The slideshow above contains pictures of a project for the new corporate restaurant of the Tilted Kilt. This location is being built as the flagship restaurant for their franchise and therefore has some very nice appointments and design features.  It was gratifying to be able to add to this beautiful decor with our solar roller shades.

The Tilted Kilt's design team chose a 5% fabric in a Mojave Charcoal / Apricot color.  In our humble opinion, the choice was perfect for their restaurant.

Of course, we would love to help you with your roller shade project. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation and thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

Commercial spaces, like offices, retail stores, restaurants, hotels and hospitals, are beginning to realize the advantages of using plantation shutters.  Because shutters have an extremely long life, are highly energy efficient, and require minimal maintenance, they are being viewed as a good long term option for many commercial establishments.

The trick to making plantation shutters "work" in your commercial space is thinking through the design and install parameters.  

Many commercial applications desire a poly shutter, rather than a real wood shutter.  While poly shutters are a tad more expensive, the durability under heavy use, coupled with fire retardant ratings designed for commercial applications especially important in hotels and hospitals more than makes up for the slightly higher price point. Of course offices and restaurants which are designing for a rich wood stain look are well served by stained wood shutters.

From a functional perspective, thinking through the special requirements of a commercial space, which significantly differs from a residential application, is paramount - i.e. special hidden tilt features designed for total privacy, mounting depth requirements which may require outside mount frames, and smaller 2.5" louver sizes for tilting clearance.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly is considering how the shutter might be secured.  Plantation shutters in commercial spaces can be very heavy because of their large size.  Considering whether there is wood to mount into, aluminum frame, concrete, or I-beam steel, is very important. Or, maybe there is nothing behind the drywall where the shutter needs to be mounted.  A shutter must be properly secured, and as such commercial applications require very attentive inspection of what will structurally hold the weight of the shutter.  For example, I-beams and empty space are problematic and generally require some additional carpentry work to provide "sound" mounting surfaces for your commercial shutter application.

Of course, we would love to help you with your commercial plantation shutter project. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation and thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

Enjoy the slide show above which portrays a completed faux wood blind install.  There is even a giant sliding door which we provided two vertical blinds on which were butted together in the center.

It was a profound privilege to provide a very high quality faux wood blind for a very high-end condo rental in an upscale portion of Chandler, Arizona.  Because this was not a standard rental, it was a good idea to spend just a little bit more and get a faux wood blind with upgraded components and a best of market warranty.

Would you like some really high quality wood or faux wood blinds for your high-end rental or home?  If so, then we would love to help you. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation and thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

Divider rails are the stationary horizontal piece which can be added to shutter panels as a feature. Divider rails are a design feature as well as a structural feature in larger shutter panels.  

Firstly, divider rails are a practical matter.  If your shutter panel has a height over approximately 72" with a width over 30", a divider rail is generally required to help support the integrity of the panels weight.  These dimensions may vary slightly depending on the manufacturer and the material from which the panel is made.

Secondly, divider rails are a design feature which can add a unique look to your windows.  Divider rails can be set to match horizontal mullion in your window or can be use to create a design look which splits the window in half or thirds.  Design rules generally suggest splitting in half or thirds, but for some rules were made to be broken.  As such, divider rails can be custom set at any location desired, assuming enough space is left for a couple louvers either above or below the rail.  Also, multiple divider rails are also possible and are generally found on very tall windows.  This application can be extremely stunning.  

One item worth knowing - for windows with an odd number of louvers and a divider rail in the center you will generally see one additional louver on the bottom portion of the shutter panel.  This is the most visually appealing look for windows with a center spaced divider rail.

Of course, we would love to help you decide whether divider rails are right for your plantation shutter project. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation.  Thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

Here are a few pictures of a faux wood blind project completed in Mesa, Arizona.  This project was for a repeat customer who purchased a new home and appreciated the quality and value offered by our previous project.

This particular customer knew exactly what she was wanting as a design statement.  She was after the brightest white faux wood we carry.  She wanted the fabricator the carried the limited lifetime warranty and was know for ungraded internal components.  She also wanted the mishmash of old verticals and cellular shades removed. 

One item of note, this project did have one fairly large window - 95" wide by 60" tall.  While a blind this size can be made, it fall outside of the warranty range because it is so heavy to raise and lower.  After consider the pros and cons, the customer opted for a 3 on 1 option.  This means three separate blinds were mounted on a single headrail - with a single valance.  We set blind sizes so that the gaps created would be located above the vertical mullion breaks in the window. 

End result - a very affordable transformation of the main entry, family room, dining nook and kitchen.  We would love to help you with your wood or faux wood blind project.  Contact us today for a complimentary consultation!  Thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

The motor systems on horizontal wood and faux wood blinds is designed to tilt your blind to any angle. The motorized system will not lift the blind - wood and faux wood blinds are just too heavy to work well with a motorized lift system.  As such, manufacturers do not currently offer motorized lift option for wood or faux wood blinds.

However, most people rarely if ever lift their wood or faux wood blinds, rather they tilt them for light control and privacy, as such motorized tilt can be a convenient feature.  The motor in these blinds is a 12 volt system delivered with either a battery tube which contains 8ea lithium batteries, or else a hard wire plug with a 12 volt transformer.  Obviously, the hardwire option provides a better more consistent power stream which does not require periodic battery replacement, but for the corded option you do have to deal with how best to run the cord form the top of the headrail to the nearest outlet location.

Are you looking for a motorized tilt system for your wood or faux wood blind?  If so, then we would love to help you.  Contact us today for a complimentary consultation and thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

Over the past decade, the simple timeless look of white shutters, coupled with their great price point has swamped the industry. So, when do stained shutters make sense?  From our experience, the stained shutter still has a place for the high design of Tuscan Style Mansions, woodland cabins, conference rooms, certain restaurant themes, and traditional homes with rich stained wood doors and baseboards.  In these scenarios, a matching or coordinated stained shutter can pull the space together in a way that far exceeds the look of painted wood shutters.

Also, stained shutters offer the look of the the wood's character - as the stain takes to the rings and texture of wood's natural beauty.  This process still creates a unique look which is as varied as the tree itself.

So, while modern design trends have created a boom for white painted shutters, please kindly remember that a stained shutter just might be that special and "rare" design which helps your stand out from the trend.  Just saying.

Of course, we would love to help you decide whether stained wood is right for your plantation shutter project. Contact us today for a complimentary consultation.  Thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!

This slideshow depicts photos taken during installation of a new roller shade project for Noodles and Company in the Ahwatukee neighborhood of Phoenix, Arizona.  As usual, their restaurants are always nicely appointed and their roller shade selection is no exception.  

Of note, the difference created by the roller shade covered portion of the window as compared to the uncovered glass is always remarkable.  Simply stated, roller shade fabric is amazing for controlling glare and making a space more pleasant.

Of course, we would love to help you with your business or home's roller shade project.  Contact us today for a complimentary consultation.  Thanks for your interest in Latreia Blinds and Shutters!