Fashionable windows

Bringing the look of your home fashion-forward as we enter the fall can be as seasonally gratifying as picking up that first new pair of patent leather Mary Janes or Burberry cardigan, according to designer Jill Abelman of Inside Style in Las Vegas.

"As a decorative element," Abelman said, "I believe not dressing the windows for fall is similar to going out not fully dressed.

"I prefer to decorate the windows with some type of soft valance or panels to add a finished look. I always wait to do the decorative window treatments after the entire room is finished to add impact, color and a design element."

Abelman, who has been a designer for homes and offices for more than 20 years, warns that because fall ushers in the coming holiday season, a novice decorator may be tempted toward flounces and bows. But the simplicity of timeless looks and neutral palettes assures a window for all seasons.

"Neutral colors and natural materials are becoming quite popular again," she said "For instance, bamboo shades are very popular right now."

Graber Blinds' new Tradewinds Natural Shades makes use of natural fibers, woods and elements such as grasses, jute, rattan, reed and bamboo. In all, 54 weaves, colors and textures are available in classic flat panel or looped Roman shade designs.

Coordinated colored liners enhance the beauty of the shades while blocking 100 percent of ultraviolet rays when lowered. Blocking fall sun helps lower heating and cooling bills and keeps furnishings from fading.

"The angle of the sun changes as the season changes," said Kim Sloey, product manager for Graber. "We tend to associate solar shades with summer but solar shades year-round manage the glare as well as the heat."

She points to Graber's Panel Accents sliding panels as a stylish alternative in window treatments. This line of window treatments feature an aluminum track system with panels that can be personalized in different styles, colors and fabrics.

"Panel Accents offer more options to create a seasonal look," Sloey said. "The fabric can be changed easily to a lighter weight in summer or a heavier weight in winter that still coordinates with the elements in a home without reinvesting in new treatments."

As daylight recedes in the fall months layering treatments can lend attitude to natural lighting, said Sally Morse, director of creative services for Hunter Douglas.

"Invest in soft fabric vanes suspended between two sheer facings," Morse said. "Silhouette window shadings transform the look of a room by changing the exterior light from harsh and unyielding to soft and controllable."

Morse suggests Hunter Douglas' branded Silhouette shadings with vanes that tilt for precise light control and to diffuse light.

Morse has other suggestions for "fall"-ing in love with seasonal enhancements in the home such as putting a throw at the foot of a chaise lounge or bed, bringing in rich colors on walls and replacing whites with a taupe or gold even as you update your window fashions in new colors.

Like Graber, Hunter Douglas also features a line of natural window coverings with hand-woven offerings of selected grasses, woods and reeds. The company's Provenance woven-wood shade collection expanded to 18 additional fabric styles and updated liner colors in September.

Fall is the season for taking a closer look at window treatments throughout your home as October is National Window Covering Safety Month. Long sponsored by Graber, this seasonal call for safety awareness stresses the importance of checking for potential window-cord hazards.

The Window Covering Safety Council urges parents and caregivers to replace window treatments installed before 2001, install cordless coverings in young children's bedrooms and sleeping areas, and make certain that all tasseled pull cords are short and continuous loop cords are permanently anchored to a floor or wall.

In her years of designing in both the Las Vegas and Orange County areas, Abelman has put together fall and holiday treatments that have resulted in picture perfect displays. Often, redecorating for fall also can mean rescuing a home from a fashion faux-pas.

"I have to say that aluminum wrap that was applied directly to the window was in my top 10 for worst dressed windows," said Abelman.

For more information on Graber's Tradewinds Natural Shades and additional collections, as well as information about National Window Covering Safety Month, visit Graberblinds.com. More information on the Silhouette Matisse collection and Luminette privacy sheers by Hunter Douglas can be found at hunterdouglas.com.

For a look at designs created by Inside Style, visit Abelman's Web site at insidestylehome.com.