You have lots of options when it’s time to redecorate your home (or decorate your new home for the first time). One of the biggest decisions you have to make is whether to paint the walls your favorite hues or get creative with wallpaper.

Both options have a lot to offer and can completely transform the look and feel of your interior spaces. But which one is the right option for you? While you don’t necessarily have to choose between them, we’ve put together this guide to help you decide between wallpaper vs. paint.

Types of Rooms and What They’re Used for​
While you can use wallpaper in any room in the house, there are certain rooms where wallpaper may be more suited than paint.

For example, a powder room is the perfect place to use wallpaper, as it can make a bold statement while not affecting the rest of your home’s décor or feel. The laundry room and mudroom are also excellent places to experiment with wallpaper, as they can make a visual impact without dominating large rooms or spaces.
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Other rooms that can be good to use wallpaper in include the dining room, nursery, or a home office. Get creative with colors, patterns, and textures you are most attracted to.

How Long You Plan to Stay in Your Home​
Paint is one of the easiest ways to refresh your home and provide a better return on your investment. So if you are only planning to stay in your home a couple years, paint may be the better choice.

Wallpaper is a more long-term investment, so if you plan to own your home for a decade or longer, you can get as creative as you’d like with different styles without worrying it will affect the resale value of your home.

Keep in mind too that wallpaper can be more resilient than paint and last longer. Whereas paint may need to be updated every few years, wallpaper can look good for over a decade with the proper care.

If You Want to Incorporate Texture
Wallpaper is a great way to bring extra dimension to a space, especially when you choose paper with texture or metallics. For walls or spaces that look like they would benefit from a bit more texture, wallpaper is the perfect way to bring your vision to life.

Ceiling vs. Wall Trade-Off​
If you decide to wallpaper the walls, consider painting the ceiling a coordinating color. And if you choose to paint the walls, you can always add a wow factor to your ceiling with wallpaper. In the case of wallpaper, a painted ceiling tends to be more attractive, but the opposite is not always true for paint!

Let’s Discuss Your Options​
Don’t let all your options overwhelm you--contact Color Wheel to learn more about your wallpaper and paint choices based on your home decorating project. Our friendly and experienced professionals are here to help make your next decorating task fun, simple, and stress-free!

* All the images are Farrow & Ball Paint and Wallpaper and available through Color Wheel in McLean VA.

Painting your home is an excellent way to increase the value of your property, refresh your interior (or exterior), and change up your décor. Not to mention painting can help cover marks or scuffs on the wall, helping your home look cleaner and brighter.
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Before getting started with your home painting project, however, you’re going to need some supplies. So we’ve created this simple guide as your supplies checklist before you pick a weekend to paint and transform your beautiful home.

Item #1: Paint Brushes and Roller Covers
Paint brushes and roller covers are the most important part of your painting project. There are many different brushes and covers available in a variety of sizes and quality. In fact, brushes and roller covers are manufactured for different types of paint, so it’s essential to choose the right ones.

Brush bristles can be soft, firm, or extra firm. Which texture is the best for your particular painting project? Soft bristles provide optimum performance for thinner paints, while firmer bristles are better for thicker paint.

Like brushes, the fabric used on roller covers comes in various thicknesses, also called naps. Thin fabric is best for smoother surfaces—think drywall—while thicker fabric is best for rough surfaces—think stone or brick.

The type of fabric or brush you choose plays an integral role in how the paint will turn out. Using the right tools will provide the best results.
When picking up paint brushes and roller covers, don’t forget roller frames, extension poles, and small brushes for edging in your walls and for small, tight areas a roller or traditional-sized brush wouldn’t reach.


Item #2: 5-Gallon Buckets and Screens
When tackling a whole-house painting project or painting more than one room, you’ll want to pick up a 5-gallon bucket and a mesh screen for your paint and roller.

If you are already purchasing paint in a 5-gallon size, you can use this bucket along with a roller and screen to get started. However, it helps to have an extra bucket to better distribute the paint and make rolling easier when getting started.

Item #3: Trays and Liners
When working with multiple paint colors or painting small rooms, having a metal or plastic tray and a liner insert may be easier than working with a large bucket of paint.

One-gallon paint cans can easily be poured into trays, and you can use a roller with or without an extension pole to apply paint with this method. In addition, disposable liners make cleaning up paint easier when you are finished, or when you need to switch from primer to your new paint color.

Item #4: Drop Cloths​
No painting project is ready to start without protecting your space first. Unless you are working in a home that has yet to have flooring or trim installed, you will need to protect the area with drop cloths.

You have a few material choices when choosing drop cloths. There’s plastic, canvas, and synthetic fibers such as polyester. So which one is the right choice for your project?

• Canvas is best used for flooring, as it is more absorbent and less slippery than plastic
• Plastic is ideal for covering furniture or other items you may not be able to move
• A cotton/polyester blend cloth can be more affordable than canvas but more absorbent than plastic or paper

Item #5: Painter’s Tape
Last but not least, you’ll need painter’s tape before you start painting. Painter’s tape provides a way to cover items such as outlets, trim, and anything else you don’t want your paint color to touch while providing cleaner lines.

Since painter’s tape doesn’t provide a strong adhesive, it comes off easily when removing it, leaving your walls, trim, and outlets mark-free. Painter’s tape also gives you those crisp lines you see in professional painting jobs, helping your home painting project turn out even better.

There are different types of painter’s tape, so be sure to choose the one most appropriate for your project. For example, there’s multi-purpose painter’s tape, exterior painter’s tape, and painter’s tape for both rough and delicate surfaces.

Ready to Start Painting?
Are you ready to transform your home with an interior or exterior paint job? If so, let Color Wheel help you decide on the perfect paint color and help you find all the materials you need to get the job done right.

It’s finally happened—the kids have moved out! Your job as a parent is never quite done, but now you have the house to yourself. Being an empty nester brings a lot of life changes, including extra space you can now redecorate.

Consider this a chance to transform your home based on what fits your life now, not what would suit your kids. You can take this opportunity to convert kids’ rooms into guest rooms, a home office, theater, library, exercise room, or craft room.

The following tips will help you revitalize your spaces and redecorate your kids’ rooms so you can start the next chapter of your life in style.

Declutter and Donate Kids’ Items
The first step in revitalizing any space, especially for empty nesters, is decluttering. The trick here is to keep any sentimental items you don’t want to part with but get rid of things you won’t use or need anymore.

If you love something but not enough to have it take up space in your home, you can always take a picture before donating or tossing it. A photo takes up less space and will last forever.

Once you declutter your kids’ rooms and donate or toss items, you can organize the things you want to keep and find a permanent place for them, even if it is in storage. And if your kids want to keep anything, have them take their stuff to their own place so it doesn’t take up space in yours.

Invest in Quality Furniture
Now the fun begins. If you’ve gotten rid of furniture you and your kids no longer use, or your kids have taken their furniture with them, you have a blank slate, and the first place to start is with quality furniture.

Keep in mind that while your decorations and paint color may change over time, furniture tends to stay the same. Therefore, it’s important to choose comfortable yet high-quality items with a timeless design that suits your taste.

You can even look for multipurpose items to maximize your investment, including a sofa bed, an ottoman that functions as a chair, and benches and tables with built-in storage.

Have well-made furniture that you love, but your taste has changed? Consider getting it refinished or reupholstered for a complete makeover that will help it fit in seamlessly with your new spaces.

Splurge for Decorations​
You can really get creative with the décor you choose for your space as an empty nester once you’ve decluttered and gotten some beautiful furniture you love. In fact, you can use furniture and flooring to create a color scheme for things such as:

• Art. Choose art you feel inspired by and will love seeing every day.
• Lighting. Lighting can completely change a space, so be selective when investing in lighting.
• New bedding. New sheets, blankets, and pillows can refresh a room more than you think.
• Paint. A fresh coat of well-chosen paint can quickly change the look and feel of a room.
• Wallpaper. Sophisticated wallpaper can revitalize your kids’ rooms with a dramatic visual effect.
• Window treatments. New window treatments, including blinds, shutters, or curtains, can make your kids’ old rooms feel luxurious.

Go shopping to get ideas and see what items, colors, or patterns most draw your attention for the décor in your new spaces.

Get More Ideas at Color Wheel
Need ideas for redecorating and revitalizing your kids’ rooms as an empty nester? Please contact our design specialists by phone 703-356-8477 or send us a message through our Contact page. We can help you find paint, wallpaper, window treatments, carpet and more to change the look and feel of your new nest.

Wallpaper is certainly in the spotlight with dramatic patterns, tasteful hues, and easy application. However, what happens when you have old wallpaper in your home that you want to remove, whether you want to paint or apply new wallpaper?

Although removing old wallpaper can seem like a headache you’d rather avoid, we have some tips and tools here for you to safely and effectively remove wallpaper without damaging your walls or your sanity. Some painting and wallpaper contractors will provide this service, but you can do this yourself!

There are several types of wallpapers out there.  Here is a list of the most common:

• Wallpaper with or without a vinyl coating
• Solid Vinyl with a synthetic or fabric backing
• Solid Vinyl with a paper backing
• Wallpaper with a strippable backing

Find Out If Your Wallpaper Is Removeable​
Before you get started with removing wallpaper, find out if your wallpaper is peelable or strippable. These are generally wallpapers manufactured in the last 10 years that easily peel off, leaving a paper backing on the wall or strip off completely without water or chemicals.  If your wallpaper is older, it’s best to assume you’ll need extra tools and supplies. Bring a piece of your wallpaper by Color Wheel so we can help determine what’s needed.

Determining if your walls were prepared before the wallpaper was hung is critical.  Wallpaper primer prevents the adhesive from soaking into the drywall or plaster behind it, which allows for easy removal. Unfortunately, this step is often skipped.

Plan Accordingly with Time and Tools
Proper planning will make your wallpaper removal job that much easier. If your wallpaper was not applied with primer or is not peelable, chances are it will take you the better part of a day to remove wallpaper in just one room.

Removing non-peelable wallpaper can be messy and takes time. Remember, the longer the wallpaper has been there, the harder it may be to remove. Therefore, it’s essential to plan and prep your space before getting started.
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Tools and supplies you may need:

• Wallpaper Stripper Concentrate and a bucket
• Scoring Tool to break the surface and allow remover to dissolve the adhesive
• Wallpaper Shaver and extra blades
• Drop cloths
• Painter’s tape
• Towels

The drop cloths, towels, and painter’s tape will help you protect floors, trim, outlets, and vents, although it’s still wise to turn off the electricity in that room and move furniture before getting started.

Let’s get started​
Use the Scoring tool, punch small and shallow holes in the surface of the wallpaper.  You can do the entire room ahead of time or work in smaller sections.  It’s kind of fun but your arm may get tired. Older children may enjoy doing this so put them to work.

Mix the wallpaper stripper concentrate according to the instructions on the container.  Mix smaller batches if you’re not planning to remove the entire room at one time.  There’s no rush.

Apply the solution, working in a small area, to the surface of the wallpaper and wait the recommended amount of time in the instructions.  If you hurry, the stripper will not have time to do its job.  Working in a small area first, will allow you to see how it’s working and when to start shaving.  Try a 3’ x 3’ square.

The wallpaper may be able to be removed in full sheets depending on the prior wall prep and the type of paper.  Pull gently in a diagonal direction, SLOWLY!  Never pull fast as you may tear off the surface of the drywall underneath. If this works, skip the next step and do a little happy dance.
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If you’re not dancing, we recommend using a wallpaper shaver which protect the wall surface from gouges and to more easily scrape the wallpaper off.  Putty knives are too thick and narrow to do this efficiently. It’s important to change the blades regularly. As you’re working, if it seems like an area is harder to remove, you probably need to change the blade.

Using a sprayer for the stripper can also help you properly saturate the wallpaper—often, a rag or spray bottle won’t do the job. Remember to do one section at a time, as the sections should not dry out before you can attempt to remove them.

Don’t Forget to Clean Your Walls
Your job isn’t done once the wallpaper is removed. You’ll still need to clean your walls, as paste or glue may be left over on the drywall or plaster. A sponge and stripper help remove any most of adhesive on drywall or plaster. You may need to patch a few areas before sanding and priming for new paint or wallpaper.  Apply a coat of a quality primer before painting, we recommend Benjamin Moore’s Fresh Start in most cases.

Contact Us for Wallpaper Help
Color Wheel can help you pick the perfect new paint or wallpaper for your space, as well as assist you with choosing the right tools for your next wallpaper removal job. Contact Color Wheel today or stop by and see us and we will be happy to assist you!

Blinds and other window treatments with cords pose a serious risk to children and even pets to strangle themselves.

Although window treatments are often necessary to filter light, provide privacy, and prevent fading of flooring and furniture, it’s imperative to ensure your home has safe window treatments if you have children and pets afoot.

Whether you have blinds you want to replace or are shopping for brand-new window treatments for your home, here’s what you need to know about window treatments and child safety to protect your family.

Statistics About Children and Window Treatments
It can take less than a minute for a child to become unconscious after becoming tangled in a cord from blinds. As they can’t breathe, they can’t make noise to alert their caregivers when this happens. Even parents who diligently watch their pets or children should not assume their little ones are safe from strangulation.

Each year, nine children under the age of five die from strangulation in window blind cords. However, there are hundreds more incidents of children under the age of eight getting trapped in window blind cords and sustaining life-threatening and even permanent injuries.

Children or pets who get their heads stuck in the loop and pull the string in an effort to get out can quickly get stuck. Most often, these incidents occur when children are supposed to be napping or waking up from a nap.

How to Shop for Cordless Window Treatments
You can replace your corded blinds or shades with cordless window treatments to eliminate the risk that your child or pet would be hurt or killed in an accident involving the cords.

A good rule of thumb is that if you have window treatments manufactured before 2000, they should be replaced if you have children or pets in your home. Some cordless window treatments to consider include:

• Cellular shades. Also called honeycomb shades, these blinds help provide better sound and energy insulation without cords.
• Drapes. Drapes can be designed to pull back without a cord, allowing you to have cordless window treatments that are safer for kids and pets.
• Motorized shades. Many shades can be motorized, meaning they don’t need a cord and you can control them with a remote or even your smartphone.
• Roller shades. Roller shades provide a minimalistic design and can be adjusted simply by pulling or pushing the bottom of the shade, no cord needed.
• Shutters. Shutters are a stylish way to control the light in your home and provide privacy without cords. Shutters come in many different styles and finishes.

You can also look for the Best for Kids™ Certified label when shopping for window treatments. With this label, the manufacturer must have met specific criteria for child safety and have their products third-party tested before they can be approved. These products have no cords or accessible inner cords that create hazards, especially a loop.

What to Do If You Cannot Replace Your Current Window Treatments​
If your existing window treatments or coverings have cords and you cannot replace them, it’s essential to take steps to minimize the risk of children or pets getting injured or killed.

First, keep blind cords as short as possible and out of reach of children. Remember that toddlers and older children can push furniture to climb up and reach cords even if you believe they can’t access them. Therefore, moving furniture such as beds, cribs, sofas, and even toy boxes away from windows containing corded blinds is important.

You can also ensure any cord stops on the blinds are installed correctly, which will help reduce the cords from moving, so children and pets can’t tighten the cords should they become trapped. Another option is to anchor cords to the floor or wall or to remove window treatments altogether until you can replace them with safer alternatives.


Learn More About Your Options With Color Wheel
Color Wheel offers a variety of cordless window treatments featuring Hunter Doulgas Window Fashions and Lafayette Interior Fashions .  Learn more about your cordless window treatment options from Color Wheel by contacting us today at (703) 356-8477 x3.

Painting is one of the best ways to improve the interior of your home before putting it on the market. A fresh coat of paint can cover minor imperfections such as scuffs and faded walls. Paint can also make the interior of your home look newer and net a better price for your property.

Whether you went a bit overboard with feature walls or bold colors in your home or simply want to refresh the interior, it’s worth it to consider painting before putting your house on the market.

But with so many paint colors to choose from, where do you start? We’ve narrowed down the most popular paint colors to make your selection process easier.

White, White, White
Choosing a white paint is the easiest way to improve the appearance of your home before selling. White paint allows buyers to imagine their items or décor in a space, but it also enables them to visualize different colors on the walls.

White paint can also make a home look bigger, cleaner, and brighter from the inside.

You can go with an off-white, but be selective, as not all white paint colors are created equal. For example, some white paints have tints that can make them appear more dingy or have an undertone of blue, white, or pink. If these aren’t the looks you’re going for, stick to a more true white.

We recommend: Benjamin Moore’s Mascarpone (AF-20) because it’s a soft, warm off-white that helps warm up interior spaces without being too yellow. We also recommend Farrow & Ball’s Wimborne White (#239), another soft, warm white with hints of yellow.

Cool and Warm Grays​
It’s hard to argue with the popularity of gray paint. However, gray paint has a timeless feature that extends beyond modern charm. Grays are flattering in natural and artificial lighting and go with practically any décor or home style.

Grays can be cool or warm and can be used for everything from traditional to modern homes. There is even a popular tone called “greige”, which is gray paint with hints of beige or a beige undertone.

Choosing gray paint allows the new homeowners to have a blank canvas to personalize the house. It can even help improve the versatility of certain rooms, as gray works well for an office, bedroom, or even a playroom. Warm grays are staying in fashion, so consider a warmer hue with green or even purple undertones.

We recommend: Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl (2137-60) as it’s a light gray yet still has enough pigment to give your rooms a little color.

Timeless and Versatile Neutrals
All the colors we’ve discussed so far are considered neutrals. However, if you’re not keen on white or gray, or feel these colors wouldn’t flatter your particular home’s style, you have other options.

Timeless and versatile neutrals can flatter virtually any space. These include colors such as beige and some pastels, such as light blue or green. When choosing neutral colors, be sure to stick to a consistent color palette. The rooms should all feel like they are part of the same home.

Other neutral options include soft pinks, tans, and champagne tones that you can use in almost any room.
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We recommend: Benjamin Moore’s Muslin (OC-12), a lovely soft neutral beige that looks great in large spaces and doesn’t come across as dingy as some other beiges can do. We also recommend Farrow & Ball’s Skimming Stone (#241)—this paint may look gray in some lighting, but it has a warm beige undertone to help warm up the walls and make a space feel cozy.

Choose the Perfect Paint Color to Sell Your Home Fast
You may be surprised just how much your home’s paint color can impact its time on the market and its selling price. When painting your home before selling, let Color Wheel help you choose the best paint colors for your interior spaces. Contact us to get started today at (703) 356-8477 for an appointment, or stop by to see our amazing color selections from Benjamin Moore Paint and Farrow & Ball Paint.

Choosing the right paint color for your home isn’t easy. After all, many factors can affect paint color. You might choose a color you love at the store or online, but then hate the color once it’s on your walls.

Two of the most important factors when it comes to paint color are lighting and pigment quality. Let’s take a closer look at how each of these affects the color of your paint, as well as how they can help you choose the best hue for your most-loved spaces.

Light Changes the Way We See Color
Metamerism is when two colors look the same in one light but different in another. Colors can look similar under one light source, but how the paint reflects light influences how we see color, making them appear different under various light sources.

In the images below, Benjamin Moore Dream Whip 2174-60 on the upper wall and Mascarpone AF-20 on the wainscoting look different in natural light from the sun than in artificial lighting. Natural light can vary even in a single room, which is why the color may show up differently than you intended. Notice how the color change on the different angles.

Our team recommends making a large (about 18 by 24 inches) swatch of paint in different areas of your room, and even at different times a day, to observe the color.

Pigment Quality Affects Coverage and Color Longevity
In addition to lighting, the quality of the pigments used to tint paint also impact the color and how it shows up on your walls. In fact, pigment quality is one of the biggest factors to consider when choosing paint for your home.

Some brands use low-quality pigments, which don’t provide as much coverage. This means you’ll need more coats of paint to make your walls look even in color and hide imperfections.

High-quality paint brands like Benjamin Moore Paints and Farrow & Ball Paints have a better pigment quality to ensure rich, saturated color and better coverage.

Benjamin Moore’s Aura Paint has Color Lock Technology that also resists fading, meaning the color you choose will retain its hue for many years. This technology also allows the paint to resist common damage, including scratches, scuff marks, streaking, and even mildew.

Farrow & Ball Paints also use higher-quality, more complex formulas to ensure even, beautiful color that lasts. With high-quality paints such as these, pigments are small enough to be encapsulated, meaning they are locked into the paint and resist fading and even rubbing off over time.

Farrow & Ball's Faded Terracotta, creates a warm and cozy retreat, changing as the sun sets in the late afternoon. 
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Notice the change from the left to right.

Making Your Color Last in Any Lighting​
Now that you’ve considered the lighting and the pigment quality of your paints, it’s time to start painting. You can make your color last in any lighting by starting with a high-quality paint and properly prepping your surface.

Be sure to clean walls by wiping them down to remove dirt and dust before painting. Once the wall is dry, you can start by doing a layer of primer. Primer ensures an even, lasting color for your walls and provides improved color consistency.

Once the primer is dry, you are ready for your paint. Always apply two coats of your chosen color to ensure the true shade comes out and provides ample coverage for your walls. Your color will last for years before you need to consider repainting.

Explore Your Paint Options With Color Wheel
Start exploring your paint options with Color Wheel. We can help you match an existing paint color with our spectrophotometeor assist you in choosing a completely new color for your spaces.

In-store and On-site Paint Color Consultation available by appointment.
Call 703-356-8477 x 3 for more details.
Schedule an appointment today!

If you have a deck made of natural wood, it will naturally deteriorate over time. The stain may start to look dull or uneven in places, and the wood can warp and splinter. The good news is that your deck can typically be restored with a little TLC. Here, we discuss some of the best products and tips from the Color Wheel team to help you get started making your outdoor deck look beautiful again.

Start By Prepping the Wood
The existing wood on your deck may look gray or even be flaking and peeling. If this is the case, you can restore your deck by first prepping the wood.

Use Benjamin Moore Remove®, a high-quality brightening product and a stiff-bristled brush to get any flaking paint or stain off. Remove® will help take off the original stain and reveal new wood underneath that can be sanded and re-stained to revitalize your deck.

There are also products that can help remove splintering wood fibers to create a smooth deck for a fresh coat of stain or paint, as well as those that help remove mold and mildew from aging decks.

Find Your New Color or Shade
Whether you plan on staining or painting your deck, it’s time to choose its color. You may want to restore the original hue, in which case, we can help you find the original product you used. If that product or shade is no longer available, we will help you match it as closely as possible.

It’s essential to test your new color on a small area of your deck to see how it will settle in. This is important with paint, but even more so with stain. Color Wheel offers sample sizes of all our deck paints and stains so you don’t have to waste money when finding the right color for your outdoor space. We can even make color and finish suggestions if you like depending on your home’s specific style.

Time to Refresh Your Deck
The product you choose—paint or stain—will dictate how you apply it. Quality rollers and brushes are a must for paint. For stains, you can also use a roller or brush, or you may want to use a cotton pad or rags, depending on the size of your deck.

If you stain your deck, you can use a roller to cover larger areas. However, you’ll need to back-brush after rolling and ensure the stain has fully saturated the wood.  This process ensures your deck is completely coated and that the color appears even across the entire surface.

Although the weather should be relatively warm and dry for the most success with painting or staining, it’s best not to stain in direct sunlight, as the sun can dry the stain too quickly. Once you’re finished, let your deck dry for two to three days before replacing the furniture.

Restore Your Deck With Color Wheel​
At Color Wheel, we offer two convenient Northern Virginia locations and a variety of industry-leading products and professional tips to help you brighten, clean, restore, and protect your beautiful outdoor deck for many more days and nights of outdoor living enjoyment.
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Contact us today or stop by to see us and learn more from our friendly team.

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.

If you have a piece of furniture, you love but the fabric no longer suits your style, why not reupholster it to give it a second life? Reupholstering is an excellent way to keep the furniture you love and give it a fresh new look or restore its fabric, cushions, and springs. Here’s how reupholstery can help you reimagine and customize your most beloved furniture—and save you money from replacing older pieces.

Benefits of Reupholstering vs. Replacing a Piece​
Furniture manufactured today doesn’t use the same quality of wood as it did even a decade ago. So, when purchasing new furniture, you may have to consider the fact that it won’t last nearly as long as vintage or high-quality pieces you may have had for decades.

In addition, the cost and lead time of new furniture are causing more people to consider reupholstering. Whereas it may have been simpler to replace furniture in the past, reupholstering has become a more cost-effective option for some pieces.

With reupholstering, you can preserve the framework of your favorite furniture while designing a completely new look with a different fabric style and material. The result is essentially a custom piece of furniture that you wouldn’t be able to purchase in a store.
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However, reupholstering doesn’t just transform the look of your furniture. It can also help restore your piece by replacing cushions and fixing underlying structural issues. As a result, the piece you get back won’t just look better—it may be more comfortable, sturdy, and last for longer than it would have if you didn’t reupholster it.

When Reupholstering Is the Right Decision?
If you have a piece of furniture that fits perfectly in your home or office or has sentimental value, reupholstering is a worthy consideration. Pieces of furniture you love but can’t replace with a newer version—whether because of the style or quality—are always worth reupholstering.

It may be worth it to consider reupholstering if:

• You have a high-quality piece of furniture that needs a little TLC
• The fabric is stained, outdated, or has an odor to it
• The piece is no longer comfortable or has cushions in disrepair
• You have a unique, vintage, or heirloom piece of furniture that’s damaged
• The furniture is comfortable, but the fabric style or color no longer fits your décor
• You want to keep your existing furniture from ending up in a landfill

​Color Wheel can help you decide if it’s worth it to reupholster your pieces and give you an estimate for the furniture you want to keep.

Keep Your Furniture for a Lifetime
High-quality furniture can last a lifetime. Why replace your furniture when you can revamp your existing pieces for a fresh, modern new look? Consider reupholstering your furniture to create custom pieces that perfectly match your style and your home. Contact Color Wheel today at (703) 356-8477 x 3 for the design studio to learn more about our professional reupholstery services and wide fabric selection so you can keep your furniture for a lifetime.