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.

Draperies & Shutters

Do you need to add draperies to windows with shutters? ........Answer.......... that is up to you.

We are asked this question all the time. My answer is "it is up to the individual." Plantation Shutters do stand on their own. Most of the windows in the Dallas/Fort Worth area are sheetrock windows - no framing around the window. So when framed shutters are installed all of a sudden the window is squared and looks like an expensive wooden window. And because the framing is beautiful, it really dresses up the window all on it's own. Some windows will work wonderfully with drapery panels, while others have too little room or are at an unusual angle. Drapery panels certainly add softness, texture and color and real accent any design. 

NewStyle Shutters by Hunter Douglas

Here is a great example of how Framed Plantation Shutter create a Finished Look. These Shutters are New Style by Hunter Douglas. We used the Classic "Z" Frame with the 4 1/2" louvers and the Hidden Tilt to give a modern and clean look. This is exactly the look this customer wanted so we did not add a drapery treatment to these windows. These shutters dramatically change a room while providing the function of keeping the home cool in our harsh Texas summer.

Heritance Shutters by Hunter Douglas

These Shutters are Heritance Shutters by Hunter Douglas. They are made of North American Basswood. We used the Classic Frame and they completely finish the look. Here is also an example of where you would not use draperies because there is not enough room on the right side. Adding drapery would crowd the look and cover too much of the window losing light in the room. When we think about draperies is a room we always look at the window placement and spacing and think about stacking and amount of glass that would be covered. You do not want to add draperies if it creates a crowded look. In this room the shutters using a 4 1/2" louver really opens up the room, gives a lot of light, and beautifully finishes this Dining Room.

Draperies With Shutters

Here is an example of where we added drapery panels to NewStyle Shutters by Hunter Douglas. This is a Dining Room and the customer wanted to add a touch of elegance to the room without giving up the light. There was plenty of room between the window edge and wall so we added Drapery panels made of a neutral Grey Velvet. The drapery panels frame the windows with softness and add a touch of sophistication. Perfect for a Plano dining room. The finished look was what the customer wanted with out giving up light.

Sheer Drapery

We recently finished a project where we installed New Style Shutters by Hunter Douglas  in the customer's Master Bedroom. They turned out beautiful and gave privacy but the room needed softening. The room had a transitional design where the customer combined old with new. The master bedding was white with just a soft blue touch in the pillows. So we added sheer panels in a soft white color with a delicate design in the fabric. And we took the panels all the way up to the crown moldings to give a feeling of height. These drapery sheer panels finished the look of this room.

If you are looking for a new look contact us at Read Design in Plano or Read Design Southlake.  Our Designers are ready to help you. We will look at your space and help you see all of the different ways you can treat your rooms. If you are wanting Plantation Shutters, we will show you all of the choices that would work. And if you are interested in Draperies or Drapery Panels we have a large selection of fabrics that we will show you. Stop in Today

We service the Dallas/Fort Worth areas including Prosper, Colleyville, Grapevine, Allen and everywhere in between.

Beauty Is In The Layers. Duette Honeycomb Shades

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Duette, the original honeycomb shade. Designed by Hunter Douglas for superior energy efficiency. Smart design in crisp, neat pleats, the Duette innovative honeycomb construction creates air pockets where light meets color. Raising and lowering from top or bottom to suit the day and your activities, our Duette honeycomb shades are an attractive, classic choice available in an impressive range of fabrics, pleat sizes, colors, and textures. They can also be made in specialty shapes and with any of the Hunter Douglas lift systems including UltraGlide and the new PowerView Motorization.

Honeycomb shades are very popular here in Texas. Their cellular construction traps hot or coldair at the window making them very energy efficient and they provide much protection against harmful UV rays.

Duette Architella

Exclusive fabrics, energy-saving innovations. Hunter Douglas' state of the art patented design for these attractive shades incorporates three insulating air pockets reducing heat loss at the window by 40%. Duette Architella honeycomb shades offer luminous colors and crisp, consistent pleats. Lower them for privacy or raise completely for maximum light and view, they are beautiful either way. Also consider our Architella Trielle Elan shades. Their five insulating air pockets make them our most energy-efficient design yet. In Dallas whether it is winter or summer, insulating Duette Architella Trielle honeycomb shades help you conserve energy at the window. The numbers speak for themselves. The benefits of Architella Trielle Shades aren’t just the energy-efficient function. Their form is also dramatically beautiful.

Duette Duolite

Hunter Douglas has also created the Duolite feature which is two shades in one using two separate fabric panels to provide maximum light control. Today, Duolite gives you the ability to control light and privacy with the ease of two products in one. See the video of how the incredible shades work.

A Duette Installation

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We recently helped a customer who came into our Southlake store. She had just moved in to a new home in Grapevine, Texas and needed help with the windows in her Family and Breakfast Rooms. These windows face west and there is a large 2 story home behind her. So we selected the Duette Architella Shade in the Elan fabric (Daisy White color) with the UltraGlide lift system. And because she has an open concept design, we used the same shades for all windows. She also wanted to maximize control of the light at different times during the day.  So we added the Top Down/Bottom Up feature and it did the trick. The Architella Shades were a perfect solution for her soft contemporary look.  

The next step was adding Draperies and Curtains. Here we selected one fabric for the breakfast room and kitchen and a coordinating idea for the family room. We used a Grey and White contemporary pattern for the stationary panels in the breakfast and kitchen. This fabric looked beautiful with her Grey and White kitchen. Then for the Family room we used a linen fabric in 2 grey colors. They framed the window beautifully!  

Let Read Design help you with your next Window Fashions Project

With 2 Hunter Douglas Galleries, one in Southlake and one in Plano, we are here to help you find the right product for your window covering needs. Because no 2 jobs and no 2 customers are the same, we will listen to you and look at your home to find the right look for you. And we can also help you with draperies, curtains, valances, and more. New fabrics and accessory items are coming in every day so stop in and see us. Or give us a call

Southlake: 817.416.7164

Plano: 972.608.4999

We help customers in Southlake, Grapevine, Keller, Fort Worth, Colleyville, Flower Mound, Trophy Club, Argyle, Arlington, Robson Ranch, Dallas, Highland Park, Park Cities, Uptown, Plano, Frisco, Prosper, Celina, The Tribute, The Colony, Little Elm, McKinney, Richardson, Wylie, Parker, Allen, Rockwall, Garland, Lewisville, Carrollton, Highland Village, Corinth, and everywhere in between!

Custom Drapery

Designing draperies or any window treatment starts with a plan. A designer will ask you a series of questions:

1. What is the character of the room - traditional, contemporary or transitional?
2. What colors are you interest in using?
3. What directions do the windows face?

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For this living room in a North Dallas home we started pulling fabrics together with a color scheme of navy and cream and threw in a bright orange accent color. We combined traditional and contemporary fabrics for a popular transitional design. We abolutely love texture, so we added a "faux" vinyl which we plan on using on an upholstered cocktail table.

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We used a Silhouette Shade from Hunter Douglas in the Neuveau Candied Coconut fabric on the windows that are on the front of the home. For the drapery panels, we used a navy and cream geometric linen fabric and used a chrome drapery rod with an acrylic finial. The panels framed and softened the window and added a punch of color.

Stop by our shop in Plano to see how our draperies are made, the linings we use and samples of our rods and finials. We will show you why we use the lining we do and educate you on the look of a quality product.

Remember we serve all of the following cities: Plano, Frisco, Allen, McKinney, Parker, Prosper, Celina, Gunter, Sachse, Wylie, St. Paul, Little Elm, The Colony, Lewisville, Aubrey, Melissa, Van Alstyne, Anna, Lucas, Fairview, Rockwall, Rowlett, Garland, Richardson, Heath, Carrollton, University Park, Highland Park, Dallas, North Dallas, Farmers Branch, Coppell, Irving, Grand Prairie, Arlington, Euless, Grapevine, Southlake, Westlake, Trophy Club, Flower Mound, Keller, Roanoke, Argyle, Highland Village, Corinth, Denton, Fort Worth, Kennedale, Benbrook, Cedar Hill, Duncanville, Desoto, Lancaster, Red Oak, Balch Springs, Mesquite, Forney, Crandall, Kaufman, Mabank, Gun Barrel City, Kemp, Seven Points, Cedar Creek Lake, Enchanted Oaks, Payne Springs and many more! We have even traveled as far north as Oklahoma and as far South as Waco!