When it comes to soft window treatments, we have seen the same two scenarios play out for the past 30-plus years yielding the same results. A designer will come to us with a high end fabric that costs $150 net per yard but only wants to add a $3 per yard regular lining. Another designer might come to us with a less expensive fabric but adds a 6oz. heavy flannel interlining and a sateen lining to his/her treatment.

The treatment that incorporates the lining and interlining will have a more elegant presence and will come out on top every time. The treatment made with the high end fabric will look plain in comparison regardless of the beauty of the fabric. The treatment, however, can easily surpass the one made with a less expensive fabric if the same care is put into choosing the appropriate lining options. What’s often neglected is that the cost of these additions would only amount to about a fifth of the total cost of the high end fabric in this scenario.

Most fabrics used for soft treatments seem great when looking at a memo sample. However, even the most expensive fabrics can lack body, richness, volume, shape, or definition without the proper additions, of lining and interlining, that help display the fabric nicely and give added value to your treatment.

From left to right- Face fabric, 6oz heavy flannel interlining, sateen lining.

Consider the benefits of adding high quality lining:

• Window treatments become sturdier, enhancing their longevity
• Adds body, making your drapes hang better
• Provides better insulation
• Serve as a good sound barrier
• Preserves the true color and pattern of your face fabric in harsh light
• Protects your face fabric from the fading rays of the sun
• Treatments hang fuller, saving you the need and cost of adding more face fabric to achieve the same look
• Adds overall value to the finished product, something your clients will appreciate

 
Make all your treatments speak of the value you put into your designs. Having Full Service Care provided by Superior for all window treatments, we facilitate the process for our clients, from measuring and manufacturing, up to the installation of the finished product. Regardless of the fabric chosen for window treatments our commitment is to see our clients save money while getting the best finish from their treatments and making their clients happy. Make the right choice, be sure to ask your Superior Roman Shades representative about lining options when placing your order. Remember, we are here for you When Elegance Matters.

Just wanted to share with all of your our latest instructional video. This time we are featuring our Phoenix Skylight System. What’s different about this video is that we have ditched text for voice over! So now Superior Roman Shades has a voice. Probably not a permanent voice since I was the one chosen to voice this video and I think we can do better than me.

Well enough of that, turn on your speakers, click on the video, and enjoy!

Jorge Galicia
Creative/ Marketing Department

A well known restaurant gets a make over

Superior’s shutters are the window covering of choice as Shakey’s Restaurant begins a nationwide remodeling of its branches. This location across the country, in Florida, is one of the first to feature the new look that will keep customers asking for seconds while they enjoy a comfortable and relaxing time with family and friends. The shutters were stained to match the wood in the interior giving the restaurant a warm cozy feel. The upper tier of shutters can be controlled separately from the lower tier allowing for light to pass through the top while customers enjoy their privacy. This level of light control can be enhanced by further isolating shutter panels so they can be controlled individually. When you want to introduce elegance and comfort to a business, hardwood shutters are the way to go.

Shutters: More than meets the eye

In the home, the creative capabilities of shutters are best exemplified by the freedom of customization. The retro design on the windows of this house set it apart from the rest of the neighborhood. The exquisite wood accents on the top of the windows complements the interior and allows for natural light to be the primary source of illumination during the day. The cafe style shutters provide light control as well as privacy to the home at all times. To further customize the look of the shutters, the louvers were painted with a different color on both sides. When the shutters are closed, the side of the louvers that faces the outside blends with the rest of the house as they have been painted with the same color, while the inside of the louvers has been painted white to coordinate with the interior. That is just one of the ways shutters can be customized to blend with or accentuate the interior design of a home.

Olympic grade flexibility

Hardwood shutters get a 10 for their versatility and gracefulness as well as being great team players when working with other window treatments. The french doors to the left are embellished by a pair of roman shades while the beauty of the top arch is preserved by the use of shutters. The same goes for the example on the right. The bisected top arch of the window can prove challenging for other window treatments but the flexibility of shutters shines through. Notice that even the shutters on the small arches can be controlled, adding beauty and light filtering possibilities to the window. Aside from arches, shutters can be crafted to fit a myriad of openings, so if a house has challenging windows and you wish to preserve those details, consider using Superior Roman Shades’s custom shutters and let the elegance shine through.

What is hidden behind the logos on our fabrics?
Looking at those simple logos can give you an idea of their meaning but unlocking their secrets will uncover the added perks your screen fabrics provide. While the texture and color of a fabric might be the initial reason to use them in a window treatment, these additional characteristics can provide your clients a better value. Most fabrics undergo rigorous testing before they can attain the coveted certificates we often take for granted. Knowing more about them will change the way you select materials when working on a project. This week we have chosen to describe a few common fabric certificates that can be found in our Luxembourg Collections as well as in our upcoming Designer Collection so you know what you are getting before you buy.

Sanitized® – A new generation of hygenic smart fabrics
Sanitized® is an excellent purifying treatment applied to select European fabrics. This treatment helps protect your window treatments against dust mites, unpleasant odors, bacteria, mildew, and mold. These fabrics have also been dermatologically tested for use by asthmatics and allergic individuals, while being environmentally safe. With over 70 years of research to back it up, the Santitized label is a strong indication of a high quality and safe material.

Confidence in Textiles – Synonym for responsible textile production
Born in independent test institutes of the International Oeko-Tex® Association in 1992, it provided a uniform, scientifically founded evaluation standard for the human ecological safety of textiles, against the background of the globalised and extremely fragmented nature of the textile manufacturing chain. Confidence in Textiles has tested textiles from the raw material to the finished product on the shop shelves to ensure safe, skin-friendly fabrics.

GREENGUARD – Clean air is in the details
The Green Guard Environmental Institute aims to protect human health and improve quality of life by enhancing indoor air quality and reducing people’s exposure to chemicals and other pollutants. This organization certifies products and materials for low chemical emissions. All certified products must meet stringent chemical emissions standards based on established criteria from key public health agencies. GREENGUARD Certification is broadly recognized and accepted by sustainable building programs and building codes worldwide.

NFPA – The authority on fire, electrical, and building safety
The National Fire Protection Association develops, publishes, and disseminates more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other risks. Virtually every building, process, service, design, and installation in society today is affected by NFPA documents. Having a fire reaction certificate on your fabric is important to know how likely or unlikely it is for the material on your window treatments to catch on fire. Slow burning materials can make the difference in a life or death situation.

The Decoline Clutch System is one of the new solutions for roller shades that we are adding to our line of products. This clutch has many attractive features that set it apart and is sure to please many of our clients. The brackets are designed to be easily installed with a clean look that prevents any screws from showing at all. In addition, the clutch features a swivel motion when operated that offers less resistance and protects the clutch from being strained and breaking from heavy usage. Made in Spain, its quality is backed with a 10 year warranty. On top of that, this attractive clutch system comes in 3 colors (white, gray, and black) along with a coordinated chain to complement your choice of fabric.

 

Our website will soon have more details and specs about this product but for now I leave you with a couple of videos I put together that show the ease of installation and the fantastic features of the Decoline Clutch System.  Enjoy and follow our promotional materials closely to take advantage of our new line of products for 2012.

All year we look at what’s coming next. Deadlines, appointments, budgets, they are what keep us going through the year.  However, around this time where things slow down for the holidays, it is wise to take a breather and look back at what you have accomplished through the year. Here at Superior Roman Shades we do the same.  This year has been a rather busy one, and many of us are more than ready for the holiday break ,but before that we wanted to reflect and thank the people that give us that drive to push through the year – our clients.  Without our clients we would have no drive to come to work everyday and do our best to ,not only do our job, but improve upon it day by day.  On this final Project of the Month for the year 2011 let us look back at some of the services we have been able to improve to better serve our clients during this year.

Collections that keep on going, and going, and going…

After carefully researching and selecting the most popular patterns in the market, we introduced our brand new and extensive collections of fabrics for all the products we manufacture.  The Distinctive Collection, with its 200 plus patterns, boasts a variety of fabrics for Drapes and Roman Shades.  Silks, poly/cottons, ducktones, sheers, as well as lining materials are some of the materials we have been able to put together in one convenient book.  The Luxembourg Collection also has over 200 patterns to choose from for Roller Shades, Solar Romans, Panel Tracks, and Skylights, but it has been divided into two volumes.  Volume I contains mostly solid colors with different textures and openness factors, while Volume II contains decorative patterns to make your shades more unique.  Lastly we introduced  our ambitious Dynasty Collection, which expands into six books filled with woven wood materials.  More than 150 patterns make up this collection, not including the exquisite woven wood patterns in our Heritage Collection, making it easy to find a pattern to fall in love  without having to request sample upon sample from different manufacturers.

New kid on the block- Phoenix Automation

People are automating their window coverings more than ever so this year we launched our new division to provide a better automation service for all of our products.  We have been automating window coverings for a while but dedicating a division to specialize in automation and integration has increased the possibilities at your disposal.  Aside from using brands like Somfy, BTX, Lutron, among others, Phoenix Automation also offers its very own line of motors.  Phoenix Automation is right around the corner and getting help when you need it is just a call away. We have the freedom to use the automation technology in our hands and help make it work for you.  This division is brand new but already standing strong, we are very excited for the new services and features it will bring to our clients in 2012 and onwards.

Superior Roman Shades writes its autobiography

Yet another of our projects that we were able to finalize this year.  We were so glad to be able to put this information about our products together so our clients can always have it at their finger tips.  In it we detail all of our products, along with the options and pricing tables that correspond to them.  Finding the information you need for an order or seeing the options you have at your disposal when working on a design is made easier thanks to our Reference Guide.  What makes it even better is making this great resource available at no cost to our clients as well as those who might be interested in our services.  It goes to prove that hard work pays off, and in this case the pay off is bringing a better service to you.

Shades Go Viral!

We are really excited about all these projects but the new website is one of our favorites.  SuperiorShades.com needed a face lift so we dedicated many of our resources into making the new website both appealing and functional.  The result was extremely rewarding for everyone. We are so happy to see so many of our clients utilizing the website as well as newcomers that call after checking it out.  Sharing the contents of our fabric collections as well as the reference guide has never been easier.  We also made sure that our division, Phoenix Automation ,was well represented in our website as well.  In addition to all the sections on our website we  launched our social media sites on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and our beloved WordPress blog.  Connecting with our clients and partners is always great! We really hope that these additions to our repertoire will be useful to our clients in finding the information they need as well as finding that Superior Roman Shades is more than a company; we are a family that enjoys working hard to bring you the best products and services.

Highlighting your Vision

Project of the Month is a very special addition to our blog because it highlights the work of  some of the great designers that we work with.  Many of the projects we get to participate in are so exciting and beautiful that is hard not wanting to share them with everyone.  This year we had four projects highlighted since we started this section on September, but we are excited about bringing you, a whole twelve, fantastic projects by the end of next year. We really want to encourage our clients to submit projects they think should be highlighted.  We are always happy to go photograph these wonderful projects if images cannot be provided, send me an email to jorge@superiorshades.com anytime.  

Well the list goes on, but these are some of the most ambitious projects that we have molded into reality from scratch in 2011. We are already hard at work on new projects for the coming year that you will surely be able to make use of and enjoy.  We hope everyone out there has a wonderful holiday season and an even better year on 2012.  Be ready because we have some surprises coming your way that we will unveil during the beginning of the year, so keep an eye out if you want to start the new year  saving money on window treatments.  See you all next year!

-Superior Roman Shades

Woven Wood shades are used on most of the windows in the house.  We can see on the examples above how their exotic look goes well with the beach house setting. In addition, the shades have no lining, allowing their unique light filtering effect to show.  Woven woods allow the view to be enjoyed while restricting the light coming from the outside, making it a great choice for the windows facing the sea.

We can see on the pictures above, two more examples of how woven wood shades have been utilized.  The first room features a woven wood shade with blackout lining.  If the sun hits a window all day, the room might become an oven.  Adding the blackout lining allows you to keep the look of the woven wood while restricting the harsh light and heat from the sun. On the second example we see a Top Down Bottom Up woven wood shade with privacy lining. The choice of lining still allows light to come through the shade while adding a layer of privacy; a much desired quality in a bathroom.

In the master bedroom we can see beautiful Manhattan style Roman Shades with a box pleated valance.  Roman shades are elegant and appealing, a great choice for the master bedroom.  The shades have also been motorized, adding to their qualities the ability to control them all at the same time or individually.

The coup de grace is the exterior Roller Shades installed on the outside by the patio. This shade is made out of  Superior’s 5% Pearl Grey outdoor screen material, which restricts the rays from the sun hitting the glass on your windows, thus providing better protection from radiant heat coming off the glass. The woven wood shades might be good when you want to let the elements into your home, but when the glare or heat get to be too much, you can always rely on your roller shade screen.  The exterior roller shades are made of durable material and outfitted with a guiding system that keeps them in place under heavy wind. This energy efficient option is great for cutting down the heat as well as the  energy bill.  Interesting fact, exterior shading is a common practice in Europe but not as much in the US; perhaps that’s beginning to change.

We hope you enjoyed this month’s Project of the Month as much as we enjoyed working on it.  We like to think that perhaps we’ve made the home owners’ life a little more comfortable with our work; it makes us feel warm and fuzzy inside.  We thank designer Jennifer Svensson for allowing us the pleasure of working on this project with her. We’ll bring you another exciting project next month so stayed tuned.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving!

The video features a 1930′s, Pasadena CA, home that was redesigned by Joshua as an elegant Italian villa complemented by details inspired by elements from the 1930′s.  Everyone at Superior Roman Shades is proud to have been able to work on this project by proving the window coverings to complete Joshua’s vision.

Follow the link below to see the video. We hope to see more of Joshua’s work featured as well as work from other designers out there. Enjoy!

Video

Some of us dressed up, others did not, but we sure had a lot of food on our plates.  A little costume contest wrapped up the celebrations.  Fernando, that dressed up as one of the three wise men, won the funniest costume award.  Lorena, with her elaborate kitty cat costume, won the most creative award. Finally, Antonio, won the scariest costume award with his murderous monk costume.

We are glad everyone could relax and enjoy themselves for a little while.  After all it is our busiest season but also the season with the most holidays!  Next on the list is Thanksgiving coming up on a few weeks, so I have to go start planing that event.  Don’t miss our November Project of the Month post coming Monday, November 14th.

We are planing some amazing promotions for next year so stayed tuned to be the first to take advantage of them.  I hope you all had fun this Halloween weekend, talk to you later!

It’s time for an update on our little project that’s been built in our showroom over the past few weeks. It has cost our in-house carpenter Naldo a few cuts and bruises but, along with SRS engineer Mario, they have been able to complete the second stage of the project.

As you can see the structure is complete. It has been coated with primer and sanded; it only awaits to be painted and filled with different combinations of window coverings.  We have a total of nine faux windows to cover and they will each have more than one kind of window covering.  We will also motorize the window coverings using different motors and integrate them into a home control system.  We really want to make choosing your window coverings, automation, and integration  as clear and simple as we can.

This project will soon be completed for you to utilize it as an example to show your clients all the possibilities at their disposal when choosing how to cover their windows, more so When Elegance Matters.

We will keep you updated on this project as well as many others we have planned to put into effect from now till the end of the year.  We are planning to release more informational materials, services, and exciting promotions. We are always thinking of ways to better our services for our clients so stayed tuned to Superior Roman Shades social sites for the most up to date information.

You will be able to take advantage of more promotions such as our current Free Tubular Motor promotion in the coming year. Remember, you heard it here first!

Adios for now!