Deep Blue Accents

CREATE A FEELING OF POSITIVITY

Deep blue, similar to the color of the night sky or a beautiful sea, suggests a mood of calm and harmony. This beautiful color comes with several names and nuances, including: Cobalt, Royal Blue, Navy, Indigo, Lapis, Mediterranean Blue and Midnight Blue. 

Deep blue complements almost any design plan, from the most modern look to Asian décor to traditional and Victorian styles. 

CONSIDER THESE COLOR COMBINATIONS

Deep blue works as a beautiful accent with neutrals such as grey, ivory, white and beige, and it even pairs well with lighter shades of blue. On the cool side of the color spectrum, deep blue is beautiful when combined with periwinkle, lavender and pink. 

Deep blue can also help to bring attention to other colors in a room, especially complementary warm hues, such as copper, rust, tangerine, lemon, and ochre. 

WHERE TO USE DEEP BLUE ACCENTS

Consider using a deep blue tone in the following ways: 
– In striped, plaid or gingham patterns
– For a dramatic accent wall in your powder room or foyer
– Paired with soft and gauzy white fabrics for a summer décor
– To create a nautical or beachy theme
– To build an Asian look with ceramic stools, lamps and vases
– To invent a Moroccan style with patterned tile, fabrics and rugs 

Create peacefulness in your interior plan this year by adding a touch of deep blue. 

Light & Bright

10 years ago we were busy helping a customer in Plano with their new Town Home. They were lucky to have a great view of a creek from a large window in their kitchen , but it was the only window in the living area other than a couple second story skylights. Their design was more of the Old World look. The Kitchen cabinets were dark, the wood floors were dark and the paint was a golden color. The home was pretty… just dark.

A few months ago the new owner called us for a consultation. “What would you do to give this home a more transitional look” was her question. Our answer. “Paint and that includes the trim”. We also wanted her the paint the kitchen cabinets and that included taking off an Old World Appliqué on the vent. Also new paint on the Fireplace , change out the granite in the Kitchen, new lighter rug and change out the Old World lighting fixtures.

Wow what a difference!! We had the trim painted Extra White and used a very light gray on the wall. I think this changed the look of the room the most. She had the cabinets painted the same Sherwin Williams Extra white. And we changed out the back splash and counter tops. Also many of the globes on the lighting fixtures and added a 72” contemporary ceiling fan.

Now for the finishing details. Those include hardware for the Kitchen cabinets. We are also adding a New Roman Shade for the Window and Door. We are using Vignette by Hunter Douglas. The fabric is the new Cascade Fabric in the soft gray fabric and we will use PowerView lift motorization. One reason Vignettes are so good in situations where the patio right on the other side is their clean construction. There are no rings and cords showing to the outside like many Roman Shades. 

We will also be adding a rug from Loloi rugs. It is a contemporary design using grays, whites, and blues.

We were all pleased with the finished look. Let us know what you think. If you are looking to update your home, gives us a call. We would love to help you get a new light and bright design for your home.

We service Dallas to Fort Worth and all areas inbetween including Colleyville, Grapevine, Westlake, Dallas, Highland Park, Prosper etc.

The Summer PowerView Motorization Event!

From Saturday Jun 30, 2018 to September 10, 2018, Read Design Plano and Read Design Southlake will host a number of Motorization Events including 2 Thursday "Wine and Design" focusing on PowerView Motorization by Hunter Douglas. There will also be Exclusive Promotions, coupon giveaways, and a drawing at each Store for the New PowerView Hub. Stop by and you will also receive the new Art of Window Dressing Book.

So lets get in to it.........PowerView Motorization. Part 1

Smart Home, Smart Living

With PowerView Motorization from Hunter Douglas, the worlds most beautiful window treatments are now the most intelligent.

This innovative wireless system lets you move any powered Hunter Douglas window treatment according to the schedules you set. Perfect lighting, energy efficiency, everyday convenience- its all delivered automatically with PowerView.

Technology. At your Service.

PRECISE OPERATION
Whether you want to move the shades up or down, or tilt or traverse them, PowerView Motorization gives you precise and convenient control of your beautiful Hunter Douglas window treatments.

AUTOMATED LIVING
With the PowerView App, you can quickly create customized Scenes that control all the shades in your home, operating together or in any combination your desire. Then, just schedule those Scenes to automatically move your shades to your preferred positions.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Use PowerView Motorization to move your shades according to the sun 's daily patterns. Having your shades in the right positions can reduce solar heat, gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter, and could help you lower your energy bills.

SECURE
Adjust your shades for added security while you're away via the RemoteConnect texture on your smartphone or tablet.

CHILD FRIENDLY
Simple cord-free operation is aesthetically pleasing and safer for homes with children and pets.

STYLISH
With the widest array of innovative styles, colors, and fabrics in the industry, Hunter Douglas window treatments embody beautiful form and function.

BATTERY POWERED
Most PowerView window treatments are battery powered, so they're easy to install, operate, and maintain. The battery pack is hidden behind the Read rail, so there is nothing to mar the beauty of your window treatments.

This is the Beginning of PowerView. In a few days you will meet the PowerView Family.
But now if you are buying a new home or if you are making improvements to your current home, stop by either Read Design Plano or Read Design Southlake and let our qualified designers show you all of the Window Shadings that can be powered. They can show you fabrics that will work with your life style and give you ideas on how to set your scenes. They can show you the latest trends and current styles. We are a Family business and are excited about all that is new with Hunter Douglas PowerView Motorization.

We service all of these areas. Plano, Dallas, Colleyville, Flower Mound, Allen, Celina, Prosper, Southlake, Grapevine, Keller, Richardson, Carrollton, Frisco, Little Elm, Lewisville, McKinney, Preston Hollow, Trophy Club, Fort Worth, Farmers Branch , Park Cities, Rockwell, Roanoke, Arlington and everywhere inbetween.

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.

Fresh Ideas For Your Home - Pillows

A few small pillows can have a big impact on your decor

Fluff up your decorating plan with pillows.

Pillows seem like a small detail in a decorating scheme, yet they can add so much color, texture and personality to the look of your home.

With pillows, size matters! And so does shape. In addition to square or rectangular pillows, consider unusual shapes, such as round, triangular, oblong and oval. It’s almost always best to have more than one throw pillow on a sofa or bed. Two is most common, but you can also go with three or four.

Adding pillows is an easy way to add color and interest without adding stress or a large budget. For maximum impact and decorating harmony, consider these attributes when you select decorative pillows:

• Use complementary fabrics rather than the same material as your sofa.

• Use colors that are compatible with the rest of your interior elements in the room, such as rugs, carpeting, window coverings and upholstery.

• Mix patterns and solids if you’d like, but avoid more than two patterns because the look may become chaotic.

• Layer different textures with multiple pillows, including smooth silk, soft velvet, rough tapestry and even fuzzy faux fur.

• Think about embellishments on your pillows, such as embroidery, beading, tassels and fringe.

Think about comfort and your budget when you purchase pillows. Feathers and down stuffing feel soft and sensuous, but they tend to be more expensive and don’t hold a stiff shape. Synthetic fills and foam hold their shape better and are more reasonably priced.

​Selecting the perfect throw pillows for your rooms will puff up your home décor beautifully.

Wake Up Your Windows

We love working on jobs where we can use our imaginatio! This is one project that was a lot of fun and where the window treatments really added to the design of the room. For most of the windows we used Plantation Shutters with 4 1/2” louvers. But for this Family Room we decided that all we would use at the windows would be custom drapery panels. We wanted a light fabric because the patio has a large overhang and not much sun gets in. On the back windows in the Breakfast Room and Study we will be using a simple roller shade with an organic feel made by Hunter Douglas. These shades will give protection from the sun but when the sun moves to the west, up will go the shades. And everything is in a light bright fabric. We all are very happy with how everything looks. And as you can see there are many windows so our customer decided to use the PowerView Motorization Lift system. This will be very convenient once the sun is overhead and then again in the evening.

Stop by one of our Hunter Douglas Gallery’s - one in Plano and one in Southlake. Our Designers can show you all of the newest products along with the lift systems. They can show you and explain the exciting PowerView lift system and explain haw it can connect with “Alexa” and other programs. And if you love the softness of draperies, we can help you can up with a design and fabric selections that will Wake up Your Windows.

You can find Hunter Douglas products and Custom Draperies at Read Design in Plano and in Southlake. We service the following areas- Frisco, Celina, Prosper, Dallas, Highland Village, Richardson, Plano, Allen, McKinney, Southlake, Grapevine, Colleyville, Fort Worth, Trophy Club, Rockwall, Rowlett, Highland Park, Preston Hollow and everywhere in between.

Light & Bright

After

Before

New Fabrics and Hunter Douglas Provenance Woven Wood Shades

We recently were asked to help a client in Plano to help her freshen up her home. This is always a fun sort of project. Helen had many pieces that she wanted to keep but was tired of how dark the room looked. I agreed, it was dark! The first thing to go would be the window treatments. She had old Honeycomb Shades that were in bad condition. They were so old and dingy they felt like bounty paper towels. And she had a DARK cornice with a design that dropped down 6” between each window. It was so dark you could not even see the design on the fabric. She said she did want to keep was her breakfast table and chairs because they are a timeless design and the chairs are equipped with a nice cinnamon colored fabric. So this is where we started.

Helen had the walls painted a beige color from Sherwin Williams and had new carpet installed. They are currently in the process of having a built in made for the television.

We found a striped fabric from Fabricut that had a cinnamon color as well as other earthy colors, only they were bright and easy on the eyes. We restyled the cornice making a straight cornice design and reupholstered it with the stripe fabric. We then found a woven shade from Hunter Douglas Provenance Woven Woods collection that had an organic feel. We put a liner on it and used it for privacy. Next we reupholstered one of their very comfortable chairs with a solid soft green chenille fabric and add a lumbar pillow for support.

We also added a taller sofa table that hits the sofa closer to the top and selected a taller lamp and floor lamp that is more the style of the new design. Adding height to the room created a new aesthetic that flows well with the new design of the room.

What is left? We will be reupholstering the sofa and adding two throw pillows. Then we will hang a long iron arch with an earthy wreath above the fireplace and we will add just a few finishing accessories. Helen has done some “shopping" in her own home and has found a number of accessories and pictures that will work with this new design. I love this because it is a blend of the old with the new, keeping things that are important to our client. We will add follow up pictures when the room is complete.

Hunter Douglas Provenance Woven Shades

You need to stop by Read Design Plano or Read Design Southlake to see the new fabrics in the Provenance Woven Woods line up. We are so excited to see so many new fabrics and all the colors there are available. You can motorize these shades using the PowerView motorization and control them from your smart phone or tablet with the PowerView App. Today people want to open up their homes to the outside and using Provenance Woven shades is a perfect way to do that.

Our Designers can help you design a space just for you.

Fresh Ideas For Your Home - Vases

Embellish your room design with a beautiful vase.Vases are not just empty vessels to fill with water and flowers.

Talk about a versatile design element! Vases come in just about any size, shape, color and material. A large floor vase can become the focus of an entire room, while smaller vases can be a final touch that subtly finish off a room’s beauty. 

Vases can add to the design perfection of almost any room:      

• In the foyer – to make an opening statement for your home 

• Around the tub – to make your bathroom feel like a luxury spa retreat 

• On the mantle – to add dimension and symmetry to your architecture 

• In the dining room, to anchor your table beautifully 

• In the living room or great room – to create a focal point or fill an awkward space 

• In the bedroom, to add interest to your bureau or chest of drawers

Often we think about vases solely as vessels to display fresh flowers – and it is nice to bring some of outdoor nature inside! But they are so much more. Some vases are beautiful just on their own. Or you can fill them with dried branches and leaves, bamboo, succulents, evergreens or artificial flower arrangements. 

Vases work alone or in groups of two or more, placed close together. They look great when paired with a chair, occasional table or work of art in a complementary style, shape, color or finish. And one of the best things about vases is you can easily change where they’re placed in a room and change what elements they hold to update a room for every season. 

Add a smart finishing touch to your interior design plan this season with beautiful vases.