If you are about to embark on a new interior design look for your home, or for particular rooms in your home, one easy and fast way to make a dramatic change in the appearance of the room is with new window treatments. Many people enjoy using window blinds for their ease of use, energy efficiency as well as light filtering capabilities, and there are two brands that have been in business for decades that offer quality products: Hunter Douglas and Levelor. If you know that you would like to get some cell shades for your home, you are probably deciding between Levelor cellular shades and Hunter Douglas shades. The best brand between Levelor shades and Hunter Douglas shades depends on several factors that you deem to be most important.

Hunter Douglas shades offer several features that are attractive to homeowners. They have shades that are energy efficient, utilize green materials, take child safety in account, come in motorized styles with motorized lifting systems guaranteed for five years and also have a lifetime guarantee for defects and broken parts not caused by normal wear and tear.

Levelor shades come backed with many aspects that homeowners appreciate. In business for nearly one hundred years and now a division of Newell-Rubbermaid, they offer the latest in window fashions, innovation in Levelor shades’ designs and quality products.

Levelor cellular shades come in over two hundred different fabric choices. This means that there are a wide variety of colors and textures to the fabrics used from which you can select those that will best fit into your new interior design aesthetic. Levelor cellular shades also can help save you money because there are models available made with Energy Shield technology, basically made of thicker materials so that warm air stays in your room in the winter and cool air stays inside during the hotter summer months. You can also use these shades to control light in the room by varying the type of fabric selected, which could range from sheer to semi-opaque all the way to solid blackout quality. This also helps to give you the privacy level you desire for bedrooms, bathrooms and other rooms in the home.

Levelor also gives you many size and shape options in blinds. In addition to the regular square and rectangular shapes, you can get blinds sized to fit in arches, half arches, circles, angled skylights, cutouts and more.

You can learn more about Levelor and Hunter Douglas cellular shades by visiting an online window blinds dealer.

The type of lighting you use for your deck can play an important role in shaping the utility of this area. Without the right amount or use of lighting your deck will not be as easy, fun or safe to use after the sun sets. The deck is an extension of your home and to get the best use out of it you need both a nice seating area and enough illumination to make this area both appealing and functional.

Types of Deck Lighting

There are a lot of options available when it comes to outdoor lighting, so you can get creative and come up with a unique design that fits your needs best, but there are a few basic types of deck lights you may want to consider.

Post cap lights are a great choice because they look somewhat like part of the deck. You can either go with a very basic style that blends in or with something more decorative to fit the decorating style of your outdoor area.

Rope and string lights can be used in a variety of ways. They can either be used to add a festive vibe or they can be hung beneath the railing so you only see the glow and not the lights themselves.

Step lights are a good idea if you have stairs on your deck. Not only do they create an attractive glow, they also make the stairs safer to use at night.

Wall and recessed lighting can provide a functional, easy to use light to help you see when you are taking dinner out to the deck or cleaning up after eating. By adding lower watt bulbs you can create a softer glow if you don’t want something too bright.

Energy-Efficiency

Before you buy anything consider energy-efficient lighting which is better for the environment and your pocket book. Low voltage lighting is a good choice because it can provide a reliable power source, but it is a more affordable option. If possible you may also want to consider mixing in solar lights where possible.

Installation

If you want to do the installation yourself make sure it is something you can handle, if you are unsure hire a professional. Low voltage lighting is relatively easy to install and solar is even easier because it doesn’t have to be wired to an electrical source. Another option for easy installation is battery-powered LEDs which can be installed anywhere.

With a little thought and the right use of deck lighting you can make this extension of your home a functional and cozy place to spend your evenings.