Aug 22, 2006

“Top Off” Your Windows With Valances

Valances can often provide the final touch to the décor of any room by giving each window a finished custom look. Adding an instant flair to any room is as easy as choosing the correct style for your rooms. There are a myriad of choices these days to match the design of any home.

With so many styles using a tool such as the “Virtual Room Designer” online at Factory Direct Drapes (
www.factorydirectdrapes.com) will help you accurately visualize how finished window treatments will look in your home. You can recreate your current walls, floors, and furniture. Then mix and match drapes and curtains or valance styles and colors to your surroundings.

Valances can be manufactured in fabrics that match the pattern of your window treatments or in another complementary color. Often, matching the anchor color in your home design brings that color forward harmonizing the general appearance of the room. If you have strong overlapping colors or patterns, a flat or soft pattern in a neutral color can stabilize the pallet allowing your signature patterns to shine. Either option will leave your windows with a sleek finished form.

Changing your valances is a cost effective and easy way to update or alter the décor of a room. Alternating valances with the seasons can offer a fresh face to your interior design without expensive redecorating. For example, buy multiples of the same valance in different colors or patterns. These will easily slip on and off of your existing hardware allowing you to change the way your windows are framed each season, holiday, or for special occasions.

Purchasing valances direct from the factory or manufacturer will save you the costly 50% to 80% mark-up many retail stores and decorators add onto the product cost. It will also ensure you are getting the best quality for a longer lasting valance.

Bridgette Bodine
Vice President Operations
Factory Direct Drapes.com
bridgette@americandrape.com



If you would like to use this article in your newsletter or website, permission is granted, as long as the entire article, including the author bio at the bottom and all links, are intact. Notification is desired, but not required, at Bridgette@americandrape.com

“Picture This” - Drapes and Curtains you don’t have to imagine ……..

How often have you heard decorators say to “picture” or “envision” some idea or design they have in mind? Sometimes, if you are lucky, you might even get a small swatch of fabric and a paint chip so you can “imagine” what your window treatments will look like.

However, this is no longer your only option. An exciting website called Factory Bargain Drapes features a “Virtual Room Designer”. This free tool allows you to design your drapes or curtains, valances, and hardware in the comfort of your own home. You can recreate your current Living Room, Dining Room, and Bedroom décor in just a few moments by selecting the wall color, flooring type and color, and furniture. Then mix and match any stunning drape and valance style, texture, and color option to see exactly what the window treatments will look like in your home. You too can become your own decorator and enjoy it. Creative and ingenious design for your window treatments is an easy click away.

For more information on drapes and curtains or to use this free design tool go to
www.factorydirectdrapes.com

Bridgette Bodine
Vice President Operations
Factory Direct Drapes.com
Bridgette@americandrape.com

If you would like to use this article in your newsletter or website, permission is granted, as long as the entire article, including the author bio at the bottom and all links, are intact. Notification is desired, but not required, at Bridgette@americandrape.com

Aug 10, 2006

Drapes & Curtains = Style and Energy Savings


Draperies are the quintessential and classic way to decorate your windows thereby adding elegance and flair to all decors. But, you now have to think about more than just the look of your window treatments. Energy efficiency is a huge issue in today’s energy conscious times. Even if global warming doesn’t scare you, keeping the cost of utilities down is every household’s challenge. Adding drapes or curtains is a practical way to help your home stay cool in the summer and warm in the winter. Drapes and curtains can significantly lower your energy bills while using fewer of the earths precious resources.


Pacific Gas & Electric states that approximately 16% of all heat in a room escapes through windows. Keeping your drapes or curtains closed during the day also keeps out unwanted heat and sunlight that can fade carpeting and furniture. Opening drapes or curtains on cold days lets extra solar heat into the room and then by closing them at night you can retain warmth. If you want your drapes/curtains to accomplish both style and efficiency, use a thicker fabric and insulate the drapes with lining. In addition, lined drapes will reduce and suppress outside noise. They also last 10-15 years longer than unlined drapes !

Lined drapes or curtains offer more than just thermal efficiency. Lined drapes or curtains hang better for graceful full folds. Pleats and folds hang better with the added weight an insulated lining gives them. The luxurious effect on pleating cannot be matched without lining regardless of the drapery fabric used.

A Drape or curtain style can be dramatically adjusted to fit your rooms needs. For exciting information on energy saving drapes check out sites like (
www.factorydirectdrapes) and use the free “Virtual Room Designer” to try different stunning drape and valance styles. It allows you to match the wall, flooring, and furniture colors in your home to drape fabrics so you can see exactly how it would look before you purchase it.

Often, the cost of lined drapes and curtains compared to unlined drapes and curtains is minimal if you consider the savings you will receive with utilities expense reduction. Buying direct from the factory or manufacturer will also save you the costly 50-80% mark-up many retail stores and decorators add onto the product cost.

For more information on insulated draperies or to use this free design tool go to
www.factorydirectdrapes.com

Bridgette Bodine
Vice President Operations
Factory Direct Drapes.com
Bridgette@americandrape.com


If you would like to use this article in your newsletter or website, permission is granted, as long as the entire article, including the author bio at the bottom and all links, are intact. Notification is desired, but not required, at Bridgette@americandrape.com

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