We say we love it, but could never sell it; we tip toe around it, because we really don’t understand its power. We fuel the neutral self fulfilling prophecy by showing 50 shades of cream. What is it? It’s daring color in blinds and shades. For a lot of reasons design pros selling hard window coverings haven’t embraced color blocking, P.O C.(Pop of Color) or bold, intense hues like other segments of the home furnishings industry. So I am soo excited to finally see the vibrant hued pleated shades in this month’s House Beautiful. Hopefully, this arbitrator of American taste might move us off the dime. Also spotted – the pleated shades had XL pleats. OMG- color, a Pleated shade AND XL pleats! Is this a harbinger of what might be coming in window coverings?

The Shade Store Via House Beautiful

With Tangerine Tango the Color of the Year-why not try it at the window?

So if we start embracing color; could we , ( O heart be still) start to see bold dynamic pattern at the window? God, I hope so; I could use a little drama….

All shade images from The Shade Store

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I am a BIG fan of digital printing and have followed its evolution across several product categories in the last several years. One category that is underserved is window coverings. Here are some great examples of design opportunites in that category:

Three years ago Creatively Different launched its highly-creative, e-commerce concept for custom Roller Blinds. Their range of fabulous images that can be printed on window coverings is approaching 6,000 pictures, patterns and special-effect options for truly unique printed blinds to create the ‘wow’ factor.  They also offer  inter-related products – panel tracks, wallpaper, murals and art canvasses as well as help with a variety of special effects, including wallpaper/tiling effects, and image stylization and coloration. Personally I like the idea of putting art on the window, so I might pass on the murals, and wall effects.

The company has recently launched a range of versatile Panel Track blinds. Seen here is a room divider, printed with ‘Chrysocolla’, one of Richard Weston’s amazing ‘Earth’ images- orginial blown up scans of the interior of rocks and minerals.

They’ve added to their art collection with the recent recruitment of several artists offering some super limited-edition artwork,  great cityscapes of London, Paris and New York; wonderful contemporary art; and some sizzingly seductive and vibrant artwork.

One of my favorites is Cafe de Paris….This dresses up any window with or without a view.

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I think every designer, at some point, has a hard time making up their mind and an even harder time when it’s their own project. I can design all day for someone else, but when it comes to making a decision for my home I sometimes have a mental block. Whether it’s because I am afraid that if I move forward with the window- the perfect fabric, trim or hardware will come along later and I’ll have designer’s remorse or maybe it is too many choices. I am in that dilemma now and it’s time to make a decision and move on. It’s only windows!

So… In the spirit of crowdsourcing, I thought I’d ask you for help.

Here is the room, my inspiration and top three choices. What would you do? Let me know what you think and vote for what you would do. Help me out. If you get inspired shoot me a note in the comments. I’d love it!  

The guest room has dark espresso walls, white trim and cream carpet. Light is reflected by a chandelier, mirrored tables and crystal lamps. A upholstered headboard with sexy curves and vermicelli quilted coverlet carries out the Hollywood Regency feel. At the foot of the bed is an upholstered bench. There are two windows in the room that need dressing and  I’ll remove the wood blinds for the new treatment.

Shaped Valance – love the curves that mimic headboard, but it’s too basic. I’ll take it up a notch by marrying the shaped valance and the mirrors in the room and do antique mirrored cornices- very Helena Rubenstein. Panels and sheers filter light during the day and give privacy at night. Like the idea of layers.

Finding my tastes changing a bit. I am drawn to graphic repetition; modern looks mixed with classic French design. Wesco’s Crème Brulee in woodland . Metallic and silky cord couched in a vertical stripe 14” apart. JF Fabrics faux bois sheer- Precious.  Bench fabric  with bird is  Pindler and Pindler.

Classic stylings of Italian strung draperies inspired option 2. I’ll hide a roller shade for privacy underneath. High contrast  is the theme in the draperies -coming in two punches of color- honeysuckle and orange. I’ll do a box pleated heading, BUT the first pleat space in from the leading edge  is pieced and sewn on the reverse revealing the tangerine hue and creating a stripe in 6”.

This is where I began and the simplest option- sheers and panels on decorative hardware mounted at the crown.  The sheers are trimmed with espresso velvet ribbon on the leading edge and the treatment is hung from 2 different  rods. A small  brass rod for the sheers and a fluted pole with brass rings playing off the gold finishes in the room. OR a plexi rod for the sheers and silver washed pole for the panels.

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 It’s Oscar weekend and I will have a bottle of bubbly chilling  while I check out the red carpet arrivals and cheer on my favorite Oscar contenders.  To heck with Best Actor /Actress or Picture. Here are my picks  for Oscar winning rooms from movies for people who like design….

I loved, loved, loved everything about Marie Antoinette. My god it is Versailles already!

Or Brideshead Revisited…

I still gasp a little when I see the winter palace in Dr. Zhivago….

The Great Gatsby…

For some mod inspiration- Love the Doris Day +Rock Hudson movies like Pillow Talk …

 Remember the  oh- so- chic  automated bachelor pad?

Leo Di Caprio looked dashing in this Aviator living room

Didn’t you just love Diane Keaton’s house in the Hamptons in Something’s Gotta Give…

I am carrying around this clipping of the living room in It’s Complicated as inspiration for a  my family room redo.

But my all time favorite movie design muse is Rosalind Russell’s Auntie Mame. How many times did they makeover the staircase? This film could be a CEU class in decorative arts!

What movies have tripped your trigger that you would recommend for design pros or design aficionados?

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Austrian architecture firm hertl architekten recently finished this project- ‘aichinger house’, a multi-story apartment building consisting of two flats in Kronstorf, Austria. The structure, which once housed a restaurant, is treated to a textile skin which lends the building a light, curtain effect by applying a material which is normally reserved for the indoors. The project inspired by today’s use of skins for everything from phones to website design, it explores the flexibility of facades and skins.

The facade appears almost metallic from a distance, the design wraps the whole exterior of the building in the light grey fabric, rendering the layout and form of the interior hidden from the outside viewer. 

Iron embraces strategically placed part the curtain at the window to allow daylight into the apartments. Much like interior draperies,  the skin can be drawn closed to provide shade and diffusion of light. During the night, the fabric provides a paper lantern effect, distributing the glow from the building to the exterior.

I have to say this gives new meaning to tab tops or even rod pocket tops and bottoms!

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