Winterize Your Home To Save Money

Winterize Your Home To Save Money

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Winter brings with it not only cold air and the holiday season, but also bigger utility bills. This is especially true for homeowners whose houses are not properly winterized. Our  interior shutters go a long way in giving you a comfortable and safe indoor environment. They help maintain your desired temperature by preventing heat and air from escaping. Below are other practical steps you can take to both save money and enjoy a toasty and cozy home this winter season.

Control Your Thermostat

Set your thermostat at 68 degrees when you’re home. If you find this on the cold side, wear a thin sweater and socks. Keep in mind that for every degree that you lower the thermostat in your home, you can save up to 2 percent on your heating bill. Lower the thermostat when you go to bed or plan to be away during the day. You can save as much as 10 percent on your fuel bill every year by lowering your temperature settings 10 to 15 percent for eight hours each day.

Seal Your House

Caulk and weather strip all windows and doors. Make sure you have sufficient attic, basement and wall insulation, and reduce air leaks wherever you can. This would include places such as ducts, vents, floor boards and electrical outlets. Close the flue on your chimney when you don’t have a fire lit. If you have south-facing windows, keep window treatments open during the day to permit solar heating, then close them at night to retain heat.

HVAC Maintenance

Regularly clean or replace the filters in your furnace, and make sure you have your HVAC system professionally serviced at least once a year. A well-maintained system will function more efficiently and consume less energy to keep you comfortable. This will result in lower utility bills. Don’t place furniture in front of the radiators or heating vents in your house. This impedes heated air from circulating freely in the room. If you’re looking for both energy-efficient and stylish window treatments, consider installing shutters in your home. Our interior faux shutters are crafted to last and designed to please even the most discerning homeowner. Install our indoor faux shutters on your windows and see what a difference they make in the value of your home. Don’t go to just any shutter manufacturer. Come to Eclipse Shutters for friendly, helpful customer service and beautiful products.

Let the Sun In!

Let the Sun In!

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Life as we know it would not exist without the sun. Humans have devised many ways to counter the obstacles set in place by the natural world, but we can only go so long without sunlight. A daily dose of natural light is what keeps us happy and healthy. It affects everything from our mood and our circadian rhythms to our physical well-being. On top of that, using natural light helps reduce our energy use.
Your Home Deserves Sunlight Too many homeowners have become accustomed to relying on artificial light at times when it is not needed. In reality, the only time you should ever turn the lights on in your home is after the sun sets, though we know this is a rarity in modern households. There are numerous ways to bring more sunlight into your house, some which are actually fairly creative. One of the easiest ways to add more natural light is to install additional windows, particularly in the rooms that have the fewest number. Placement is more important than quantity, so take the time to assess which wall and window height is best. For upper-level corridors and certain ground floor rooms, a newly installed skylight can significantly increase the amount of natural light. The paint color you use also has a big effect on room lightening as does the presence of mirrors and other reflective products. The darker the shade, the greater the light absorption, this is why it is highly recommended to paint small rooms with neutral color palettes. Strategically placed mirrors will bounce the light from one wall to the next, casting it into the darkest recesses of your home. Another thing you will want to do is spend some time researching window coverings. shutters are an excellent choice for people looking to maximize the flow of natural light as their louvers can be opened fully. The angles provided by these window treatments afford the greatest amount of control with regards to light and privacy, making them a definite win-win. Custom fabricated for every window, they are also perfect coverings for bay windows and other unique, light-maximizing window styles. Your natural light-increasing efforts need not stop inside. Trim nearby tree branches and shrubs that may be impeding incoming sunlight. This will also reveal more of your house and boost its curb appeal. Check out the wide selection of interior shutters at Eclipse Shutters to get started!

Redefining “Neutral” in 2014 Interior Design

Redefining “Neutral” in 2014 Interior Design

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Here at Eclipse Shutters, we know that after a long day at work, the first thing you want to do is kick back and relax. Everyone unwinds in their own personal way, but the color of your home’s walls can have a significant impact on how you get to this state of mind. This is no trade secret; many studies have been conducted on the psychological impact of the color spectrum. Bright, bold shades like yellow and green are motivating, uplifting and energizing, while more neutral earth tones are praised for their tranquility-inspiring powers.

A New Approach to Neutral

Armed with this knowledge and a desire to give their customers complete control over how to craft a unique living space, Benjamin Moore has recently launched a new neutral color palette for its 2014 paint inventory. These swatches illustrate an emerging trend, one that focuses more on the experience you get when you walk through the door. Your home is your sanctuary, and these neutral tones were created to make this part of your life stand out and be noticed in a subtle yet captivating manner. The shift away from bold and daring to beautifully humble is here. These colors instantly set the mood and complement existing room decor like our shutters and other window coverings. The neutral palette is organized into four broad color sections. The first is the “Greens and Earthy Neutrals,” and they range from the brightest Van Alen Green to the darker Sparrow. This color scheme is ideal for people wanting to craft a warm and inviting atmosphere. As such, they are recommended in rooms that are meant to be a source of comfort rather than stimulation (e.g. bedrooms, restrooms). The “Plums and Lavender” section is comprised of five tones (Lavender Mist, Super Nova, Nightingale, Black Satin and Iced Mauve). Formal living spaces and master bedrooms are where these colors shine. Purple is a naturally feminine tone and is a great way to add a touch of flair to a much-needed space. Black Satin is the darkest shade on the new neutral palette (some may consider it outside the spectrum) and should be placed in larger rooms when the goal is to direct attention or to form a dramatic focal point. The “Blue Family” is light, cool and airy, but also features some darker colors as well (Van Deusen, Flint and Normandy). The last group is the “Pinks and Neutrals,” which includes Light Peach and Coral Essence.  Every shade in Benjamin Moore’s 2014 collection is intended to mesh well with home furnishings. Neutrals go perfect with artwork, pottery, textiles, carpet and especially your interior shutters from Eclipse Shutters.

Expand Your Outdoor Living Space with Louvered Shutters

Expand Your Outdoor Living Space with Louvered Shutters

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When joined with an exterior habitat screen, you will have no troubles whatsoever keeping pests at bay either. There are obviously many factors that must be taken into account when creating any outdoor living area, but custom blinds make your job a whole lot easier. The main feature that distinguishes these models from their interior brethren is the profile of the louvers. To ensure rain and excess sunlight don’t come into contact with you and your furniture, our exterior shutters are equipped with narrower slats that provide the user with more control. They can be opened fully when the weather is nice or closed entirely when needed. Our exterior shutters come in sliding, bi-fold and fixed panel types, each of which has distinct advantages. No matter what type you choose, all of them are outfitted with a locking louver blades; simply select the angle/position at which you want the shutters to be and lock them in place. This feature is particularly beneficial when the space is not being used. Since you will likely be stowing your outdoor valuables (kitchens, furniture, grills, etc.), having something in place to deter wildlife and burglars is very important. As such, exterior shutters give you more than just a beautiful piece of craftsmanship to adore – they also give you the peace of mind knowing your outdoor living space is safe and secure. Once installed, you will never have to worry about replacing your new exterior shutters. We guarantee that they will look just as wonderful 25 years from now. So contact us today about finding the perfect finishing touch for your pergola, sunroom, portico or veranda.

Shutters for Any Design Aesthetic

Shutters for Any Design Aesthetic

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It is springtime and you want to make some changes around the house, so you decided to do a design makeover. You bought a few gallons of paint and brought in some new furniture. So far, everything seems to be going well, but something feels off. You can’t quite put your finger on it, but the room does not feel quite complete… Have you paid any attention lately to your windows? A lot of people under-appreciate the power that window treatments can have on a space. Those old plastic mini-blinds are neither functional nor aesthetically pleasing, so make it your goal to replace them as soon as possible. 

Shutters for Interior Design Success

There are wonderful options out there that won’t break the bank. With that in mind, shutters are widely regarded as the end-all, be-all of window treatments. Roman shades, Venetian blinds and fancy drapes are all deserving of praise, but nothing compares to the versatility of these faux wood shutters. Featuring a wide-louvered design and custom-manufactured to fit any window size and shape, they are the perfect selection for any design style.  Though they were originally made to suit the housing needs of those living on s in the south (hence the name), they have since evolved into a major product in the window treatment market. With a seemingly endless array of styles and patterns, you do not have to live in a one-story ranch to experience what interior shutters have to offer.  From a design perspective, they without a doubt make an aesthetic statement. As such, an increasing number of people have turned to incorporating faux shutters with other window treatments (e.g., lower half shutter, upper half roman shades). They look just as great in turn of the century Victorians as they do on modern builds sporting industrial/contemporary themes. No matter what your housing style, be it eclectic or rustic, rural or urban, consider our shutters an ideal design addition. The functional advantages they have over other window treatments cannot be overstated either. Since the shutter covers the window directly, it keeps more air out, meaning your home will stay cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. They are also virtually maintenance-free; no need to clean, dust or untangle rope cords. In a word, they are a homeowner’s dream come true and they can be had for much less than you might think. Give us a call today to discuss your options!

A Guide to Decorating with Pantone’s Spring 2014 Colors

A Guide to Decorating with Pantone’s Spring 2014 Colors

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It’s that time of year again – spring cleaning. For homeowners, this means finally getting around to those remodeling projects that got placed on the back burner all winter.  Want to know the best way to follow through with those good intentions? Take small steps and work on one room at a time. Having a mindset of tackling an entire house can lead to plenty of frustration, which is not good. What better way to jump on the design bandwagon than by simply changing the color on the walls? Paint does a lot more than people give it credit for. A fresh coat can make a small space larger, a dark space lighter and many other magical things! Knowing what color to choose is not easy though. Thankfully, the folks at Pantone have decided to make your life a whole lot easier. The shades picked by the fashion experts for their spring clothing collections work perfectly for houses both on walls and ceilings or as accents on molding, shelving or our custom indoor shutters.  Warm weather is just around the corner, so now is the time to choose colors that are airy, inviting and relaxing. Here is a brief overview of their spring-worthy shades:

  • Cayenne – This dark red is bold and full of spring flair. Make it work to your benefit by matching it with neutral tone walls and flooring. The color is ideal for bedroom accessories (wall sconces, ornaments, drapes over shutters, etc.) and bedding.
  • Celosia Orange – A bright color that is bound to put anyone in a good mood, Celosia works well in small spaces and entryways. Mudrooms are an ideal spot, but it can also look great in the right bedroom.
  • Dazzling Blue – Blues are trending in 2014, especially rich cobalt. This shade is a bit on the purple side and can work wonders for powder rooms. Half baths are a prime location; remember to pair it with decorative wallpaper to achieve its full effect.
  • Freesia – Paint your four-seasons patio this bright yellow and be prepared to always wake up in a happy mood. This friendly tone is relaxing, but at the same time, perfect for uplifting a dull mood.

Other popular Pantone picks for spring include Hemlock, Paloma, Placid Blue and Radiant Orchid, Pantone’s 2014 Color of the Year. So paint those walls, install some of our interior shutters and watch your room transform before your eyes!