You’ve hired your window covering designer and taken the first step towards incredible window coverings in your home. So now, let’s talk about what comes next, and this is the fun part! It is time to make decisions about style and functionality. Your design professional is there to help guide you, but you are going to have to make the decisions about what you need and the styles you like. Let’s break it down:
- Where to start – First, consider your priorities and needs. Are you in need of controlling light or temperature? Do you need privacy? Maybe you are just looking to add style and color to a room.
- Budget – Establish it. Understand what your greatest needs are. If you are embarking on a large project or several rooms of windows perhaps there are areas that you would spend more money than others. Consider the fact that certain window coverings could provide substantial energy savings which you can take into consideration when planning your budget!
- Find your style – Armed with your needs and budget, it’s time to find out what speaks to you. Like everything else these days, you will probably start your search online. If you do start online, we love sites like Houzz and Pinterest to see what other homeowners are posting about. We also recommend checking out sites like hgtv.com, housebeautiful.com, myhomeideas.com, countryliving.com, etc. (just google things like “window covering ideas” and go down the bunny trail from there.)Better than starting online, if you are in Austin, we encourage you to drop by our showroom. We display dozens of window covering examples and have hundreds of books and catalogs to flip through. Also, you can schedule a time with one of our design professionals to help direct you through the thousands of style/design options to help you more quickly discover what appeals to you most.
- Functionality – The ease, comfort, and safety preferences are some things to think about in conjunction with whom and how often the products will be operated. Do you have young children, an older relative, or are you covering a window that you want an open view during the day and closed for privacy at night? Those sorts of questions are very important to your long term satisfaction with a product.
- Time Frame – How quickly you need coverings may dictate availability. If you are building or remodeling, the project will need to be complete before measurements can be taken. The builder’s specs can give you a general idea of the size and scope of your window project, but there are other factors that create a finished window size that nix the concept of “standard” windows.
The more information you can provide your window treatment professional with the better. Pictures and color swatches, along with the list outlined here will make for a productive consultation and ensure your selections are ones you’ll be extremely happy with. Once you have all this figured out, and you have selected your perfect window covering solution, it will be time for measurements and installation (click here to check it out!) If you have any questions about how/where to get started with the design process, please don’t hesitate to call or visit us today!