|
Celebrating 15 Years
|
April 2016
|
| |
|
|
Greetings!
 | Margaret Blunt, Owner,
Sew Beautiful |
Ahh, Spring has finally sprung. This is my favorite season, with the sweet fragrance of blossoms and the unfolding of new green growth on the trees and in our garden.
Spring is marked with its own rituals and events. Locally, many are drawn to DC for the Cherry Blossom festival. Every April my husband and I head to Indianapolis to see our daughter dance in Butler's Spring Ballet. This year's performance of Swan Lake was absolutely spectacular!
Back on the home front, the onset of spring marks the time for yard cleanup and plantings, "opening" the screen porch, and of course spring cleaning. For those of us who dread cleaning, I have good news: Psychology Today recently published a study suggesting positive benefits that cleaning offers, including improved mood, decreased stress and heightened creativity. I know I function better in a clean and orderly environment. So, to help with your spring cleaning, our Feature Article offers several tips for cleaning all types of window treatments, while our Feature Project highlights plantation shutters we recently installed - simple, stylish and better yet, easy to clean!
We're celebrating our 15th year in business! We are proud to have received an important local award - recognition in the "Best of Severna Park" readers' poll in the "best interior design" category! To celebrate our anniversary we are giving back to the community that has helped our business grow. One upcoming project we're excited about is the Walk at Waugh Chapel on May 12, which benefits the
Walk the Walk Foundation.
For details about how to participate in this family-friendly event, visit our "Did You Know..." section.
In the spirit of refresh and renewal, spring is the time of year when our vendors introduce new products. Check out our "What's New" section, featuring new and updated products from Hunter Douglas. If you're looking for the perfect window treatment to meet your light control and privacy needs, ask us about Hunter Douglas' Celebration of Light savings event, now through June 27th.
|
|
|
|
|
Feature Project - Plantation Shutters
|
|
|
The clean lines and classic style of Norman Woodlore Shutters add elegance throughout this gorgeous, newly built Annapolis home. Custom-fit plantation shutters provide the perfect solution for dressing the windows in a consistent fashion, while providing light control and privacy in each room.
In the study, divider rails were aligned with the natural breaks of the double-hung and transom windows. This allows the louvers to operate separately on all three sections of the window - a great option for keeping privacy at the lower level while allowing light through the upper window and transom. |
In the dining room, we decided a café-style shutter would be ideal, allowing light to flood the room through the uncovered upper windows, while offering privacy on the lower half of the windows. Shutters are a classic treatment that have been around for ages, for good reason... They are simple, stylish, and better yet, easy to clean! |
Classic and just plain pretty, plantation shutters are a great option in the bedroom too. They brighten the space, and offer privacy and room darkening for sleeping. This timeless look is clean and polished, and the functionality is so simple - just tilt the louvers to any angle to let in the perfect amount of light! |
|
|
Sew Beautiful is celebrating 15 years in business by giving back to the community.
Please join us at Walk the Walk Foundation's "Walk @ Waugh Chapel" on Thursday, May 12, from 6:00-8:00pm. There will be lots of food and fun family activities, plus you will be helping a great cause! Walk the Walk provides Christmas to local families in need, backpacks for students, and diapers for babies. All proceeds from this event will directly help local families. If you can't attend, please consider supporting our team.
|
|
Spring Cleaning - Are You Doing it Right?
|
|
As a company that specializes in custom window treatments, we are frequently asked what is the best way to clean them. It is not as complicated as one might think. In most cases, you probably have the required tools in your home. Here are a few tips to keep your window treatments looking clean and new for years to come:
Clean your treatments frequently to have them look their best. Regular care will extend the life and look of your window treatments. When you dust your furniture, dust your blinds or shutters. In some cases, all that is required is to simply operate the window coverings, because regular movement will help keep dust and grime from collecting on their surfaces.
Don't wash custom fabric window treatments in the washing machine or by hand. Fabrics can be temperamental, and often water and detergent can dull the finish and fade the color. Home-washing can also remove protective finishes that are designed to help them last longer.
Faux or alternative wood blinds and shutters are the easiest window treatments to clean. They are impervious to mold and mildew, and require just periodic dusting to stay looking their best.
Don't remove blinds or wash them in the bathtub. It's not necessary. In most cases, window treatments should be dusted or spot cleaned in place to avoid damage, shrinking or wrinkling. If you find it's necessary to remove your blinds to thoroughly clean them, simply set them on a large flat surface to do the job.
Clean blinds and shades with a soft damp cloth, sponge or feather duster. You can also use the brush attachment on your vacuum, but only if the suction setting is on low. It's important to only use cleaning products that are gentle on surfaces, like mild detergent, Windex or Pledge (for wood products only), and avoid abrasive products and bleach, which may damage the finish.
A hairdryer or canned air can serve as a secret cleaning weapon! Window treatments with front and back panels, like honeycomb silhouette shades, often get bugs and particles trapped in between the panels. A quick, cool shot with your hair dryer or canned air will remove any unwanted debris.
For delicate or hard-to-reach treatments, hire professional cleaners. There are many cleaning services that specialize in window treatments. Your local dry cleaner is the best place to take your custom draperies, with the exception of silk fabrics. Custom shades and shadings require the care of a service that specializes in electrostatic cleaning. For hard-to-reach treatments, drapery installers and handyman services can provide the tall ladders or scaffolding necessary to access them for cleaning. For more specific care instructions, it's best to contact the manufacturer of your window treatments.
Much of the content for this article was shared from a blog post from DecorView. To read the whole article, click here.
|
If you, or someone you know, are looking for help with a decorating project please contact us for an in-home consultation. We help homeowners dress their windows and complete their rooms with well designed and beautifully made custom window treatments, pillows, cushions, bedding, upholstery and more. To schedule an in-home consultation, call (410) 544-3300 or email
|
Lots of exciting changes are happening at Hunter Douglas this spring! In addition to donning a new logo, Hunter Douglas has added features to their already popular lines, such as Silhouette Window Shadings. Featured above, the new Silhouette Duolite window shadings "offer the best of best of both worlds when it comes to managing light. They combine a front translucent window shading and an integrated rear room-darkening roller shade. No other shading offers the versatility than Duolite shadings, with multiple opacity options in one shading. To learn more, visit www.sewbeautifulblinds.com.
|
|
Hunter Douglas Rebate through June 27
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
