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How To Properly Apply Eye Shadows And Mascara To Windows! Part 1

In the past, we’ve discussed windows. If you want to see outside or let fresh air in, those babies are as good as sliced bread. But what if you need to block the sun’s heat or have privacy at night? I once visited Plymouth Plantation, where it seemed they solved that problem by just letting the dirt build up, but nowadays we have window coverings.

I seldom mention brand names, but that’s more difficult in the world of window treatments, because there’s an 800-pound gorilla in the room. With over half of all sales and nearly every patent, there is basically Hunter Douglas, then everyone else.

Hunter Douglas makes all their products stateside, with short lead times and readily available replacement parts; further, most designs provide limited lifetime warranties on the lift systems. More importantly, Hunter Douglas has styles that other companies would surely copy, but can’t due to patent protection. Hunter Douglas’ offerings are extensive, so even two articles might be tight. Let’s start with their more popular lift systems and a few lines, then discuss their remaining lines plus design ideas in two weeks.

EasyRise: Hunter Douglas’ standard system is a continuous loop that you pull in one direction to lower the shade, then the opposite to raise it.

UltraGlide: Whereas traditional cords could be five feet when a blind was opened – believe me, it’s like a Moebius Strip trying to determine when to call a blind “opened” or “closed,” so I’m saying if light comes through, it’s opened! – the UltraGlide’s ratcheting system hides a retractable cord within the headrail. Grab the plastic rod, give three or four tugs to extend the hidden cord and raise the blind, then snap quickly to the left to lower completely.

LiteRise: Simply move the shade into place, then let go. SimpleLift places the mechanics at the bottom to support heavier blinds; just depress a button to lift.

DuoLite: Basically a sheer in front of room darkening fabric, giving you three choices: full visibility, diffused light, or total privacy.

PowerView: Not only can you open your window treatments from a remote or your phone, but you can schedule each blind to open at varying times, have winter and summer scenes, a vacation scene, or program all shades to open and close according to the sun. Your carpet will love the shorter work week.

SoftTouch: These are simple to operate. Pull the rod down about 1/4” and the blind goes down electronically; push the rod up 1/4” and the blind raises.

Top-Down Bottom-Up: Normally, a blind drops from the top of the window, so while six inches of visibility might remain at the bottom, the view above is blocked. TDBU allows you to switch that, so you can have the bottom half closed to block the sun, while providing visibility at the top, or vice versa.

Hunter Douglas’ best sellers are their honeycombs, because they affordably marry energy and light protection with style. Applause is the base model, with single cell honeycombs stacked upon each other, or double cells that are stacked front and back; in contrast, Duette Architella “nests” a second honeycomb within the first (and Trielles even offer triple nesting), which improves energy efficiency. With as much as 50% of your bill lost through the windows, these have actually been listed by name when the government has provided tax credits for blinds.

Silhouettes are another popular style. They have fabric vanes connected by two sheers that filter out 88% of UV rays. This means when the blinds are down — again, I’m calling that closed — and the slats are twisted shut, you’ll have full privacy; but open those vanes and you’ll be able to see out your window. Interestingly, light actually bounces off the sheers, meaning people outside can’t easily see in. But that’s only in the daytime. Because at night with the houselights on? Might wanna close those vanes….

When honeycombs are vertical, they’re called VertiGlides, whereas the vertical equivalents of Silhouettes are called Luminettes.

The last window treatment will be Pirouettes. They’re a cross between Silhouettes and Vignettes (a Roman Shade we’ll discuss next month). They have one sheer on the window side, but you’ll still receive 86% UV protection. They are perhaps Hunter Douglas’ most versatile covering, because you can achieve various looks by angling the slats into different positions.

Sorry to leave you with a cliffhanger here, but stop back in two weeks for the riveting conclusion!