We Texans know that everything here runs big, including homes with large windows. Covering those windows can be a big task, too.
Fortunately, there are shutters (wood, metal and verticals) and all kinds of shades (cellular, woven, roman, honeycomb and sheer, to name a few). Shutters are timeless in nature; they’re energy efficient and help keep the effects of the Texas heat to a minimum. However, shades are softer than shutters — they have different opacities and textures and colors.
Whatever you choose, window coverings can enhance the functionality and elevate the look of your home. For example, there are light filtering shades that help with UV protection, as well as light enhancing shades that amplify natural light into homes. And if too much light is the problem, especially for light sleepers, then try black out blinds. Custom blinds for angled windows, skylights, or arched half-moon windows can upgrade the aesthetic of a home.
Window coverings can also improve your living environment, especially when it comes to privacy. Shutters and blinds can mitigate privacy issues by giving you control over your view space.
“It’s like furniture for your windows!” explains Shannon Cocagne of Advantage Blinds, a unique mobile business located in Allen. “So many people want blinds and shutters, but don’t really know what they will look like until they’ve purchased them and brought them home. We are a mobile showroom and come to you, so we can match what you want with the actual windows of your home, with the paint hues on your walls, under the natural lighting in your rooms.”
Advantage Blinds offers 38 different products; almost all are child friendly and can be motorized (thus doing away with cords). They also work in alignment with Alexa and various smart home technology. Advantage Blinds will measure, install, and customize for both residential and commercial settings.
Shannon offers complimentary consultations to help her clients develop their own sense of style and comfort. For example, she often recommends drapery panels to enhance the aesthetics of a room. Draperies soften some of the bulkiness that come along with shutters; they also “raise” the room since they are mounted just shy of the ceiling and can be strategically used for sound absorption.
With so much variety on hand, the natural question for Shannon was if she had a favorite – and indeed she does! Her favorite is the banded shade; a popular choice because it’s so versatile and the only kind of shade that can be partially lifted for light to stream in through — in other words, it has the most functionality and yet can beautify a room instantly.
When she’s not helping clients, Shannon spends her time raising awareness about child cancer after her granddaughter, now 3 years old, endured some very tough days as a baby. In September, Shannon will donate a percentage of all her proceeds to this worthy cause.