Featured Window

Shutters of Form & Function

A survey of DWC Magazine readers found that the number one reason people buy shutters is aesthetics, and the second reason is because they consider them as investments in their homes. Same is true for Brian and Moon who moved to the Pacific Northwest recently. “We’ve had shutters in the past, and we like the durability and overall look of the shutters. Plus, the fact that when you sell your place, listing plantation shutters is a selling point that you can call out,” says Brian. 

Care & Cleaning 

Shutters are very easy to clean and maintain. Use a clean, dry feather duster, cloth or vacuum with brush attachment to gently remove dust and debris. To ensure thorough cleaning, wipe the louvers and panels in the open and closed positions. Do not immerse the product in water or use abrasive chemical solvents as this may cause discoloration and the wood to warp. Ultrasonic cleaning is not recommended. Taken from: Norman Shutters

Featured Item

The Warmth of Woven Woods

No other style can give immediate warmth and texture to the space more than woven wood shades. Made of natural materials such as wood, reeds, and grasses, they are an excellent choice for bringing nature and the outdoors and in. Woven wood shades blend nicely in a setting that has rich tones,.

 It is uniquely constructed and also a great way to add depth and visual interest to a space. Distinctive color, stain, pattern, and material variations are part of the inherent characteristic and contributes to its natural beauty.

Woven wood shades create soft folds when raised which adds to its charm when up. The popular top-down/bottom-up feature is also available for extra flexibility and versatility (bottom left).

It can be made without the liner to allow maximum light to enter the room and where privacy is not much of an concern (top right). A liner may be added for more light control and privacy especially at night, while edge binding is also available to avoid edges from fraying or as a decorative accent. 

Energy Efficiency

Tips on Reducing Energy Loss in Windows

With the ever rising cost of energy, exploring means available to cut down on electric and gas bills is indeed helpful. One of them is to use your window treatments to the fullest by making windows more energy efficient. They are a great investment that will pay itself off many times over with installation on windows that are exposed to intense sunlight, winds, rain, or snow. Simply opening and closing your window coverings when appropriate can reduce energy consumption in your home. 

• During summer, closing those on windows that face the sun can reduce cooling costs. 

• During winter, ensure drapes and blinds are open to allow the sun to heat a home for free, and shut them at night to help insulate the room. 

They can make a huge difference not just in creating a more comfortable room setting but also in making windows more energy efficient!

Child & Pet Safety

Making Shades & Blinds More Safe

 Most cords come with a breakaway safety tassel which snaps open when pressure is applied, adding an extra measure of protection by coming apart in an emergency.

Make existing shades and blinds more child safe with the addition of cord cleats. Cord cleats, designed for standard cordlock treatments, allows excess cords to be wrapped around it.

Window treatments with a continuous cord loop, are best installed with a cord tensioner to keep cords taught and prevent them from twisting and tangling.

We leave the cord cleats in clients’ homes for those who opt not to have them installed, but feel free to call us back if you wish to have them installed. Likewise, please let us know if you would like cord loops previously opted without cord tensioners to be installed.

Protect your children and pets at home with these simple tips from our manufacturers and Window Covering Safety Council (WCSC):

• Replace window blinds, corded shades and draperies manufactured before 2001 with today’s safer products.
• Move all cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows & window cords, preferably to another wall.
• Keep all pull cords out of  children’s reach. Make sure that tasseled pull cords are short and continuous-loop cords are permanently anchored.
• Never allow long window covering pull cords to "puddle" on the floor next to the window.

Cordless operation is the premier choice for cord-free operation and streamlined appearance. Instead of relying cords, a gentle push or pull is all that’s needed to raise or lower the shade.

Ultraglide, a patented Hunter Douglas system features a retractable pull cord that stays constant in length whether the shade is raised or lowered. This reduces access to the lift cords and ideal for tall windows.

Continuous cord loops permanently anchored to the window, wall, or floor, holds looped cords 

taut, reducing risk and ideal for wide windows.

Motorized treatments operated at the touch of the botton eliminates the cord entirely. Available battery powered or hardwired.

Sheers with fully operable blackout drapery provide an alternative to controlling amount of light & privacy.

Is Your Home Ready for Summer Sun?

Use Window Coverings to Your Advantage and Keep Your Room Cooler with These Simple Tips:

• Close all window treatments if you are not home during the day to keep your home cool as long as possible. 
• If you are home during the day, keep the sun out of your house by closing them during the hottest part of the day and also the blinds in the south facing windows which typically get a lot of sun.
• Shut doors to unused rooms. 
• If the air cools down enough in the evening, open the windows to get as much air circulation as possible. 
• The style and use of your window coverings indeed make a difference in cooling your home in the summer!Save time and relax at home while we bring our showroom to you!

We bring everything you need to your door so you can choose the style of window coverings most suited to your environment. And we listen to your needs, since we know there's no one solution that fits every window.

From Vertical to Versatile

Featured: Top-Down/Bottom-Up Cordless Honeycomb Shades

Homeowners Lynn & Matt found us through an article published at The Journal Newspapers. Having had vertical blinds in the living room that has seen its time and no longer in tip-top shape, and shades that were not able to block the fierce afternoon sunlight in their dining room, they thought it was time to make a change. Top on their wish list was filtering the sunlight and providing privacy, but with the flexibility to let some light in at the same time.

 Enter top-down/bottom-up shades, a perfect and stylish solution for complete light and privacy control, with the flexibility of letting light in when the top is left open. With the window with over 120”, we had 3 of them side-by-side, and 1 butt on the corner. 

The cordless option for that cleaner look and enhanced safety for their dog contributed to the over-all appearance and function. When totally raised, the minimal stack at the top likewise allows a better view to the outside. Honeycomb shades’ insulating properties of keeping the room warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer were a bonus!

Product Spotlight

Motorized Window Treatments

Blake moved into a new condo with a beautiful view overlooking the Puget Sound. One problem: his 1” metal blinds. He found himself constantly raising and lowering the blinds, trying to strike a balance between letting in  the view and blocking the heat and glare of the Western sunlight. When the strings started breaking, Blake  knew  he  needed a  change. His building manager  recommended Anchor  Blinds,  and once he called, he never needed to talk to any other company.

When Armi Avila-Lee arrived for Blake's in-home consultation, she saw side by-side metal blinds on floor to ceiling  windows, with  a clutter of fraying cords that dangled and no longer worked.To her, the solution was obvious: Silhouette® window shadings so Blake could get the advantage of sun protection and see out at the same time. She suggested the motorized option to eliminate cords and make it easier to control the incoming sunlight while keeping the view fully in view!

Now Blake can control all his window coverings with one remote control, raising and lowering them individually or as a group. And with the ugly tangled cords out of the way, Blake can truly enjoy his Sound view. Anchor Blinds, says Blake, is a responsive company that gets the job done.

What better way to control your window coverings than with a touch of a button! Motorization makes it convenient, more usable especially for hard to reach windows, safer, and visually appealing with the elimination of cords. It’s also a more efficient to way operate several shades at once instead of one-by-one manual operation. Most just need AA batteries, but be sure to check with us prior to replacing  to make sure the right batteries are used. With vanes closed, the Silhouette® provides up to 99% UV protection for those super sunny days  in Seattle.  



Top right: Hunter Douglas Pirouette® Powerrise®
Bottom left: Hunter  Douglas  Alustra®  Silhouette®  Window  Shadings  Powerrise® 
with Platinum Technology with the vanes open, providing view -through