13 years ago, the mother of Gavin Walla caught the moment when the then four-year old Gavin was being strangled silently by a window cord. Gavin fortunately survived but many other kids are not so lucky. Recently, a two-year old Malaysian toddler in Ipoh died of strangulation after playing with a curtain tie-back. Although this is heart-breaking news, it serves as a reminder to check on possible hazards in our home when we have a child, including curtains and blinds.

When child-proofing your window coverings, look no further than Hunter Douglas. Although there are no laws regarding child proof products in Malaysia, Hunter Douglas is ahead of the curve by providing the highest quality, custom-made window shades with child safety support. These assurances are echoed in the latest system, the PowerView® Motorization, an innovative system available with most Hunter Douglas products.

The PowerView® system is a cordless system that uses the intuitive PowerView® App to control and schedule your shades, all without the use of cords. This eliminates the risk of a child strangled by window cords, but the benefits does not stop there.



Most PowerView® motorized window treatments are battery-powered, with the battery-pack hidden behind the headrail. This cordless system not only creates a safer environment for children by removing the threat of child entanglement, it also reduces the risk of electrocution.


The benefit of having motorized shades does not stop at toddlers, but our older children as well. Sometimes, we may leave our older children alone at home to run errands. Motorizing your shades can be a way to simulate the presence of a grown-up at home, as changing the position of shades may make it appear as if someone is inside. This could make your home less of a target for theft.

One can never be overly cautious when it comes to their child’s safety.
 

The Pantone Colour of 2017, Greenery, is a fresh and zesty yellow-green shade that evokes the first days of spring when nature’s greens revive, restore and renew. Greenery illustrates the flourishing foliage and the lushness of the great outdoors, and we’ve got some ideas on how to make green your next to go shade in your lovely abode:

1. It loves texture: Explore the possibilities of using greenery in different textures for your furnishings. When combining with velvets or weaves, green can add some instant richness without being overpowering; a real grown up touch.



2. It can take change: Green in different shades work well together rather than fighting, so using it as a backdrop means you can use it to pull other items together coherently. Also, green is a neutral palette that blends with many other hues perfectly. For a soothing space, combine greens with earthy hues such as brown and beige; or add red and gold accessories to green background for an instant festive atmosphere.




3. It has unexpected qualities: With a yellow base tone, green hues can enhance the glowing effect of daylight and make a room look brighter and sunnier. Try the different transparencies in our Duette® window shades range for making the most of it.




4. It makes you feel good: Calming on the nervous system, green can turn a plain space into a relaxing one just by adding in some small accessories or a pot of greenery plant by the window.




5. It can be modern or traditional: Interestingly, green doesn’t feel attached to a design period, so you can use it anyway you want and the colour remains timeless.




6. It is a neutral colour: If you are bored with the either blue-trains-theme or pink-ballerinas-theme nursery designs, opt for a scheme based on nature and animals that works for all kids of different genders and will last longer than the latest fad.




7. It is versatile: Used as blinds or shades or rug, greenery can change up an otherwise neutral scheme from dry to dramatic. Try it in sheers at the window, woolen-tufty rugs or as throws for a 2017 update you won’t have to commit to long term.



 

Add a touch of glam and set a joyful ambience to your abode with the trendiest colours and elements, be it an eye-catching splash of bold red or playful nutcrackers. These tips will give you some ideas on decorating your home to get ready for a colourful gift-giving festive season!



Festive season is all about getting around with the people you love and enjoy the moment together. Transform your adobe ambience to a festive ready mood by combining accessories of green, red, gold, and white.



If you think hanging ornaments from a tree is too typical, hang these sparkly globes from the ceiling beams instead. Keep it classy and trendy by emphasizing on statement red hue, complement by silvery metal.



White and grey decorations give your house a light and airy feeling full of depth and dimension of winter white.

Deck the halls of your home for the holiday with beautiful white and grey décors, such as white Christmas tree, candles, decorative snow, ornaments and white table setting collections.



Dress up you window shading with little gift box, stars, and painted sticks of matching colour.



Set up a present corner with ornaments or bells for a gift-giving festive season setting. Adorn your gifts with ribbons and wrapping papers of similar hues for cohesive look and feel.



A full-fledged tree is not a must to create the festive mood. Instead, opt for this cute, bite-size tree and dress it up with colour coordinated ornaments and pinecones!



A bold pop of crimson red adds a festive feel and drama at the windows – perfect for holiday time and all year round.



Spice up the dining atmosphere by decorating your chair with red ribbon, mistletoe-like green ribbon, greenery, pinecone and bell. These simple little details add textures and personality to your home.



The combination of green wreath, red ribbon, and nutcrackers is simple yet classic.

As expressed by American architect Louis Kahn, "A room is not a room without natural light", it's essential to choose the right window coverings and blinds for maximum light control and ensure the space feels harmonious through and through.

Window treatments like curtains and blinds are moving toward a simplicity yet stylish trend, with more attentions are given on the functional details such as solar heat and light control, energy efficiency, and child safety feature.

Besides looking for blinds and shades that spice up a home's aesthetic, home owners seek for window treatments that can meet their requirements on home privacy and flexibility to control the desired amount of sunlight flowing through their treasured abode.

There are few important aspects home owners need to examine before deciding which window treatments to go for their home, here are some tips for your consideration.

Light Source
Firstly, we need to look at the location of the windows in the room. If the window faces east, we need to look into window coverings that block off the bright morning sunshine. Whereas for window that faces west, we need products that provide excellent light control from the glaring hot Malaysia's tropical afternoon sun.




Privacy and Function
Identify the level of privacy required in the room—be it the living room, bedroom or bathroom, and choose the products according to your preference. Functionality of the room should be taken into consideration as well, for example, an entertainment room will require window treatments with room darkening fabric, and preferably with sound absorption feature. The level of privacy and function needed will contribute to your choices of window treatment fabric opacities i.e. sheer, semi-sheer, semi-opaque, or opaque.




Style and Colour
Traditional, contemporary, modern, sleek, warm, urban or sophisticated? Choose a window treatment with the type of fabric, colour, and material that complement the style you aim to establish for your abode. Colour do wonders to room sand also affects your mood. Having the right colour combination in rooms can make your day. If you want a long-term, classic window treatment, you may consider choose a neutral color closest to the color of the window trim.

Certain window treatments diffuse harsh sunlight into softened light, creating beautiful gradations of light and shadow in the room; while the colour, fabric folds, textures, and finishes of window treatments enhance the desirable aesthetic preference, for example, plush and soft textures help to create a relaxing space with soft-to-the-touch aesthetic.

 

It's definitely a great way to kick start a day feeling rejuvenated by having breakfast in dining room filled with luminous light, a nice cup of coffee or fresh juice, and pleasant fragrance of Malaysia’s rich variety of breakfast choices, such as nasi lemak, roti canai, toasted bread with soft boiled eggs, cereals, and so much more!



Indeed, kitchen and dining room is where a lot of us kick start our day, which make styling for your dream kitchen and dining room with desired ambience essential. When styling for these areas, lighting is one of the key elements, not only to make sure that key food prep and cooking areas are well lit, but also to create a balance between the natural and artificial lights.

Window coverings such as blinds, shades, or curtains are excellent decorating choice that can help in controlling the light. Read our kitchen decoration essentials for better light control and styling, no matter which kitchen style you choose to go.


Look for Contrast
Natural materials such as wood make a homely, warm kitchen but if you want to add some edge look for a blind, shade, or window covering that can bring that earthiness up to date; we like this punchy cool acqua with a soft oak tone.




Open It Up
Having an open concept kitchen and dining room is surely an effective way to spur interaction between family members, as daily routines of cooking and eating become shared experiences.




Play with Scale
Playing with size is always a great idea to make your space look unique. Most people play it safe, especially when it comes to lighting. These two huge lantern-style pendants give this dining room a completely unique look.




Hit the Deck
If you are lucky enough to have a view to enjoy, floor to ceiling windows can be uncomfortable in the midday sun. Go for blinds, shades, or curtains that have excellent light control function. Like this Silhouette® shades defuse light softly into the room, enabling you to enjoy natural light with unobstructed view to the outside.




Keep It Clean
Venetian blinds in materials such as resilient aluminium keep their shape and are easy to clean; especially essential if they are near a cooker or hob and likely to attract steam and grease.




Double The View
Venetian blinds with MegaView™ design option offers you unprecedented extra view through the window, by collapsing two slats into one when you open it, giving you double the view through the window.




Freshen Up
Blinds and shades are an excellent place to add colour in a white or pared back kitchen space (very useful for softening hard-edged industrial-style spaces), and if the sun decides to turn up, you can open them up and replace with nature's own version.

Malaysia's abundance of tropical light is both a boon and a bane – it allows for natural illumination throughout a home, but when too harsh, it causes discomfort from glare and heat. In such a situation, choosing the perfect curtains and blinds become essential to create an amicable living space.



Providing high quality, elegant, energy-saving window coverings, Hunter Douglas is your solution to maintaining home privacy while controlling the desired amount of sunlight flowing through your treasured abode.

Let these 6 tips illuminate the way and bring light to every space in your home…

1. Dimmers are your friend – not only are dimmer switches are a brilliant energy saver, they're a fantastic way of changing the mood of a room with just a turn of a switch. Depending on the time of day, the event and the overall ambience, dimmers are the most flexible way of tailoring your lighting.

2. Don't scrimp on your light fixtures – your light fixtures are a great way of making each room in your home look a lot more sophisticated and modern. They'll also last longer and give off a much better light, so they’re definitely worth investing in.

3. Know your wattage – most table lamps and ceiling fixtures are decked out with 75+ watt bulbs, this is often too high when these are for decorative purposes. Instead, swap out these bulbs for 25-40 wattage to make each room look a lot more flattering and inviting.

4. Maximise natural light – especially in your hallway, kitchen and living room, natural light is key to a calm, open space. Replace any heavy curtains with blinds and shades, like the Hunter Douglas Pirouette® window shadings. These give you the flexibility in allowing as much or as little light in as you like.

5. Tailor your lighting to each room's function – decide on the function of each room to help figure out a lighting plan for your home. Whether you’ll be working, eating or relaxing, understanding how each room will be used will aid in plotting out the lighting in each room of your home.

6. Got low ceilings? Send the light upwards – low ceilings can give off harsh lighting if lights are going directly down onto the room. Instead, choose up lighting for low ceilings to help bounce the light off the ceiling and create a greater sense of space. Hunter Douglas Duette® top-down/bottom-up honeycomb shades allow you to lower the blind from the top of the window allowing light in yet retaining privacy. Natural light will bounce off your ceiling into the room.

Emerged in the 1950's in the Scandinavian countries like Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland; Scandinavian design is a timeless interior design style, characterized by simplicity, minimalist, and functionality.

Besides the option of decorating your Malaysia home using the typical tropical rainforest theme, opting for a Scandinavian theme can elevate the cooling ambience to the home, allowing you to unwind and relax from the daily hustle and bustle.

Here are a few tips to transform your adobe to a Scandinavian style haven.
It's all about simplicity and natural in Scandinavian design. Go for wooden floor, preferably light. For the colour palette, choose white walls, cool grey, and natural colours.

It's important to marry all elements together for consistency by having matching colour for curtains Malaysia, blinds, and shades.




"Let the Light In" is an important inclusion in Nordic design. Choose curtains, blinds, and shades with good and versatile light control option.

Keep all furniture, furnishings and fixtures in simple, modern and minimalist style and colors.




Keep it simple by having key furniture pieces with clean and simple lines and of neutral color.

Add some fresh touches with a burst of colours through playful accessories instead.




Use layered textures to enrich the visual effect: leather, fur, natural textiles help to bring visual warmth and add luxurious look to the space.

Curtains, blinds, and shades in textured fabric and romantic pastel tones making the room look cozy and comfy; bringing the cold breeze ambience even in the hot tropical Malaysia weather!




Be it thick or thin, multicolour or monochromatic, nothing says classy more than geometry prints and stripes. Play around with geometry and lines through prints, fabrics, lighting, or accessories to bring a little zest to your Scandinavian style adobe.