Light and shade

When decorating your home, one of the most useful resources is right at your fingertips natural light. Not only important to your family's physical and emotional wellbeing, natural light also has a major role to play in determining the overall look and ambiance of your home.

Hunter Douglas is a company that recognizes natural light can be a strong decorating tool. As a leading manufacturer of attractive, functional window fashions, Hunter Douglas has created a collection that lets you control the light coming into your home and shape it to your own preference.

Kim Kiner, Hunter Douglas vice-president of new product design says the company's window fashions are not just decorative and practical they can be used to create specific effects.

"Depending on the way it is used, light can change a room dramatically," she says. "The glow of diffused light, for example, can create a beautiful, serene setting that might be just what you need to help you unwind at the end of a long day. Or you may prefer the dramatic effect of deflected light, or the warmth of screened light."

The rooms shown on these pages illustrate just how many different looks can be achieved with Hunter Douglas window fashions. And you needn't worry about compromising practical aspects privacy and UV protection are assured.

Provenance® woven wood shades were chosen for the first room featured on these pages. Available in bamboos, reeds, grasses and wood slats, these single-panel shades create a warm, casual look ideal for a family room or vacation home. The shades are semi-transparent, allowing varying degrees of light into a room. For additional control, independently operated shades fitted behind the woven wood can be lowered to darken the room.

Duette® honeycomb shades are a more formal option. Made from two pieces of fabric fashioned together in a honeycomb configuration, these shades diffuse the light coming into a room. Natural light enters through the first layer, softening the second layer and projecting light further into the room. These innovative shades have the added benefit of being energy efficient.

Silhouette® window shadings combine the best features of draperies, blinds and curtains in a single window covering. Invented by Hunter Douglas in 1991, they feature floating fabric vanes held in place by sheer fabric front and back facings and are free of visible support or lift cords.

Luminette® Privacy Sheers are a vertical application, combining the softness of a sheer drapery with functional light control and privacy. These sheers are particularly appropriate for large expanses of glazing or sliding doors.

If you prefer the classic look of a custom soft Roman shade, take a look at Vignette® window shadings. These shades feature soft overlapping folds of fabric that can be concealed when raised in a fabric-covered headrail ensuring an unobstructed view.

Kiner says tradition and familiarity are strong factors in the window fashion selection process. Aluminum blinds, for example, are still a popular choice with homeowners.

"They bring the drama and beauty of deflected light to a room reminiscent of film noir. They also work particularly well with a minimalist decor."

Kiner says another popular option, with a more traditional application, are Heritance® hardwood shutters.

"These beautiful natural shuttersfeature fine dove-tail joinery enhanced with a lustrous, multiple-coat finish," she says. "These two features help preserve the beauty and functionality of Heritance shutters over a lifetime of use."

Hunter Douglas also offers custom horizontal blinds in 129 colors and textures.

For further information, contact Hunter Douglas, phone 800 937 7895. Website: www.hunterdouglas.com.

Story by: Trendsideas