6 of the Hottest Spring/Summer 2018 Window Blinds and Shades
BWS Design • May 11, 2018

It’s starting to get hot again, and it’s time to think about updating your window blinds. The  options may seem endless , but this year everything is about being eco-friendly—both in materials and energy efficiency—without sacrificing style and flair. And for those who want to live in the future, think about adding a little technology.

Here are six of the latest trends in blinds and shades for spring and summer of 2018.

Organic Materials

Everything is about nature. Ditch the synthetic materials and focus on the variety of eco-friendly options in window shades. From shades made of woven bamboo and grasses to shades made from organic fabric, there are so many options from which to choose.

The best thing is that choosing organic blinds doesn’t mean that you have to give up the look and feel you’re searching for because just about every window shade style comes with organic options. This means your home can be eco-friendly and stylish all at the same time!

Patterned Fabric Shades

Fabric window shades are coming back this year, but with a twist. Patterns are now in—especially geometric patterns! Patterned fabric shades combine design and function in the best possible ways. Whether you decide to use the patterned fabric shades as the only accent on your window for a clean, minimal feel or pair them with a solid colored curtain, these shades are sure to make a statement.

And the great thing about fabric shades is that if you can’t find the design you want, it’s so easy to get a custom shade made from the fabric of your choice so you can create the perfect accent for each room in your house. You can also back them with blackout material to get the maximum temperature protection for your home.

Roman Shades

Despite their historical sounding name, Roman shades are  very  current with the clean, modern lines that are so in right now. And if you want to combine them with the other summer trends, you can easily get them in a patterned, organic fabric!

If you’ve seen Roman shades and aren’t sure they’re the right fit for you, don’t count them out until you’ve checked out the various fold styles that are available—flat fold, plain fold, soft or hobbled fold, and European fold. The folds completely change the way the shades look, which gives you a multitude of options all within the same general style of shade.

Solar Shades

For those who need to filter the light, but love to enjoy the outside view, then solar shades are the option for you. Made of tightly woven fabric, solar shades can be an opaque solid to completely protect your house from the heat of the sun but they also come in more transparent options. The more transparent solar shades allow you to enjoy the view outdoors while still blocking most the sun’s rays.

Solar shades come in a variety of colors and patterns to match your decor, and they can be affixed to the interior or exterior of your windows. Exterior solar shades are ideal to provide a little extra sun protection and style to your outdoor porch, and they can be motorized for easy operation.

Cellular Shades

For the ultimate energy efficiency, consider cellular shades. Cellular shades (also called honeycomb blinds) allow natural light to flood into your house without the added heat. Their unique double fabric, cellular-shaped folds trap the heat before it reaches the interior of the house.

These blinds are known for reducing a home’s energy bills, but that’s not the only benefit. Some cellular shades qualify for a federal tax credit for eco-friendly upgrades. But if that’s not enough of a reason, they also muffle unwanted outside noises to make for a quieter house.

Smart Home Integration

The future is here. Motorized, remote control window blinds are a lovely convenience, especially for windows in hard to reach locations, but it’s time to think beyond the remote controls and consider automated blinds. If you have Nest, Google Home, or Alexa, or some other smart home program, then you’re already on your way to fully automated window shades.

With hundreds of configurations possible for automated blinds, you can use the system to move the blinds to the ideal positions based on where and when the sun is shining. You can also program your shades to close when the house reaches a specific temperature to conserve energy. Some programs even allow voice control! The Jetsons would approve.

If you want to know more about the various options for window shades—from the traditional to the trendy— contact us  to find out how we can help you choose the best solution for your home.

Expert Advice by Just Blinds

May 29, 2025
Windows give a home warmth, light, and a view of the outside world. But with the right treatments, you can also use your windows to make your home feel cozy. Coziness is a semse of comfort and familiarity. It defines a charm that feels like home, whether it's the coziness of a warm room in winter, your movie den in the summer. When we think of coziness, we often think of couches, candles, and throw blankets. But your windows play an equally important part. After all, it's your window treatments that frame the light, add softness to your walls, and set the mood for every room. The right window decorations can make your home feel warm and inviting. Using Windows, Drapes, and Shades to Create Coziness  Window treatements create a vibe for your entire room. Drapes, shades, and shutters can be used to create a backdrop of texture, color, and style. They also allow you to control the light levels in your home and even the color of the light. This means that your windows are the best place to start when making a room feel cozy. Layering soft drapes in rich colors is a great way to add that sense of comfort and warmth to a room, while cheerful blinds in soft neutrals can help a room to feel relaxed and welcoming. You can also use drapes or blinds to add a splash of color as a bold accent in any room. These touches combined with glowing sunshine during the day create a cozy and comfortable space. Plants as Cozy Window Decor You can use other types of decor to evoke a sense of coziness, too. We particularly love plants. Leafy green plants love the sunshine as much as you do and thrive when placed in a sunny window. Place an elegant snake plant in the windowsill or hang creeping ivy from a hook near the top of a window frame to make your room feel cheerful and alive with green energy. Plants make a home feel natural and vibrantly lived-in which is perfect for your cozy vibe. For a cozy kitchen, you can even grow fresh herbs in a box on the windowsill that add a delicious aroma and tasty fresh seasoning along with their natural visual appeal. Enhance Your Space with Aromatherapy Speaking of aromatics, you might be surprised how much your windows can take part in cozy aromatherapy. Window treatments like drapes and blinds are fabric that can help purfumes and essential oils linger in the room for days. Cozy scents are often warm aromas like cinnamon, vanilla, lavender, almonds, and coffee. But fresh fruit or floral scents that smell like "home" to you can also add a sense of coziness to each room. Simply spritz your curtains with your favorite scents and each room will subtly carry that comforting smell of home that makes you want to snuggle into the couch and relax at the end of each day. Moody Shade and Maximizing Light When we visualize coziness, light levels often play a role. Your minds eye may see a sun-drenched cottage or a gently lit library as your mental idea of a room that is perfectly cozy. Window treatments allow you to set the mood by reducing or maximizing light to the perfect levels. Well-designed shades and drapes can pull back attractively to maximize light, bathing your room in the warm welcoming glow of sunshine. Or if you prefer a more relaxed coziness, you can use translucent drapes or cellular shades to filter the light exactly the right amount. Diffuse and reduced light filtered through fabric of a warm color can make you feel safe and at peace. Increase Your Happiness with Window Design Your home should feel welcoming, relaxing, and cozy. The right window treatments can help set the stage for a delightful welcome home each night, rejuvinating weekends, and an overall feeling of at-home coziness when you are relaxing in your favorite place. To achieve this goal, you can experiment with home decor changes, including your windows, to achieve your ideal at-home bliss. Contact us today for custom drapes and blinds to complete your cozy room design.
April 23, 2025
Your selection of window treatment products and services is not merely about getting a job done. Rather, if you look hard enough, you can find direct correlations between the type of person that you are and the window treatment that you select. We have created this personality-based guide to help you best discover what kind of window treatment truly matches your spirit. The Dependable Type: Wooden Blinds You are the person that all of your friends can count on. You are the type of person who truly sticks to your plans when you make them, and you are the type of person who will choose wooden blinds for your home. Privacy is important to you when selecting your blinds, and that is why you find yourself pulled into the idea of putting up wooden blinds. Besides that, they happen to be highly functional, and that's not something that you are willing to pass up either. The Planner: Blackout Curtains Those who value truly getting the most value out of their blinds or anything else that they install in their homes will think very carefully about their options. For those people, going with blackout curtains makes a lot of sense. They want to gain as much value as possible out of their options, and they know that they can significantly improve their quality of sleep and so much more when they opt for blackout curtains. These also happen to be a great option for those who work night shifts or other odd hours and yet still want to enjoy their sleep. They need blackout curtains to help increase the quality of that sleep and allow themselves to get their day started right. The Tech Enthusiast: Smart Shades They roam among us: The type of people who are quick to adopt any new technology and get to work figuring out how it can improve their lives. These people are great because they are not afraid to take a risk and because they help to move our society forward. They simply want to get more out of each day, and they often do so by adopting and using the latest technologies. These individuals will gravitate towards smart shades for the following attributes: Innovation - Who wants to stick with the boring old ways of shading one's house? Smarter options are now available, and you better believe that the tech enthusiasts among us are willing to latch on to them. Efficiency - These shades are a more efficient option for those who care about that kind of thing. They can be easily activated and set up to open or close automatically (how cool is that?!). Progressive - The "cool" factor is a big deal for people who fall into this category as well. They might not admit to it right off the bat, but they care deeply about what others think about them. As such, they want window shades that have that cool factor attached to them. The Dreamer: Sheer Curtains Finally, we land upon the dreamer. This is the person who views every day for the possibilities that it can bring. They are not scared off by those with a negative attitude. If anything, they believe that they can change those people! Instead, the dreamer wants sheer curtains because they bring in soft light, open spaces, and bring about a feeling of possibility all throughout the house. Sheer curtains are the ideal option for someone who classifies themselves in this way. They will receive plenty of compliments on their curtains, and they will appreciate how open they are to the world.  Which kind of person are you and which window treatment option makes the most sense for your personality? For more inspiration and ideas, reach out and contact us today.