November 30, 2008
These natural cherry shutters are a perfect complement to the early colonial antiques in this room. The natural beauty of the grain is more than enough decoration for these windows. See more at www.excitingwindows.net Cherry Plantation Shutters
Sphere: Related Content![[Post to Twitter]](http://www.excitingwindows.net/blog/wp-content/plugins/tweet-this/icons/tt-twitter.png) Tweet This Post
November 29, 2008
Mahogany ShuttersMahogany has long been considered one of the finest and most beautiful woods for furniture and millwork. Now Plantation Shutters are available in stained or clear coated mahogany, so you can match that gorgeous dining room table or the fabulous built in shelves in the den.
This picture is of mahogany wood shutters mounted directly to the white painted wood jambs of this dining room. We carefully matched the color of the shutters to match the rich patina of the antique table and chairs. Absolutely gorgeous! See more at http://www.excitingwindows.net/index.php
Sphere: Related Content Tweet This Post
November 28, 2008
| |
UPDATE:
Greenguard® Certified
Window Coverings
Custom Shutter Collection Now Certified |
Environmental Awareness
Consumers are increasingly aware of environmental issues regarding products that they use. It is increasingly necessary to have options available for customers who are seeking products that are not harmful to the surrounding environment.
A number of Hunter Douglas products have recently been certified as safe for Children and Schools and for indoor air quality by the Greenguard Environmental Institute.
All of our products from the Hunter Douglas Custom Shutter Collection have recently been certified by the Greenguard Institute.
Other Hunter Douglas products that have been Greenguard certified are: |
| |
Pirouette® Window Shadings |
| |
Vignette® Modern Roman Shades |
| |
Silhouette® Window Shadings |
| |
NantucketTM Window Shadings |
| |
Duette® Honeycomb Shades
including Duette Architella |
| |
Applause® Honeycomb Shades |
| |
Alouette® Light Louvers |
| |
Luminette® Privacy Sheers |
| |
Park LaneTM Privacy Sheers |
| |
Heritance® Hardwood Shutters
Heritance Environmental Impact Study (PDF) |
| |
SummerwindTM Polysatin Shutters
Certified as Eclipse Shutters
Summerwind Environmental Impact Study (PDF) |
| |
NewStyle® Hybrid Shutters
NewStyle Environmental Impact Study (PDF) |
| |
Bridgeway Specialty Shapes
Bridgeway Environmental Impact Study (PDF) |
| |
Country Woods®
Wood Blinds |
Wood is a renewable resource. Forests can be managed to constantly replenish and promote renewed growth. Hardwood trees, such as Basswood, Oak and Cherry, will automatically sprout new seedlings when the tree is cut down. The unwanted seedlings are then trimmed in order to provide plenty of room for the chosen seedlings to grow. This provides endless life to the forest. |
| |
Chalet Woods®
Wood Blinds |
| |
EverWood®
Alternative Wood Blinds |
The alternative wood material used in the EverWood Collection is exclusively formulated and PVC-free.
Only high-grade materials are used in our extrusions. This material is the same grade and quality as materials used in food packaging, Petri dishes and test tubes.
The EverWood® Collection materials are proudly
extruded in North America for Hunter Douglas and are not shipped from Asia in mass container loads.
All scrap incurred in the extrusion process is recaptured and reprocessed with all the water used being recycled. |
| |
WoodMates®
Alternative Wood Blinds |
| |
Modern Precious Metals |
Hunter Douglas aluminum blind slats are made with up to 95% recycled aluminum content. |
About GREENGUARD Environmental Institute
The GREENGUARD Environmental Institute (GEI) is an industry-independent, non-profit organization that oversees the GREENGUARD Certification Program. As an ANSI Authorized Standards Developer, GEI establishes acceptable indoor air standards for indoor products, environments, and buildings. GEI’s mission is to improve public health and quality of life through programs that improve indoor air. A GEI Advisory Board consisting of independent volunteers, who are renowned experts in the areas of indoor air quality, public and environmental health, building design and construction, and public policy, provides guidance and leadership to GEI.
History of GREENGUARD
GEI was founded in June of 2001 to establish a true third-party product certification program based on proven emissions standards and to provide specifying and procurement professionals with a resource for low-emitting products.
About the GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certification Program for Low-Emitting Products
The GREENGUARD Certification Program is an industry-independent, third-party testing program for low-emitting products and materials. The first GREENGUARD Certification was awarded in the fall of 2002. In 2005 the Greenguard Environmental Institute announced the GREENGUARD Children & Schools standard, which evaluates the sensitive nature of school populations combined with the unique building characteristics found in schools, and presents the most rigorous product emissions criteria to date. To date, more than 100 manufacturers across various industries offer GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified® Products.
More Information:
Go to the Greenguard Environmental Institute web site to learn more about certification and for a list of other certified products. |
Sphere: Related Content Tweet This Post
November 27, 2008
All natural drapes
The Green Sage Classic Naturals Collection offers long, strong, luxurious, and mildew-resistant draperies created using natural hemp and flax plants blended with silk for a gorgeous, delicate and strong fabric. With no dyes, finishes or chemicals, these curtain panels are available with rod pockets or are suitable for drapery clips.
Classic comeback
Silk is also making a resurgence and although a pricier option for window treatments, the shine and luxury of the fabric instantly wakes up a not-so-glamorous room. Anna Sova’s eco-silk is a luxurious, lightweight fabric with a crisp feel and smooth texture. Organic nut soap finishing and eco-safe dyes, containing no herbicides, pesticides or carcinogens are used in the finishing.
High tech green
Technology meets natures with the use of Honeycomb shades. Made of a spun woven polyester that when combined with the shape of the bee honeycomb, creates a detour preventing the wind or cold from penetrating the window and entering the house, which ultimately saves money in heating costs. Anti-microbial, anti-fungal traits are available woven into the fabric or offered as a topical spray. Stain-resistant and mildew- and mold-resistant fabrics are also popular picks for allergy sufferers.
Hunter Douglas’ new Duette Architella Collection, a unique honeycomb within a honeycomb construction provides deep, luminous color, true opaque appearance, improved pleat retention.
Jennifer Sgro is the fashion editor for Green Living Magazine. She contributes regularly to Green Living Online.
Sphere: Related Content Tweet This Post
November 26, 2008
Are your drapes or binds contribution to indoor pollution? Let the sun shine in with eco-friendly window coverings.
Indoor air pollution has been sited as three times more polluted then outdoor air and one of the main sources is from our window dressings. More and more people are opting for non-toxic fabrics, textiles and window coverings and a resurgence in organic materials is literally bringing nature indoors.
Simplicity of bamboo
For simple window coverings, bamboo blinds are a winning combination of good looks and eco-friendliness.
Bamboo, one of the fastest-growing plants and easiest to cultivate on earth, is actually a grass. It’s popular for its sustainable and environmentally-friendly quality but also for its wood tones that infuse interiors with natural warmth.
For some soft shades, look at Robert Allen’s Islandia. This 100 per cent bamboo fabric comes in 25 colours and for perfect for creating earth friendly drapes.
Art for your windows
You can find plenty of intriguing designs from The Woven Company created with roots, twigs and twines from exotic trees, reeds, bamboo, grass, and palm leaves. The Nguyen family has created window treatments with such a variety of patterns and textures that choosing one for a space is like choosing a work of art. They honour a strict environmental code using only quick-replenishing plants, and plants indigenous to the area where the factory is located.
Link
Sphere: Related Content Tweet This Post
November 25, 2008
| Featured Fabrics
|
|
The Robert Allen Group recognizes the importance of protecting the environment and providing sustainable products. We are committed to delivering a beautiful experience to our customers by broadening our offering of ecologically friendly products and by reducing our environmental footprint in ways that range from waste reduction to energy efficiency.
The fabric that we designate as “eco-friendly” has met criteria we’ve established based on strict environmental standards for fabric content, dye/pigment composition and finishing processes/treatments.
FABRIC CONTENT: At least fifty percent of the fibers in our eco-friendly fabrics are sustainable, organic and/or recycled.
- Sustainable fibers come from rapidly renewable resources with growth and harvest cycles of five years or less. Fibers that fall into this category include alpaca, bamboo, mohair, hemp, wool, and cork.
- Organic fibers are grown without the use of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and chemical fertilizers. Fibers that fall into this category include organic cotton, organic hemp and organic linen. All of our organic fabrics are made from certified organic fibers.
- Recycled fibers come from post-consumer waste such as soda bottles. They also come from post-industrial waste: byproducts from the manufacturing process. Our post-industrial recycled fibers come from petroleum byproducts, recycled cotton, corn derivatives (PLA), recycled silk, and soybean husks.
COLOR: Our eco-friendly fabrics may simply reflect the color of their fiber content (i.e. in their un-dyed states, many fibers such as alpaca and recycled cotton come in ranges of rich hues from deep chocolates to luminous shades of gold.) Alternatively, these eco-friendly fabrics may derive color from metal-free or reduced metal dyestuffs and pigments. If the fabrics contain dyes or pigments, they meet the metal content standards set by the Ecological and Toxicological Association of Dyes and Organic Pigments Manufacturers (ETAD).
FINISHING: Our eco-friendly fabrics may be loomstate, meaning that they come straight from the loom with no additional performance preparations. Eco-friendly fabrics with finishing treatments may include washing (with water alone or with a mild soap), aero-ing (tumbling), steaming, pressing with hot rollers, or the application of a stain or water repellent. In general, it is our preference not to use a stain repellent or a water repellent except in cases where they are a practical necessity. These fabrics do not have synthetic backings.
Link
Sphere: Related Content Tweet This Post
November 24, 2008
Rod Pocket Ruffles
Any type of pole can be covered with rod-pocket panels. These are easy to make at home and can be detailed with ribbon or fabric borders, tassels, or tiebacks. This window shows two pairs of rod-pocket panels — floral and striped — on two separate rods.
More Ideas for Corner Windows
Sphere: Related Content Tweet This Post
November 23, 2008
Cuffed
The top edge of these drapes has been decorated with a stripe of checked fabric that forms a cuff over the pleats.
Link
Sphere: Related Content Tweet This Post
November 22, 2008
Pinch Pleats
Update pinch-pleated draperies by hanging them from small metal rings strung into a narrow iron rod. The floor-to-ceiling placement is another contemporary look, with the hem just breaking onto the floor.
More on Arched Window Treatments
Sphere: Related Content Tweet This Post
November 21, 2008
Tab Top
Country interiors are the usual place to find tab-top drapery panels. These plain white drapes have been embellished with stripes of brown ribbon and brown buttons to hold the tabs in place.
Link
Sphere: Related Content Tweet This Post
Newer Posts »
Towns We Frequently Service
| New Hampshire | New Hampshire | Massachusets | Maine |
| Alton, NH | NH Lakes region | Andover, MA | Kennebunkport, ME |
| Dover, NH | Portsmouth, NH | Boston, MA | Kittery, ME |
| Durham, NH | Rye, NH | Cambridge, MA | Ogunquit, ME |
| Exeter, NH | Seacoast, NH | Ipswich, MA | Portland, ME |
| Hamptom, NH | Stratham, NH | Newburyport, MA | Wells, ME |
| Manchester, NH | Wolfeboro, NH | North Shore, MA | |
|
|
