Beyond the Fold: Window Shade/Cord Safety Standards

Change is hard. Change is especially hard when it needs to take place with something that we’ve been doing the same way for years and years and years. And so it is with Roman Shades and corded curtain and drapery products!

For as long as I can remember; and probably as long as my mother can remember – in short, a long, long time - roman shades have been fabricated using strings and cords. The problem: exposed cords and strings present a strangulation hazard.

Change is always good. Anytime I dug in my heels and resisted, I’ve always been led to the same final conclusion: change is good! And so it is with the new shade safety standards. These standards have forced fabricators and manufacturers to go back to the drawing board, so to speak, and develop new ways to create and meet new safety requirements.

Source: Leatherwood Design Company 
Table & supplies set for new fabrication method to meet standards

Every Monday morning I host #customwrkrmchat on Twitter, as a forum for networking, collaboration and education among custom workrooms, installers, designers and decorators. This morning, January 9, 2012, I invited Jenna Abbott, Director of the Window Coverings Association of America (WCAA) - the only non-profit association for the Window Coverings profession - to share the latest standards with the group. There are still so many in the industry, let alone homeowners, that are unaware of the compliance issues related to this topic. That being said, if there is one point from the chat that I want to drive home, it is this:

The standard affects YOU whether you are a workroom, designer, installer or touch Window Treatments in any way. No one gets a pass. There is no WAIVER. Standard must be followed. It doesn't matter if you are a company of ONE person, or a large multi national, you must follow the standard.

In short, anyone along the supply chain of providing custom window treatments to clients must comply to new standards, copies of which can be found here:

• Read-only copy available (free) to the public on the WCAA website.
• For-purchase copies available on the WCMA sells copies.

What does the standard dictate?
In a nutshell, window treatments with exposed lift cords must not form a hazardous loop. It does NOT  stipulate HOW to make the shade. It will tell you WHAT the OUTCOME must be. Want a visual? Here you go:

Source: Both images from Traditional Home, April, 2009
p.s. shades are not required to be automated, just so happens the ones on left are = compliant!

This effects roman, austrian, balloon, london shades, etc., as well as italian-strung draperies and roller shades. I'm probably forgetting a few.... to make it easy, any cord - whether it be behind, in front or on the side of a window treatment; if it has a hazardous loop, it's not compliant. Simple as that.

Common Misconceptions:

The first misconception that many have is that there is a choice. When in fact, there is not! As designers, decorators, workrooms and/or installers, we are RESPONSIBLE and LIABLE for what we produce, whether we know the standards or not. Creating the standards was voluntary, complying is not!

The second big misconception is holding a belief that having a client/homeowner sign a waiver or disclaimer will protect you. Not advisable. Having a client sign any type of waiver or disclaimer - no matter what you may want to call it - says you knew it was a problem and did it anyway. It actually can do more harm than good, seen that you were aware that a threat/danger existed yet chose to sell anyway.

Finally, a third misconception, in my personal and individual opinion, is that this is only a concern for those who have small children in the home. Let's be realistic. Most homeowners have children who visit. Many also decide to re-sell their homes and a new homebuyer is likely to be one who has children. For these reasons, you can't predict whether or not a child will be at risk or not. For these reasons, I consider the standards to be critical for ALL clients, leading me to decide a year ago that I would only sell cordless shades.

Is it realistic to meet the new standards?
Yes, the standard is realistic. There are lots of ways to make a safe shade including cordless options. Many manufacturers have released fantastic new products and the custom workroom industry has also adopted many innovative methods for fabrication. [Focus of January 16, 2012 #customwrkrmchat, 9:30am ET].


Source: Storibook Designs
Cordless, Custom Roman Shades



Source: Leatherwood Design Company
Backside view of two compliant fabrication methods

As a design professional, the options, as I see them, are:

• Stop selling any corded treatments! This is extreme but I guess for some this may be their alternative. It is not my choice. There are many new, exciting and creative alternatives available to offer clients.
• Motorization. Who doesn’t love a remote? Motorization is a convenient and safe option for lifting functionality.
• Retrofit. Retrofit kits are available (www.windowcoverings.org). This provides you with an opportunity to communicate with and educate past clients, providing them with a new alternative.
• Embrace the change & Expand Offerings. Design professionals can offer safety-audits to homeowners as a new service. 
• Best bet: (IMHO) Know the standards and adopt new fabrication methods! As a homeowner, know the standards so that you can be sure you are putting the safest products in your home.

As an industry, we need to work in unison in sharing this information with all our industry partners, colleagues and clients. We have only touched the surface in spreading the message. To quote Jenna Abbott, “ignorance is not a good defense”. With that in mind, I do hope you will share this post or information with others.

Please weigh in here too, by leaving a comment below. I'd love to hear your thoughts and questions on this issue.



Holiday Magic with Scraps!

Have you heard about our Custom Workroom Chats on Twitter, aka #customwrkrmchat? Every Monday at 9:30am EST professional workrooms, along with decorators, designers and installers, "chat" on Twitter for an hour. It is our time of networking, collaborating and educating one another - experiences range from new-to-the-trade, young entreprenuers to those with more than 20 years under their belt. These conversations have ranged from, Pillows - details, design and what contributes to their cost- to the importance of the workorder, understanding how to estimate costs, to where professional workrooms get their training.

 Pillows fabricated by Kristen's Kurtains ; Designer, Eddie Ross

Last week we talked about deadlines, timelines and organization around the holidays. The point was to share ideas with one another that would keep us on schedule and less stressed. The holidays can be hectic for everyone - whether you have a workroom or not and we all need to find ways to stay sane so we ENJOY them. Along those lines, tomorrow we are going to have a little fun and WE INVITE ALL OF YOU TO JOIN US! Tomorrow, our topic is: HOLIDAY MAGIC WITH SCRAPS!

Pillow Ornaments by Storibook Designs

As custom workrooms, we are inundated with scrap fabrics and trims, and well, yeah, we're a bit creative! So tomorrow, we are going to share with you some fun, festive and fabulous ideas for using scrap fabrics around the holidays.

You have great ideas too but you're not a workroom? That's ok, we are inviting every creative to join us. Take some pictures, share a video or tutorial. The more the merrier, so please, bring it!

Maybe you've had this idea rolling around your head for a while but you've never let it get beyond the idea stage. Well guess what? There is no time like the present! I ADD A CHALLENGE.

I want everyone to go in to your workroom, sewing room or fabric stash and grab a chunk of scraps... doesn't matter how big...and then tonight, while watching TV - [preferably while drinking a glass of wine or beverage of choice] - or working quietly somewhere:

Create something fun you can use in your holiday decor.

• It can be something serious.
• It can be something off-the-wall.
• It can be a craft that would be great to do with kids, or
• It can be a treasure, sweet enough to pass down for generations.

Have fun with it!! Take pictures or even a quick little video and share during #customwrkrmchat tomorrow am!

Ready, set ....... GO!!

To join the chat, I recommend logging in to http://www.tweetchat.com/ tomorrow am with your Twitter ID. Then enter the hashtag #customwrkrmchat to join the conversation. Everything you post will automatically be posted then with the hashtag automatically so everyone can follow in on the conversation.

Not on Twitter? It's easy to sign-up, here are a few videos to show you how:

• Twitter, Part I: http://youtu.be/jxnuluTyyUo
• Twitter, Part II: http://bit.ly/qVB82W 
• Twitter, Part III: http://screencast.com/t/IkLRD6HAKprP

Not on Twitter and not sure you want to join at this time? You can still share you Holiday Magic with Scraps creations. You can send me a note with a link to your Pinterest, Flickr or Facebook pages [or whereever you might have images loaded] and I will share your links with the group.

As always, you will have a transcript of this call available, thanks to the wonderful CurateDe. This will allow you to revisit the conversation and links/photos/videos that will have been shared.

Thanks for joining in! Looking forward to your magical creations!

~ Sarah

Fabric 101: Consider Repeats for Calculating and Cutting

Continuing our discussion [video] from yesterday, now that you know what a repeat is, here is a short video on how to apply it.

Why is it so important to calculate and cut based on the repeat? 

If you were simply going by the cut length and not paying attention to the repeat, every additional cut you make will be at a different point in the pattern. 

If you calculate and cut according to the repeat, then every cut will be at the exact same point of the pattern.

Next up.... drop repeats. Oooh, now that can be a tricky one! Thanks for stopping by, please share if this has been helpful for you!

Until next time.....

Fabrics 101: Repeat vs. Scale

Repeat? What the heck is that?

Have you ever tried to figure out how much fabric you need to make drapes and had someone say, "well what's the repeat?" 

Umm, hello... what the heck is a repeat!?

The repeat simply refers to the distance measurement equal to where a pattern occurs on to the point at which it repeats itself again. It is critical to know for calculating yardage, so that you can plan to have the same pattern show up in the same place on multiple treatments, centered across the back of a sofa, or throughout multiple widths or treatments throughout a room.  

We recently had a contest on our Facebook page, and the following photo was submitted in a plea for help.  This is probably one of the best pictures that I can show you to illustrate the disasterous results that can occur when you fail to consider the size of the pattern repeat when planning your project.  [Note: not only does the pattern not line itself up next to the other pattern, I believe one of the bouquets is even upside down.]

We had a lively "chat" about this on Twitter the other day. During that discussion - because we were moving so quickly in our conversation - I felt there may have been some confusion relative to repeat vs. scale.  Scale refers to the overall size and proportion of the fabric pattern, whereas repeat, as stated above, is a distinct measurement, used primarily for the purposes of calculating yardage and planning placement. When considering a printed fabric, scale is one of the most important elements to consider. The scale of the pattern design within the room, for example, will play into decisions on what other fabrics, trims and furnishings to mix with each other.

Still unclear? Hopefully, this quick little video will drive the point home!

Let me know if this "lesson" helped. I love to hear your feedback or comments and am more than happy to answer any additional questions you might have too!

Until next time,

Sarah

Hi, I’m Susi, a writer for Design Shuffle, a fabulous online community of design lovers and design professionals, where you can search for inspiration and even upload your own images. And we find our inspiration in places like this; I love visiting StoriBook Designs to see what Sarah is showing or working on.

Sarah asked me to visit today and write about using pillows and throws in interior design. Easy, peasy, I love both! Both add style and comfort to a space. So here are some of lovely ways of using pillows and throws in décor.

Pair Them!

A throw and a pillow can transform a plain cream wingback chair. Layer them. Love them. Love the two throws over the back of the chair.

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Strive for Striking &Sensible!

Pillows bring a bed to life. You don't want to get too carried away (it's easy to do) and over-fill a bed with cute and colorful pillows. You want a striking, yet sensible, mix of pairs and singles [odd numbers work great], like the fabulous Meredith Heron did in this fabulous bedroom design.[and, can I add, the headboard... I drool!]

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Indulge in Trends!
Throws and pillows are great ways to bring a hot design trend into your décor. These chevron blankets are so chic and could work in a bedroom or living room.

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Spice it Up!
A mix of colorful patterned throw pillows can change the look and feeling of a room. Invest in neutral upholstered pieces and spice them up with clever decorating ideas like pillows and throws.

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Make it Pop!
Pillows and throws add color, pattern and texture to neutral spaces, like a white bedroom. Pick a throw or pillows in contrasting colors or bold patterns to add some pop to a bed or sofa.

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Renew, Recycle, Refresh!
Look for pillows made from interesting and unexpected materials for added interest. These pillows are made from recycled Kilim rugs.

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Seasonal Splash!
Throws can be used to bring a seasonal accent to a room. Fall colors and patterns are perfect for now. Plus a throw is a must on a chilly evening, no matter what time of year.

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Texture & Pattern Play!
As in this bedroom design, the well-made bed dressed with patterned pillows and a fur throw add color, depth and warmth. Play around and mix it up for a chic look.

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Can't find what you need? Work with Sarah and she'll surely help you design and fabricate fabulous pillows and throws to liven up your space! Enjoy!
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Thank you Susie for this guest post and thank you readers for stopping by. Please visit Susie over at Design Shuffle, where you can browse tens of thousands of design projects for inspiration and show off your latest project.