Window dressings are an incredible addition to interior design, but there is a much greater benefit to the different options available today. Considering the fact that much of home energy is lost through the window draperies, blinds, and other window dressings can help reduce energy loss by up to 10% in the winter. Window coverings are updated every seven years or so for decor, meaning that a more updated technology, such as smart blinds can help with heating and cooling protection.
Various Window Dressings
So many different options are available for window coverings, especially within the 150 to 225 million residential window coverings sold and shipped annually in the United States. Window coverings are able to help with more the decoration, especially when older windows begin to let in drafts and reduce the insulation to protect heating and cooling expense. There are a number of common window dressings, from blinds to curtains, but many specialty coverings exist as well. Some of these may be blackout blinds, while others may just be the roller shades or other coverings that you are able to manage on your own. Additional custom window shades include:
- Window treatments
- Pleated shades
- Vertical blinds
- Light-filtering blinds
- Custom made window treatments
- Custom window coverings
- Wood blinds
- Woven wood coverings
With so many options to customize the shades or other window treatments for your home, there is much to gain from both decoration and saving energy. Certain shades and draperies are automized, set to roll up and down at certain times of day to let the sun in and keep it out as needed. There are also valances that offer this same feature, while they are usually the decorative covering that adds to the top of the window. Often, when custom coverings are developed and installed, a valance works as the front area of the roller shade or drapery and adds decor to their functionality.
Addition of Smart Blinds and Window Covers
With some new homes being built with smart blinds and automated features included, there is much to consider for the market to add these options for sale to existing homeowners. Some may not be automated to roll up and down on their own, but some smart blinds and draperies are also set with remotes so that they can be managed on a single touch throughout the entire home. Sometimes that remote is even an audio control like Alexa, Echo, or another voice-controlled machine.
More than beauty and decor, there is energy savings from all the window coverings and dressings that are available today. Many advanced window coverings can save consumers hundreds annually on energy bills with the advancement of technology and research completed over the years.
