Smart decor - How to Choose Custom Window Treatments With Confidence
By Darlene Goode

You ve carefully selected your dcor, looked high and low for the right flooring, and agonized over paint samples. Now put the finishing touches on your home by using a professional to help you find the best custom window treatments that fit your space and lifestyle, flawlessly.

Indeed, choosing the best custom window treatments can be a daunting task. Many consumers can t always identify the best solution for their home without discussing the possibilities with a knowledgeable professional. All they know is that they have a unique or hard-to-fit space or are looking for a more distinctive and distinguishing shade, blind, valance or drape.

When considering custom window treatments, use the following check list to give you a better idea of how to best approach your purchase.

10 things to consider when purchasing custom window coverings:

1. Contemplate your needs. Different rooms have different needs. For example, in bedrooms or bathrooms consider products that offer greater privacy or room-darkening features. Darkening products are also great for your TV room, as well as rooms that get extra direct sunlight throughout the year. When closed, darkening products will help prevent your furniture, floor coverings and artwork from fading. Some shades can also work to trap heat or cold and help keep your room at a steady temperature.

2. Plan to invest. Whether you are thinking long-term or short-term, consider investing in higher quality, longer lasting custom made products. Even if you plan to sell your home within a year, remember that the right window coverings will add value to your investment.

3. Get a budget on your brain. Whether you are moving to a new home or redecorating, beautiful, high-quality custom window coverings are as much a part of your decorating plan as polished hardwood floors and sparkling granite countertops. As you create your shopping list you may wish to allocate between $4,000 to $10,000 depending on the size of your home and the number of doors and windows you would like to decorate.

4. Consider lift. Are there any windows in your home that you would like to cover, but can t reach? Then consider motorization with remote controls. As a hint, request lithium batteries for your motorized blinds instead of typical AA batteries. Lithium batteries can last up to five years as opposed to just one year with the typical AA. Changing batteries less frequently means less time on a ladder.

Alternatively, ask about options for raising and lowering your blinds outside of the standard pull cord. Other options include a continuous cord loop or a cordless blind, both of which can eliminate long dangling cords. Cordless blinds can be raised or lowered manually with your hands.

5. Get some one-on-one time. Consider having a Window Fashions Professional come into your home for an in-home consultation. In-home consultations are more productive because they allow you to better match products with furniture and wall colours while discussing the full range of custom window treatment possibilities. Many window treatment companies are small businesses that can offer excellent in-home service.

Next, like any other contractor doing work in your home, check to see if the company is licensed, bonded and insured. A licence ensures your vendor follows provincial guidelines and regulations. A bond protects consumers who need to provide a deposit when ordering custom treatments. A bond will cover a deposit should the window treatment company suddenly close. Lastly, liability insurance covers the window treatment company for any unfortunate accidents that may occur on the job in your home.

6. What if… Prior to purchasing your window coverings ask about product warranties and how service calls will be handled. For example, should the strings in a wood blind break, will it be serviced through a house call or will you be asked to uninstall the blind and bring it to the vendor that you purchased it from? Make sure you can live with the answer.

7. Admire your view, keep your privacy. Most shades or blinds will rise up from the bottom to clear your view. However some shades will also lower from the top as well as rise from the bottom. This feature is referred to as “Top DownBottom Up”. The benefit of the top down option is that it allows light into the room while still maintaining a sense of privacy based on how far you lower the shade.

Kitchen Window Treatments
Kitchen Window TreatmentsBy Eric Morris There is a vast selection of kitchen window treatments out there to choose from. In fact, it is the hug...

Bali Window Blinds- Custom Window Blinds With Style and Less Effort
Bali Window Blinds- Custom Window Blinds With Style and Less EffortBy Amanda Taylor Is your home in need of custom window blinds? Bali window b...

Home Decorating Tips - 7 Steps On How To Choose Window Treatments
Home Decorating Tips - 7 Steps On How To Choose Window TreatmentsBy Lynn Cressy Are you ready for new window treatments but are confused by the...

Trends in Window Treatments
Trends in Window TreatmentsBy Norma Smith Window treatments are leaning more toward simple straight lines. But many of these treatments are be...

How To Choose Window Treatments
How To Choose Window TreatmentsBy Tim Lee Window treatments set the mood, feel and look of your residence. It takes up little space in your who...

See the whole picture. Take advantage of software that can allow you to better visualize the appearance of your new custom window treatments in your room. This helps clients better decide which fabric colours and styles looks best in their home. V2K consultants have access to software that can make your custom purchase easier.

9. Compare apples only. Like any other product for your home, you will find a large selection of window treatments available in every price range from a number of manufacturers. When comparing products, be sure to compare quality and durability before you compare price. Ask questions about what the products are made of, and how they will withstand direct sun, humidity, daily use, etc.

10. Measure twice, keep once. When purchasing custom window treatments it is important to take accurate measurements of your windows. If you plan to measure them yourself, remember that once you purchase a blind or shade that is manufactured according to your measurements, it is yours to keep. If you are purchasing from a window treatment company, ask them if they provide professional measuring and installation. Also ask them if there is an additional fee for those services, or not.

Rest assured, V2K consultants have tackled many different custom window treatment projects and are ready to demonstrate a range of possibilities for your home. V2K designs and sells custom window treatments focusing specifically on the residential sector. Let a V2K consultant work through this check list with you to get the best custom window treatments for your home.

Darlene Goode
http://www.calgaryv2k.com
http://www.v2k.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darlene_Goode
http://EzineArticles.com/?Smart-decor—How-to-Choose-Custom-Window-Treatments-With-Confidence&id=670399

Sphere: Related Content

.