Fantastic Window Coverings Happen DURING the Home Remodeling or Building Process, Not After!
Custom window treatments are usually the last thing on your mind when you’re building or remodeling a home.
After all, that’s a “finishing touch,” right? That comes after the plumbing and wiring and permits, doesn’t it?
Unfortunately, if you wait that long, your options will be limited – or worse, much more expensive.
It’s best to start working with a designer during the earliest possible stages of your project. Creating truly spectacular window treatments requires the proper infrastructure to support them, which needs to be built into your home.
For example:
On large installations, extra blocking in the framing of your home is often required to handle the weight of the window coverings.
Motorized window coverings must have the proper wiring installed to power their elegant movements.
Too often, when homeowners wait until after their project to start working with a window fashion designer, we see things like this happen…
They find their options for custom window designs are far more limited.
The project becomes more expensive because walls now need to be opened up to install the proper wiring or supports.
The truth is, if you’re planning a building or remodeling project, you actually have a significant advantage that’s not to be missed! You can avoid some critical concerns, open up the floodgates of creativity, and save money on your project. It’s a simple matter of inviting your window designer into the process as soon as possible.
Here’s a great example of what the process looks like and how it helps.
I thought we were talking custom window treatments. You want to see blueprints!?
Susan and Mike were building their dream home, a Tuscan-style villa in their vineyard near Sherwood, Oregon. We had designed window treatments for their first home 15 years earlier, and now they wanted our help to find the perfect window coverings for their new home.
This was the perfect scenario. Their home was still in the early stages of being built. Most clients are surprised when we ask to see blueprints, but that’s exactly what we needed!
Susan arrived with her blueprint in hand, and our Window Fashion Designer, Marlys, reviewed the plans and started looking for any structural details that needed our attention.
As we mentioned above, when the home is in the early stages of construction, it’s the perfect time to determine if extra support needs to be added behind walls or where wiring needs to be installed for motorized treatments.
One week later, we did a walk-through of the construction site together to gather even more data and insight into the project.
Tackling an entire home at once can feel overwhelming, so we wisely decided to start with the master bedroom.
Here’s what we would have missed if we hadn’t started the custom window treatment process while the house was being built.
Susan and Mike’s future master bedroom would feature a glorious, extensive set of slider doors. In fact, they would need a 16-foot rod to span the distance.
Sixteen feet worth of fabric creates a great deal of weight, and Susan’s dream for the room was to be able to draw her curtains all the way across the windows and stack them to one side. Because of this:
The large bedroom slider would need extra blocking between studs and behind the drywall before the walls were closed in. This detail was necessary so that when the draperies and sheers were all stacked to one side, the drapery rod and the wall supporting them would hold all the extra weight.
The one-way action also required extra-strong brackets to support the stacked back draperies and a bi-pass system with unique C-rings for the one-way draw. To ensure the draperies and sheers were easy to draw across, the long, 16-foot rod needed excellent support to make everything work smoothly.
If Mike and Susan had come to us after the home was built, we would have needed to tear up their brand new, beautiful walls and reinforce their framing. This would have been demoralizing and expensive.
Or, we would have had to look at a backup plan that wouldn’t have lived up to Susan’s vision for her dream home, and the options would have been greatly limited.
Ultimately, they wanted to be in their home in time for the holidays. So our team arrived early on a crisp fall morning, installed the draperies and sheers, dressed and steamed them, and checked for proper clearance off the floor and a smooth draw.
Susan had also asked us to create custom bedding and recover her existing French chairs. The chairs were delivered, and we made the bed and fluffed up the new pillows on the French chairs.
By the time all of the pre-planning and work was complete, her vision had come to life, just in time to celebrate the holidays in the comfort of their ideal bedroom.
What is the process for working with a custom window treatment designer during a home build or remodel?
The main thing is the timing! We need to start as early as possible after you commit to your project.
After that, the process of installing custom window coverings is simple, and we pride ourselves on making it as easy and enjoyable as possible. Here’s how it works.
DESIGN - Together, we select the perfect fabrics, hardware, and window fashion style for your home. Many of our clients add other fun, luxury features to their windows, like automation!
CREATION - We have your draperies custom-made in Oregon and then install them for you.
INSPIRATION – Because we think ahead, you get the dream design you want so you can be inspired by your surroundings every day!
Don’t let bad timing stop you from creating
the dream design for your home!
Your home should be comfortable and reflect your personal style! Imagine living in your new (or newly remodeled) home and enjoying the beautiful, automated shades and drapery panels that bring your vision to life! Because the necessary wiring and extra supports were installed before the walls were closed, everything is just as you dreamt it would be.
Schedule a consultation here to learn more about the design process for custom window treatments that go hand in hand with home construction and remodeling projects, or call us at (503) 703-4692. We love helping people like you enjoy their homes to the fullest!
But wait, we only talked about the master bedroom!
As we mentioned above, Susan decided that she wanted to enjoy the journey of decorating her new home and work on each room separately. So, after living in each room for a while, she proceeded to the next one.
It created a more joyful experience and helped her avoid feeling overwhelmed. Finally, after about 18 months, the interior of the Tuscan villa was complete. Everything turned out perfect, just as Susan had envisioned.
Join us in our next blog to follow Susan on the journey of completing her dream home. Here’s a preview of what’s to come.
Drapery | Smart Motorization | Shades | Custom Blinds | Shutters | Pillows & Bedding
Choosing custom window treatments can be overwhelming.
With Adrette’s expert guidance, you will make confident decisions and enjoy a warm, inviting space transformed by beautiful, functional drapes, blinds, shades, or shutters.