24/7talk Interior Design, a blogging page about Interior Design

I just came back yesterday from an educating as well interesting Window Shades Seminar. Hunter Douglas Window Fashions is starting a major Window Shade Promotion for the time of March, April and May 2007. Under the name Life in a Whole New Light with Silhouette Window Shadings, Customers are offered a $50.—(fifty) rebate for each new Silhouette Window Shade purchase, valid for up to 5 (five) Shades a total up to $250.—In my opinion this is for a long time a real win win promotion for Customers which are in the market for Window Shades. First I would like to point out just a couple of Unique Qualities of Silhouette Window Shades.

• three products in one: the light control of a blind, the softness and light diffusion of a sheer, and the operating ease of a shade
• Silhouette window shadings transform light—they beautifully create a mood in the room simply by tilting the vanes
• Silhouette shadings provide light diffusion with an element of privacy .. that’s something no other window covering offers.
• They provide spectacular view through when down in the open position and a full view when the shading is rolled up into the headrail
• The Silhouette product is the only window covering that provides UV protection when the are tilted either closed or open.
• Silhouette window shadings are versatile, stylish and timeless—they can be used beautifully on their own or as an under treatment
• They are a trouble free product, with one of the lowest return rate for a custom window covering
• Silhouette Window Shades have the highest quality in the industry and are backed by the Hunter Douglas Lifetime Limited Warranty
• And last not least above all, Silhouette shadings have what no other window shading offers: the exclusive Quartette 4” vane size. Available in sizes up to 120inches x 120inches, it offers one of the most expansive views on the market

I guess this should be enough to convince everyone that the Silhouette Window Shades are a superior quality product. More can be read at out our Website under Silhouette Window Gallery Or better, just stop by the Westchester Retail Store - The Final Touch Interiors, in Hawthorne, NY. Should you need Directions, simply click on the link How to find us so you have no trouble to get to our Show Room, where we can introduce you to the exciting Silhouette Window Shades

The Lighting in your Dining Room should be beautiful, which most lights are, but it also should be functional.
This will be a mix of general lighting, task lighting, and accent lighting that will set the mood for a number of functions, including for a formal dinner, a family get-together, and other activities such as homework, hobbies, or family bookkeeping. It all depends on your own preference and life style.

A recommended must is to use dimming controls, as they will enable you to vary the light for each occasion.

The chandelier is mostly the focal point of the dining room. Suspended over the dining room table, it will serve as a decorative style element that enhances the beauty of your fine furnishings. When you dim the light on your chandelier, a soft, glowing atmosphere similar to candlelight is created. 

Recessed low voltage lighting this is my personal preference in use of my interior design projects, as they provide general lighting, while enabling you to highlight prized possessions throughout the room. A set of four recessed down lights (important to use low voltage halogen lights here) around the dining table supplement the light from the chandelier, while providing accent lighting for your tableware. The pure white light of low-voltage fixtures will make your crystal and silverware sparkle. I have tried this set up for many dining rooms and it was always a big success with my Clients.

A buffet or sideboard can be flanked with traditional wall sconces on either side. Choose fixtures that complement the style of your chandelier. Displayed objects can be accented with recessed down lights (again as before - low voltage halogen fixtures) installed in the ceiling above.

The china cabinet, breakfront, hutch, or wall niche can become a showplace for your prized collectibles by installing strips of low-voltage mini-lights under the shelves or even fiber optic lights.

One more item to pay attention too, is the right way of lighting your art work, antique displays or family portraits. They can be dramatically high-lighted with recessed adjustable accent fixtures.

Ask the experts at Final Touch Interiors on your next Lighting Design Project in helping you to choose fixtures that are best suited or have them draw up a lighting plan for your decorating needs.

They walk into their home and feel this great sense of accomplishment and are smiling from ear to ear. They picture where everything is going to go, what color they will l choose, the furniture they will buy, the art and pictures they will hang, and the memories they will build. They bought their new dream home and now it’s the time to decorate. Why would a proud homeowner take the chance by decorating their new dream home without the help of a professional interior designer? There are several blunders and even more most homeowners make when moving into their new home. Many people end up spending more to get a professional to fix their mistakes than if they hired them in the first place and I can tell quite some stories about it.

• A.) Not Getting Help from an Interior Designer

Designers can help homeowners plan the use their living space and come up with a strategy on how to decorate their home based on the space, some of the items they have already, and new items for their house. Professionals, like myself from the Final Touch Interiors, can put together a comprehensive floor plan, furniture layout, and a budget before they start in order to avoid mistakes. Interior Designers pull together different material and styles, incorporate items they have, and consider their budget, which saves time and money.

• B.) Clutter and Disorganization

Homeowners should avoid keeping anything they don’t use. Having too much clutter can make a room look smaller and less comfortable to live in. We are working with professionals from NAPO which can help you to decide what to dispose of and how to store the rest.

• C.) Quality Versus Quantity

Buy the best you can afford. Spend the money on items that are getting used and abused daily, such as a family room couch. Also, don’t fill the space with a lot of unnecessary items. Quality versus quantity! Having a lot of items will just make a room look more chaotic instead of being a well thought out design where all the elements flow together.

• D.) Bad Lighting

The key to success is great lighting. Many customers don’t pay that much attention to their lighting and end up with a bad lighted living space. Don’t have just one light source. Lighting is used to make the interior of your home more dramatic and is used also to create ambiance. Have lamps on the end tables for reading or less obtrusive lighting and use dimmers for overhead lighting. Just as an Example use lighting for focal points in the room and up-light plants. The lighting in a room can change the feel entirely so finding the right combination is important. We will write in the next couple of weeks some chapters in what and how to use lighting correctly.

• E.) Lack of Experience Working with Scale

Since many people have not been trained in Interior Design, they buy furniture just because they like the color, the fabric, or the way it looks in the store. Sales people will sell you anything just to make the sale. Customers will buy it without a set plan on how it will look in their room or where they will put it. I have it seen it in too many cases. They haven’t taken into consideration how it will relate to the rest of the room. Each room is different and each room needs its own planning. An interior designer knows how to look at a room and plan what it will look like after everything is put in place.

• F.) Wrong Scale when Accessorizing

Details and accessories in a room can bring everthing together. Many interior designers suggest, don’t buy all the accessories at once, I agree completely with that statement. Take your time and buy pieces little by little and as they fit the individuals style and the rest of the decorative decor. Group accessories together, don’t spread them out by themselves, create a theme and a feeling for your room. Also, add some of your own items that have sentimental value. Not everything needs to matched or it will start to look like a model home and looks too staged, which is a common mistake too.

• G.) Wrong Furniture Arrangement

Don’t arrange furniture all in a row against the wall. It makes the room look smaller and it will also make the room look boring. The room needs movement and a creative set up, make groupings that make sense. It is important to look at all the options on paper, use a floor plan. There is always more then one option for how to place furniture. Look at the floor plan, take into consideration how many people need to sit, and pay attention to the focal points. Although these are some ways to make sure a home is blunder proof, it is easier to hire an interior designer who has the knowledge and expertise to put it all together. In my opinion Homeowners hire professionals to help build their home, now they should hire a professional to help decorate their home. In too many cases this is not happening.

Windows in our new Homes are getting larger and from a certain size, it was always a problem to cover them accordingly. Even for the commercial market like for offices or conference rooms one had always an issue to cover large windows with one window shade only. Hunter Douglas recognized the issue and introduced for the Window Coverings Market new window shade fabrics to cover large windows: Window Shade Fabric Sizes - new

• width: 192inches
• height:  144inches

Further the new program includes: Window Shade Tube which are available in following sizes

• 2.5inch diameter
• 3inch diameter

To enhance to look of the Designer Screen Shades, Hunter Douglas is offering know a much needed Fascia too. It is used to cover or conceal the Designer Screen Shades and is available in widths up to 156inches. Following are the Fascia colors:

• white - Fascia
• white - Fascia
• vanilla - Fascia
• bronze - Fascia
• anodized - Fascia
• black - Fascia

The optional Fascia is an “L” shaped aluminum extrusion that covers the top and bottom of the roller shade tube for a sleek appearance. The pocket is  “U” shaped extrusion that houses the standard and motorized roller shade. The Pocket can be mounted inside the window framing, as well as recessed into the ceiling or wall by a professional installer from Final Touch Interiors to completely conceal the roller tube mechanism.