Your 22 year old daughter is taking a unique approach to her brand new apartment. It is her first experience living off campus, but she is still living in a suite styled space. For example, the kitchen and living rooms areas are shared spaces and she is not interested in investing any times in making plans for those spaces. Her apartment could have a total of four girls, but right now she only has one roommate. The fact that the space is completely furnished was a major advantage for this one year program she is in, but the colors are not to her liking. As a result, she wanted nothing more than a pair of curtains for the sliding door that opens to the deck and one medium sized are rug for the space between the sofa, chair, and television.

She does have her own room and bathroom, however, so she has been willing to take the time to make those spaces her own. None of the apartments in the rather large complex were ready on time so the custom shades that the residents were promised have neither arrived nor been installed. Your daughter wanted to make sure that her bedroom also had curtains, but she also wanted to wait and see what the promised custom shades would look like so she did not want to spent too much on the curtains. All in all, it has been a pretty simply move and you are happy that she has her own space so close to campus so that this one year accelerated nursing program will be a little more manageable.

Finding the Right Window Treatments Can Add Both Function and Beauty to Any Space

From blackout blinds for light sleepers to decorator custom shades and curtains, there are many ways that you can make any space in a home or an apartment, and dorm room for that matter, feel more comfortable. And while there are many personal preferences and trends, it is always important to do enough research so that the custom shades that you purchase fit the space and that the window treatments that you invest in will be versatile enough to last awhile.

consider some of these facts and figures about the current window covering industry, including custom shades and draperies:

  • In addition to creating privacy, window attachments can improve the performance of windows and save up to 13% of a household’s annual energy use, according to the Attachments Energy Rating Council (AERC).
  • For instance, cellular shades on a single pane window can save between $280 and $470 a year, according to the AERC.
  • In contrast, roller shades on a single pane window can save up to $180 a year, according to AERC.
  • Windows and doors account for approximately 33% of a home’s total thermal loss, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council.
  • In addition to efficiency, the length of drapes can have a major impact on the look and feel of a room. For a cleaner, more casual look, purchase the drapes in a length that just touches the floor. For a more dramatic effect, hang the drapes so that the fabric puddles on the floor, with four to six inches resting in luxurious folds.
  • And while there can be some personal preferences, the general rule when installing shades is to add two to three inches to the overall width of the shade to allow room for mounting hardware.
  • Nearly 31 million people in the U.S. in the Spring of 2016 indicated that they lived in a household that bought drapes, blinds, and other window treatments within the last 12 months.
  • Roller shade fabric with a 5% rating will allow 5% of light in, blocking the other 95%. Blackout shades, in comparison, have a 0% rating, blocking out all the light.
  • Approximately 150 million to 225 million interior residential window coverings are shipped in the U.S. every single year.
  • As technologies continue to increase and expand, automated window treatments are becoming more and more common. In fact, 2% of newly renovated homes have “smart” blinds or curtains, according to a 2016 Houzz survey.

Personalizing your first apartment or your latest home is easier with the right kind of window coverings.

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