Window treatments—which can include curtains, blinds, shades, shutters and draperies—can play a significant role in your home’s style, function, and feel.

You can use window treatments and fashions to highlight the best features of your home and capture your unique style. Window fashions aren’t just attractive. They can help you reduce or filter the amount of light that comes into your home and protect furniture, flooring, and paint from fading, not to mention create a sense of privacy and elegance with the right design.
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How can you get started with rejuvenating your home with new window fashions? Here are some important tips whether you’re searching for blinds, shutters, shades, or draperies for your home’s beautiful windows.

Don’t Choose One Fashion for the Entire House
It can be tempting to pick one material, texture, or style of window treatment or fashion for the entire house and call it a day.

However, consider that different rooms in your home have different needs. Some rooms may require shutters for more privacy and less light, such as bathrooms, while others may need maximum lighting, such as a studio work space.
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Think about all the areas of your home and how certain window fashions may complement each. You likely have windows in variousstyles and sizes, which matters when choosing the color and material of drapes or curtains, and different paint or décor in other areas of your home.

Be Mindful of Spaces With High Humidity​
Rooms or spaces that tend to have higher levels of moisture—such as bathrooms, basements, and laundry rooms—can still benefit from window fashions. However, you’ll need to be mindful of the materials you use in these places.

High humidity can limit your fabric options for drapes or curtains and window treatments such as shutters. However, you still have the option to go with faux wood or vinyl for shutters and lighter fabrics for window fashions.
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Lighter fabrics can tolerate more moisture for better resistance to mildew, but you may need to combine them with window treatments such as shades or shutters for more privacy in areas that require it, such as bathrooms.

Plan for Messes in Kitchens, Mudrooms, and Play Areas​
Window fashions can enhance your home’s most essential spaces, such as the kitchen, mudroom, your children’s play areas, or your studio work space. However, planning for messes in these areas is important, especially if you have kids or pets running around.

Long drapes or curtains may not be ideal for these spaces, as their length can put them in danger of being stained by food, mud, or paint. Instead, consider roman or honeycomb shades, which can easily be moved up or down depending on your lighting and privacy needs.

If you want a touch of fabric on your windows, try fabric shades or window valances, which can provide conveniently shorter lengths for areas prone to messes.

Child Safety is important, too
When it comes to your little ones, safety is everything. Shades that have long, dangling cords can be dangerous for kids and pets that may get tangled in them. So always look for cordless blinds for kids' rooms or a motorized lifting system like Hunter Douglas’ PowerView® Automation that lets you control your shades automatically with a simple push of a button, a tap on a mobile device or with voice control if your shades are connected to a compatible smart-home system. (Which comes in handy if you've got your hands full!)


Have Fun With Different Styles​
There’s truly no one-style-fits-all window fashion—you have thousands of fabrics, colors, styles, and textures to choose from when rejuvenating your home. Find out more about your window treatment and window fashion options by contacting Color Wheel today at (703) 356-8477, extension 3.

Window Treatments can deliver a new fresh look to your home, as well provide energy efficiency by containing warmth in the Winter and keeping heat from entering in the Summer. As every Window Treatment project is unique, our Color Wheel design team has prepared commonly asked questions from our customers. If your questions aren’t addressed here, or you’d like to discuss your specific design project, request a consult with one of our designers today.

What window covering products do you sell?
We are experts in Hard Window Treatments which include blinds, shades and shuttersmade from fabrics and Soft Window Treatments which include curtains, draperies, sheers, shades, and valances made from fabric.

Color Wheel offers the full line of Hunter Douglas Window Fashions and Lafayette Interior Fashions. In addition, we work with several professional workrooms to create the perfect treatment for your needs.

I'd like to meet with a designer. Will you come to my home?​
We’d like to meet with you, too! We’re eager to set up your appointment. Our designers often meet clients in our design studio first, so you can see our full range of window treatment, options. Then you and the designer will know which resources to bring for your in-home appointment.

Where are your window treatments made?
The majority of our treatments are manufactured in the United States with some Hunter Douglas products assembled in Mexico.

Are your window treatments child-safe?​
Yes, our window treatments are available with child-safe options.  There are some exceptions that we will discuss with you during the design process.

Do you offer “Smart” blinds, shades, drapes and automated shades?
Yes, many of our products coordinate with a variety of automation systems, such as Siri, Google Home, and Alexa and most window treatments can be automated.

I want energy-efficient window coverings to help keep the heat out/in. Do your products do this?
Color Wheel offers a wide range of window coverings that retain heat/ air conditioning. These also offer UV screening, which protects your furnishings from fading. In addition, we have room-darkening options.

Can I measure my own windows?
Yes, you may however we recommend having our designers measure for you. Each product requires particular specifications. Measurements for shades, blinds, and shutters can be quite different. In some cases, a site inspection by one of our professional installers is required.

Can Hunter Douglas & Lafayette window treatments be repaired? 
Most Hunter Douglas and Lafayette products can be repaired. Regrettably, we are unable to offer repair of any other brands.

Certain older designs are no longer made, so the parts to repair them aren’t available. Repairs are done by the manufacturer and are packaged and shipped from Color Wheel’s McLean location. Repair and shipping fees are determined by product size and type.

How long will it take to receive my window treatments?
Your Color Wheel designer will make every effort to accurately predict when your window treatments will be delivered.  Depending on the type of treatment, it ranges from a few weeks to a few months. You will be notified of any delays.  We are as eager for you to have them installed as you are!

How are window treatments priced?​
We offer a wide variety of window treatments to fit most budgets. Product type, size, lifting system, fabric selection, mounting specifications all influence prices. Your Color Wheel designer will guide you through the style, function, options and pricing.

Selecting the right window treatments with Color Wheel can give you the beautiful home design you envision while our premium fabrics and installation services will enable you to enjoy them for many years to come.
Have we sparked your creative ideas? We are here to help! Let’s continue the conversation and see how our Color Wheel designers can help you.