Atlanta Discount Blinds Blog

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Sales are off to a good start for 2012.  Got 3 nice sales to start off the year in Atlanta GA that include Bass Wood Blinds, Faux Wood Blinds, Cell Shades, Roman Shades and Vertical Blinds.  Products included from Hunter Douglas Kathy Ireland, B&W Window Fashions and Cigma Blind and Shade in Suwanee GA.  Booked 4 appointments for next week so far.  I think 2012 is going to be a break out year in Atlanta for Wndow Coverings…I can feel it!

Happy New Year Everyone?  I am looking forward to this year in the window coverings business.  I think it will be a good year, with sales increasing over last year by at least 10%.  Foreclosure sales are up, and banks are starting to lend money again.  Here is to a great and prosperous year.  Good luck to everyone.  Be sure to visit us at our new landing site Atlanta Discount Blinds.

Sincerely,

Dave and Cindy

Well, 2011 is almost over. I hope 2012 brings more. I feel like things are getting better. I had a client (who used to be in Real Estate in Las Vegas) tell me that she thinks things will be 6 – 8 years before it gets back to what it was in 2006/2006. Not sure if she is right, but all you can do is have faith and press on – to all the small business owners out there. Good luck in 2012 and beyond.

Dave Ross
President
Atlanta Discount Blinds

Is the economy getting better?  I think yes…for the people that have jobs and money.  Foreclosures are selling  (the quantitiy of foreclosure properties available is down 41% from last year), and I see an up-turn in this window covering market ( blinds sales are way up) in Atlanta and the Atlanta Metro area.  Not a huge one.  But, we are above sales levels where we were at this time last year.  We should see (as I suspect other window coverings dealers are) sales top 2010 by about 35%.  So, that is good growth in a really bad real estate market (home sales are down 35%).  Atlanta was #4 in new home sales in 2008…now is #10.

I think also that people are feeling more comfortable spending their money now.  I see alot of home improvement going on in existing households.  That is causing an increase in window covering sales too. Given that housing prices are way down and most people are under water in their investment, it makes sense to make home improvements. It is a better return on the money invested.

For now…good selling!

The answer is “not really”.  Now condos and homes on or near the beach…most certainly.  But not in many homes I see in the Atlanta area.  I have been selling blinds shades and shutters now fow 4 years, and I can count on one hand the number of customers that have purchased vertical blinds or shades from us.  We did however install one of our latest customers last week in Cumming GA.  She purchased Hunter Douglas Kathy Ireland brand Vertical Panels (as they are called).  They are really beautiful, and appropriate for a sliding glass door.  As a matter of fact, they are probably the only solution (unless you want to put custome drapes installed – which can be very expensive!).

This customer installed them in a sunroom, along with custom roller sun screen shades.  The window frames were uneven throughout the room. We custom measured the shades and vertical panels to be able to allow for a uniform look after the shades were installed on all the windows.  Now the windows appear to be all the same uniform height.  This customer is very happy with the solution we provided to them.

Q. I have a great view out of my living room. Unfortunately the sun beats in all day long and I’ve
noticed that some of my upholstery fabrics are fading. Do I have to cover the windows?

A. You could cover the windows to control the sunlight. For instance, mini blinds could be installed and tilted so that direct sun is blocked. However, this will also cut down on your view. To preserve the open expanse of glass, look into having your windows tinted. Done properly you won’t notice much of a difference, however the tinting film cuts out nearly all of the damaging UV rays that fade and cause fabrics to break down. It is not an expensive project, especially if you are only doing one or two rooms.

This is from our newest customer in Cumming GA.  The picture on the left in Hunter Douglas Kathy Ireland Vertical Blinds, and the picture on the right are Kennsington Sun Screen Roller Shades with Beaded Chain Lift Mechanism from Cigma Blind and Shade in Suwanee GA

See all our customer photos on Flickr

Well, Atlanta Discount Blinds is now a certified business on the web.  Hopefully we will be around for a long time…just committed our site for 10 years!  Click here to check out our latest photos.

 

This a new customer in Canton GA.  It is Hunter Douglas Kathy Ireland brand Honeycomb Shades with Top-Down Botton-Up lift mechanism.  And,  B@W Window Fashions Horizon Sheer Elegance Roman Shades.  This customer is in the Great Sky community in Canton GA.

Sometimes simpler is better. Window treatments in a child’s room can really tie together all the decorating elements. Something charming, colorful, and effective in cutting the light is a perfect choice.

But kids’ rooms deserve special consideration. It’s important that any window covering chosen for a child’s room be safe, functional, colorful, stylish, and fun.

· Avoid long draperies in a child’s room. Little hands tend to grab and can pull down long panels as the little one crawls or walks around the nursery.

· Window treatments should not have any decorations, beads, or cording that could be pulled off and swallowed. Any decorations should be embroidered on and carefully attached.

· Cords on blinds can cause strangulation if the child is not supervised. New blinds offer breakaway cords which actually break when pulled too hard.

Here are some suggestions for fun window treatments for children’s rooms. The main rule is keep things simple.

· Window treatments for a child’s room should be as light and airy as possible.

· Avoid long “to the floor” draperies for very young babies and children who might grab and pull on the panels. Go for shades, blinds, or shorter curtains instead.

· Soft fabric shades with blackout linings can be custom-made to fit a window. Raise the shades completely for light or view then lower them for privacy and to darken the room for nap times.

· Remove any grabbing temptation near a crib, book shelf, or changing table. All window treatments should be out of arms reach at all times.

· Mini-blinds or wood blinds can be adjusted to control light, are easy to clean, and have a contemporary look for a neat child’s room.

· Old-fashioned roller shades work well in a nursery. They can be ordered in light-blocking styles. And you can have your choice of decorative fabric attached to the front of the blind. Roller shades can be raised out of the way during the daytime to allow natural sunlight into the room.

· To bring color and style into the child’s room, install a fabric valance over a simple window blind or shade. Choose a gathered or ruffled style for little girls and a plain style with tailored box pleats for boys.

· You can have a cornice box custom-made or you can easily build one yourself. Measure carefully, join the wood pieces together, then paint, cover with wallpaper, or pad and cover with decorative fabric.

· Cornice boxes help to hide the hardware of a blind or shade. They also work great to continue the decorating theme of the child’s room. Place collectibles on top of the board.

· If you use a fabric on your window treatment, try to repeat that fabric around the room in at least 3 or 4 other places. You can put accents of the fabric on chair cushions, throw pillows, quilt squares, lamp shades, or on a bed skirt.


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