Joe Kendall details how to improve your indoor environment and extend living spaces to the outdoors, so you can maximize life at home. Window coverings and exterior awnings with screens are the new paint, he says.
Interview by Kristen Hampshire | Photo by Grant L. Gursky
In many coastal homes, there are more windows than walls to paint — so window coverings are a center- stage design decision, no longer an afterthought or accessory. “You might have 10 windows in a room or walls of glass, so the way you ‘dress’ those is incredibly important,” says Joe Kendall, co-owner with Jason Mozingo of Made in the Shade – Eastern Shore, which offers custom blinds, shades, shutters and soft treatments like fabric swags and tailored cornices.
As an owner-operated business, Kendall consults one-on-one with clients to guide them toward window coverings and exterior solutions like awnings and retractable screens that suit their lifestyle and needs. Mozingo heads up installation and personally works on every job.
“You’re always working with an owner, on the front end with selection and through installation,” Kendall explains. “While most companies use subcontractors for installations, we don’t do that. You get people with skin in the game on both sides.”
Kendall stays ahead of the latest trends in window coverings, embracing emerging technologies like the ability to motorize any type of treatment. Here, he shares some window decor strategies and innovations that are redefining the industry and changing the way people think about window coverings for inside and outside of the home.
What’s Out Is In . Retractable screen shades seal back porch spaces, three-season rooms and even garages to keep bugs out — and fresh air in. “The screens are motorized so you can raise or lower them with the click of a button,” Kendall shares, relating how these screens can dramatically extend a home’s living space. Not to mention, keeping mosquitoes and other pests out during humid coastal days allows you to enjoy more time outdoors without the nuisance.
Curtain Comeback. “We are seeing decorative curtain panels return in a huge way,” Kendall says, adding that demand for fabric swags and panels had been light during the past several years. Not anymore. “Earth tones are still king, and we are also doing more cornice boards,” he points out. Like shades and shutters, curtain panels also can be motorized, which allows for simple open-and-close, even for floor-to-ceiling windows.
All Over Shutters. It’s the most widely purchased window treatment and offers a crisp, coastal, functional finish. The shutter is almost always white, can be motorized and louver size has increased from 3.5 to 4.5 inches, Kendall said. This wider shutter slat size “really opens the window,” he notes. “A fact is, the plantation shutter is the only interior covering you can do that will increase the value of your home. Only the shutter can make that claim.”
Awnings for Days. “The biggest reason people don’t use their patios is because of sun and heat, so by bringing in a retractable awning with exterior screen shades, you can increase your home size by 20 percent because you’re capitalizing on a room you’re not using,” Kendall said.
Navy rules the color palette. “Because it’s Sunbrella fabric, it does a fantastic job outside and the darker colors tend to look cleaner longer,” Kendall said. “They also tend to shade more light and increase the shade intensity.”
Joe’s tips for selecting window treatments
Form or function?
“What is the most important priority? Are we going for looks or comfort?” Kendall relates. For instance, when selecting roller shades for a porch, a client who says, “It gets too bright and it’s hot,” will need a thicker screen. “With a 10% setting, you can see through the screen and the sun can, too.”
Automated or manual?
Any window treatment, exterior screen or awning can be automated — and today’s motorized controls allow you to set “scenes” so shades lift and lower on schedule. “Motorization is everything,” Kendall says. “It’s all app-controlled, and we can set up an unlimited number of scenes that could be labeled things like movie night, sunrise, sunset, party night, leave the house and so on.” Blinds adjust based on the scene you select, such as opening completely to reveal a sunrise or dimming down for a movie. “You can also run scheduled timers, so if you want your blinds to raise 10 minutes before sunrise, they will do that, and as the sunrise time changes, so will the blind opening time,” Kendall explains.
What about the extras?
As window treatments step into the spotlight given a design priority of revealing water views, don’t forget about other textural touches that complement shades, screens and fabric panels. “Try adding a rug that provides warmth and ambiance while accenting the room,” Kendall suggests. CS
MADE IN THE SHADE — EASTERN SHORE
240-569-8747
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