One of the final details added to our projects are window treatments. Whether to add window treatments or not to home with beautiful architecture and spectacular views always creates a debate with our clients. During the daytime, everyone wants to maximize the views that our area is abundant with. But when the night falls, with our wonderful mountain “dark skies”, the vast and expansive windows become “black holes” giving the open modern spaces a cold feeling. Even though everyone knows that on top of a mountain, there is complete privacy outside your windows (unless an unsuspecting drone flies by), there is still an uncomfortable feeling that maybe there is someone out there???? We hear this all the time. And it is always a good idea to have window treatments of some sort on all windows facing streets, or where someone can see in the house when you are not home, simply for security. With large windows that face east or west, without an exterior roof structure that provides sun screening or shading, there is a problem with too much sun during certain times of day. Homeowners need sun screening but again they do not want to block the beautiful views. Harsh sunlight will fade building materials and furnishings and can make it impossible to see TV’s. This is also a concern for the solar gain and heat build-up that comes with harsh sunlight.
Even though window treatments are the last element to be installed in our projects, we are thinking window treatments throughout the design and construction process so that we have proper trim to support blinds, electrical where needed to power blinds, depth of window sills to house blinds and enough area on either side of large windows for stacking of drapery. We also try to locate HVAC ducts where they will not interfere with window treatments. Luckily there are a lot of new window treatments that provide window covering that help solve these dilemmas. There are window treatments that can be activated when needed and closed and minimized when not needed that do not distract from the beautiful architecture or outside view. There are new generations of pleated shades that are made from stiffened fabric that unfold easily to cover windows (and can range from light filtering to blackout) but when raised and put away, they fold up to nearly nothing on the top of the window. They usually are within the frame of the window so there is zero glass covered by them blocking any of the view. There are all sorts of solar shades that are made from a woven fabric that has different levels of opacity, that block the light and UV rays, but still allow you to see through and admire the views.
The new materials the manufacturers are using to create the vast array of window treatments are as diverse as the mountain architectural styles are that we are working on. The new mountain home ranges from ultra-rustic with heavy logs or timbers, to traditional with heavy moldings and details to ultra-modern with flat sheetrock walls with wide spans of glass. Our new company “Blinds and Shutter Worx” based in Blue Ridge, GA represents many of the most advanced window treatment manufacturers that help us design creative window coverings to suit each client’s design and budget needs. We have helped both commercial and residential clients solve their window treatment challenges and needs for over 25 years. Our products range from simple, pre-made and quick delivery and reasonably priced to highly detailed, custom made and installed state of the art window coverings.
