How Do You Find Top Quality Window Treatments for Dream Homes in Remote or Rural Locations?
When you buy or build your dream home or retirement home, you want it to be somewhere truly spectacular. Often, the cost of a breathtaking view or hard-earned privacy is purchasing property in remote or rural locations. These charming small towns and sparsely populated rural roads are often far from access to essential services, much less top interior decorators and custom window treatment designers.
We get requests from people wondering if working remotely on a window treatment design is possible. If this is you or you know someone in this situation, we have good news: It is!
Thanks to modern communication technology, we can quickly start the design process remotely via video conference. Homeowners send us videos and photos of their homes and the areas they want us to help them with, which enables our Window Fashion Designer, Marlys, to visualize the space and provide sound guidance.
It's still a very personalized experience, and Marlys offers the same amount of care and expertise to long-distance clients as to any homeowner in the Portland and NW Oregon region.
Below, you'll find a couple of success stories from rural South Dakota and Iowa. In both cases, owners of exquisite dream homes could complete their vision for a life lived in an extraordinary part of the world.
Our client Eileen, showing the finished work.
Forging a remote window treatment design for Eileen & Bob's spacious home and hunting lodge in South Dakota.
Eileen first contacted us when she lived in Minneapolis and needed help with window coverings for her home there. Many of our clients return when moving to a new home or purchasing a second one.
Recently, Eileen and her husband Bob bought a new home in rural South Dakota, where the fishing and hunting are exceptional! However, since this house is several hours west of Sioux Falls, it took some work for Eileen to get professional help with custom window coverings.
Eileen’s testimonial about her experience working with Adrette
Because we had worked well together on her house in Minneapolis, she wanted Adrette to assist her with this new dream home. It sits on a hill overlooking the Missouri River and the valley below, a view that rewards them with amazing sunrises every morning.
Homeowners pursue custom window treatments for many reasons beyond aesthetics, and Eileen and Bob did have a few practical concerns.
Their main concern was for sun protection. However, they also wanted to ensure they kept their view.
They also wanted energy efficiency. With minimal trees in this area of South Dakota, the winds blow relentlessly, and, in the winter, they needed quality custom shades to keep the rooms warmer.
Although they don't have neighbors nearby, they still felt safer with window coverings that would close at night.
They also wanted to close the house up when they were not home, and the window shades provided another layer of security.
Eileen sent me photos of the house and listed her paint colors, which I was able to find samples of locally. Then, with paint samples in hand and pictures of the windows and rooms, Eileen and I popped on a Zoom call and started talking about her ideas and dreams for what she wanted these rooms to look like.
Matching a dream home's window treatment design with the owners' lifestyle.
Eileen walked me through the entire house and explained that it was initially designed as a hunting lodge for pheasant hunters. For Bob, it would be home to many mounted game trophies. In the great room, a giant moose head watched over the entire house, with its 24-foot-tall cathedral ceiling and two-story windows that catch the morning sun!
Eileen further explained that her husband's hunting buddies would gather on many weekends throughout the year. We knew we would need to keep the window treatments simple and match the rustic feel of the house. Ornate draperies would not be the answer, so we looked at other options.
I sent them several short videos of Hunter Douglas blinds and shades, and Eileen fell in love with Vignettes (Roman shades) for her dining area slider and the main bedroom. I sent her fabric samples of the shades we were considering, and together, we chose a textured fabric that matched her wall color.
Since their home has very rustic knotted pine woodwork, we matched the finish and selected Hunter Douglas 2 ½" Parkland wood blinds for the rest of the windows.
Eileen and Bob love their rustic refuge in South Dakota, and after returning home from their frequent travels, they can rest assured the house is secure. They also know their window coverings will help keep the temperature of the house where they want it to be. On a cold winter night with the wind blowing snow sideways, they are glad they have window coverings that keep their house warm. (The opposite is true in the summer as the shades block the sun's harsh heat.)
Meanwhile, as they anticipate those amazing South Dakota sunrises, they can close the shades for privacy at night, knowing great beauty awaits them the next day behind finely crafted, expertly installed window coverings that complete their home's interior design.
Powder room
Gladys’ farmhouse in Iowa
Remote custom window treatment design for a modern, cozy farmhouse in the heart of Iowa
Recently, our client Gladys decided it was time to tear down the old family farmhouse and build a new one to serve her large extended family better when they visited.
She wanted a one-level custom dream home in a modern farmhouse style with a large wrap-around porch that looked out over the family's sprawling corn and soybean fields. We had helped Gladys' daughter with her lodge, and she wanted to know if there was any way we could assist her virtually in finding the perfect window coverings for her new home.
Our Window Fashion Designer, Marlys, is from Iowa and was delighted to hear from Gladys! We knew this farm was very special to the family. Every time a family member sits on that porch, it's an opportunity to tell stories and celebrate the farm's history and heritage! We wanted to help her make this house a perfect refuge for creating new family memories and continuing the estate's legacy.
Gladys brought some of the furniture from the previous house, but she'd also found some new, local treasures, like her new dining table and chairs made by Amish artisans. A big part of our task was harmonizing the old with the latest within the farmhouse style and elevating the overall experience of living in the home.
She fell in love with the Hunter Douglas Pirouette shades for her dining room and living room because they look like Roman shades while still allowing people to enjoy the view. They added the right texture, giving the rooms an updated farmhouse feel. We decided on a fabric and color that would blend in with her furniture and walls and keep the house feeling light and airy.
For the bedrooms, she selected Silhouette shades for privacy and sun protection.
We found and recommended a qualified, licensed, local window covering installer responsible for measuring and installing the shades for her.
Everything turned out very well, and when we visited recently, Gladys told me again how happy she was with what we selected for her home. Her place is so homey, plus she is an excellent cook and a lovely lady who has, as many of our clients do, become a treasured friend!
We'd love to help YOU design the final finishing touches for your dream home or retirement home. Schedule a free design consultation here. Meanwhile, we've answered some of the questions you might have below.
Q & A:
Will Adrette guarantee my satisfaction with a remotely-designed custom window treatment project?
Absolutely! We've built our reputation as a leading designer in the Portland Metro Area and beyond by creating happy clients and homes. We ask many questions to understand your vision for your space and show as many samples as you need to see to help you visualize what you will be getting before placing your order. We also stay in close contact with the local professional installer and follow up with you during and after installation. If something needs to be corrected, we will take care of you and make it right!
If we request it, will the Adrette team come to my home and oversee the installation of my custom window treatments?
Yes! Our lead designer, Marlys, can fly to a locale in the United States and guide the installer in installing your new custom draperies and hardware. We are happy to discuss the details with you further when we connect.
How do I sign up for a complimentary remote window treatment design consultation with Marlys?
It's easy! Call us at 503-703-4692 or email us at service@adrette.com. You may have seen some window covering styles you like on the internet, and you should also visit our website to find inspiration before we talk.
We look forward to meeting you!