Color of 2010!

TURQUOISE!

Earlier this month, Pantone LLC, the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, announced PANTONE® 15-5519 Turquoise as the color of the year for 2010. According to it's website, "combining the serene qualities of blue and the invigorating aspects of green, Turquoise evokes thoughts of soothing, tropical waters and a languorous, effective escape from the everyday troubles of the world, while at the same time restoring our sense of wellbeing."

Turquoise is one of 3,000 colors available in Pantone’s line of superior-quality, eco-friendly paint. PANTONE makes these suggestions for using the color in your home:

1) Used in a powder room or bedroom, Turquoise can provide an evocative, spa-like hue that adds an undertone of warmth and excitement to any cool space.

2) Used in the kitchen, Turquoise can add a unique flare to tabletop and appliances.

Weatherize Your Windows ...

... with CrystalPleat Cellular Shades!

Insulating, sound absorbing, light-filtering... Cellular shades are the perfect choice for homeowners that want the most bang for the buck. Especially when it comes to energy efficiency. Here are the facts:

The average home loses up to one-fourth of it's heating and cooling energy through it's windows, according to the US Department of Energy. Cellular shades are one of the best insulators available and they are also the most cost-effective! Many have found that they cannot afford to replace all their windows with top of line, energy-efficient windows and so have opted for switching out their window treatments instead. How do they work? Pockets between the layers of fabric trap air and prevent its escape, thus providing an insulating barrier. And since they are available in single cell, double cell, and triple cell shades, you can choose your level of insulation... the more cells, the higher the R-value!

Graber CrystalPleat Cellular Shades offer fabric choices in semi-opaque, opaque and blackout in a wide array of colors. Other feature and options include:

• Standard Cord-lift, Cordless, Continuous Loop, Bottom Up/ Top Down Corded, Bottom Up/ Top Down Cordless, Sun Up/ Sun Down, Slide Vue, SkyTrack Skylight and Motorized operating systems
• Specialty shapes
• Wider material widths
• Wood valance and cornice program
• Blocks UV rays, preventing damage to furniture, artwork, flooring, etc.
• Components are 100% recyclable including fabric, aluminum rails and plastic components (up to 50% pre-consumer recycled material)
• Limited Lifetime Warranty

Your Place in the New Green Economy

I just got back from attending the free one day forum that was presented by the Center For Green Research and Evaluation @ Elizabeth City State University. Amid a vast array of speakers who were given time to speak about their organizations and/ or non-profit groups, the highlight of the event was guest speaker Majora Carter (to my right in picture). I personally knew little of Ms. Carter before today outside some of the projects she has founded and been involved with. These include Make It Right, founded by actor Brad Pitt, which is helping to rebuild New Orleans' 9th Ward and the big role she has served in the local green research and evaluation program at ECSU, headed by Dr. Scott Bradshaw. She turned out to be a very personable, dynamic figure and it was quite easy to see that she is very passionate about what she does. That passion spills over into her projects and the end results as with the 2001 founded non-profit organization Sustainable South Bronx are nothing short of remarkable!

Many subjects were tossed around and discussed at length such as Bio-Fuel research and the "on the verge of exploding" job opportunities in a new green economy, such as Energy Auditors. At the heart of it all, of course, was the need for local awareness and education.

The "Round Table Discussion" was very enlightening. Included in this were:

1) George Fountain, President & CEO of The Green Fountain Group
2) Mayor Brian Roth (Plymouth, NC)
3) Wendy Jewett, Director of the NE Workforce Development Board
4) Norman Smit, Director of Communications & Education, Biofuels Center of NC
5) Susannah Tuttle, Board of Directors for the USGBC North Carolina Chapter; Historic Green
6) Dannette Sharpley, Interim Executive Director of Black Family Land Trust
7) Arlene Yates, Perquimans County CDC
8) James Harris, Lighting Energy Specialist and Geologist

Touched upon several times was the lack of commitment due to lack of knowledge... a lot of times people want to get involved but since the task seems so overwhelming, they haven't a clue where to begin. I can relate to that! And so, probably the biggest thing I learned today was that it is a step by step process. Change isn't going to happen overnight. We each do what we can, even if all we can do is just a little! But today was encouraging... it just may be the springboard we need here in NE-NC!

Product and Service Video for Interior VUES

Current Promotion!

Are Window Treatments Really Important?

Nothing can add to the beauty and value of your home like quality window treatments! Whether you are building a new home or renovating your existing one, you need the guidance only a well trained window treatment specialist can offer. Here's why...

Choosing the right treatments for your home goes beyond just what looks good in a particular room. Also to be considered is function, convenience and comfort. Is the room in need of privacy? How about light control? Or is there a need for both?

Here is checklist to help...

Are you:

• in the process of building a new home and will soon need window treatments for privacy and light control?

• considering an update to your current window treatments in order to refresh the interior of your home?

• interested in new & innovative window treatments that will add to the value of your home?

• searching for ways to cut your energy costs each month?

• looking to remotely operate a window treatment or group of window treatments with IR or RF motorization?

• in need of window treatments that are child and pet safe?

• a consumer that buys only when there is a great product warranty and customer service after the sale?

Do You Have Energy Holes?

The answer is a resounding YES! Unfortunately, we all do. We commonly refer to these "holes" as windows! Today's double-pane windows are much better at preventing unwanted air flow than windows used to be. However, even when closed, they still offer very little resistance to the flow of heat, allowing 10 to 15 times more heat energy to flow through them. And did you realize that while the walls of an average (newer) home typically has an R-value of 19, standard double-pane windows only have an R-value of about 2?!? So, despite the fact that windows make up only about 10% of an average home, up to 50% of the heating and cooling energy pours through them. That amounts to half of what you pay out each month in utility bills!

What can you do about it? One very important step you can take is choosing window treatments that will double as window 'insulators', taking advantage of natural lighting, while preventing heat loss in the cold months and cool air loss in warmer months. (See DWELL magazine article "At Home In The Zone") Honeycomb shades are at the forefront of this money-saving measure. With their innovative "pocket" design, you can add several points of R-value to your windows! Now, R-value may not mean a lot to you... but I bet the extra money in your wallet each month as a result certainly will!

November 2009 issue of DWELL!

Check out the latest issue of DWELL magazine! Interior VUES made it into the "Letters" section on page 24. I wrote in after the Swimme and Son seminar to let them know how much I enjoy the magazine and how I was able to incorporate their feature "At Home in the Zone" (May 2009) in my presentation on Green Design around the home.

Are Your Window Treatments Safe?

Prompted by an upcoming article in Consumer Reports, I decided, with this entry, to touch on a subject that should be receiving a lot more attention..

An unbelievable number of blinds and shades have been recalled in recent months... 5.5 million, in fact, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. These treatments were sold by retailers such as Ikea, Pottery Barn and Target and all pretty much had the same flaw in common... the CORDS! It seems the most guilty products were the roll-up blind and roller shade simply because of the way in which they are made and operate. And then throw in installation negligence by the consumer (as in failing to install cleats, etc.) and you have a real problem.

When you read some of the examples they cite of parents walking in to find their toddler dangling in his crib from a cord loop, the issue suddenly becomes very real and you realize how easily it could happen. It is estimated that about one child per months dies after becoming entangled in the cords of window blinds.

The aforementioned instance and a score of other tragic stories have prompted a massive recall and a public notice issued by the CPSC that consumers should examine all roman shades and roll-up blinds in their homes.

Consumer Reports quotes the CPSC as saying, "If they find looped pull cords, exposed inner cords, or exposed lifting loops and children live in or visit the home, they should consider replacing the blinds or shades with products that do not have exposed cords or inner cords".

What are the alternatives, then?

Many window treatment fabricators offer retractable cords (Hunter Douglas has UltraGlide that features a cord that always returns to the same short length and is available on most of it's shading treatments, including Silhouette and Pirouette), cordless and even motorized operating systems that are both child and pet safe. These upgradable options are well worth the extra money you spend... not only because of the peace of mind they give but also for their convenience of use. And even if you choose not to upgrade, the standard cord-loop operation on many of these products come ready to be fastened securely to the window, so that there is no way a child or pet could get caught or wrapped up in the cord.

Please contact Interior VUES if you would like more information about any of these products and options. As always, we offer free consultations, estimates and measuring!