Do You Have Fabric Blinds? You Can Clean Them!

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We love vertical blinds because they make rooms seem taller and more elegant. Their versatility is incredible, and they’re quite durable. Now, if you’ve invested in fabric vertical blinds, you paid more than most people do when buying vertical blinds. Fabric blinds are expensive because they provide an utterly unique aesthetic. Their colors, weaves, and shapes are coveted for what they can bring to a room. It is absolutely worth your time and energy to keep them looking good. But how? The last thing you want to do is damage them while trying to maintain them!

We have good news for you: cleaning fabric blinds is easy. Read on to learn more!

My Blinds Aren’t Washable – What Do I Do?

  • Are they dusty? Gently vacuum them using a wand tool, which will prevent them from getting damaged. Don’t do it more than once a month.
  • Are they spotty? Invest in some dry cleaner’s spot remover, dampen a cloth, and test the spot remover on part of the blind no one will see. If everything is good, gently clean the spots away.
  • Are they dirty? A small bristle brush will get the dirt off without causing damage.

I Can Wash My Blinds – How Do I Do it Right?

  • You’re going to go to the bathtub for this one – no washers allowed! Simply fill your bathtub with about six inches of water and a little detergent.
  • Close the blinds so they will lay flat. Lay them on the water and leave them to soak for around 45 minutes. During this process, feel free to gently rub dirt off with your hand.
  • Drain the water and rinse the blinds off with cool water no fewer than two times. You want to ensure all detergent gets out of them.
  • Let the blinds lay and drain for a while before hanging them up and letting them air dry. If you have wood floors, be careful to protect them from any draining water.

How Do I Keep My Blinds Looking Good Now?

You can ensure your fabric blinds look like new for years to come by staying on top of cleaning them. Additionally, avoid bending them and be careful to hang them correctly. By doing so, you will protect your investment and ensure it pays off in the end.

Aray’s Window Fashions features a team of expert designers who not only know how to match window coverings; they know how to keep them looking great. Turn to us in Southern California for the best custom blinds available!

Why You Should Invest in Custom Blinds For Your New Home

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Not all windows are made the same. If you’ve lived in a number of different places, you know that it’s not always easy to take your window treatments from one home and simply hang them up in the next place. Chances are the windows are a different size, require different hanging mechanisms, or you may have more windows in your new place. It becomes especially frustrating when you have a window that’s a unique shape or size; finding window treatments for something like that is going to be next to impossible. That’s why we recommend getting custom blinds for your new home.

That’s why we recommend getting custom blinds for your new home. Custom blinds will come ready to hang in every window of your home, no matter what shape and size it might be. You might be reluctant to give up your old window treatments and start over with custom blinds, but it truly is one of the best investments you can make.

It’s less frustrating.

It’s frustrating not to mention time-consuming when you have to try to make your old window treatments fit your new windows. We’re guessing you have other things you’d like to be doing with your time. Investing in custom blinds allows you to get all of your window treatments done at the same time so you can move onto other projects and focus your energy elsewhere.

You’ll save on energy bills.

When you try to “make do” with your old window treatments, you probably aren’t making the best use of your windows. You are probably allowing too much or not enough light to get in, depending on how poorly the old window treatments fit. Custom blinds will fit your windows perfectly and allow you to efficiently adjust the amount of sun coming in. That can help you naturally heat your home and lower your monthly energy bills.

It makes a new home look complete.

When you try to reuse your old window treatments instead of getting custom blinds, you could end up making your home look less-than-its-best. That’s not what you want. When you move into a new place, you want your home to look amazing and feel comfortable. Custom blinds help complete the vision you have for each room, instead of old window treatments that weren’t made for your space.

It could help with your resale value.

Chances are you aren’t thinking much about resale value now, but you will be in the future. Custom blinds can be an attractive addition to your home for potential buyers. It will make your home look more polished, and the potential buyer won’t have to worry about investing in custom blinds themselves. It’s a little thing that can actually pay off later in the life of your home.

You deserve it.

While there are areas in your home decor where you can afford to make do, your window treatments shouldn’t be one of them. Treat yourself to custom blinds so you can enjoy the difference they make in the beauty and comfort of your home. Call Arjay’s today for all of your custom blind needs.

5 Easy Ways To Update Your Bathroom

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Everyone dreams of finding a home in which they can watch their children grow up and experience the Golden Years with their significant other.

We dream of putting down roots and getting to know the people in our neighborhoods in a genuine way. However, constant habitation can take its toll on a home over the decades. You’re busy living your live, raising kids, planning parties, and celebrating holidays, so you don’t notice the fading paint, dings in the plaster, and fixtures that have slowly become outdated since your home was built.

Suddenly, you wake up one day and realize that your home could really use a facelift. Maybe you want to improve functionality of your high-traffic rooms or perhaps you simply want to feel more comfortable in your own home.

Why Update Your Bathroom?

There are several reasons why you might want to think about focusing your update efforts on the bathroom. First, we spend a lot of time in the bathroom! From putting on makeup to brushing teeth with little ones, this room sees a lot of wear and tear. Second, guests see your bathroom. While you might be able to hide the mess in your basement or bedroom by simply closing the door, most guests will inevitably use the bathroom while visiting your home. Finally, upgrading a bathroom can increase your home’s value. When evaluating potential homes, people tend to be most impressed with (or horrified by) the kitchen and bathroom.

Simple Ways To Refresh Your Bathroom’s Look

Now that you know more about why upgrading your bathroom is a smart idea, let’s take a look at how to go about refreshing its look.

  1. Pedestal Sink – Does your bathroom feel crowded and look cluttered? Have you cleaned off the sink a million times, only to have bottles of lotion and hair brushes return in a heartbeat? Replacing your outdated counter sink with a sleek pedestal sink is a great way to create the illusion of space without expanding the room itself. It also eliminates the counter clutter in one fell swoop!
  2. Shower Door – Shower curtains are cheap and easy, but wear out quickly, making your bathroom look dirty and immature. Replace that rod and curtain with a sliding glass shower door that looks classy and is easier to clean.
  3. Coordinating Fixtures – Mismatched fixtures can make your bathroom look disorganized and cluttered. Simply upgrading to a faucet, towel rack, and cabinet door handles that are all made of the same material is a great way to improve the look.
  4. Framed Mirror – Many older bathrooms feature a plain plate mirror with rough edges. Sure, you can see yourself, but it’s not very nice to look at. Replacing that old mirror with a framed rectangular or oval mirror enhances the elegance of this functional room!
  5. Custom Window Blinds – Most bathrooms have a window for light and ventilation purposes, but when’s the last time you took stock of the blinds that are hanging in it? Custom window blinds, drapes, or shutters made from unique materials can create a focal point out of a window you used to ignore.

Arjay’s Provides Custom Blinds For Every Architectural Style

Want to explore your options for custom bathroom blinds? Arjay’s has experience with homes of every age and architectural style. Contact us for a complimentary consultation today!

How To Use Custom Blinds, Shades, And Curtains To Beat The Heat

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Custom blinds and drapes are one of the easiest ways to elevate the look and feel of any room in your home. Nothing makes you feel more like you’re in a hospital (or a bad hotel) than stark white, plastic blinds that fly up and down with that familiar smacking sound. You don’t want your home to feel like a hospital or bad hotel, you want it to feel comfortable and peaceful, and you want it to reflect your personal sense of style. That’s why Arjay’s Window Fashions in Ventura strives to provide one of California’s largest selections of high-quality, modern window treatments.

You might be surprised to learn that making your home look good isn’t the only thing custom blinds, curtains, and shades can do. They also have a big role to play in keeping your home comfortable by keeping heat out when you want to be cool, and keeping heat in when you’d prefer to be warm. Keep reading to learn more.

Staggering Stats About About Windows And Heat Gain

Since you, like us, probably live in California, we’re going to focus this article on the ability of custom blinds, shades, and curtains to keep heat out. While we love the almost-constant sunshine, it can sometimes cause our homes to become uncomfortably warm. With the average American family spending nearly $2000 on heating and cooling costs, this type of heat gain from sunlight can really drain your pocketbook.

What most people don’t realize, however, is that custom blinds, shades, and curtains are a low-tech, highly-efficient way to beat the heat! Here are just a few ways custom window treatments from Arjay’s can help your control the temperature in your home.

Use Window Treatments To Cool Your Home

  1. Utilize Exterior Shades –  The best way to beat heat gain is to prevent sunlight from hitting the surface of your window at all. This can best be done with awnings or other exterior shade options we offer.
  2. Use Curtains & Drapes Strategically – During the summer (and any time the sun is shining directly onto your windows) it’s best to keep curtains and drapes closed. Just this simple act can reduce heat gain by up to 33 percent. Our professional installers can hang your custom curtains in such a way that they’re as close to the window as possible, further reducing the heat that enters your home!
  3. Get Reversible Shades – “Reversible shades that are white on one side and dark on the other can be switched with the seasons with the white side reflecting the sun in the summer and the dark side absorbing it in the winter,” explains Consumer Reports. You may also want to investigate quilted roller shades and Roman shades that are insulated, as these can be more effective than other soft window treatments.
  4. Install Custom Blinds – While blinds are a very flexible form of window treatment, they’re not the most effective in blocking heat. This is mostly because even privacy blinds have slats, either horizontal or vertical, through which the heated air can make its way into your home. However, when completely closed, highly reflective blinds can reduce heat gain by around 45 percent, reports the Department of Energy.
  5. Try Reflective Window Films – While less traditional than curtains or blinds, window films are becoming very popular in California, as our air conditioning season lasts almost all year long. If you’re willing to give them a try, remember that the more reflective your window film is, the better. Limited budget? Try installing window films only on east- and west-facing windows as they have a greater potential for heat gain.

No matter why you’re looking for custom window treatments, remember that the skilled team at Arjay’s is ready to help. Contact our team or come visit our Ventura showroom today!

Can Window Treatments Boost Your Home’s Value?

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Whether you want to sell your home soon or not, you can do things today that boost its value. If you think about appliances, wood flooring, or a certain type of carpet when you think about effective home improvements, we want you to consider adding window treatments to that list. Though window treatments won’t increase your home’s value as much as updated cabinetry, they can be the one touch a prospective buyer needs to make an offer. Even more than that, high-quality window treatments will improve your own time in your home. When you find window coverings that truly match your home’s personality, the impact is profound – and worth the investment.

Drapes

Drapery treatments are not nearly as big a deal as they used to be. We’ve noticed that people want to replace older, ornate draperies with more modern styles. Whether a home has old styles or not, it’s pretty typical for the draperies to suit the tastes of the previous owner, and they are quickly replaced by the new inhabitants. As a result, drapery really isn’t effective when you’re trying to boost the value of your home. You can’t predict what the future owners of your home will want, so buy drapes to make yourself happy or invest in a different type of window treatment for your home’s value.

The verdict: Drapes are not worth investing in if your mission is to boost your home’s value

Blinds and Shades

These window treatments can be difficult to pin down. They come in simple, cheap versions and extravagant, expensive versions. Generally, custom wooden blinds and motorized blinds are the most expensive. At the end of the day, blinds just don’t last very long, and their concept are so simple, they mostly just excel at getting the job done. Because they last about five to seven years, they won’t significantly boost the value of your home.

The verdict: Blinds bring more value than drapes, but it’s not too much.

Plantation Shutters

These shutters completely transform a home, and because they last so long, they they can be a major selling point. They are more durable than other types of window treatments and are usually covered by lifetime warranties. Best of all, they are often custom-made, which means they provide one-of-a-kind impact and incredible value. You’ll enjoy them while you live in your home, and you’ll love the market popularity they give your home.

The verdict: Plantation shutters deliver the best value boost of any type of window treatment.

shutterimgblogIf it’s time to replace your window treatments, turn to Arjay’s. Our team of designers is passionate about providing window covering solutions that fit any budget and provide a level of excellence we would want in our own homes. We know what it takes to provide value-changing window treatments, and we love working closely with our clients to create the perfect look for their homes. We invite you to check out our gallery of previous projects and see just what we can do. We are here to surpass your expectations!

Give us a call!