Windows With Bad Views

Here in the Dallas, Texas area new homes are popping up everywhere. It is truly amazing. However, sometimes it seems as though the home building are piling these large homes one of top of the other. It almost feels like you can reach your arm out and touch your neighbor! We recently helped a client in Plano who had exactly this problem. Her home is stunning, but the distance between her home and her neighbors was less than eight feet. The view from her three large dining room windows were a brick wall along with the neighbors air conditioner unit and meters. This was definitely an issue as no one wants to look at that mess while eating a lovely family dinner. What a sore sight!

Our solution for this bad view is simple. We did not want to cover this windows with blinds or shutters as this was the only light entering this room. We still wanted to keep it light and bright. So instead of putting something heavy, we decided to go with a sheer drapery. It is a dining room, after all, so the drapery is a perfect way to dress up the room and solve the visual issue with the view. The sheer fabric we chose has a delicate pattern for added interest and style. The fabric is from a beautiful line in the Kravet Collection. We used a zip rod from Design Elements so they can pull the draperies open if they want to. This window treatment lets light diffuse into the room while hiding the ugly view and dressing up the room. Style and function! What a beautiful combination. If draperies aren't your thing, there are other window treatment options to explore. 

If draperies aren't your thing, there are other window treatment options to explore. 

In a room with more light, you might consider plantation shutters in the 4.5 inch louver. You can tilt the louvers slight to let plenty of light in while still hiding the unwanted view. Keep in mind, shutters will always take away more light because it is a heavy and solid window treatment, so make sure you have plenty of windows and an airy, large room.

Another option would be to look into Pirouette or Silhouette Window Shadings from Hunter Douglas. These two unique products offer the versatility and control most people love. In fact these are my absolute favorite window treatments to use in homes and ten times out of ten, my clients are thrilled. Silhouette shades with the Signature S vane will transform light. Fabric vanes float between two sheers that create a beautiful and functional look. This innovative design will defuse light and soften the view outdoors. They allow for daytime privacy and offer 88% UV blockage in the tilted position. Pirouette shades with its striking design will dramatically filter light in a way you've never seen before. Unless, of course, you're familiar with the product! These shades will give you a softened view to the outdoors along with giving you the look of a traditional fabric shade. Both of these beautiful window coverings come in a variety of fabrics giving you many textures and colors to choose from. It is easy to find the right fabric for your space.

You might even consider the Duette Architella Honeycomb Shade with the Top Down/Bottom Up design feature. This allows you to lower your shade from the top for maximum privacy as well as blocking unsightly views while offering light control. Duette® Honeycomb Shades are the original cellular shades, specifically engineered to provide beauty and energy efficiency at the window in both cold and warm climates. Their honeycomb construction traps air in distinct pockets, which creates insulation that can help lower your energy consumption and energy bills. Duette shades are available in an expansive range of pleat sizes, fabrics, colors, opacities and textures. Innovative operating system design options such as Top-Down/Bottom-Up and Duette Duolite® make these shades a top choice for any window, skylight or even specialty window shapes like arches, sidelights and circles.

The newest option to haze the ugly view would be to use Vignette Modern Roman Shades with the Duolite option. You can use a sheer fabric to distract, but not cut out light. For two opacities in a single shade, consider the revolutionary Duolite® option. Vignette Duolite combines a light-filtering or sheer front shade with a built-in room-darkening back panel both housed on a single roller to easily achieve the perfect level of light and privacy. My favorite fabric in this collection is called Layla and I can't wait to show you!

All of these beautiful shades come in a variety of lift systems including the PowerView Motorization from Hunter Douglas. Control your shades with the touch of a button or use the PowerView App! 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.

Home Improvement

Here at Read Design we are more than just window treatments. We are a full service interior design company and our services include home improvement projects as well as remodeling jobs. We do it all from simple painting to new kitchens. Not many folks know about all the services we provide, so we're sharing a recent project we did. It wasn't a big job, but it is always fun to help make our clients homes feel a little bit better than before. 

Recently a client stopped by our Southlake store and inquired about a shade to cover a skylight in their home. They asked if we would be able to come out and see their room because they told us “it needed work”. We are always ready to take on a challenge so Jeff stopped by their home and realized that they had put in a skylight but had not finished it out. No problem! We could finish it and make it look great! 

He suggested that they use the Sky Lift Duette Architella by Hunter Douglas. We would also add PowerView Motorization for ease of operation and convenience. With PowerView, they can purchase the hub and control the shade using the PowerView App! With this app they can set schedules and scenes so the shades move along with the schedule of the homeowner. The Duette Architella is one of Hunter Douglas most energy efficient products and comes in a number of beautiful colors and textures. It is a Honeycomb shade with a cell within a cell creating 3 pockets of air for maximum temperature control. He showed the client the product and they loved it all the features and benefits of it.

The project needed a little more work. Jeff and his crew added a simple molding around the skylight that blended in to the ceiling and, well, the finished project speaks for itself. It looks so nice and clean like it was meant to be there from the start. The Duette Architella Shade looks great inside of it as well! We are so happy with the final result. 

If you are needing help with window treatments, a simple home improvement project, or a total remodeling project, give us a call. Our designers can show you all of the new style and latest trends for homes today! 

Plano - 972.608.4999

Southlake - 817.416.7164

We serivce all areas around the Dallas and Fort Worth Metroplex

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.

Federal Tax Credit Opportunity

Qualify for a Federal Tax Credit

Federal tax credits via the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015, which gave federal tax credits on select energy-efficient products, have been reinstated for 2016. Note the products must be purchased between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2016 and must be installed by December 31, 2016. The tax credit can be submitted according to the limitations of the IRS. Please consult a tax professional for more information.

1. Purchase any qualifying energy-efficient Hunter Douglas products within the following collections:

• Certain Alustra® Duette ® Architella® honeycomb shades of certain sizes with qualifying fabrics and lifting systems that are inside-mounted over double-glazed windows*
• Certain Duette® Architella® honeycomb shades of certain sizes with qualifying fabrics and lifting systems that are inside-mounted over double-glazed windows*

2. Save your original purchase receipts for the amount paid for the qualifying Hunter Douglas products. (Measuring and Installation charges are not eligible for this tax credit.)

3. Download the Hunter Douglas Manufacturer's Certification Statements (available on this page). Print out the certificate and take it along with your sales receipt to your tax professional to determine your eligibility for this tax

Duette - The finest honeycomb shade now made even better!

The Next Generation Honeycomb Shade

We introduced Duette®, the original honeycomb shade, in the 1980s. Today, we continue to innovate its premium, energy-efficient design to trend-set contemporary decor. We've completely re-engineered the hardware, including a sleek new headrail that now mirrors the honeycomb shape for a more streamlined design from top to bottom, expanded the collection with stylish new fabrics and color choices, refined and streamlined operating systems, and so much more. Certain Duette styles are actually so energy-efficient, they may qualify for a Federal Tax Credit Opportunity of up to $500.

Two Shades = One Extraordinary Design

Our Duette Duolite™ option, featuring two different fabrics/opacities of your choosing fused together to form one sophisticated shade design, has been re-engineered for enhanced style and performance. For instance, the moving connector rail, formerly visible, is now tucked away inside of the shade, creating a more seamless transition between the two fabrics with nothing to mar its beauty. Along with adding stunning visual interest and an element of surprise at the window, Duette Duolite offers a multitude of ways for you to manage your light and privacy needs.

Elevating the Fashion Quotient

Rounding out an already abundant selection of fabrics are three striking new offers: Northwood™ — a harmonious balance of rustic charm and clean modern lines, Alexa — inspired by organic elements found in nature, and Jardin — exclusive to The Alustra® Collection of Duette Architella® honeycomb shades and created from textured yarns that impart a casual chic vibe across the room. Coupled with opacities ranging from sheer to opaque, four pleat sizes and a refreshed palette of colors spanning whites and soft neutrals to mid-tone and more intense hues that lend distinct drama to the decor, Duette offers the most extensive selection of options for custom-creating your dream window shade.

Streamlined, Simplified, Safer Operation

Our passion for innovation extends to our proprietary lift systems that now beautifully integrate with the shade design. Choices include LiteRise® — a cordless lift system that easily raises and lowers the shades via a sleek, contoured handle; UltraGlide® — our retractable cord system, newly redesigned with a decorative tassel that is soft to the touch and easy on the eyes, and PowerView™ Motorization — featuring advanced smart home technology that allows you to program your shades to adjust automatically throughout the day on a schedule that you set, imparting the perfect ambiance for your every mood and moment. Best of all, long and looped cord options have been eliminated, leaving no unsightly cords to tangle with and creating a safer haven for young children and pets.

Read Design

We service all areas from downtown Dallas to downtown Fort Worth and everything around and in between! We happily do consultations in Southlake, Trophy Club, Westlake, Benbrook, Hurst, Roanoke, Flower Mound, Keller, Argyle, Denton, Arlington, Haltom City, North Richland Hills, Corinth, Copper Canyon, Colleyville, Coppell, Grapevine, Haslet, Euless, Watauga, Irving, Las Colinas, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, North Dallas, University Park, Highland Park, Richardson, Garland, Mesquite, Sunnyvale, Forney, Rockwall, Roulette, Sachse, Wylie, Murphy, St. Paul, Parker, Plano, Lucas, Fairview, Allen, Mckinney, Princeton, Melissa, Anna, Celina, Prosper, Gunter, Van Alstyne, Weston, Frisco, Aubrey, Little Elm, The Colony, Addison, Lewisville, and more!

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!

New Year.... New Look

Start the new year right by updating your window treatments.  We can help you find your new look with Hunter Douglas Window Fashions including the Popular Luminette, Silhouette, Pirouette, Duette Shades and even the exclusive Alustra Collection. These beautifully designed window fashions can help you save energy in winter and summer, control light and privacy,  provide enhanced child safety and more.

Call Read Design Window Fashions

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Read Design Window Fashions is a local family owned and operated business and have 2 Hunter Douglas Galleries. One is conveniently located in Plano and the other in Southlake and in 2016 we have added 2 mobile showrooms. One services Highland Park, Park Cities, Preston Hollow, and North Dallas and the other services Fort Worth and surrounding areas. Of Course we will travel anywhere to help you. Besides Hunter Douglas Window Fashions, we can also help you with any of your design needs from Draperies, Custom Bedding, Reupholstery, and Wallpaper. We also have a small amount of Furniture and Furnishings in our showrooms and available to order. Soon we will have a Rustic Urban line that will be a lot of fun. This next year will be full of new and exciting ideas for your home!!!!

Hunter Douglas - Beyond Beautiful

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Beautiful windows are as much about what you don’t see as what you do see. Hunter Douglas engineers exceptional quality and modern functionality into timelessly, stylish, versatile designs for your windows. From industry-leading innovation to the finest materials to assembly here in the United States, their commitment to the very best custom designs is unrivaled. Enjoy Hunter Douglas quality and innovation, with beautiful materials and expert craftsmanship designed into every style. Here at our Hunter Douglas Galleries in Southlake and Plano, we can show you the newest designs and technological advancements, such as the energy-saving cell with in a cell honeycomb construction of our Duette Architella Shade or the PowerView operating system with the latest technology in home automation including the smartphone App. Knowing the extremely high quality of our window treatments, Hunter Douglas confidently offers a Limited Lifetime Warranty.

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Duette Architerra Honeycomb Shades

Exclusive fabrics, energy-saving innovations. The 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-through - they’re beautiful either way. Also consider our Arthitella Trielle Elan Shades. Their five insulating air pockets make it our most energy-efficient design yet. And also important, Duette Architella Honeycomb Shades can be used with every lift system including the New PowerView Motorized lift system.

Let Read Design Help you

Read Design Plano and Read Design Southlake have been Dallas/Fort Worth leader’s in Interior Design and Custom Windows treatments for Homes and Offices for over 30 years. The Designers at Read Design are committed to bringing you the latest styles, current trends, and innovative technologies. Stop by either of our Galleries to see over 65 displays. Or Call and we will send out one of our Hunter Douglas Mobile Showrooms.

Read Design Plano - 972-608-4999

Read Design Southlake - 871-416-7164

Read Design Provides Hunter Douglas Window Fashions, Custom Drapery, Reupholstery and more to all of these areas: Dallas, North Dallas, Plano, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Addison, Coppell, Southlake, Denton, Keller, Roanoke, Benbrook,  Westlake, Fort Worth, Lewisville, Grapevine, Trophy Club, The Colony, Frisco, Prosper, Celina, Savannah, Aubrey, McKinney, Allen, St. Paul, Wylie, Sachse, Rockwall, Rowlett, Lucas, Parker, Melissa, Anna, Fairview, Heath, Garland, Richardson, Irving, Las Colinas, University Park, Highland Park, Kessler Park, Euless, North Richland Hills, Colleyville, Flower Mound, Corinth, Arlington, Little Elm, Hurst, Saginaw, Haltom City, Bedford, Watauga, Haslet and many more!

Hunter Douglas Architella Trielle Honeycomb Shades

The Secret to Year-round Comfort is in the Layers. Introducing Hunter Douglas Architella Trielle.

Customers often ask “what is your best window shade?”

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For quite some time Duette Architella Honeycomb Shades have been considered the gold standard of honeycomb shades. We recommend them to customers because of their superior craftsmanship, versatility, style and energy efficiency. People love that Architella Honeycomb Shades provide a high level of energy efficiency. The cell within a cell design reduces energy loss up to 40% at the windows.

The new Trielle Window Shades – Perfect for Dallas - Fort Worth

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The newest innovation in the Duette Architella line is the Trielle. The new style, with 6 layers of fabric, 5 insulating air pockets and largest 1 1/2″ pleat size, delivers 20% more energy efficiency than the original Architella Shades. Considering that 50% of heating and air conditioning is lost through the windows, having high energy efficient window treatments can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs.

New Colors for Duette Architella Trielle

Hunter Douglas just added 12 more semi opaque and 6 more opaque colors to the Trielle collection. With this line up you are sure to find the perfect shade for your room.

Providing Duette Honeycomb Shades to all of these areas: Dallas, North Dallas, Plano, Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Addison, Coppell, Southlake, Denton, Keller, Roanoke, Benbrook,  Westlake, Fort Worth, Lewisville, Grapevine, Trophy Club, The Colony, Frisco, Prosper, Celina, Savannah, Aubrey, McKinney, Allen, St. Paul, Wylie, Sachse, Rockwall, Rowlett, Lucas, Parker, Melissa, Anna, Fairview, Heath, Garland, Richardson, Irving, Las Colinas, University Park, Highland Park, Kessler Park, Euless, North Richland Hills, Colleyville, Flower Mound, Corinth, Arlington, Little Elm, Hurst, Saginaw, Haltom City, Bedford, Watauga, Haslet and many more!

Call 817.416.7164 for Read Design Southlake

Call 972.608.4999 for Read Design Plano

Client Work: Before & After Kitchen Redesign - Frisco, TX

See how you can change a look with paint, molding, tile back splash and new hardware!

This customer in the Del Webb community in Frisco, Texas bought a new home. She loved the location and home but not so much the kitchen. So after she closed on the home, we went in and added trim and moldings. The cabinets were painted and a new tile back splash and new hardware were installed. It does not look like the same kitchen, but it is! For window treatments we used hunter Douglas Duette Architella shades in Batiste textured fabric which works beautifully with the look she wants. She can open the shades with the touch of her hand using the LiteRise operating system or can keep them closed and still get wonderful filtered light.

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BEFORE

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AFTER