Add an Eco-Friendly Touch to your Home with Woven Wood Shades 

There are many different ways that an individual can make a positive impact towards the green revolution. They can purchase only organic foods, they can take very short showers to conserve water, they can carpool with coworkers to and from work, and they can use and promote the use of eco-friendly products in their home. One of these eco-friendly products could be woven wood shades available through your local Budget Blinds franchise.

Budget Blinds takes great care in selecting their providers for eco-friendly window treatments. Their vendors only use natural woods from certified sustainable forests and even then only use what is available, never taking more than what they need. Budget Blinds' woven wood shades are especially eco-friendly because they use many different types of natural life for their window treatments. When you purchase eco-friendly woven wood shades from Budget Blinds you have the choice to decide between many different wood choices, including but not limited to: bamboo, Jute, reeds, grasses, and many species of sustainable North American hardwoods.

Not only does Budget Blinds use only the most sustainable materials for their eco-friendly window treatments, but in an effort to be as green and sustainable as possible, Budget Blinds ensures that all of their packaging supplies are 100 percent recyclable as well. Budget Blinds takes every available opportunity presented to provide you with the best possible window covering for reducing your carbon footprint. If you know that you want eco-friendly window coverings but you aren't sure how to go about picking the perfect set for your home, don't just go to your local hardware store and get the best looking pair on sale. They will most likely be manufactured from non-recyclable materials and do much more harm than good. No, if you want truly eco-friendly window treatments, give your local Budget Blinds a call today and they will send a style consultant out to your home for a free in-home consultation and they can help you pick the perfect woven wood shades  for your home.

Add a Wireless Sun Sensor to your Motorized Shades 

Integrated motorized and automated home systems are becoming more prevalent in homes throughout the world. These systems allow homeowners to turn on or off their lights, lock their doors, adjust the thermostat, and more simply with the touch of a button on their smartphone or from the computer in their office. Along with the items listed above, motorized shades and blinds are an integral part of these new integrated home systems. Having the ability to control window treatments from a distance gives homeowners a definite advantage when it comes to sun control when compared to homeowners who have manually operated window treatments.

The advantages of implementing motorized shades are obvious; better control of sunlight which allows for more protection of expensive home décor and furniture, protection from harmful UV rays, better temperature control, and an increase in overall convenience in the home. While motorization is a definite step above manually controlled window treatments, it is still not the top of the line when it comes to integrated home systems. That honor belongs to automated motorized shades and blinds. Automated window treatments are often integrated into fully realized home automation systems that are programmed to turn off or turn on according to the homeowner's preference. For example, with Somfy Sunis Indoor WireFree™ RTS sun sensor automated window treatments, your blinds or shades can provide you with the most gentle of all wake up calls, the sun itself. Why wake yourself up with the startling and often jarring sound of an alarm clock when you can be woken up by the first light of the warm glowing sun? Not only will this sensor provide you with the perfect wake up call, but it is also the premier way to provide your home with thermal comfort, protection of interior décor and the best possible energy savings.

If all of this cutting edge technology sounds too confusing for you to set up, don't fear, when you work with Budget Blinds, a certified style consultant and their team of experts can have your new automated window treatment system set up for you in the blink of an eye. If you would like motorized shades  in your home, don't hesitate, call your local Budget Blinds today. 

Three Motorized Solutions for your Sun Room Window Blinds 

A sun room is an amazing addition to any home and is the perfect place to snuggle up in the warm solar heat and nap or read your favorite book. But what happens when the supple warmth of the sun room becomes too much and begins to feel more like a sauna than anything else? Well, luckily there are plenty of options for window treatments for your sun room. Sun room window blinds, exterior solar screens, and awnings can make all the difference in the world when it comes to your comfort level within the sun room. To experience the ultimate level of comfort and pleasure in your sun room, these window treatments can all be motorized for extreme convenience.

When you are reading through a new book, lounging in your favorite chair, entertaining guests, or just hanging out in your sun room, the last thing you want to do is have to get up every so often to adjust your sun room window blinds. To combat this problem, Budget Blinds suggests motorizing these three window treatments to keep your comfort level balanced while lounging in your sun room:

Motorized exterior solar shades

• Exterior solar shades are possibly the best window treatments for sun rooms in hotter climates because they can stop the majority of the sun's heat before it even reaches the windows. Motorized exterior shades give you complete control over the temperature balance within your sun room.

Motorized sun room window blinds

• Possibly the most stylish way to control the temperature in your sun room are window blinds. Sun room window blinds  can be motorized to allow you to tilt the slats and control not only the heat but the amount of light you want to enter your sanctuary.

Motorized retractable awnings

• Retractable awnings have many of the same benefits that exterior solar shades provide, but are the ideal window treatment for any homeowners who would like an unimpeded view of their surrounding yard. Awnings also have the benefit of providing a shaded area outside of your sun room for you to lounge beneath outside!

For all of your sun room window treatment solutions, give your local Budget Blinds a call today!

Enhance your Interior Room Design with Arched Window Coverings

Arched windows can be a beautiful design element in any room but there are many different ways to cover them and often homeowners find themselves wondering what will work best for their situation. Budget Blinds has devised this short guide to help you select the best arched window coverings  based on the interior design elements in your home.

Traditional Décor
Even without window treatments, arched windows command attention in a room. Adding traditional blinds or shutters will make them shine even more by providing traditional beauty with a sense of architectural sophistication.

• To add a decorative flair to a traditional home with arched windows, try using real wood shutters or blinds. They are custom-made to fit any sized arch window.
• A form-fitting half circle of customized blinds or shutters will also work. They are the perfect window coverings to match your home's traditional style and will offer you complete control over the natural lighting in the room.
• Arched drapery panels with tie-backs can be customized to complement your home's interior décor and are the perfect addition to any traditional styled arched windows.

Luxurious Décor
Arched windows can help lift an otherwise bland room. Their beauty makes them natural focal points as they evoke a sense of elegance and sophistication. If your home's décor is all about luxury, take it to the next level by covering your arched windows with decadent window treatments that make a dramatic statement and set the mood for a marvelously beautiful room.

• Use Austrian/balloon shades to cover the rectangular portions of arched windows. The dramatic folds and soft curves of balloon shades make these arched window coverings the perfect addition to any room.
• Use swaged turban draperies to cover arches. A turban valance is a more appropriate style for luxurious décors that incorporates two overlapping swags.
• Thickly layered fabrics with trims and tassels that are reminiscent of the iconic and bold 1920's flapper attire can add stylish luxury to your arched windows.

Contemporary Décor
Regardless of their placement in the home, arched windows can be a distinguishing element in a room. They can be small charms in an entry way or soaring focal points in a dining room. A contemporary mood dictates a certain simplicity and minimalism while still being attractive to the eye. Since design details tend to be clean yet impactful, it is a great place to use richly textured fabrics in striking colors.

• Use window shades for the rectangular portion of the arched window. Whether you use a cellular shade, pleated shade or roller shade, the clean lines will add to the contemporary chic of your room's design.
• Consider an arched cornice with drapery panels. The combination of these two window covering styles adds a sense of simplistic sophistication that stands the test of time.
• Place drapery panels on a customized rod. Comfortable, relaxed, and providing a contrast with the curve of the arch, the straight lines of contemporary drapery panels and a customized rod can serve as the ideal arched window coverings. 

BUDGET BLINDS® PARTNERS WITH DESIGNING SPACES™, AIRING ON LIFETIME TELEVISION, TO HELP TRANSFORM THE HOME OF A FAMILY IN NEED

A Grandmother and Her Four Grandchildren Receive a Home Makeover of a Lifetime

ORANGE, CA – Budget Blinds – the leading window coverings franchise in the nation – recently partnered with the popular home improvement show Designing Spaces™ to help renovate the home of a family in need. The show travels all over the country redefining and redesigning spaces by incorporating decorating trends, do-it-yourself projects, and step by step home improvements. The Designing Spaces episode featuring Budget Blinds will air on Lifetime television on Thursday, April 11th at 7:30am EST/PST as part of a three episode “Spaces of Hope” segment.

When the Broward County Sheriff’s Office found Florida resident Joy Stewart and her four grandchildren living in a run-down home with little food, no heat, no running water and no electricity, they immediately called on the community for help. Joy had rescued her four young grandchildren from a local shelter after they had been abandoned by their mother. Since then, she has struggled to keep the family afloat due to very limited financial resources.

Budget Blinds was honored to be among those who answered the call for help. Working closely with the dream team at Designing Spaces, Budget Blinds installed cordless honeycomb shades throughout the home. Cordless honeycomb shades were the ideal window coverings solution since they are kid-safe and provide a layer of insulation to help keep the home warm in winter, thus lowering the Stewart family’s heating expenses.

The honeycomb shades were made possible through a generous donation from Budget Blinds' trusted manufacturing partner Custom Brands Group, and by the hard measuring and installation work done by Budget Blinds franchisees and design experts Connie Bolton and Tom Kay.

“Since Joy has limited financial resources along with four grandchildren living in the home, it was important that we used child-friendly and energy efficient window coverings for this project,” said Connie Bolton. “A beautiful set of cordless honeycomb shades were the perfect solution. All of us at Budget Blinds are so proud to have been a part of making a difference in the Stewart family’s lives.”

The transformation of the Stewart family home on Designing Spaces - Spaces of Hope will span 3 episodes. The first airs April 4th, the second, featuring Budget Blinds, airs April 11th, and the last episode featuring the big reveal airs April 18th. They will all air on the Lifetime channel at 7:30am EST/PST. Be sure to tune in to watch Budget Blinds, Designing Spaces and others give Joy Stewart and her family a home makeover of a lifetime!

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Get Quality and Convenience with Motorized Blinds by Somfy®

Motorized window blinds are the next phase in the natural progression of window treatments for the home as consumers are incorporating new technologies more and more into their daily lives. Motorized window blinds are part of the home automation movement that includes entire smart home systems that allow a consumer to control almost anything remotely. This includes turning on the air conditioning system or switching lights on and off from the comfort of your bed. Convenience and quality are expected with every motorized automation system and Somfy® motors is helping to lead the way. 

Somfy motorized window blinds are just one of the many motorized window treatments that Budget Blinds offers. Somfy’s motorized remote control systems can be implemented in any type of traditional window treatment. Motorized drapes, shades, shutters, awnings, and even screens can be set to a switch on the wall or a hand-held remote control. Motorized window blinds and other motorized window treatments can increase the quality of life in any home by providing convenience and luxury. They make your home a more comfortable place by allowing you to control the amount of light, heat, and privacy with the touch of a button. Since you will be able to control all the window blinds in your home with a wall switch, remote control, or smartphone application, you will no longer have to reach over any furniture to adjust your motorized window blinds.

When you work with Budget Blinds to purchase your new motorized window treatments, you won’t have to worry about measuring and installation. Budget Blinds’ Style Consultants are fully capable of providing you with everything you need for your new blinds. From beginning to end, they will be there to answer any questions you may have about your new technologically advanced window treatments. Whether you are building a new home, or are looking to upgrade your current window treatments, Budget Blinds and Somfy® are here to make your transition to motorized treatments as hassle-free as possible for you. 

Budget Blinds Partners with NBC's George to the Rescue to Help a Community

Budget Blinds, along with its sister company Tailored Living, recently partnered with NBC’s popular home improvement show George to the Rescue to help renovate the Boys and Girls Club of Newark, NJ. The show features home improvement guru George Oliphant as he tackles home and community remodeling projects that benefit families and community organizations in need. The George to the Rescue episode featuring Budget Blinds and Tailored Living will air in major cities across the nation on NBC 4, Saturday, April 27th at 10am EST. Please check your local listings.

Every day, over 200 teens gather at the Boys and Girls Club of Newark to seek guidance and support from caring community role models. According to the Boys and Girls Club, about 50% of Newark teens never graduate from high school and they've made it a priority to try and change that statistic. The organization also aims to keep young African American men from becoming part of the nationwide statistic of 3 in 10 who will be in the criminal justice system before the age of 18. Learn more about the problem, and how the Boys and Girls Club is making a difference, here.

The Boys and Girls Club of Newark campus centers around a teen room that provides kids with a social atmosphere of community support, guidance, and education. The room hosts a variety of structured programs that foster responsibility, strength of character, and the importance of becoming a contributing member of society. Unfortunately, the room was in dire need of a renovation and the Boys and Girls Club lacked the financial resources to move forward with one. That's where Budget Blinds, Tailored Living and George to the Rescue came in!

In a surprise reveal, Budget Blinds and Tailored Living showcased the newly renovated room to some of the kids and staff of the Newark Boys and Girls Club. Using their proprietary interactive design software D'Vinci, Tailored Living provided organizational systems for the new room including an entertainment center and storage areas for books, computers and personal belongings. Tailored Living also installed a coat of durable flooring to offer an easy to clean and slip resistant solution for the high traffic room. A big thanks to Jay Feingold, Charlie Dennis and the rest of the crew at Tailored Living serving Northern New Jersey for installing the organizational systems and flooring.

Budget Blinds installed motorized graphic shades featuring inspirational quotes that are kid-friendly and easy to operate. The graphic shades were made possible through a generous donation from Budget Blinds' shade manufacturing partner Draper Inc. and by the hard installation work done by Budget Blinds of Westfield franchisee David Powell.

“Using a forward thinking solutions based approach, we were able maximize every square inch of the room while incorporating stylish design elements to make it a trendy and comfortable hangout for teens,” said Chad Hallock, CEO of Home Franchise Concepts, the parent company of Budget Blinds and Tailored Living. “We are very excited to have had the opportunity to contribute to such a deserving organization in support of future generations.”

Be sure to tune in to NBC 4 on April 27th at 10am EST to watch Budget Blinds, Tailored Living and George to the Rescue improve the lives of teens at the Boys and Girls Club in Newark!