Are your window treatments American-made? If not, do they meet American standards?

Most of all, did your money support your vision of the world?

We’ve all heard the admonition to “Buy Local!” or “Buy American!”, but why is that so important?

We’ve written before about why we sell Hunter-Douglas window treatments. We like the quality, the lifetime guarantee and the commitment to safety features that keep kids and pets safe. But we also like them because Hunter-Douglas is an American company and we believe that neighbors supporting neighbors with our purchases makes our community better.

We primarily work with the Hunter-Douglas offices in Broomfield and Denver, CO. The company headquarters are in New York and it has offices and facilities all over the world because in addition to window coverings, they also make architectural products for commercial buildings. The pretty ventilated facade systems you see on new buildings or the acoustic ceiling in a concert hall may have been made by Hunter-Douglas. They don’t just know about window coverings. They know the materials used to manage sun, sound and ventilation inside and out.

Equally important to us is the way Hunter Douglas treats their employees. They hire people who are “committed to creating world class solutions with passion” and then compensate them in a way that shows they value the people who work for them. Employees earn enough to support their families, have 401K plans and insurance through the company. They offer employees education so that they can move up in the company and grow with it.

This means that every time you buy a Hunter Douglas product through us, not only can we be confident about the quality and that it will last, we know that a lot of the money spent is going right back into our community and our country. Your window treatment dollars are ultimately paying for a family home or children’s education.

That’s our vision for the world. We want to see our work benefit our community and the best way to do that is to buy American products, especially when they’re made right here in Colorado.

Contact us today to put the best quality, American-made window treatments available in your home.

Have you seen the articles about homes designed especially for cats? Frances Walker and Bob Mooney wrote a book about their remodeling activities. They installed catwalks, climbing posts and doors in the walls for cats to move through the house at the ceiling level.

Many of us adore our pets, even we don’t necessarily want to redesign our entire homes for them. We want to keep them safe and live in harmony with them. Here are a few tips for making your furry friends welcome in your home.

Use Cordless Window Treatments

Pets and children can become tangled in window blind cords. Those cords kill an average of 12 children a year and an unknown number of pets. It’s not hard to imagine your kitten getting himself tangled in a loose cord or your puppy chewing and swallowing it. Hunter Douglas has been the leader in child and pet safety. They have all sorts of products that your pet can’t get in trouble with, from motorized blinds to shades that a cat can push up himself!

Use Straight Drapery Trim

Dogs and especially cats love dangly things. Just look at the design of cat toys to see that it’s true. Dangly trim on your drapes will be too tempting for your furry friend to resist.

Use Fabrics and Products that are Easy to Clean

Some types of fabrics hold pet hair and never let it go. Microfiber felt is notoriously difficult to clean. Something like Hunter Douglas Silhouette sheer shades will collect fur and be easily torn by a claw.  Consider products made of tougher, more easily cleaned material, such as shutters or drapes.

Put in Wood or Tile Floors

Dander and hair is easily trapped in carpet, making allergies worse. Even the best behaved animals sometimes have accidents or leave food on the floor. Tile floors hold up well to dog nails and wood floors can be easily cleaned. Besides, have you ever seen a young cat play on a wood floor? Your little friend won’t mind being stuck inside.

Consider Leather or Suede Furniture

Fabric upholstery collects fur and can be difficult to clean. It’s also susceptible to the same collection of dander as carpet. Leather can be scratched by a playful cat and it’s not easy to fix. Consider leather furniture if you have dogs and suede furniture if you have cats.

Remember to make sure your pets get plenty of exercise and to provide special toys and furniture just for them. They are less likely to play with your things if they have their own.

Call us if you’d like our designer, Theresa Guthals, to come out for an interior design or window treatment consultation. We’re pretty sure she won’t recommend building catwalks.

Colorado Springs isn’t the triendiest place in the world, but we do have our likes and dislikes. Our designer, Theresa Guthals, says that people like for their interior spaces to reflect the outdoors. And with good reason! People move to Colorado because it’s beautiful. Why would we want to forget that when we’re inside?

Here are some popular looks in Colorado Springs:

Simplicity

When you gaze at the mountains, what do you see? They can be any color from gold to pink to blue, but during the day they are sometimes a shade of gray or taupe. They often look like a green or gray blanket has been thrown over them, with soft shadows and curves.

Those gray and taupe colors are popular here. You can install a window treatment or buy furniture in colors that reflect the mountains and expect it to look current a long time.

The clean lines and simplicity of the mountain view look just as calming and dramatic in a home. Expect this “trend” to last.

Colorado Lodge Look

People love to vacation in the mountains. Rent a lodge somewhere, go skiing, enjoy the peace and quiet of Rockies in a dramatic natural setting and you’ll come back refreshed. When they move to Colorado, they like to have a reminders of those treasures in the house. The mountains are just as beautiful when you own the home as when you’re renting it.

Elements of an updated lodge are popular in Colorado Springs homes. You’ll find warm tones, dark wood floors and wood accents. You might even find a rustic look like that of a 19th century barn or farmhouse, with some vintage and some contemporary items. Homes look like a cottage, but with a modern twist.

Classic Look

Have you ever been in a home with a cabinet full of knick knacks? Or where every space had something displayed in it? That look has gone out of style in favor of classic, open spaces.  Shutters are popular window coverings right now and they bridge almost every trend. The most classic window treatment available, they will weather every trend until they physically wear out.

Even lines of furniture and fabric patterns are trending towards straight, without much curve. People like the simplicity.

Why are people interested in classic, simple interior spaces now? Because our lives are cluttered. We are constantly bombarded with activities, information and communication. Classic-looking interiors help keep us calm.

Would you like your home look more current? Contact us and we’ll make it as classic or contemporary as you like.

What is the color of the year?

You might answer “Greenery”, which would be correct. Or you might say, “What is a ‘color of the year’?”. That’s a good answer too.

Pantone Color of the Year

Pantone is a color management company headquartered in New Jersey. They sell products and services that help people match colors or accurately communicate information about colors. They also have something called the Pantone Color Institute, considered a global authority on color.

Every year, Pantone reviews a variety of trends, from women’s fashion to to film to art, and tries to forecast what colors will be popular in the coming year.

That color, once identified, shows up in consumer products like makeup and home decor. Hotels will use it when redesigning their rooms and companies will use it for logos.

For example, the Color of the Year in 2016 was a combination of Rose Quartz and Serenity Blue. If you look up “serenity blue eyeshadow” on the internet, you’ll find several brands.

Why the Color of the Year is Helpful

Pantone isn’t the only company to try and forecast the popular colors for the coming year. Many others, such as paint companies, try to figure this out so that they can offer colors that will be part of that year’s trends.

It’s fun for the homeowner to learn about popular colors and use it for accessories in a home. You might want to add some trendy towels in the bathroom or add a throw rug somewhere. Lots of home decor can be found in the chosen color and a few easily-changed items make your home look current. We don’t recommend using the Color of the Year for major renovations, though. It’s likely to have a limited lifespan and if you install expensive window coverings or have drapes made in that color, you may regret that decision.

Contact us if you’d like some assistance balancing trends and current styles in your home. Our interior designer, Theresa, knows how to make your home look beautiful and timeless, regardless of your own personal favorite color.

Colorado Springs may be on every list of the best places in America to live, but when it comes to interior design it’s not the trendiest place.

Before you start imagining kitchens that were last decorated in the 1950s, let us explain. Colorado Springs residents don’t usually go for flashy trends and with good reason. Our city is home to many military families who know they will probably have to move again in a few years. Why decorate in a way that will have to be renovated again for sale? We also tend to be thoughtful, financially conservative people who weigh risks carefully and often prefer home decor that will last a long time.

Staying away from trends or using less expensive pieces, like rugs and accessories, to enjoy trends in your home makes good sense. Trends tend to start on the coasts and they take a while to migrate to Colorado. By the time the trend gets here, it might only have a couple of years left and if you’ve sided your home in the latest colors or bought the trendiest furniture, you may have to replace it before you’ve even had time to get it dirty.

Our designer, Theresa Guthals, knows about the latest trends and she can incorporate them into your home using items that you won’t mind replacing in a few years. But her main focus is on what makes a home current, as opposed to trendy.

Current styles make your home look fresh and updated, but they will also last a long time. You won’t need to renovate everything if you need to sell, but your New York relatives won’t feel like they’ve stepped back in time when they visit either.

What are up and coming styles in Colorado Springs at this writing?

• Simplicity
• Taupe and gray colors
• Vintage and cottage looks with a modern twist
• Homes that look like an updated lodge with warm tones and dark wood floors

In the end, it doesn’t matter what the coastal trends are. Contact us and Theresa will make your home look like your dream home, right here in Colorado Springs.