart-house solution.

Say Goodbye to lost remotes. Instead, conveniently control your window treatments from your tablet or smartphone. With the PowerView App, you can send shades to specific positions with just the swipe of a finger. Even better? Get the most from your smart shades by creating customized Scenes. Then use the scheduling feature so your shades move automatically to your preferred positions. PowerView does all the work for you - on the days and timeline that perfectly fit your lifestyle.

Connect with other smart-home systems.

The PowerView system is designed for compatibility with most home automation system technologies on the market today, as well as Apple iOS, Android tablets and mobile devices to expand the function of your wireless home. Please be sure to visit the PowerView Compatibility page at hunterdouglas.com for the latest information on compatible systems and devices.

Smart Connections beyond the Window.

Today's connected home is more advanced and easier to control than ever before with PowerView Motorization, your home's window treatments are part of this convenient technology, delivering the connected lifestyle you demand - right from the smart devices you use every day.

PowerView works seamlessly with the leading Connected Home providers including Nest, Apple HomeKit and Amazon Alexa. Call us to learn more about these amazing features!

WARRANTY

Unlike most electronic products which are typically covered for one year, Hunter Douglas motorized components are covered for five years from the date of purchase.

Online Support

For a host of resources, including the PowerView step-by-step Guide, FAQ's and more, visit. Hunterdouglas.com

Talk with Experts

Dial 1-844-PWRVIEW with questions. Phone support is available weekdays. 9:00 am to 8:00 pm. (ET)

Pirouette Shades - Refreshed & Refined

Home in Lakeside where the customer wanted a beautiful view to the backyard. 

 The perfect blend of flawless beauty and exceptional functionality.

Our innovative Pirouette® shadings feature soft horizontal fabric vanes attached to a single sheer backing, allowing for enhanced views to the outside while maintaining privacy and the full beauty of the fabric appearance on the inside. 

Light Control - Supervise The Sun

Soft vanes floating on a sheer backing put you in control of the amount of natural light that comes in, with dramatic effects. Transform harsh exterior light by diffusing it, spreading it evenly throughout your room, so you can maximize daylight hours and reduce your need for artificial light. Our beautiful sheer fabrics also softly filter out brightness, glare, and UV rays —protecting your furniture and flooring from fading.

Dramatic Softness

Invisi-Lift™ allows you to view through the sheer fabric and floating vanes with no obstructing cords or tapes, while maintaining a discreet level of privacy.

Sunscreen For Your Valuables

Protect your furniture, flooring and artwork from fading with at least 75% protection from harmful UV rays. The sheer backing allows you to keep your view while protecting your home.

Refreshed & Refined

New fabrics inspired by the organic beauty of raw silk and linen. A refreshed color palette, including 44 new hues spanning relaxing neutrals, sophisticated midtones and breathtaking pops of bold color. Check out the newly reimagined collection firsthand at Read Design in Plano and Southlake. 

Now through June 26th 2017 save with the Celebration of Light Sales Event going on now! For every 2 units purchased you will receive a $100 rebate in the form of a prepaid American Express gift card. 

Lift Systems

Pirouette comes with a variety of lifting systems including the highly sought PowerView Motorization. Manual lift systems include EasyRise and UltraGlide.   

Home in Castle Hills with view - Alustra Pirouette.

The Alustra Collection

The beauty of Alustra Pirouette Window Shadings extends well beyond the windows. Created for those  who know every detail in a room is a reflection of their personal style, they infuse an aesthetic that adds impressive dimension and instills sumptuous ambiance. This captivating design merges unprecedented light control with luxurious textiles embodied with texture and sheen. With superior functionality, it beautifully complements the unique inspirations and stories that express the spirit and soul of a home. 

Discover The New Shape Of Light

Introducing Sonnette

The joy of Great Design. At Hunter Douglas, we believe your window fashions should bring you the greatest possible enjoyment, adding beauty and style to your home. That is why we're passionately driven to design our products with a refined sense of style and industry-leading innovation. So when you choose the Hunter Douglas brand, you can be sure that high quality, beautiful window fashions decorate your home for many years to come. Everything is designed to be seen, touched, experienced and loved.  

An update on classic honeycomb shades, Sonnette Cellular Roller Shades gently diffuse light through an innovative curved shape; providing ambiance and character while dispersing light to all angles of the room. 

Experience the new shape of light. 

Purposefully engineered, our curved cellular construction provides and energy efficient layer to your home. Insulation in the winter and cooling in the summer. After decades of industry experience, we've taken the best features in window fashions to create a versatile easy to use, contemporary window treatment - perfect for any room in the modern home.  

Benefits

1. Innovative light diffusing shape
2. Energy efficient cellular construction
3. Modern cordless operation
4. Hunter Douglas trusted performance and quality

Light Control

Select between two opacities.

1. Semi-opaque diffuses light for a soft glow and moderate privacy from the outside in.
2. Room darkening blocks the majority of incoming light and provides additional in home privacy. 

Operating Systems

1. LiteRise - raise to lower your shades by lifting up or pulling down on the bottom rail.
2. Soft Touch Motorizations - gently pull down on the wand to activate your shade to lower it and a slight push up on the wand will send your shade into the full raised position. This motorized system has a favorite position functionality and it battery powered.  *Not compatible with PowerView or App.
3. Poweriew Motorizations - create personalized shade settings called Scenes, then set those scenes to schedules for the ultimate convenience of automated operation. Operate your shades from home or while you're away via the RemoteConnect feature. Battery powered and plug in options are available. Easily intergrate PowerView with connected devices and third party automation systems (Amazon Echo, IFTTT, Nest and more) for the whole home experience.

See and experience Sonnette Shades during our early launch only at Read Design Plano and Read Design Southlake.  You can feel, operate shade samples and look at fabrics for this new and innovative shade. Our designers will show you all of the options. It is clear that we are very excited about this new product! Stop in today and let us know what you think!

See Sonnette Shades at Read Design Plano and Read Design Southlake. 

We travel to all of the following areas and more: Fort Worth, Rowlett, Dallas, Prosper, Celina, Frisco, Colleyville, Coppell, Robson Ranch, Plano, Southlake, Irving, Grapevine, Flower Mound, Denton, Highland Park, Lakewood, Allen, McKinney and everywhere in between!

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!