Category: Blog

Love makes a house a home. While a house provides the structure, it’s the people, furnishings, colors and details inside that create a sense of comfort, belonging and personality. Personalized living spaces allow your home to reflect who you are and how you live.

Window Treatments Set the Tone

As an interior designer since 2002, Unique Spaces by Lori has helped many Green Bay-area clients create home-like settings that reflect their personality and fit their lifestyle. Personalized living spaces allow families to express their individuality while living in community. Window treatments play a huge role in setting the tone of a room. The right window coverings add privacy, energy efficiency, natural light or darkness, and warmth or coolness to a room.

When creating a personalized living space, an interior designer considers how each room is used and what clients want their window treatments to accomplish.

• Purpose of the room: Choose treatments that work for sleeping, relaxing, cooking, dining, working
• Color and style: Select colors, textures, and designs that complement the rest of the room
• Privacy: Consider the level of privacy for windows facing the neighbors, streets, or backyards
• Light control: Decide whether you want to welcome natural light or darken a room with black-out shades
• Operation: Choose traditional manual cords or convenient, motorized operation for a smart home

Find the Right Look for Your Home

Unique Spaces by Lori customizes window treatments to create personalized living spaces for a broad range of clientele. By understanding their personal style preferences, we select window treatments that enhance each room of their home. Interior designers start with these general guidelines at a design consultation.

Schedule A Complimentary Consultation

When adorned with window treatments. windows are more than just architectural features. The right window treatments add style, personality, privacy, and energy efficiency to a home. Whether you prefer classic charm or contemporary lines, today’s selection of interior drapery, shades and blinds makes it easy to create personalized living spaces. Find the best look for your home. Schedule a complimentary consultation today with Unique Spaces by Lori.

Are you thinking about replacing your home’s window shades or curtains with custom blinds? Outdated, department-store blinds make a house look tired and old-fashioned. In contrast, modern window treatments like Roman Shades, Honeycomb Shades, and Roller Shades make rooms look clean and bright. Fresh window treatments change the look and feel of a room.

When shopping for blinds, you want to select the style and function that fits your home and your lifestyle. You can read my styling tips at Custom Draperies: Window Coverings that Reflect Your Personality. As for functionality, many of my clients appreciate the ease of operating automated shades. They like the convenience of motorized controls and motorization commands that connect with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, or Siri. Unique Space by Lori can help you review cordless options for new or existing window treatments. Here are 10 questions to ask to determine if smart blinds are right for you.

Access to Window Treatments

1. Are your windows hard to reach or awkward to open or close? Automated shades make it easy to open and close tall window blinds or shades on windows located behind furniture. If you’re tired of reaching around or climbing on your furniture to open and close the shades, it’s time to invest in smart blinds.

Convenient Operation

2. Are curtains heavy and hard to open and close? Pulling the cords to adjust heavy curtains can take a lot of effort, whereas smart blinds open by a push of the button or voice command.

3. Do you want to simplify your life? Smart blinds are so convenient and easy to operate. Plus, they save time by eliminating the need to walk from room to room opening and closing shades.

4. Are you looking for ways to make home ownership easier so that you or a loved one can age in place? Motorized blinds offer push-button or voice-command operation. So, it’s easy for individuals with limited mobility to open and close shades and curtains.

5. Are you concerned about replacing batteries too often? Automated blinds can operate by rechargeable battery power or electricity (hardwired), whichever works best for you.

Safety for Families, Kids & Pets

6. Do you have your kids, grandkids or pets and worry about dangling cords? Pets and kids love to explore, and their curiosity sometimes gets them into trouble. Protect your youngsters and pets that might get tangled in dangling strings. Cordless shades are a safe alternative.

7. Do you vacation often or travel for work on a regular basis? Homeowners can program their automated shades to open and close at scheduled times to make it look as if someone is home. They can also control the blinds remotely from anywhere there’s an internet connection. Deter intruders with home that has a lived-in look.

Smart Home Capability

8. Are you a techie homeowner living in a smart home connected to your smartphone app? If you already incorporated smart technology into your home, smart blinds are another feature to automate. Even if you’re not interested in the latest tech gadgets and apps, motorized blinds offer the convenience you’ll love. Plus, they are easy to operate from your smart phone. We are happy to set up and demonstrate how the app works, ensuring that you’re comfortable with it.

Sun Damage Protection

9. Do you want to protect hardwood floors, rugs, and furniture? Sunshine can cause floors, rugs and furniture to fade. Programmable blinds lessen the amount of sun damage because they can be scheduled to close during the daytime hours to block out the sun.

Energy Efficiency

Is saving on utility bills a priority for you? Homeowners can program motorized blinds to close during the peak heat of the day to lower air conditioning bills. In the winter, homeowners can save on their heating bills by programming the blinds to open during the day to capture the sunshine.

Find Out If Motorized Blinds Are Right for Your Home

Whether you are building a new house, buying an existing home, remodeling, or just want to modernize your window treatments, Unique Spaces by Lori can help determine if smart blinds are right for you. You can add motorization to existing or new shades, blinds, curtains, and draperies. Contact Lori today for a complimentary consultation to discuss custom window treatment and smart blinds.

Custom draperies not only frame your view; they also frame your vibe. At Unique Spaces by Lori, we consider color, pattern, length, and fabric weight to create the look and functionality that results in the perfect window covering. From simple, minimalistic designs to elegant, flowing styles, custom draperies express individuality. They set the tone in a room, adding beauty with their color and texture. Plus, custom draperies meet a homeowner’s practical needs for privacy, lighting, and energy efficiency.

Sheer Panels Balance Privacy & Natural Light

Draperies look beautiful alone or when layered with sheer panels, window shades, or top window treatments. To allow natural light to filter into a room, we recommend sheer panels. Sheer panels mute the heat and brightness of direct sunlight and provide privacy, too. Layering sheer panels with heavier drapes adds dimension and contrast to the window. By pairing custom draperies with sheer panels, homeowners can tailor the look and the lighting to their exact needs. If they want to block out the light from streetlights or harsh sunlight, blackout draperies are the best window covering option.

Create the Right Mood with Color and Fabric

For clients who want window treatments to be the focal point of a room, we recommend fun patterns or bold hues. For a dramatic, sophisticated look, we recommend darker, deeper colors and heavy, velvet-type fabrics. These draperies dramatically shift the mood in the room to luxury and sophistication. Floor-to-ceiling draperies draw the eye upward, making the ceiling appear higher and the room appear grander.

Choose Room-Perfect Drapery Designs

Opulent draperies add sophistication to any room, but some rooms benefit from window coverings in a simpler style. For example, soft pastel colors, floral designs, and minimalistic patterns work well for window treatments in the bedroom. Their soothing tones create a space to rest, relax and unwind. Neutral tones like beige, light gray, white, and cream exude a warm, welcoming feel to a living room or family room. However, certain living rooms benefit from dark-colored draperies to add a nice contrast. Dark shades of charcoal, navy blue, and deep green look chic and add visual interest, also.

Use Color Theory for Beautiful Interiors

Unique Spaces by Lori specializes in Color Theory, the science of using color in design decisions. As an artist and interior designer, Lori mixes harmony and contrast to create cohesive rooms.

Consider Curtain Rods & Pleat Styles

Curtain rods and pleat styles are two more design elements to consider when shopping for draperies. Both need to fit the room’s vibe and fabric weight. Curtain rods come in a variety of sizes, styles, and finishes. Meanwhile, pleat styles range from modern minimalistic to traditional elegance. Unique Spaces with Lori can select the perfect combination of curtain rods, pleat styles, colors, patterns, and layers for custom window treatments.

An Expert Who Simplifies Window Treatment Choices

With endless design options for designer window treatments, the choices can be bewildering. Selecting the right custom window treatments begins with an interior design consultation. Schedule your consultation today with Unique Spaces by Lori, a Green Bay, Wisconsin, custom blind and custom drapery specialist.

Known for their soft, tailored look, Roman shades are often window treatments for the living room, bedroom, formal dining rooms and offices. Roman shades are easily recognizable by their folds, also known as pleats. When a Roman shade raises, the shade folds itself into soft fabric pleats. In contrast, roller shades roll up and tuck into a headrail. (Want to know more about roller shades? Read the article by Unique Spaces by Lori, What Makes Roller Shades So Popular? 8 Key Benefits.

Fabrics and Textures Shape the Look

Available in a wide variety of fabrics colors and textures, Roman shades go from casual to formal, depending on the fabric. Light fabrics create a relaxed, airy look, especially in bright rooms. On the other hand, heavy and textured fabrics add depth and warmth to a room. Their layered appearance softens a room, making it more inviting. In bedrooms and living rooms, textured fabrics create a soft and comfortable vibe. Fabrics with decorative details often fit well in dining rooms because of the room’s intentional interior design.

Choosing the Right Fold Style

While fabric plays a key role in the appearance of Roman shades, the folds also contribute to the window covering’s distinctive look. Your choice of fold styles affects the feel of an entire room. For a clean, tailored look, choose a flat fold style. This modern-style fold presents a streamlined, minimalistic appearance. For a more traditional appearance, a soft fold style appears thicker, gentler and softer.

Light Control and Privacy Options

When selecting Roman shades, consider the amount of light control and privacy you desire. A translucent lining gently diffuses daylight. Translucence allows a soft glow of daylight during the day and maintains a home’s privacy at night. Black-out lining is especially well-suited for bedrooms because it darkens a room for a good night’s sleep. Room-darkening shades offer better privacy protection than translucent window coverings. When selecting Roman shades, think about light control and privacy, in addition to fabrics and folds.

The Convenience of Motorized Roman Shades

Once you select the right shade for your home, it’s time to consider motorization. Motorization makes shades easy to open and close, even if shades are large or hard to reach. For homes equipped with smart home integration, motorized shades can be controlled by voice, phone apps, push buCall Eric at Bayshore Constructionttons, or automated schedules. Many homeowners like the convenience of motorized shades and their look, too. The unsightly cords are gone.

Finding the Perfect Roman Shades for Your Home

Roman shades are a versatile window covering well-suited for bedrooms, living rooms, dining rooms, and offices. With their folded style, these shades add an elegant, decorative element to the room. Like other interior design elements, a Roman shade needs to complement the style, use, and ambiance of a room. A specific window treatment may look perfect in one room but totally out of sync in another. Different colors, fabrics, textures, and fold types create completely different visual effects. For expert window treatment recommendations, schedule a design consultation with Unique Spaces by Lori. Our interior design consultant helps clients select the right window covering for their home. Schedule your complimentary consultation today.

Memorial Day Weekend, the unofficial start of summer in Wisconsin, invites us to get outdoors and make the most of the summer weather. Now is the perfect time to relax, entertain, and grill out on the patio, deck, pergola, or gazebo. As we usher in Northeast Wisconsin’s summer season, Unique Spaces by Lori offers a variety of exterior shade systems to contribute to a comfortable outdoor living experience. Exterior shades work great on patios to keep the bugs out, block the sun, and provide privacy. Our versatile selection of exterior shades fits a variety of outdoor living spaces. We provide sun shades, insect screens, and window treatments for patios, decks, pergolas, porches, balconies and gazebos.

Patio Shade Solutions for Summer Relaxation

To help clients enjoy the outdoors, I look for shades that control heat, glare and pests while also maintaining a view of the outdoors. At a complimentary Interior Designer consultation, I advise clients about the numerous features and benefits of different exterior shades. Together we determine what works best for their outdoor living space. I often recommend the Oasis brand because Oasis offers high quality fabrics and products, child-safe operations, and manual or motorized operating systems.

Patio Shades for Bugs and Privacy

My best seller is the Oasis 2900, a patio insect shade that’s a perfect addition to any new or existing home. The Oasis 2900 Tuff Screen keeps bugs out while also blocking the sun. A zipper system inside a side track seals the edges of the shades on all four sides.

Motorized Exterior Shades for Modern Patios

The Oasis 2800 Patio Shade rolls up and down to allow or block sunlight, depending on the time of day and the season of the year. The shades can be retrofitted to existing screen porches, covered patios and gazebos. Additionally, the Oasis 2800 can be designed for new homes or outdoor living spaces. Clients choose from motorized or manual operations and side track or cable guide fabric stabilization systems.

Fully Retractable, View-Through Solar Screens

The Oasis 2700 Patio Shade works well for exterior windows and smaller patio areas. I met with a new customer this spring who is installing the 2700 Oasis Patio Shades with the side track system and manual crank operation. We also discussed the cable guide system and motorized operation. The new shades are fully retractable, view-through solar screens.

Exterior Window Treatments That Block the Heat

Finally, it’s springtime in Northeast Wisconsin, so it’s the time of year to enjoy the outdoors. Exterior shades create a pleasant environment by shutting out the bright sunshine, rain, and gusty winds. Sun shades keep porches and decks cooler during summer heat waves. Pest control is another huge advantage of an exterior shade. Everyone can enjoy sitting on a screened-in deck or patio without being bothered by pesky flies, mosquitoes or other insects.

Schedule A Complimentary Consultation

Unique Spaces by Lori, of Green Bay, Wisconsin, can recommend the right exterior shades to make the most of your outdoor living spaces. Choose the shades that fit your space and lifestyle. Schedule a complimentary consultation today. We’ll discuss fabric choices, hardware options, motorized or manual operation, and other exterior shade options.

When I meet with clients for a complimentary Interior Designer consultation, we almost always discuss window treatments. They are a popular interior design feature, and I never get tired of talking about window covering products. Windows treatments play such an important role in homes and businesses. Blinds, draperies, and shades not only set the tone for a room, they also offer light control, privacy, and insulation.

What is a Roller Shade?

When it comes to custom window treatments for residential and commercial properties, I often recommend roller shades as a good option for select spaces. These shades are ideal for windows in every room. Also called roller blinds, these shades are sleek-looking window coverings with a clean, minimalistic style. They are made from a single piece of fabric wrapped around a casing. The shades open and close via a spring or chain system, with or without motorization. For a modern look that hides the hardware, the shades often are installed with a box-like housing called a cassette at the top. The cassette hides the fabric roll, roller tube, and operating system.

8 Key Features & Benefits of Roller Shades

I often recommend roller shades for select spaces because of these 8 key features and benefits.

1. Great Looking

These blinds add beauty and character to any room. Their appealing, minimalist style creates a sleek, tailored look for modern or classic spaces.

2. Customizable

As a dealer for Lafayette Interior Fashions, I have access to over 450 fabric choices. The choices vary from conservative colors to bold patterns and neutral textures to sophisticated weaves. You are sure to find a design, texture, and color that fits your décor and preferences.

3. Easy to Maintain

For routine dust removal, use a microfiber cloth or a vacuum to clean these blinds. You can also wipe the shades with a damp cloth and mild soap. Give them time to completely air dry before raising them.

4. Light Control

Available in sheer, light-filtering, and blackout styles, roller shades offer a variety of light-filtering options.

5. Cordless Options

Dangling cords are distracting and pose hazards to pets and kids. Going cordless is the best option. Cordless shades are easy to raise and lower. Plus, their clean finish makes them very attractive.

6. Motorization Options

These shades are compatible with smart home systems, remote controls, and wall switches. You can push a button to give a room light, darkness, or instant privacy. Plus, you can program the shades to open or close automatically at certain times of the day.

7. Moisture Resistant

Not every window covering withstands the humidity of a bathroom or kitchen. However, roller blinds perform well in these rooms.

8. Commercial Applications

These shades are frequently used in commercial spaces because of their stylish appearance, simplicity, and practical functionality. They are easy to open and close and offer energy efficiency, light control, and privacy.

Schedule a Design Consultation Today

As you can see, roller shades are extremely versatile and well-suited for kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, living rooms, and offices. It’s no wonder I recommend them often at Interior Designer consultations. I truly enjoy helping clients select the right color, texture, opaqueness, and style of window treatments. In addition, I carefully measure each window opening, so window coverings are cut to exact specs. My attention to detail ensures a great look, perfect fit, and optimal light control for your new window treatments. Schedule your complimentary consultation today.