Decorate Your Home - It's Easy & Fun!

Rex - Our Shop Dog & Best Friend

2009-07-10T14:37:00.000-07:00

Rex - Our Shop Dog & Best Friend

It is with a great deal of sadness we must report that Rex our Cocker Spaniel left us the day after Easter 2009. He came to work almost every day of this life from the ripe old age of 3 months until his death 14.6 years later. He never complained about the management or his clients, he never stayed home because he was lazy and wanted to skip work - in fact he beat us to the car every morning when it was time to leave for work. Rex had the pleasure of meeting many wonderful clients during his years; he would greet every one who came into our shop with a sniff, a wag of his little tail or maybe he'd bring them his ball. He used to lay on the carpet in the front window and several times through the years people turned their cars around and came into our store to see if he was a stuffed dog in the window; no, he was just waiting for me to come back from an appointment.

What a wonderful friend he was. Trixie, his companion the last two and one-half years has big PAWS to fill! Oh, we have a new puppy Teddy, who was born on March 26th, he is a nephew of Trixie's. But, Rex no one can take your place and we will always miss you!

Spring Hunter Douglas Rebates - Stop the Great Energy Giveaway

2009-02-11T11:51:00.001-08:00

The best rebate program ever offered by Hunter Douglas started on February 1, 2009 and will be in effect until April 30, 2009. The rebates will be offered on selected products and there are limites to the number of shades that will qualify for the rebates.

Rebates will be from $50 to $300 per shade, up to 10 units on each product below:

$300 for each Duette VertiGlide with Duolite honeycomb shades

$200 for each Duette VertiGlide honeycomb shade

$200 for each Luminette Privacy Sheer

$150 for each Park Lane Privacy Sheer

$150 for each Skyline Gliding Window Panel

$100 for each Silhouette window shading

$75 for each Pirouette window shading

$50 for each Duette Architella honeycomb shade

$50 for each Duette LiteRise with Top-down/Bottom-Up or Ultraglide with Top-Down/Bottom-Up

$50 for each Vignette Modern Roman Shade

$50 for each Nantucket window shading

(Duette Architella rebate is not combinable with Duette Vertiglide or Duette LiteRise/UltraGlide TDBU rebate. Only one rebate submittal allowed per client during this offer.) Please allow approximately 8-10 weeks for delivery of rebate checks by US mail after products have been installed.

Hurry - this is a great opportunity to add beautiful new window covering products in your home and receive this special rebate offer too.

Making GREEN Beautiful - Saving Energy at the Window

2009-01-12T14:50:00.000-08:00

Heat flow through windows is graphically shown in the infrared photo above, where red areas indicate energy loss. The dramatic color difference between the walls and windows shows the contrast in resistance to heat flow. How can we make the windows more like the walls? By adding insulation. Not with the fiberglass you would use in the walls, of course, but with window coverings - products that also control light and privacy, and add a fashion statement to each room.

This infrared photo illustrates that by simply adding an insulated shade to the uncovered window means saving a lot of energy when heating your home. Energy loss, both in heat loss and heat gain, is through the windows; when they are insulated this means that you are saving money. The Duette Architella shade can add R-Value to your windows up to +4.

R-Value measure resistance to heat flow. The walls of a contemporary home typically have an R-Value of 19, while standard double pane windows only have an R-Value of about 2. By adding window fashions like Duette Architella honeycomb shades can add up to four points tripling the energy efficiency of a standard double pane window and cutting heat loss through it by up to two-thirds. Imagine the impact of this much increased insulation on your utility bills!

When you choose Hunter Douglas products for your windows you're doing more than saving energy resources and money. You're also enhancing the look of your home with remarkable beauty and style at the window plus you're increasing the resale value of your home as well. Come into our showroom at Drapes & More Interiors to see a sample of this fine product. We will be happy to come to your home to give you a free estimate too.

Clock Close-out Sale - Howard Miller Clocks

2008-12-16T13:44:00.001-08:00

Clock close-out sale through January, 2009. We are not planning to carry these fine clocks in stock when our current inventory has been sold. In order to sell them we have discounted them down to 65% off their suggested manufacturer's listed retail price. The sale is for instock clocks only. We can special order clocks from Howard Miller but they will not be included in the close-out sale.

We have a nice selection of wall and table clocks in stock. Hurry there is only three floor clocks left for sale. The one pictured is in the tradition of the Arts & Crafts Guilds style and is in a medium oak. The floor clock is cable-driven with a Westminster chime and a Klininger movement with the chime silence option.

Goodbye Son - Time to Get Back Into Life's Joys

2008-11-24T13:38:00.000-08:00

To say goodbye to your only son is the hardest thing I've ever had to do in this life! It's been just four months since my son Steven died suddenly. There was no warning that he may have been ill; he just fell to his knees and fell backwards on the floor while eating a sandwich - he died instantly. I guess there is some comfort in knowing that he was safe and happy when he left us, and that he died in his own home.

This snapshot of him laughing on his last birthday in February shows the man that was my son. We are still shocked and miss him very much but life must go on.

About a week after he died he visited me in a dream. I could hear his voice as if he was standing next to me in the room. He said to me, "Mama-kins, why are you so sad?" I looked up at him and replied that I was so sad because I missed him so much. He then said, "Please stop crying, I'm just fine." He was smiling and looked wonderful, as if he had lost 20 years; his face was without lines, his teeth were quite white, his eyes were clear and deeply green. He was framed by a golden light at the back of his head which seemed to make his brown hair glow; he was a handsome man before he died but what I saw was a re-born, handsome young man, in good health, who was extremely happy.

I am thankful that I could see him as he is now and am deeply thankful that Steve accepted Jesus Christ as his savior before he died. I know that he is in His care. What a wonderful promise from Him we all have, to meet each other again some day soon. Now I can say "Goodbye" to Steven with a little less sadness.

October is National Child Safety Month

2008-09-24T14:14:00.000-07:00

If you have children their safety is your #1 consideration. Unfortunately cords on window coverings can contribute to fatal accidents; every year about 50 children in the USA are injured or killed by strangulation involving window covering cords. Pets are sometimes victims too.

Hunter Douglas is offering a FREE child safety upgrade this fall - a FREE LiteRise cordless lifting system with every purchase of Duette or Applause Honeycomb Shades. This free upgrade promotion runs September 25 through November 17, 2008. Hurry promotion ends soon.

We invite you in to our showroom to see these fine products and this unique - and safe - lifting system. We offer free measuring service to our clients and also offer installation services for every product we sell.

Solar Film - A Way to Improve Your View

2008-09-05T12:18:00.000-07:00

This photo is just a snapshot taken with a cell phone so obviously isn't of great quality; however, it does tell quite a story about how solar film, properly applied to your windows in your home, can not only save you energy costs but it can also improve the view. The photo was taken on a day where the air quality wasn't at its best due to fires in the area which left the air very smoky- note that you can hardly even see the distant hills on the three panes that do not have the film on them while the right pane, with recently installed film, shows the hills and everything between much clearer and more colorful.

Please call us for a free estimate or look up our website at www.winsbysungard.com for all kinds of information on how solar film will make your life more comfortable while you are spending less on energy. The added benefits of lowering fading of floors, furniture and art work makes solar film a smart addition to your home or office.

Thibaut Wallpaper and Fabrics

2008-06-30T06:32:00.000-07:00

We're excited. We are now able to provide our clients with a group of truely unique wallpaper and fabric collections. Come into our showroom and see the samples of these fine products.

Thibaut (pronounced Tee-Bo) was established in 1886 making it the nation's oldest continuously operating wallpaper firm. Their fabrics and wallpapers are known for their color palettes and classis style. They offer unsurpassed quality and design in styles that range from historic reproductions, toile and chinoiserie to tropical and novelty patterns. Their products are only sold through selected retail stores and interior designers.

Thibaut wallpaper and fabrics are what a well decorated room needs. All patterns are exclusive and coordinate beautifully. Whether you are planning to add custom draperies, bedspreads or re-upholster one of your chairs, Thibaut has a beautiful choice of fine fabrics to do the job. Visit their website to see all of their collections at www.thibautdesign.com .

We would be happy to give you a free estimate on any of our services. Let us help you make decorating your home easy and fun!

Hunter Douglas Fashion for Windows Summer Sale Event

2008-06-30T05:52:00.000-07:00

Take advantage of special rebate savings on selected Hunter Douglas products from May 15 through August 31, 2008. Savings apply on up to 10 windows per product. Visit our store for all the details.

Save up to $500 on Silhouette shades. Hunter Douglas will rebate $50 for each shade with a maximum of 10 shades per household during this exceptional offer. Hurry offer ends soon. See more details on our site www.drapesandmore.hdwfg.com.

Designer Screen Shades - Save Energy & Your View

2008-04-27T15:31:00.000-07:00

Remember the old roller shades your Grandmother had in her home? Today it would be hard to find ones like them because there are so many wonderful new roller shade products on the market. Hunter Douglas' Designer Screen Shades are an example of up-to-date style, texture, color and style. Please look at the attached reference library video to see how these great shades would look today in your home or office.

Reference Library - Hunter Douglas Window Fashions and check on Designer Screen Shades to see the video.

If you want to control the sun's harmful UV rays and heat, yet keep your view, try one of the open weave sunscreen style shades. They come in many colors and textures to go with almost any decor. These energy saving shades will help save your floors, furniture and wall hangings from premature fading. Add a solar film on the window itself and you create a double energy savings guaranteed to save you energy costs. Give us a call, we'd be happy to help you.

Searching for Furniture on The Internet Can be Time Consuming

2008-04-20T12:40:00.000-07:00

Shopping for home furnishings can be a daunting task - driving from store to store trying to find the perfect piece of furniture to fit into our home's decor. So, most of us now sit down in front of our computers and begin looking for information about the furniture pieces we wish to add before we actually go shopping. Recent studies found that 57% of internet researchers spend three or more hours online to research furniture and two out of five consumers, who recently bought furniture, logged on first before buying.

Unfortunately, there is so much information on the internet you can literally receive millions of links that range from blogs and encyclopedia entries, retailers very far away from your location and retailers trying to sell overstocked items on the internet. In other words, an over load of information awaits the casual information seeker.

Furniture Style magazine, a publication for furniture retailers, has created a new guide for consumers to direct them in their search for information about furniture and home furnishings. A new industry-focused search engine has been developed to deliver results to viewers who want to skip the clutter . In addition to directing consumers to furniture retail web sites and online sources of inspiration for the home, www.furniturestylesearch.com is for industry professionals too. Save this site in your favorites or you can download a FurnitureStyleSearch.com toolbar for your web browser. then you'll have it when you need it. This tool will save a lot of time when you're looking to buy or replace a furniture piece.

ATA Airline's Bankruptcy - Or, Marooned on a Tropical Island

2008-04-16T17:28:00.000-07:00

This is one of our favorite places to just kick back and enjoy a little R&R - the Marriott's Maui Ocean Beach Club on the beach at Ka'anapali in Maui, Hawaii.

We scheduled a week's vacation and took off from the Oakland CA airport on the ATA Airlines on Sunday March 30th and flew without problems directly to Maui. The tickets had been purchased and paid for some time ago.

The day after we arrived in Maui Aloha Airlines announced they were closing but they had made some arrangements with other airlines to handle the return of their passengers to the main land. We smirked with self-satisfaction that we would be OK; until early on Wednesday morning when the Marriott's personnel notified us that the ATA Airline had also filed bankruptcy sometime in the night and had already stopped flying. Luckily we had brought a laptop computer with us and my hubby immediately got on it and his cell phone to try and get us two seats back home later in the week. Were we ever surprised - ATA had made no efforts to help their stranded passengers throughout their entire flight area. Our tickets home were worthless!

The helpful customer service rep for United Airlines finally found us two tickets to get home by a circuitous route, but three days later than we had planned to go home. The one-way tickets for two people cost nearly $1,600. We then contacted the hotel's desk - and luckily for us - they had another room in the resort that we could stay but only for the two extra nights that we would be forced to stay in Maui. Adding the cost of additional nights at the resort, additional days of a car rental and food to the expensive ticket home you can imagine what these few days cost.

The route home was a very long one; Maui to Molokai, Molokai to Honolulu, Honolulu to Los Angeles, Los Angeles to San Francisco - then a $100 taxi cab ride from the San Francisco airport to the Oakland airport to pick-up our car for the drive home. We were thankful to get home because many people were still stuck in Hawaii when we left and wish to thank United Airlines for their courtesy and help in getting us to the main land.

Why do large corporations have the ability to cheat so many people? You could not convince anyone that ATA Airlines hadn't know about their financial problems far in advance of the closure date; especially since they had all the paperwork together to file bankruptcy during the night and close up immediately. Yet, they kept taking client's money selling tickets until the last minute with no plans to perform as promised. If a small company continued to sell and collect money from clients for products or services that they didn't intend to provide, the local law enforcement people would be in hot pursuit of these business owners to put them in jail for defrauding their clients. Why does corporate America have the ability to defraud people with no regret and no reprecussions?

Maybe it's time to once again regulate the airline industry - they don't seem to be able to do it for themselves. What do you think?

Wall Art...Or How to Make Your Home Special

2008-03-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

Art, either painted on a wall as in my photo, or hanging on a nail in a frame can be the "jewelery of the home". Too many times I am invited into a client's home and quickly see how carefully they have painted their walls, picked their furniture and rugs, etc. yet see unfinished walls...without art or, worse yet, with tiny pictures hung too high on a large wall, which look lonely and forlorn.

When you choose the pictures for your room pick subjects that you like to look at, not something that just goes with your colors. Art should speak of your personality, hobbies and dreams. The wall art you pick tells your guests who you are and what you love more than any other accessory in the room. Art brings color and life to your room.

Original art works are always best for your rooms because they are just that...original. Look for original works of art at local art shows and you will be surprised at the many wonderful choices you will have at reasonable prices. You will be helping a potential "starving artist" gain recognition in the art world by buying one of their pieces.

There are many prints available to decorate your walls too. Use them in combination with sconces, shelves, decorative plates, metal grates, etc. and your home will truly be unique.

Vitamin C Doesn't Belong in Your Lungs!

2008-03-07T17:27:00.000-08:00

Every once in awhile life seems to give you a little "kick in the knee" - and, boy did I get one last Sunday afternoon. Obviously, this is a story about an event, that according to all the doctors I've spoken with this week, just shouldn't have happened!

My hubby and I were working in our home office, discussing what we wanted to do about an issue, when I decided that it was time to take my daily medications being it was around 1:00 PM in the afternoon. The pills themselves are standard sizes, except for the two "horse" sized tablets I take of Calcium /Vitamin D and the Vitamin C which were not only both large, but dry and gritty. Anyway, I put the two larger pills into my mouth at once, grabbed a swig of water and swallowed. I knew that I was in trouble the second they passed the back of my tongue. The Vitamin C pill somehow turned cross ways in my throat and the Calcium acted as a battering ram as it drove the Vitamin C tablet down and into my Trachea (or as my mother used to call it the "wind pipe"). My God - what a panicky feeling it is to have a rather large foreign body suddenly and unexpectedly enter your breathing zone.

Hubby immediately began to administer blows to my back and jolts to my diaphragm with no success. Coughs began to rack my throat and a deep burning sensation began to develop in the bronchial area of my lungs on the right and center of my chest. Lucky for me the Vitamin C pill quickly began to break up and, I thought should be dissolving, as I could now breathe above and around the pain. Anyway after an hour or two I felt somewhat OK except for the persistent burning feeling. Coincidentally I had a previously made appointment with my Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT)physician the next morning, so decided to wait to seek medical attention - what a fool!

When the ENT doctor heard my story and my symptoms he ran out of the examination room yelling over his shoulder that this was serious and that he was calling a Lung Specialist immediately; and I was to wait there. Less that five minutes later he directed me to the nearest hospital's Emergency Room (ER) as the specialist would be waiting for me there. What a shock - when I got to the ER they took me in immediately, no waiting in the waiting room for hours for me.

Within an hour of arriving at the ER, I was unconscious on a table having a Bronchoscopy procedure to try and assess the damage to my lungs and to try and remove as much of the Vitamin C as possible. Remember Vitamin C is an acid. The photos of the procedure were even clear to me, a non-medically trained person. Imagine the inside of your lungs covered in a white frosting-like material. When the matter was removed you can see the burned lung tissue under it. What a mess - so I spent three days in the hospital and had three different physicians and numerous nurses tell me how lucky I am to be alive. I've been left with the worst case of bronchitusI've ever experienced and am taking huge dosages of Prednisone just to keep the ability to breathe. Oh, and I'll have to undergo another bronchoscopy in about a month to see what other damage the Vitamin C may have caused.

Moral of this story - don't try to take two large capsuls of any kind of food supplement. vitamin or medicine at once like I did! Also, if you ever have a Vitamin C loged anywhere in your body get to a doctor immediately. (This experience makes me wonder what it does to your stomach.) Now, maybe I can be back to work by next week?

Wood Cornices - Beautiful Addition to Your Windows

2008-03-02T11:22:00.000-08:00

Last month Hunter Douglas released a new product to the window covering industry. They will come in 46 colors to match their Country Woods Expose wood blinds or can be purchased unfinished. Each cornice will be made of 100% domestic wood and will be hand-finished and hand-assembled by genuine craftsmen.

There will be six styles in heights of 6", 9" and 12". The unfinished cornices will be available in Basswood, Cherry, Oak or Pine and you can paint or stain them to any desired finish.

There are several design options to truly customize them:

Decorative keystones
Carved wood appliques
Coordinating mantel shelf & decorative shelves
Decorative plate groove

Cover a shade and a drape combination as in the photo with one of these stylish cornices and you have a window fit for a "queen". If you also have a fireplace in the room you can add the mantel shelf too and the room comes live with style and beauty.

Motorized Window Coverings - Introducing "Platinum Technology"

2008-01-30T15:02:00.000-08:00

Always something new in the window covering industry; especially at the Hunter Douglas company. They are the obvious leader in supplying homeowners with the finest, newest window covering products on the market.

Introducing "Platinum Technology", the next generation in motorized window coverings. This system offers both infrared (IR) line-of-sight and radio frequency (RF) out-of-sight group controls. So now raising, lowering and adjusting window coverings is as simple as touching a button.

The beauty of "Platinum Technology" is the ability to operate an individual window covering or an entire group of them, even in multiple rooms from the same remote. You can also operate multiple groups at the same time up to 100 feet away with radio frequency control.

"Platinum Technology" is available with: Duette shades, Silhouette shades, Vignette shades, Luminettes, Country Woods, Brilliance pleated shades, EverWoods and Modern Precious Metals. Look at the video below for more information. Call us for a FREE estimate.

Did You Get Your Utility Bill? Window Coverings May Help!

2008-01-29T07:03:00.000-08:00

My Gosh! Were you as surprised as we were when we opened our utility bill for last month? Wow, our energy bill had gone up 43% from the month before. Yes, it was Christmas and we did have a few low voltage lights in the trees outside in our front yard but the natural gas was the real culprit.

Just trying to keep our house warm was the real issue, especially with the high price of gas and other fuels today.

This high bill made us begin to think of what we could do to try and keep our bills down. The obvious is to wear more sweatshirts in the house and to turn off the lights when we leave a room. The other things we could do is to check the weather stripping around our doors and windows, which we did; and to turn down the water heater temperature. Probably the next best thing that we could do was to look at the energy loss we were experiencing from several windows that we had chosen not to cover because we wanted to maintain the views from these windows. What a mistake! Now they are covered with Silhouette shades and what a difference - the rooms are about 10 degrees warmer, no kidding! And, the views will not be lost as the shades disappear almost completely when they are raised into their headrails.

Window coverings cut heat loss in winter and increase your home's cozy comfort as they slow the escape of warm air. It is a proven scientific fact that heat gravitates towards cold and when a window is not covered the glass is always cold and the heat just disappears. This creates a huge loss in warmth from your room. Window treatments act as insulation, covering the glass to keep warm air inside. Window coverings also cut infiltration of solar heat, the single largest contributor to the workload of your home's cooling system in the summer. By putting the best window coverings on your window you will save money on utilities and save the natural resources used to generate energy. On top of all these benefits you save your interior fabrics, furnishings and woods from fading and deterioration.

Visit www.hunterdouglas.com for their listing of test results for their fine window covering products. R-values range from 2.01 to around 7.0. Oh, and you still have time to purchase Architella Duette, honeycomb style shades with the factory rebate now underway, see my previous entry on this blog with all the details. Visit us at our shop and we will be happy to show you all of their fine products or visit our website at www.drapesandmore.com.

Fresh Flowers - Preserving Their Life

2008-01-17T09:04:00.000-08:00

Keukenhof Gardens, in the Netherlands near Amsterdam, is one of the most beautiful gardens in the world. Its tulip display lasts for only about 6 weeks each spring but the trip is worth it as you will see some really beautiful flowers there, you will be surprised at the variety and colors. We saw so many tulips that just don't seem to grow in Northern California when we were there. (Website: www.keukenhof.com) & click on the language flag at the bottom of the home page.)

It is the middle of winter here in Northern California, I've had a little time to start "going through" some of my garden travel photos and the thought of what's to come in the spring, as our garden begins to wake up, has come to mind. It is also the season to think about bringing fresh flowers into our home so we can enjoy their beauty and to remind us that spring will be here soon. Fresh flowers improve our moods. We love them in our gardens, on our decks and patios and on our dining room tables.

When you cut a fresh flower or buy them from your local flower shop, you want them to last as long as possible. If buying flowers try to pick the ones that are just starting to open. If cutting them from your garden, gather them in the early morning before the dew has dried or in the early evening. Cut them with sharp shears, snipping above the dormant bud to spur new blooms. It is best if you immediately immerse the cut flower into a bucket of lukewarm water until you can begin your arrangement.

When you are ready to arrange them, re-cut the stems at a slant - underwater if possible. Use a clean vase. Fill the vase with warm water - about 110 degrees F. is ideal - because freshly cut stems take up lukewarm water more easily than cold water. (One exception is with bulb flowers such as tulips & daffodils, which should be placed in cool water.) Add a preservative to the water. You can prolong the life of many flowers by adding a floral preservative. Commercial brands are available but you can also make your own as follows:

Floral Preservative

1 Cup regular 7-UP

1 Cup water, lukewarm

1/2 teaspoon household bleach

After your bouquet has been completed, replace the water and re-cut stems every couple of days. Some flowers give off sap that is toxic to other flowers, so it is important to frequently refresh the water of a mixed bouquet. Water changes will also help prevent the growth of bacteria that can clog the stems and block water uptake. Keep your vase out of direct sunlight and away from the heater, the best place is in the coolest place in your room. Yes, a fresh bouquet of flowers in your home is an antidote for the winter blahs!

Trevi Fountain - The Voice of Rome

2008-01-11T14:36:00.000-08:00

Before we joined a group of window covering dealers (who sell Hunter Douglas products) in Venice in May, 2007, to board a ship for the Greek Island cruise, we spent six days in the "Eternal City". Rome, Italy has many wonderful places to visit and many fountains, but none eclipses this "voice of the Eternal City" - the Trevi Fountain.

The Trevi Fountain is huge, 65 feet wide and 85 feet high, literally part of the host palace's facade. It appears that the fountain just flows from the base of the building itself. What an impressive structure, seemingly tucked away in a confined space off narrow streets. The mythical figure Oceanus (or, some say Neptune) stands proudly in his shell-shaped chariot, controlling the flood that cascades beneath him. Water gushes around the other figures and tumbles over the rocks below. The water basin takes up a large part of the piazza making you feel as if the fountain is part of the piazza itself.

The Trevi Fountain was commissioned by Pope Clement XII and designed by Italian architect Niccolo Salvi. Construction was started in 1732 and completed in 1762. The fountain is fed by the first-century BC Agua Virgo aqueduct.

An interesting story we heard from the guide we had hired to show us Rome's fountains, was that there had been a barber shop across the street from the fountain's construction site, to the right of the photo, when it was being constructed. Evidentially, the barber gave the architect and his workmen quite a bit of trouble because he objected to the noise of the construction. So bad was his behavior towards the builders that the architect "fixed him" by building a large obstruction on the wall of the fountain in front of his shop so that the bottom shops in the building, including the shop that the barber occupied would never be able to see the beautiful fountain. This explains the rather large obstruction on the right side of the fountain's wall still standing today.

Hundreds of visitors visit the Trevi Fountain each day to toss coins into the fountain (legend says that the fountain has special wishing powers), the money left by tourists averages about $11,000 per week which is collected and donated to a religious charity.

Both Walt & I want to thank all of our 2006 clients for making this trip possible. This year, 2008, we will be again going on a Hunter Douglas trip to Europe - a cruise of the Baltic Sea. How can we thank all of our wonderful clients in 2007 for making another wonderful trip possible?

We wish everyone a wonderful, successful & healthy 2008!

Duette Architella Shades - Energy Efficiency Promotion

2007-12-17T15:06:00.000-08:00

Enjoy even greater energy efficiency, sound absorption and, for a limited time, rebate savings during Hunter Douglas' Energy Efficiency promotion which started December 1, 2007 and will continue until February 28, 2008. Limit one rebate form per household. Four unit maximum on this offer. Duette Architella honeycomb shades come in light filtering or room darkening styles and offer a choice of decorator colors to match your decor. Most importantly they offer an energy savings not matched by any other honeycomb product. Hurry rebate ends soon!

Clock Sale - Howard Miller Fine Clocks

2007-11-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

We have a large selection of in-stock Howard Miller clocks at our shop. Selection includes several floor clocks, wall, mantel & table top clocks. Howard Miller is the world's largest maker of floor clocks and they strive to be the best! Each clock shows quality craftsmanship in the meticulous attention to details - the rich, hand applied finish, the satin smooth feel of every cabinet, the beautiful chimes - which make each floor clock a sensory delight. Clockmakers have always considered the floor clock movements made by Kieninger the finest of their kind. Howard Miller uses these movements in all of their fine floor clocks.

Wall, mantel & tabletop clocks are also their specialty. All of the clock-making expertise that goes into their floor clocks can be found in these clocks too.

Drapes & More Interior's sale on in-stock clocks starts November 23rd - we are offering a 50% discount on all in-stock clocks purchased by December 21, 2007. Come into our shop at 1305A Cleveland Ave, Santa Rosa to experience the best sale ever on these fine clocks. Surprise your loved one with the gift of time this Christmas!

You can also see quite a few clocks on our website: www.drapesandmore.com. Of course, we can special order a clock if the one you want is not available; however the 50% off sale will not apply for special orders.

Colors of Mediterranean Decorating

2007-10-17T13:36:00.000-07:00

The Mediterranean style home is still very popular in our area due to its Wine Country ambiance and how the style fits into the area. Sonoma and Napa counties can easily be compared to Tuscany landscapes and views. This was recently brought to mind when a client asked us to provide her color pallets to chose from so that she can paint her home in a Mediterranean color style.

Mediterranean decorating values color above anything else. The colors are bright and bold...reflecting the sky and the sea or the beautiful warm sunset. All colors used are natural colors that appeal to everyone. Different areas of the Mediterranean use specific colors that are popular to their area. In May, 2007 we had the chance to visit Rome, then flew to Venice to board a ship that took us to Athens, Greece. The Greek isles have a color pallet all of their own and are very different from the Italian colors. The islands are very bright because of their proximity to the sea; therefore people seem to use a lot of bright white and deep, vibrate blues along with burnt oranges. and yellows These colors compliment the beautiful blue of the Agean and Ionian seas.

The colors in Tuscany are different. Beautiful shades of burnt orange, golds and muted reds complimented with tan, dark blue and dark greens are common. These colors stand out in the hilly, green home site areas and compliment the blue sky and feeling of distances one gets when looking out at the extended view. Most Tuscan colors are muted with the use of darker colors applied over the paint that have been rubbed off to give the house an older look while the Greek Islands homes are left with clear, clean colors that have not been aged.

In our area, in my opinion, colors are best muted just a little to take advantage of the beautiful surroundings. A painted house that is very sharply colored will standout and will take away from the view. Paint colors will add a great deal of value to your home if they meet with the design of the home and the topography.

Energy Efficiency for Your Home

2007-10-07T11:37:00.000-07:00

Understanding R-value

Building materials are assigned an R-value according to the product's ability to resist heat movement. The higher the R-value the better it insulates your home. Most windows have an R-value of 0.9 to 3.0 and can be responsible for 40% to 70% of heat or cold transfer for an entire home. The heat loss or gain at your home's windows is impacted by the following:

Window Properties - Window frames can be metal, wood or vinyl. The R-value of a metal frame can be 5 to 20% lower than a wood or vinyl framed window. A single paned uncovered window has an R-value of 1.75. Advances in glass coatings have improved the energy performance of new windows, but a window's age, quality and condition of weather stripping and caulking will impact how much air infiltrates or escapes from your home.

Window Square Footage - Windows make up 20% of the typical home exterior and 40% in contemporary construction. Numerous large, uncovered windows can break your energy budget when they are on a cold north exposure in winter or a sun-saturated west wall in summer.

Window Coverings - Heat moves towards cold. In the winter it is drawn to cold glass to escape your home. In the summer outdoor heat moves toward the windows of your air-conditioned home. Using layers of solar film and putting window treatments at your windows can increase the R-value by 1 to 7 points. In extreme climates, that could save more dollars than you would have spent to install these items in a short time.

Window coverings of all kinds will help you save energy. With the warming of the Earth and the melting Artic ice we must all do whatever we can individually to help our planet by cutting down our energy use. Properly installed window film and cellular shades can be some of the best money you will spend to keep your home more comfortable and to help save our planet. For more information on solar film visit my website at www.winsbysungard.com and for information about window coverings visit www.drapesandmore.com. Remember, with just a little effort you and I CAN make a difference to help our planet!

Minimum Advertised Price (MAP)

2007-09-29T12:57:00.000-07:00

Consumers need to be aware of how the furniture industry sets it's pricing because sometimes there is such a diverse range of prices for the same product in the market place.

Most people don't realize that home furniture is marked up 200% to 400%. As an example if you purchased a sofa for your home and you paid $1,000 for it; the store could have paid $250 to purchase the same sofa from their manufacturer so that they could sell it to you. Hence a 400% markup on this sofa! Many big box stores advertise that their sale prices are 50% off MSRP which would have priced the example sofa at $500, still a 200% markup. The store would still be doubling their money with this sale.

Most furniture manufacturers set their "MSRP" (manufacturer's suggested retail price), then usually in a secret meeting between them and the home furniture store, they set another price called MAP, which stands for "Minimum Advertised Price". The MAP price is the bottom threshold selling price allowed by the manufacturer. If the store sells the furniture product lower than the MAP they will loose their franchise to sell the product. Most of the online furniture discounters in the Carolinas tend to sell at MAP price. If you call them to talk about prices always ask them to go lower, until you hear them mention that they are already at the MAP price and cannot go lower.

Actually if all furniture products for sale in the market place had a MAP base, I think it would be better for the consumer because you wouldn't have to spend as much time seeking out the real price for a furniture item that you want for your home. It would also make the poor business dealers that offer little or no service stand out and maybe the better store dealers would rise above because of their customer service practices. By selling at the MAP price, a furniture store still makes a decent profit and you get a nice "discount" off some useless MSRP that really means nothing anyway.

Next time you go into a furniture store ask the sales person what the actual MAP price for your furniture choice is; pay attention to how this question is answered. Because there isn't a "book" for us to look up prices it is difficult to know if you will get the real answer so it pays to check with other dealers of the same product and ask the same question.

It would make my life a lot easier if the window covering business had MAP pricing - but, alas the window covering industry doesn't follow the furniture business in this practice. Maybe someday?

Shutter Sale - Hurry Will End Soon

2007-09-18T07:55:00.001-07:00

Drapes & More Interiors is having a special Fall Shutter Sale on all three of the Hunter Douglas shutter products. The sale will be for all Hunter Douglas shutter products purchased from Drapes & More from September 18th until October 31, 2007.

The photo at left is a photo of the NewStyle hybrid shutters. These shutters combine the great style of wood with the strength, stability and straightness of advanced modern day materials.

Also on sale are the Heritenance hardwood shutters. These shutters are made of natural hardwoods and feature hand crafted dovetail joinery combined with wonderful finishes. There are 100 colors to chose from, even custom coloring is available to match the furniture or moldings in your home.

Palm Beach polysatin shutters are available on sale too. They are ultraviolet resistant and are guaranteed never to warp, fade, chip or peel, regardless of high heat or other extreme climate considerations.

Come into our shop and see samples of these shutters or call us today at (707) 578-0849 for a free estimate.