by Joanna Posner

Unlike cell phones or iPods that change by leaps and bounds year after year, the window coverings industry doesn’t necessarily pushthe envelope when it comes to the next state-of-the-art product. But of the new product lines that have come out in the last few years, manufactures have been paying special attention to one common theme: that consumers are expecting and wanting more from their window treatments. That’s why there’s been a big push toward motorization, whether motorized silhouettes, roman shades, wood blinds or draperies. “Motorization ties into the smart home,” says Deb Barrett, design and trends editor at Grace McNamara, Inc. “I can tie the movement and control of my drapery treatment right into my movie screen: when it goes up, my draperies close.” We are in an era of technological comfort, and manufacturers are acknowledging that manual operation just doesn’t have the same appeal as it once did.
Cordless options, too, were born out of a consumer need – in particular, what people didn’t like about their window treatments. Cords are not only visually displeasing but they also present a safety issue, mainly with children or pets. So cordless shades, which are available in almost any style, address any safety concerns people might have.
Another big movement in the window coverings industry is an eye toward the environment. With window coverings, going green can be accomplished on many different levels. For consumers interested in sustainability, for instance, the product could either be made of recycled materials or the materials can be recycled. The focus can also be on natural materials, using fabrics free of heavy metals or ones that have natural woven shades. Also known as bamboo shades, natural woven shades are a hot ticket item. And Kara Roberts, senior merchandising manager of Smith + Noble, points out that people feel good about buying bamboo shades because they feel like they’re green and natural. For energy conservation, Roberts recommends solar screens. Not only do solar screens serve the purpose of functionality – in that they cut the glare from the sun, while still allowing homeowners to take in views – but within the solar category are green options such as green-guard certified, which means they contribute to air quality.
But Roberts says the number one product for energy-efficiency is the honeycomb (or cellular) shade, which insulates interiors from the heat and the cold. “This cuts down on electricity usage,” she says. What David Moles, owner of Woodland Hills-based Castle Draperies, likes about honeycomb shades is that there are so many options. “You can get a retractable cord, a hidden cord or no cord and they can be motorized or in a dual shade.” Also referred to as two shades in one, a dual honeycomb shade can have a sheer or opaque fabric on the front and then a black liner on the back, which both operate individually (Other styles also come in dual shades).
Another feature of the honeycomb shade is that it comes in top down, bottom up – one option that Shelley Deegan, who owns San Diego-based Feng Shui Interiors, says is a must-have for privacy. “Let’s say you have a master bathroom and you look out the window at the house next to you. You’d want privacy but you’d still want to let light in.” So people can let in any increment of light they’re comfortable with from the top of the window. In choosing the window treatment that’s right for the individual, Deegan asks clients whether they want their window coverings to blend in or if they want them to stand out like a piece of art. For those who don’t look to window coverings as a form of décor, something neutral like wood or faux wood shutters would do the job.
But on the other hand, like a piece of art, window coverings can make a statement. To that end, Barrett says the industry is seeing more innovative uses of fabrics for draperies. She points to damask – a fabric made of silk, wool, linen, cotton or synthetic fibers with a pattern weaved in – as very strong right now. “But the size of the pattern throughout is blown out of proportion.” In fact, many of today’s most popular fabrics have a lot of surface embellishments, such as embroidery, puckering, pleating, embossing and flocking. “We’re moving into graphic patterns, florals and medallions,” adds Barrett. To suspend these elaborate draperies, wood poles and rod irons are used, as opposed to the standard white heavy-duty track used to traditionally hold up draperies. Also growing in popularity are layered treatments. Whether you layer a wood blind with an embellished fabric, or combine a solar screen, a sheer and a decorative drapery, the purpose is to address privacy and light control with the bottom layer, and to create your personalized look with the fabrics.
If it’s a soft look you’re after, Deegan’s fabric of choice is roman shades in linen. The soft overlapping fabric folds of roman shades add a touch of elegance to the room, combining the classic look of a custom drapery and the ease and convenience of a shade. Alternatively, silhouette shades have been made famous for combining sheer fabrics and slats all in one. “The silhouette is the only shade that in either the down or fully exposed position, you can still tilt the vanes for more or less light control,” explains David Moles. Soft rotating fabric vanes are suspended between two sheer fabrics, making this varying level of light control possible.
Experts agree that where sliding glass doors are concerned, vertical blinds are a thing of the past. In their place are panel tracks. Think sliding shoji screens or sliding closet doors. But instead of closet doors, the tracks are four individualized panels of material covering the window and can stack up on top of each other on two sides of the window or just one. Panel tracks are the answer to giving consumers an alternative to vertical blinds.
“Many product manufacturers have had to keep innovating to offer the consumer what it is they want,” says Deegan. So while you probably won’t find the next great invention from the window coverings industry, you can be rest assured that manufacturers are working hard to give you products that work for your home.