Window Tinting, Treatments, and More - Beverly Hills Window Tinting Blog

Window Tinting, Treatments, and More

Beverly Hills Window Tinting Blog

Decorative Window  Film etched glass

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Do you love the look of stained glass or etched glass?
Would you like additional privacy on your windows?

You may want to consider adding decorative window film to your home or office! Adding color and design with “wallpaper for windows” can be both pretty and practical.

decorative window film cusom glassIf you’re on a tight budget, but love the look of customized glass, you can find an affordable solution with decorative window film.

These decorative films can transform the aesthetics of your entire living space. This isn’t to be confused with some dime store window cling! These stylish films are applied with durable adhesive and are made from durable materials.

From a design standpoint, the film gives you the option of adding texture and dimension where none existed before. Etching, cutting and other design options can take you to places that plain glass can’t. Wallpaper for windows is a good metaphor; much like the way that wallpaper enhances a regular wall, so too does window film enhance the look of glass.

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Installing Solar Window Film

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Does it ever seem like your AC is running more often than not?

We understand!

Solar Window Film OutsideAs much as 50% of a home’s heating and cooling energy can be lost through its windows if they’re left uncovered!

All of the different window treatments mentioned in our series of blog posts about creating beautiful, energy efficient windows will minimize your sunlight exposure, to different extents. Sheers block less light than opaque or blackout shades, and your UV protection varies as well. But there’s another way to minimize your sun exposure, no matter what window treatment you prefer!

Window tinting your home with solar window film (UV film) provides heat control and makes your windows more energy efficient. Over time, you will save money on your electricity bill from reduced air conditioning costs.

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Gliding Window Panel

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For homes with large expanses of windows, floor to ceiling glass panels, wraparound sliding doors or any other extensive combination of glass windows and doors, help is here! Gliding window panels are a clean, contemporary method of window treatment that allows for complete customization.

If you’re looking for the most modern window treatments, you’ll find it here. Gliding window panels are operated through a motorized system, moving backward and forward on a track. The track can be created at any length up to 32 feet, which is a great feature for extra large rooms. It can also be 14 feet tall, which is a boon for homeowners with oversized sliding glass doors.

 

Gliding Window PanelsThe gliding panels can be ordered in hundreds of color options, but they can be further customized for light diffusion. Options range from sheer to opaque. If getting the maximum light is a concern, extra wall space can be dedicated to holding the panels. This way, the gliding window panels can be designed bigger than the window itself. When the shades are fully open, the panels will not block any portion of the window, allowing for 100% of the light to come through.

Some homeowners also use this window treatment style as a casual room divider. The motorized track system allows you to open or close off a room at the touch of a button, which can be great for parties, holidays or other special occasions. Read the rest of this entry »

Custom wood blinds are a stylish and tasteful choice for any classic home in Fort Myers or Naples.


Wood Blinds

In this type of window covering, wooden slats are combined to form a blind system that block out a lot of light. Depending on the make and model, a wooden blinds may provide a 95-99% reduction in UV rays.

White Wood BlindSlats usually come in one inch, two inch or larger sizes. It’s best to choose the size of the wood blind slats with the size of your door or window in mind. Large slats are best suited to large spaces, while small slats look appropriate on tinier windows.

Although at first glance, you might feel limited in the available color palette of wood blinds – don’t be! You will probably be surprised to find that wood blinds, especially customized wood blinds, are available in several stains and paint colors.

Control mechanisms vary by brand, but two common types are corded styles and wand tilt styles. These are both similar to what you’d find on honeycomb and pleated blinds. It’s a familiar type of adjustment that you’re already used to in other models.

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Are you searching for window treatments

that go well with your Old Florida, Key West

or British West Indies Style home?


Plantation Shutter

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Plantation shutters may be just what you’re looking for…

What are plantation shutters, you ask?

These simple, elegant window coverings use horizontal slats of wood to block out light. These slats are connected to a vertical control mechanism which opens and closes the slats.

Plantation Style ShuttersThe interior plantation shutters were first used in the large homes in the American south. Understandably, their need for light and heat control was paramount – in the days before air conditioning! Although we’re now lucky enough to have A/C in our homes, we can still benefit from the plantation shutter’s traditional beauty and wonderful ability to block light.

For extra control, some plantation shutters are even designed with a middle divider – allowing for separate control of the top and bottom portions. If you’d like to be able to shut the bottom half, perhaps for privacy, but still allow light into the room through the top half of the shutter, this style is a perfect choice. Read the rest of this entry »

Woven wood shades and blinds are a gorgeous, natural-looking addition to any home.

Hunter Douglas Provenance Woven Wood Blinds
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Environmentally friendly materials form the backbone of these highly functional window treatments.

Common types of woven wood shades include:

  • Hunter Douglas Provenance Woven Wood ShadesNatural grass
  • Bamboo
  • Jute fiber
  • Reed
  • Rattan

It’s common to see these blinds woven together with a natural fiber like cotton twine in colors ranging from soft beige tones all the way to dark, rich chocolaty browns.

Hunter Douglas Provenance® Woven Wood Shades allow for a diffused, soft light to filter through into your rooms, although there are sometimes options to have this style of blind covered with a back lining, which would block out a lot of light and make your windows more energy efficient. When drawn up, they can provide just as much light into your rooms as other traditional styles. Read the rest of this entry »

The name itself sounds like a contradiction in terms – Privacy AND Sheer? How’s that possible?

Vertical Sheer Privacy blinds
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With advancements in window treatment technology, we’re able to offer products that deliver the best of both worlds – both soft, diffused light and privacy.

Vertical Privacy SheersThere are two window shade options in the Hunter Douglas line of products that we’ve found to be very popular with Fort Myers and Naples homeowners.

When heavy fabrics seem too somber for a bright, Floridian room, our customers have asked themselves if they could live with sheers instead. All too often, the answer is no. Traditional sheers don’t necessarily offer enough privacy or UV protection to be suitable for this environment.

Privacy sheers and shades offer a new option to give you the flexibility in window treatments that you’ve been looking for. Read the rest of this entry »

Beautiful Window Treatments #4 – Pleated Shades

Posted by Chris On January 3rd

At first glance, you may not be able to see the difference between a pleated shade and one of the honeycomb variety.

Pleated Shades 02
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Pleated Shades 03When viewed head-on, they both have crisp, noticeable pleats in an even pattern, and both types easily compress to allow lots of light through a window.

Once again, if we look at this shade from a side angle, we’ll see how it got its name. The pleated shades have a z-fold style that zig zags back and forth. This is different from the honeycomb shape.

Pleated shades are slightly less expensive than the honeycomb variety. Depending on the brand and specifics, you might save about 20% on the cost by opting for pleated shades.

Unfortunately, pleated shades don’t offer the same amount of insulation that the honeycomb shade provides. So, if energy efficiency and savings on your electricity bill is important, it may be worth the slightly larger upfront investment in better window treatments. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s easy to see how honeycomb shades got their name….

Honeycomb Shades 2

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Honeycomb Shades

If you look at them on an angle, from the side, you will see a pattern that looks like a honeycomb. They are designed with this geometry to be easy to widen and constrict to fit the length of a window. It can be confusing because honeycomb shades are also known by other names – like cellular shades or cellular blinds.

In 1985, Hunter Douglas were the first to invent the highly energy-efficient Duette® honeycomb shades in response to the energy crisis of the late 1970s. Since then, they’ve introduced Duette Architella® honeycomb shades, which offer an even greater energy efficiency thanks to their patented honeycomb-within-a-honeycomb construction, and Vignette® Tiered Architella Shades, which feature rear fabric air pockets that trap air and create an extra layer of insulation.

Depending on the type of fabric used, honeycomb shades can filter or block light. When they are pulled up to allow light in, these shades show off one of their best features – the ability to fold up very small to let the maximum amount of light into the room. Once the honeycomb shapes (or “cells”) collapse, they can lie very flat together.

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You don’t have to be Italian to appreciate the beauty and simplicity of roman shades…

Roman Shades

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This type of window covering excels in making it easy to adjust the level of sun or shade in a room. They are created with evenly spaced panels that fold up onto each other when lifted. They can also be lowered back down with the same cord system. Roman shades can be pulled completely up, left all the way down, or, adjusted to somewhere in the middle for a moderate amount of light exposure. Roman shades are also sometimes known as roman blinds.

There are several variations of the roman shade, which can make it confusing to talk about them as a single group. You will notice the common feature to all shades and blinds in this category is the folding panels.

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