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.

Hunter Douglas Silhouette A Deux Shades

The latest innovation from Hunter Douglas, Silhouette A Deux™ offers a room-darkening option by combining a classic Silhouette shading and a room-darkening roller shade in a single headrail.  Available as an option on LiteRise®, PowerView® and EasyRise™ operating systems.

By sharing a common head rail, the sleek design of these two shadings allows you to enjoy the sheer look of Silhouette without the interruption of the second shade, as it stays rolled completely inside. Release it only a portion of the way down to enjoy half the amount of natural light, still providing the ambient glow. This dual function that allows each shade to operate separately is the success of this system.

Providing Hunter Douglas Silhouettes 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

Solera - A Roman Shade Option

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New fabrics and colors plus the addition of the top down/bottom up operating system makes the Solera Soft Shade from Hunter Douglas an exciting Roman Shade option. A hybrid of Roman and Cellular Shades, Solera Shades offer a contemporary and upscale look at an affordable price.

The top down/bottom up feature is available with the UltraGlide, EasyRise and PowerView Motorization lifting systems. Along with this sleek feature, three new fabrics and 18 on trend colors are a hit with clients. There is a true white and a nice selection of gray tones - today's most popular interior design colors. All of these fabrics are offered in light filtering and room darkening options, making them ideal for many areas in the home. In addition to their unique style, Solera Soft Shades provide practical benefits. The cellular construction filters light while providing energy efficiency and blocking those harmful UV rays. At Hunter Douglas child and pet safety is key, so these shades were constructed with the lift cords on the inside. You can rest easy knowing that your furniture and floors are protected and your children and pets are safe.

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This is one of our recent installations of Solera Soft Shades in Frisco, Texas. We used the PowerView Motorization operating system and the fabric we selected was Layla in December White. It adds to the clean, soft contemporary look of the room and can easily be paired with almost any fabric for a drapery. That will be our next project.

Providing Solera Soft 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: Amy's Custom Luminette Privacy Sheers - Frisco, TX

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Amy lives in Frisco, Texas and called us to help her with her sliding doors in her living room. The sliding doors look out onto their pool area so the treatment needed to give them privacy and also the opportunity to open up to the patio. Hunter Douglas Luminette was the perfect solution. We treated each door with a Luminette shade and for convenience to open the shade we used the PowerGlide motorized operating system. They look beautiful and were the perfect solution. But we still needed some color. We added a custom valance to the top and the whole treatment turned about beautiful. See the result below! Luminettes are a beautiful, sophisticated window treatment that is perfect for a traditional room but can also be used in a contemporary setting. You can easily add drapery panels or a valance for color. And they are perfect for any room!

Custom Drapery

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We just finished a fun job in Grapevine, Texas. We installed custom drapery panels in nearly every room of this beautiful California Contemporary home including in the master bathroom. These sheer draperies perfectly frame the window and really make this tub feel like an oasis. For privacy we used the Silhouette Shading by Hunter Douglas in the Alustra Brio fabric. For convenince, we used the new PowerView Motorized Operating System. The drapery panels are made of a soft gouzy fabric and they frame the window beautifully. We love the simple iron rod made by the Antique Rod Company.

Plantation Shutters - Still A Favorite In The Dallas - Fort Worth Area

Custom Plantation Shutters are classic and continue to be a favorite solution when covering windows here in the Dallas - Fort Worth area. They provide that final touch of elegance with style and grace - all while blocking out those harsh UV sun rays and providing energy efficiency. Shutters have a timeless beauty and work wonders in any style of home with many frame options from simple and contemporary and detailed and traditional.

Hunter Douglas has 3 innovative styles of shutters and each come in 3 louver sizes; 2.5", 3.5" and 4.5".

Our Heritance Shutters are for those who desire the timeless beauty of real wood along with meticulous craftsmanship. These shutters are built with our exclusive dovetail joinery for maximum strength and durability. They also offer the most wonderful color selections including paints and stains.

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The Palm Beach Shutters are faux and guaranteed not to warp, chip, crack or peel. These shutters are unaffected by temperature and humidity extremes.

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The NewStyle Shutters blend the look of real wood with the stability and straightness of advanced modern-day materials. They create design in perfect harmony. Each of our shutters offer more than 250 configuration options to meet all your design needs. Best of all, our custom shutters have a Hunter Douglas warranty you can really count on. 

Stop by our showroom to see and feel the different types of shutters!

Providing shutters 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

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!