If you’ve been considering a career change or want to try something out that caters to your own skillsets or passions, try answering these questions: Are you constantly looking through Bali window coverings, Comfortex cellular shades and other products on this and other outlets and dreaming of ways to make them fit your home’s décor? Do you go over other people’s homes and instantly see ways they can improve on their style through a slight alteration or accessory purchase? Are you organized, yet creative and self-motivated and willing to handle strict deadlines?

If so, you might want to consider going into interior decorating. Interior decorators work in a bevy of different environments. Some go into business for themselves working on residential jobs, while others are hired for commercial projects. An interior decorator might work in a specific industry, such as restaurants or office lobbies. A select few are even hired full-time to work exclusively for a particular company. Given this, there are many avenues to becoming an interior decorator, but here are some things to keep in mind:

• Should you or shouldn’t you go to school? Interior design school can give you the tools and education necessary to produce good work. However, at the same time, it could be expensive and you might have to take time off from work or caring for your family, so you’ll need to take this into account as well.
• Practice on friends and family: The most important part to getting new business is having a portfolio that features before and after photos showcasing your work. In the beginning, it could be tough to get people to allow you to perform work on their homes or places of business. By working for free or a small sum for family members and friends, you could build the portfolio necessary to get bigger clients down the road as well as earn experience, so you can improve on your craft.
• Know that it’s more than design: Knowing good design practices and theory is, of course, an important part of being a successful interior decorator. However, it’s not everything. A successful interior decorator will be an excellent communicator to clients and understand project management in order to juggle a number of clients at once as well as meet strict deadlines.

Now that summer is here, millions of children all around the country are waking up with a bigger smile on their faces as school is done for a whole three months. While it’s certainly great to see your children more often, their constant presence does involve some challenges – one in particular is their safety around the home.  The home isn’t exactly a construction site filled with hazards, but children are creative and curious, so it’s important to safeguard your home against possible hazards. Here are several to keep in mind:

• Keep pots and pan handles towards the oven when cooking: If your child wants to help you cook, that’s fantastic. But even the most prudent child can get a little overzealous, so it’s important to keep handles out of their reach. Many kitchen accidents involve overturned pots of boiled water or heated oil, so by keeping handles towards the back of the oven, your child can help you with safer tasks.
• Make sure to shade your home with the right blinds: If you have small children, it’s imperative to take a look at the type of blinds you’re using to shade your home. One of the things to consider is replacement if your blinds are ten years or older. If you’re looking for a quality set of window shades that are designed to meet aesthetic demands as well as safety concerns, Good Housekeeping shades are the way to go. Make sure to opt for a cordless design to prevent any choking risks.
• Secure bookshelves and heavy fixtures with anchors: Climbing things is a natural part of childhood. Children are curious and want to see what the world is like from higher ground. Unfortunately, they are not the most graceful of individuals, and fixtures aren’t meant to hold hundred pound children. Braces and anchors can secure these fixtures, so they don’t tip over, causing possible injury.

Whether you’re renovating your home to make it more appealing to prospective home buyers or just want a new look to come home every day to, it’s important to know that the renovation process is just that: a process. It is something that should be planned out very carefully as a misstep could result in more money being thrown down the drain as well as more time invested. Just watch Tom Hank’s the Money Pit from the 80s to get a better idea of what happens when a renovation goes terribly wrong. With that in mind, there are a number of things to keep in the back of your head, but here are several recommendations to watch out for from HGTV:

• Hiring the wrong contractor: Given the number of review sites out there, there really isn’t an excuse for not knowing what you’re getting into when you hire a contractor. If you can’t find a good contractor in the area through Yelp or the BBB, you can always enlist your friends and family for references.  Just remember, this guy is going to be in your home, and his competence will directly impact the level of the work as well as your sanity.
• Not considering safety: One of the best things we love about our Comfortex cellular shades and other blinds in our collection is their safety features. When you purchase shades from Ace of Shades Window Coverings, you can rest assured that safety was of upmost consideration in their design. When redesigning your home, make sure to include safety in your decision-making process. And the theme of safety extends to the actual project as well. Be mindful of the fact that there will be loose nails and other materials around your home. Keep your children and pets away from any areas that are being worked on.
• Keeping in line with your home’s style: If you’re considering a major upgrade of your home, remember to protect the integrity of your home’s style. A modern upgrade may not go well with the Victorian design of your home.

Need help purchasing window shades or blinds? Feel free to contact us!

And that’s not all. The prices of the movie and snacks are one thing, but add to that the annoyances that come with finding parking and dealing with people who decide that the movie theater is the perfect place to start a long conversation about how well the school’s bake sale went, and you’ll want to go home after the opening credits. Because of these factors, more and more people are choosing their home base as the place to watch movies. With the advent of Netflix, Redbox, and On-Demand, new movies have never been more accessible, and you can have the movie theater experience at home. But there are some things to know as you create your own home viewing room to make the most of your viewing experience:

• Use shades to control light: Outfitting your windows with sheer shades help to darken the room, so you can replicate a movie theater. There’s nothing worse than trying to watch a key point in the movie and adjusting your shade’s position to try and find that perfect spot where there is no glare on your screen. Sheer shades can darken the room, so your beautiful screen isn’t hindered by escaping light.
• Set up furniture in the best viewing position: Do you remember the old wives’ tale about sitting close to the television and damaging your eyes? While there is no evidence that this is actually the case, sitting too close to the television limits your viewing experience because the picture will look grainy. At the same time, if you sit too far from the television, you’ll need to squint to catch what’s going on. Play around with your furniture and chairs to ensure you, your family and your guests get the best possible view.
• Buy the best equipment possible: While that great deal on the television might seem too good to be true, it might cost you more in the end. A good television and sound system is an investment in years of entertainment. Estimate what you can afford and purchase quality equipment that is close to the number you estimate. Consumer Reports and CNET and other review publications are great resources to help you find the best equipment in your price range.

In late April, Debbie Woodbury wrote a piece in the Huffington Post on creating a sacred space in your home. As a cancer survivor, she credits part of her healing on reflection. One of the things she mentions is having a corner of a room or a place by her window dedicated to being a sacred space – a place where an individual can just sit, relax and reflect. We are partial to the window idea, so let’s take a look at some ways you can make your window area a scared space.

• Get Cellular Shades to Control Light: The reason why Debbie Woodbury thinks a window space might be a good idea for a sacred space is because windows offer a look into the outside world. If it’s winter, watching a gentle snow on a cool winter night might be soothing after a long day; at the same time, waking up with a cup of coffee on a spring morning as you hear the birds chirp could be the perfect way to start your day. However, if you’re looking for less light to fit your mood, our Comfortex shades can help you control the amount of light that enters your room too, so your space will be just as you like it.
• Put Personal Things in your Sacred Space: Your sacred space should be a place of peace. Bring special things in your space that will make you happy, like a picture of your family or a personal heirloom that conjures up a good memory.
• Make It a Point to Come to This Area Every Day: Everyone leads busy lives, but you should devote some time for yourself at some point in the day. Make an effort to come to your sacred space, even if it’s only for a few minutes to sit and reflect. Afterwards, you should feel more relaxed and ready to take on the chaos of the day.

Your children are the most important thing in your life. Because of this, when making decisions, you must factor them into the process. When it comes to the decoration of your home, while you do want to be stylish, safety is paramount. Luckily, you can have both. Here are a few ideas to keeping a safe, stylish home.

• Get the right type of shades: Shades bring functionality and style to any window in your home, but what kind of shades should you choose if you have young children in your home? Good Housekeeping’s line of shades and blinds is a good place to look because the designers started the line to give parents the option of having shades that were stylish and child-safe. Many Good Housekeeping shades feature cordless options, which will certainly help prevent many accidents.
• Be careful with wood floors: Wood flooring may be beautiful, but it can also be the source of falls. That’s because wood flooring must be waxed often. If you do decide to get wood flooring, make sure to be mindful of when you wax and where your kids are, so you can prevent an overzealous, running child from falling. The same goes for mopping kitchen tile.
• Consider rounded countertops: Rounded countertops can mean a huge difference in the number of times you hear your children cry. Toddlers have some sort of a magnetic attraction to the corners of countertops, so a rounded corner will cause much less damage than square-cornered countertop, which is good for everyone. Plus, they tend to look better as well.

If you’re looking for safe, child-friendly window coverings, give us a call: (866) 553-6088.

You’re about to indulge in a subject that’s not talked about every day – the history of window covers … a surprisingly wondrous subject worth exploring.

After reading this, you’re going to appreciate the window furnishings in your home every time you part them, roll them up, or tie them in a not.

You’ll think of Cleopatra, laying in her bed, surrounded by leopards and pharaohs … renaissance characters like Elizabeth I, Shakespeare and Machiavelli, writing at their desk and studying court documents in a room decorated with long, elaborate window curtains … and unfortunate events like The Great Depression and the housewives who used rags instead of fanciful drapes to blind the outside light.

Ancient Egypt: Origins

Ancient Egypt was arguably the first civilization to conceive interior decorating, as we know it today.  From the beds they slept in to the cushions they sat on while playing board games like Senet, they appreciated comfort and custom design.  It was also fairly easy for affluent Egyptians to acquire the look they wanted due to Egypt’s production of certain textiles.

The spinning of linen and flax is native to Egypt and was in large supply back in the day.  After taking an interest in fashioning the home, wealthy Egyptians began accessorizing.  Things like bed drapes, sheets, and window curtains became essential pieces in all homes.

Cellular shades offer superior insulating properties to keep winter cold and summer heat outside while keeping your home looking great due to the variety of color palettes available. These shades can help save on your electric bill by reducing the temperature and amount of time you feel the need to keep air conditioning on in order for your home to remain comfortable.

Rather than pump up the air conditioning and window fans, it’s cheaper and more environmentally-friendly to simply block out the sun with cellular window shades. Unlike the majority of cellular shades, all privacy levels and light filters are available in our cellular window shades line so you don’t have to completely blacken out a room for the blinds to be effective against the sun.

Unsure about ordering online? Ace of Shades’ blinds and shades are custom products, manufactured to the highest quality and industry standards and we ship all our window shades in just a few days, free of shipping and handling charges (unless oversized) right to your door. Opt for our cellular window shades just in time to beat the summer heat. Call (866) 553-6088 with your questions about our cellular shades and cellular blinds.

Some people replace their blinds in the winter, believing they need to remove them in order to hang thicker curtains to better insulate their windows, but this is not always the case. Blinds, our sheer blinds in particular, can be left in place within the frame of the window while heavier curtains can be hung across the outside of the frame. Not only will this provide an extra layer of protection from the cold air, but when the weather permits, the heavier curtains can be drawn back so that the blinds can let the sunlight inside the house. Both can be used together on standard and picture windows alike.

In a sunroom where the windows are divided into sections in each wall, our sheer blinds can be alternated with one of our other window treatments during the winter so that there is always light coming in from one direction, while the other windows are shut tight to block cold air. Curtains can be hung over the top of the blinds here, as in other areas of the house, for maximum and cold protection and optimal light filtration.

With our silhouette-styled thin blinds at Ace of Shades, any home can look good and remain comfortable and efficient throughout the year. Check out our selection of different styles, sizes, and colors today!

Embrace the Light of the Outdoors

The primary purpose of bathroom window coverings is to provide privacy. With that said, a light filtering window covering will still give you privacy while allowing natural light to filter in. Nothing makes a room feel bigger than natural light, so this is an easy, attractive option for small bathrooms. One thing to keep in mind is that sheet and semi-sheer coverings do not provide the highest level of privacy, so be aware of this when using them in a bathroom. However, sheer horizontal shades can be light filtering and will provide privacy when in the closed position or when titled in the open position for a view out.

Choose Colors Wisely

When it comes to bathroom decorating, color matters. A small bathroom can be widened and brightened by choosing to work with a lighter decorating palette. We recommend avoiding deep colors like black and gray in small bathrooms since these larger-than-life colors tend to make bathrooms feel cramped and cave like. Neutrals such as sand, eggshell, and taupe work well with a wide variety of bathroom styles and are easy to live with. Pastels such as lemon, powder blue, and pale green add interest to the bathroom without darkening it.

Sometimes people think that their bathrooms must share the same color scheme as the rest of their home, even if that means using colors that are too bold for a small room. If you feel this way, consider taking your favorite bold colors from the rest of your house and opting for the same color in a lighter shade. The effect will be stunning.

Making your bathroom feel like an open, inviting area by choosing the best bathroom window coverings for your needs is well worth the effort. Enjoy your brighter space!