6 of the Hottest Spring/Summer 2018 Window Blinds and Shades
BWS Design • May 11, 2018

It’s starting to get hot again, and it’s time to think about updating your window blinds. The  options may seem endless , but this year everything is about being eco-friendly—both in materials and energy efficiency—without sacrificing style and flair. And for those who want to live in the future, think about adding a little technology.

Here are six of the latest trends in blinds and shades for spring and summer of 2018.

Organic Materials

Everything is about nature. Ditch the synthetic materials and focus on the variety of eco-friendly options in window shades. From shades made of woven bamboo and grasses to shades made from organic fabric, there are so many options from which to choose.

The best thing is that choosing organic blinds doesn’t mean that you have to give up the look and feel you’re searching for because just about every window shade style comes with organic options. This means your home can be eco-friendly and stylish all at the same time!

Patterned Fabric Shades

Fabric window shades are coming back this year, but with a twist. Patterns are now in—especially geometric patterns! Patterned fabric shades combine design and function in the best possible ways. Whether you decide to use the patterned fabric shades as the only accent on your window for a clean, minimal feel or pair them with a solid colored curtain, these shades are sure to make a statement.

And the great thing about fabric shades is that if you can’t find the design you want, it’s so easy to get a custom shade made from the fabric of your choice so you can create the perfect accent for each room in your house. You can also back them with blackout material to get the maximum temperature protection for your home.

Roman Shades

Despite their historical sounding name, Roman shades are  very  current with the clean, modern lines that are so in right now. And if you want to combine them with the other summer trends, you can easily get them in a patterned, organic fabric!

If you’ve seen Roman shades and aren’t sure they’re the right fit for you, don’t count them out until you’ve checked out the various fold styles that are available—flat fold, plain fold, soft or hobbled fold, and European fold. The folds completely change the way the shades look, which gives you a multitude of options all within the same general style of shade.

Solar Shades

For those who need to filter the light, but love to enjoy the outside view, then solar shades are the option for you. Made of tightly woven fabric, solar shades can be an opaque solid to completely protect your house from the heat of the sun but they also come in more transparent options. The more transparent solar shades allow you to enjoy the view outdoors while still blocking most the sun’s rays.

Solar shades come in a variety of colors and patterns to match your decor, and they can be affixed to the interior or exterior of your windows. Exterior solar shades are ideal to provide a little extra sun protection and style to your outdoor porch, and they can be motorized for easy operation.

Cellular Shades

For the ultimate energy efficiency, consider cellular shades. Cellular shades (also called honeycomb blinds) allow natural light to flood into your house without the added heat. Their unique double fabric, cellular-shaped folds trap the heat before it reaches the interior of the house.

These blinds are known for reducing a home’s energy bills, but that’s not the only benefit. Some cellular shades qualify for a federal tax credit for eco-friendly upgrades. But if that’s not enough of a reason, they also muffle unwanted outside noises to make for a quieter house.

Smart Home Integration

The future is here. Motorized, remote control window blinds are a lovely convenience, especially for windows in hard to reach locations, but it’s time to think beyond the remote controls and consider automated blinds. If you have Nest, Google Home, or Alexa, or some other smart home program, then you’re already on your way to fully automated window shades.

With hundreds of configurations possible for automated blinds, you can use the system to move the blinds to the ideal positions based on where and when the sun is shining. You can also program your shades to close when the house reaches a specific temperature to conserve energy. Some programs even allow voice control! The Jetsons would approve.

If you want to know more about the various options for window shades—from the traditional to the trendy— contact us  to find out how we can help you choose the best solution for your home.

By Autumn Hooper 07 Feb, 2024
Each year, styles in window treatments come and go. Trends that were hot last year may carry over to the new interior decor season or may be replaced by something new. In 2024, we are looking at a delightful set of trends in blinds, shades, and curtains that embrace the developing attitudes and popular colors that are already giving the year a unique stylistic personality. At Just Blinds, we are delighted to keep up with the trends, helping homeowners, designers, and property managers to create stunning spaces that align with the latest in window treatment trends. The Hot Trends of 2023 Blinds and Shades Last year in 2023, we saw a great collection of trends, many of which have evolved and strengthened with the new year. 2023 explored the innovations of cell shades and honeycomb shades for the benefits of insulation and light control. Motorization gained a prominant place in both home and office design, and decorators discovered the dynamic possibilities of shades that operate from both the bottom and the top on floor-to-ceiling tracks. Texture saw a real debut with natural colors like wood finishes, linen, dusty rose, and moss green. Though bold patterns also had their day in the sun. The Trending 2024 Window Treatments In 2024, you may recognize a few trends still going strong from the year before, which is good news for those who decorated last year because your style is likely still right on-trend. But we are also seeing new trends developing with elegant enthusiasm. Smart Home Blinds The trend for motorized shades has naturally evolved to favor smart home controls. With a simple voice command, you can take control of all the motorized shades in a room, in your entire home, or set each shade to exactly the height and opacity you desire. Warm Neutrals and Bold Natural Colors Color trends favor a more natural palette. Neutral colors are warmer, even the grays and charcoals have a honey undertone, while natural colors like mossy and forest green are growing stronger in hue paired with a jewelbox of flower petal colors. If you're following the Colors of the Year, you may have also noticed an adoration of ocean blues, and you can match those blues with slightly darker or lighter blinds for beautiful effect. Eco-Friendly and Sustainable Materials Natural materials and textures were popular in 2023, and 2024 takes this trend even further. Blinds made out of recycled materials are now on the rise alongside the growing popularity of blinds made from super-sustainable plants like bamboo, hemp, jute, and grass cloth. These offer natural colors, dynamic textures, and the delight of eco-friendly design. Gauzy Sheer Elegance Sheer curtains and semi-sheer blinds are also in fashion; a classic style that has been floating near the top of popularity for literal centuries. Sheer curtains and blinds maintain privacy while allowing sunlight into the room in a gently diffused glow. They also layer excellently with more robust window treatments. Creative Window Treatment Layering Speaking of layering, we are seeing an enthusiastic embrace of creatively layered styles. Wooden shutters, gauzy curtains, and black-out blinds are among the most popular layers, but decorators are getting creative with how they choose to to layer their window treatments, using both multiple fabrics and structures at the same time. Find the Blinds that Best Suit Your Needs How can you choose fantastic and on-trend blinds that perfectly suit your design needs? Fortunately, the diversity of this year's trends leave room for almost any personal sense of style and the individual needs of each room's windows. Start with the size of your windows and your room's existing color palette. Decide if you want to match, accent, or contrast the colors of the room. Then choose the opacity, privacy, and level of motorized control you desire. This should guide you toward a specific selection that will work well for your room. From there, it's a matter of specific features and your personal sense of style. Reach Out for Expert and On-Trend Advice If you are getting ready to decorate a room and want the perfect window treatments for 2024, we are only a phonecall or a visit away. Give us a call for expert advice in the right blinds or shades for each window in your home. Our on-trend window treatment experts will be glad to help tailor your window treatment design to your personal tastes, the latest trends, and the style of each of your rooms.
20 Jul, 2023
Is your AC bill keeping you down this summer? Is your home too hot? Window treatments can help cool your home, but you need to choose the right ones and use them correctly. Not all window coverings are made equal. Here are some of the best options to help keep your home comfortable and reduce costs this summer: Cellular or honeycomb shades. These are specifically designed to provide a high level of insulation that keeps the heat out of your home. They also don't block the view when completely drawn. As a bonus, you can get them in a wide variety of colors and patterns to match your home and in both top-down and bottom-up configurations. Drapery. Old-fashioned curtains can be surprisingly effective. Choose a medium color and have us add a white plastic backing to reflect heat out of your home. You can also use drapes to block some of the heat without excluding much light, allowing you to enjoy natural light flowing through your drapes. Fabric Roman shades. These are a distinctive option that really dresses up a room, and if you choose the kind with several layers they will definitely help keep the heat out. We have light filtering and blackout options and everything in between. Why Should You Use These Types of Shades or Blinds? The two reasons are to save money and help protect the environment. Good shades keep your home cooler and this means your air conditioning systems don't have to work as hard and use as much energy. In the northern hemisphere, it's most important to have heat-reducing treatments on your southern windows and you can allow more light in through windows that face north. Both cellular and Roman shades can also be motorized and even put on timers to close the shades when you are not there and then let light in when you return. The small amount of energy used by motorized shades is much less than that lost through naked windows. All of these shades can also add to the aesthetics of your room. Cellular shades are great to add a pop of color or a subtle pattern. Both drapery and Roman shades give a soft feel to your windows that then spreads to the rest of your room. What is the Best Choice? The best choice of the three depends on your personal aesthetics. Our designers can help you make the right choice. If you want motorized shades, cellular shades are the lightest and thus use the least energy, and can roll all the way up and down, leaving your windows completely unrestricted. Roman shades are more visible, but can be used to add fabric and color to a room. Many people still love the look of traditional window drapes. Note that you can also combine shades and drapes for the effect you want, both in terms of reducing heat loss and in terms of aesthetics. How Much Can I Actually Save? The amount you save depends on the kind of window covering you use and how much thermal gain your house typically experiences. The larger your windows, in general, the larger the benefit, especially south-facing windows. For example, medium-colored draperies with a white plastic backing can reduce heat gain by as much as 33% for that window. Most window treatments, though, reduce overall heat gain by about 10%. This can significantly reduce your bills, by $100 to $200 a month during the summer. Using the right window treatment can make your home more comfortable in the summer and save money while preserving the environment. For advise on which window treatments to choose for your home and to see our selection of blinds and shades, contact Just Blinds today.
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