Tips To Minimize Pet Damage To Your Window Treatments

/in /by

tips-pets

At Arjay’s Window Fashions, we love our furry, domestic friends just as much as you do. While common household pets like dogs and cats are fun, give us great company, and incredibly rewarding to take care of, there are some notable drawbacks when it comes to having household pets. As you can imagine (and may have even experienced once or twice in the past), damage to your precious blinds as a result of your dog or cat going rogue can and does happen – more often than you might even think.

Protecting Your Window Coverings With Arjay’s

Arjay’s is all about optimizing your window covering solutions so that you’re getting a useful product that stands the test of time and does the primary purpose that it should: evenly covering your windows from the outside sun and prying eyes. However, with ripped, crumpled or just generally damaged window blinds, you might not get the performance out of your window treatments that you’re looking for. That’s why in today’s blog post, Arjay’s is going to write about some useful tips to keep in mind when it comes to keeping your blinds and windows shades safe from your adventurous household pets.

To learn more about our custom window treatment solutions, learn more about our services or feel free to get in touch with our Los Angeles blind company today. Now, let’s take a look at some ways to keep those blinds safe from dogs, cats, and other valued pets that you may have.

minimize-pet-damagecta

Keep The Blind Cord Out Of Reach

This tip is obviously meant for curious kitties (though your dog or puppy could go for that dangling cord), but there’s just something tantalizing to cats about seeing a hanging cord. Call it instinct, but they just have to swat at it. While this is obviously tempting for cats, blind cords can be harmful to them.

Fortunately, the solution to this problem is a fairly simple one: just keep the cords wrapped up and out of your cat’s reach with something simply like a cord cleat or tie it up in a bundle. A good general rule of thumb with cats is just to not leaving any ‘dangly’ things laying around.

Cats And Vertical Blinds

Another thing that cats tend to do is absolutely destroy standard aluminum blinds. And by destroy, we mean destroy, like to the extent of an evil villain. While cats like to slip behind blinds, vertical blinds present a good option because they will always fall right back into place when they’re moved around.

Sure, if a louver or two gets damaged, you can always replace individual ones instead of spending the money to get all new blinds. This way, with vertical blinds, your cat can get behind them and be near the window without destroying your perfect blind setup. As an added bonus, pet hair can easily be removed from vertical blinds with a quick swipe. It’s a win-win for you, your cats, and your allergies as a result of your arguably questionable pet choice.

Your Puppy Chews On Everything, Including Your Blinds

Part of raising an adorable puppy is sacrificing some items to satisfying their teething obsession. While this is a pretty normal part of owning a puppy, it does unfortunately come at the expense of near-destroyed or even completely destroyed items, including your blinds. Usually, chewing up random objects that weren’t meant to be chewed means that your growing furry companion needs something to…well, chew on. That’s why dog toys and things of that nature exist.

Make sure to stock your home with plenty of chew toys like squeakers, bones, and more. If you want to target the blind issue specifically, one thing that you can do is spray the slats on your blinds with a sour apple spray that’s widely available at many pet stores. Neutral to humans, this sprays smells and tastes terrible to dogs, so they’ll most likely steer clear of your blinds if you do this.

Overall, be a good dog owner and make sure that your four-legged friend has a chance to relieve their stress and energy on a daily basis. Try doing things like taking your pooch for a long walk before you leave them at home alone.

Leave Your Blinds Slightly Raised For Cats And Dogs Alike

This is a simple and incredibly effective solution to damaged blinds and window coverings. You see, cats and dogs choose to look at blinds as a barrier to the outside world, obstructing the clear view that a window provides. By raising your blinds from Arjay’s just enough so that your dog or cat (or both if they get along well!) can sit near the window and see outside, they won’t get all frustrated and try to mangle up your window coverings.

And because you’ve only raised your blinds just enough for them to see outside, you’ll still be blocking most of that unwanted sunshine into the zen climate of your home. So with this simple piece of advice, you win, your pets win, and your energy bill mostly wins. Hooray!

Pet Or No Pets, Find The Right Custom Blinds Solution Today

Depending on your specific window covering needs, you might need custom solutions to work with the shape of your windows or the habits of your pets. That’s one of the reasons why Arjay’s offers custom blinds solutions in Southern California so that your window coverings are optimized to the greatest extent that they can be. To make it happen, contact Arjay’s today!

Cordless Blinds – What’s The Big Deal?

/in /by

It seems like more than ever before, the designs that we create are done so with the intentions of removing some of the minor headaches that we receive through older designs. As a homeowner, it’s nearly impossible not to fall in love with the updated designs and functionalities of kitchen features, design elements, and yard maintenance, which are constantly being worked with. One of the features that people didn’t expect to see improvements and functionalities improved on were window treatments. These various window treatments have designs that are old as time but haven’t ever really had issues with functionality, and even when there were improvements to be made, we saw them. Well, there is one recent improvement of functionality that has been made, and we are crazy about it: cordless application.

The pull cord is something that we have had on window treatments for as long as we can remember, and while they haven’t always been a downfall of the treatment themselves, they are definitely something that we have seen a few difficulties and receive some of those headaches from. In fact, this small detail of the window treatment has made news because of the dangers that it is capable of posing to families.

With this recent change, there definitely has been an increase in the cost of the improved treatment, and for this reason, people seem to turn their backs to all of the possibilities that this new design has. Of course, there are always those changes that happen where you immediately start to wonder if it’s truly a necessity that you are investing in, or if it’s simply a luxury addition. We’ve given this some consideration, and we’ve found that there are a few reasons that this new addition is a must, for some families and people in particular, and not just a strange new feature.

Children

We mentioned earlier that the drawstrings of blinds have made the news, and for good reason. These “harmless” looking drawstrings proved to be extremely dangerous when in the hands of a child that was not supervised. Without understanding the functionality of the strings, children were wrapping themselves up in the cord, and some of them were had the misfortune of being strangled by them. While it seemed like a harmless game or just playing with something that was sitting out, these drawstrings took the lives of too many children. Having been the most common option in regards to window treatments, they continued to be the immediate choice of people that were shopping around or construction companies that were building new homes.

Rather than stick with an option that might be more affordable, having an option that leaves your children safe is something that makes sense to us. The chances of it happening to your child may be small, or even impossible in your mind, but the reality is that they exist. At least, they exist until you eliminate the drawstring that is creating the issue in the first place.

Pets

Children aren’t the only ones that have been put in danger because of the drawstring. Cats and dogs are the two most commonly found pets that seem to struggle with drawstrings and the overall safety of them. For cats, these are merely a toy that they can paw at and play with. Once they see that the string moves, and is connected at the top of the blinds, they find the opportunity to jump onto the blinds and ruin the slats. Other issues that happened in regards to pets were similar to those that happened with children. Dogs would wind up wrapping themselves up in the cord until they could no longer breathe.

The chances of you leaving your child unattended may be slim, but think about how many times a day you leave your dog unattended. Are they wandering around the home while you’re at work? Or even when you’re home, how often do you go and check when your dog isn’t right by your side or barking? This is a concern, one that was big enough to be noted when children were being strangled by the same drawstrings.

Damaged & Dropped

Aside from these two main issues, drawstrings provide an opportunity for the window treatment to be pulled down entirely. If you haven’t ever tried to pull down on a drawstring only to look like an idiot that can’t figure out a window treatment, then consider yourself lucky. Such a simple task seems to be pretty difficult for a majority of society, so we’re going to go ahead and say that it isn’t just us on this one.

When people try to pull too hard, the blinds can come with them. This is another thing that you might not feel is a huge deal, but when you’ve installed these window treatments into the interior of your window frame, it can be a pretty big deal. When this treatment is installed with screws and the actual equipment to hold the blinds, a good tug can bring all of that down, leaving more than just the blinds ruined. This could call for some new equipment to hold new blinds in place, as well as some patches on the interior of the window frame. Rather than let this ever be an issue, you could eliminate the drawstring as a whole.

Cordless blinds offer easy functionality, but they also look incredible and allow for the window treatments in your home to remain safe. Now, we aren’t saying that the standard blinds are an inhumane and horrible option, but there are some instances where these updated designs are going to be a better fit and a much safer option. For instance, the families with children; this is a time where safety can easily be prioritized and is a quick switch. This tiny change is one that has made a revolutionary difference for homes across the world, and while it may not seem like much, to those that had the misfortune of being a case where danger became the end result; it’s one that truly can make a difference. This is primarily the reason that we decided that this change was one that truly was for the better. Taking the cord off of the window treatment is not a luxury for some, it’s a necessity.

At Arjay’s Window Fashions, we tailor your window treatments to your needs. For any questions that you have regarding this new window treatment design, or any of the other options that might be a good fit for you and your home, call us. We would be more than happy to schedule a consultation where we can review your options and get you set up with the perfect treatments.

drapes3

Patterns: Why They Aren’t Scary

/in /by

Patterns can be intimidating when you first start to look at the various options that you have. When you are looking at putting them into your home, the last thing that you want is a pattern that is going to clash with the rest of your interior and create an overwhelming look for your family while you’re in the space. Now, we aren’t saying that there aren’t busy patterns that can create a clash of aesthetics in your home because there definitely are, but there are a few ways to make them work. Here are a few tips that you can consider while you determine whether patterned drapes are something that will work in your home.

Solid Accents

If you’re nervous that a pattern might be a little bit overwhelming, then you can balance it by adding solid accents to your home that offset it. For example, if there’s a pattern that you love, but you don’t think you can make an entire room work based off of the pattern, break it down to solids. What we mean by that is create a color scheme off of the colors in the pattern, and incorporate these patterns into your space. If you paint the walls in one solid color and add accent pieces to the room that are in the colors of the pattern, your pattern won’t be as overwhelming. In fact, this is one of the best ways to incorporate a pattern into a space, especially a small space, without it being busy.

Personality

A house is only a house until you make it your own, and when you finally do add those unique touches, you have a home. When you sprinkle those touches of unique, and personal taste throughout your house, you are creating a space that represents you. If you really want to add a unique touch to your home, and one that has some personality to it, you should consider adding a pattern to your home. This is a great way to create a home that is all your own. Of course, you can do this with standard colors, and your classic window treatments, but there are some patterns that can add much more voice to a space than simple colors.

If there’s a pattern that you find that really does create a feel to the space that you’re in, then find a way to incorporate into your space. Window fashions are one of the best, and easiest, ways to get the pattern in there without having to go over the top with how much of a pattern you’re putting in the space.

Texture

Now, texture isn’t something that everyone considers adding to a space, but it is one that can make a room all its own. It can add a feel to a room, but also contribute to an overall aesthetic in the space. A lot of people will try and add texture through the paint on the wall, the material that the couches are made of, or even the grain of the wood. If you have a fairly sleek setup for your room, then adding texture through a pattern can be a fantastic way to add some texture to a space, without having to go and get entirely new furniture. It’s a quick and easy fix and one of the more affordable options that you have for adding texture

These aren’t all of the reasons that patterns can be fun to add to your home, but they are some of the more important ones.  We would love for you to take a chance on the various patterns that we carry; we know that you’ll find one that you love and will fit perfectly in your home.  And if you’re simply not sure about a pattern or how to make the most of it, well, we can help.

When you’re looking for window furnishings that you love, you can count on Arjay’s Window Fashions. We have a wide selection to choose from so that you can finally turn your house, into a home. Call our team today so that we can schedule a consultation and provide you with more information on the installation process that will follow. We can’t wait to be an active part of the finishing touches on your home.

Arjaybanner2

Unique Touches to Add to Your Drapes

/in /by

blogpic238

Drapes are an incredibly popular window treatment. We have seen them incorporated into any room, each adding a different look. In fact, it’s probably because they are always able to offer a different look that they are so popular amongst people. With shades you are able to pick and choose different designs, textures, and colors so that you can perfectly fit the design of your home. This is something that you can’t do with any other window treatment, so it’s not uncommon to see the two paired when looking for a specific look and purposeful use. Here are a few of the ways that you can add a unique twist on your shades so that they have the exact look you’re hoping for.

Rings

There are certain drapes that will require you to put rings through them in order for them to be placed on the curtain rod. These are a great, and often affordable, way to add a unique touch to your drapes. If you have a theme, you can often find rings that will easily play into the design and provide an authentic look, while still being pretty subtle. Most drapes that you purchase will come with pretty standard rings, but you can easily find a variety of rings that better suit your style when you go to home improvement stores or any store that is going to offer those design add-ons.

Curtain Rod

We mentioned the curtain rod in our last point, but this is a huge opportunity for changing this and adding a unique touch to your window treatments. A standard curtain rod will always work, but there are plenty of rods with design implements added to them so that you can add an additional touch of styling to them. Whether it be in the color that you choose or the decorative touches at the end of the curtain rod, you will see that there is something unique to the look once it’s finally up and hanging.

Tie Back

If you are someone that loves having maximum amounts of natural light in your home, then a tieback will likely wind up being a part of your window treatment plan. This is easily one of the pieces that you can get most creative with because there are so many different opportunities available for ways that you can implement them.

The way that most are set up will incorporate two different pieces, one of them being a hook that is drilled into the wall, and the other will be the tie that allows for you to tie the drapes back. While normal sets will add a hook, people have definitely gotten creative and incorporated different styles and objects to add a special touch. For example, some people have used door knobs, small pipes, spoons, and all sorts of other objects to create original looks. As for the tie, people have definitely gotten creative. You can find beading, clips, rope, cloth, and all sorts of other concepts. If you’re short on ideas, check out Pinterest. There are tons to enjoy there.

When you need to find the perfect drapes for your home, Arjay’s Window Fashions is the first place to go. Call us today to schedule an appointment for your custom window treatment consultation.

 

drapes3

A Few Pros And Cons Of Honeycomb Shades

/in /by

blogpic235custom-blinds

Chances are, you’re probably familiar with honeycomb shades because they are a trusted and popular choice for window coverings. The honeycomb design is so widespread that you might even have them in your house – for many reasons that we’ll get into below, honeycomb shades represent a versatile and comprehensive option when it comes to your window covering needs. As you may have guessed, Arjay’s Window Fashions offers honeycomb shades to outfit your home in the Southern California area. Learn more about this ideal window covering by visiting this page.

If You Can Think It, Arjay’s Can Do It!

For all of your blinds, shades, draperies, exterior solar shades, and really any type of window treatment that you could possibly image, Arjay’s has it. Do you have any strangely shaped windows that you’re having trouble finding the right fit for? Our custom blinds services will have you taken care of. Shoot us any questions that you have by contacting us or even dropping by our Ventura store. Otherwise, let’s look at some of the pros and cons (although mostly pros) of these popular window coverings.

Pro: Insulating Abilities

If you’ve heard the name ‘cellular shades’ before, you should know that refers to the same thing as honeycomb shades. These shades are largely considered to be the ‘workhorse’ of window coverings because they offer privacy, temperature insulation, and light control all in one convenient package.

Due to the long, open channels in honeycomb shades, you’ll get quality insulation from the harsh elements outside. These channels trap air at the window on the exterior of your home and will insulate the room from the hot summer air and brittle winter winds. In fact, honeycomb shades are so great at insulating that switching to these efficient window treatments will nearly double its “R-value” – a measurement of the resistance of the shade to transfer heat. From simply adding the most energy efficient cellular shade to your window, you can experience an R-value increase from 3.5 to nearly 7.

CTA2custom-blindscta

Pro: Enhanced Privacy

We have our homes, apartments and so forth for many reasons including warmth when it’s cold out, air conditioning when it’s boiling out, and a place that we can return to and call home. Privacy is also an important factor of having your own space of living, and having something like cellular or honeycomb shades can significantly enhance the private qualities of your home.

Unless you select a sheer fabric option, honeycomb shades are generally completely private. Choosing the ever-versatile top-down and bottom-up feature will allow the shade to be either lifted up to the top of the window or lowered to the window sill at your convenience. So, you can still get light streaming into a given room above the shade while also enjoying complete privacy at the lower portion of the window. In other words, it’s one of the ultimate combinations of light control and blocking out the outside world. Speaking of light control….

Pro: Optimal Light Control

Light control is great for many reasons, and it is one of the defining features of honeycomb shades. You can choose from semi-opaque, light-filtering fabrics all the way to light-blocking opaque fabrics – with cellular shades, you’ll get an excellent selection of light control options that work for your needs as well as your budget.

Honeycomb shades are known for blocking out the most light compared to other types of window treatments, so if complete darkness in a room is your goal, consider looking into outside-mounted cellular shades. If you’re wanting to create a media room or home theater, a children’s bedroom or a place where people need to sleep soundly during the intense daylight, cellular and honeycomb shades are the ideal options for you.

Pro: Child Safety

We actually touched on childproofing your custom blinds and window treatments in a previous blog post, and for good reason – blinds represent a potential danger hazard for young children and infants, especially if they are corded. Thanks to the fact that there are no lifting cords for children or even your precious household pets to get all tangled in, shades yet again have a huge pro by creating a safe space for the curious wanderers in your house. It’s also worth noting that cellular shades are typically offered in vertical options which will easily slide across windows like patio doors, again without a dangling cord. Safety first!

(Potential) Con: Appearance

Now, before we dive into this one, we do want to mention that beauty and style are of course completely subjective. So this con really depends on what your taste and opinions are, but some people do find honeycomb shades to have the look of pleated paper as opposed to a nice, rich fabric. Naturally, this aspect of honeycomb shades can be objectionable for some folks, while others might even prefer the style.

Given how excellent these type of shades are in offering superior insulation, light control, and privacy, this is a minor drawback. If you’re drawn to the practicality of these shades but you can’t get past the look, consider using cellular shades in conjunction with a more decorative window treatment of your choice.

Con: No Tilting Abilities

When you have cellular or honeycomb shades, all you can really do to control them is make them go up or down – that’s about it. Conventional wood or aluminum blinds, on the other hand, offer the ability to tilt vanes to allow just a little bit of light in while maintaining privacy. In this respect, shades like these can be seen as less versatile window treatment options. However, if you use the top-down and bottom-up feature as we mentioned in light control further up in this blog post, you’ll still be able to simulate the otherwise superior tilting ability of standard window blinds.

While honeycomb shades are generally available in dozens of special shapes like arches, trapezoids, circles, and triangles, sometimes they must stay in a closed position. Another quick way to enhance privacy and light control with these shades is to double them up with other fabrics, especially when you’re dealing with large, specialty windows. For instance, using a sheer fabric above an opaque fabric, for example, allows you to preserve your view during the day but also create a good level of privacy during the night.

Visit Arjay’s Today To Get Honeycomb Shades Fitted To Your Windows

Overall, honeycomb shades or cellular shades provide a wide range of benefits for your home whether you’re mostly concerned about light control, privacy or insulation. While these shades might not work for every single room, there’s a good chance that Arjay’s Window Fashions can help you find the right fit! For quality window covering services in Ventura County, Santa Barbara County, and Los Angeles county, give us a call today!