The Right Drapes and Shades for Your New Chicago Home

Sept. 7, 2012 - PRLog -- Luxury real estate in Chicago is often all about the details–exquisite finishes, meticulous construction, and all of the “little stuff’ that helps set a property apart from others. But maintaining this refined taste goes beyond finding the right property to purchase–it’s also all about the careful attention paid to a home once you’ve moved in.

One of the details that falls at the top of the list is having your Chicago home or condo properly fitted for draperies and shades. Especially for condo living, with high floors and jaw-dropping views, having the right window treatments in Chicago are a must–whether for privacy, managing sunlight and temperature or for bringing the decor of a room together.

When it comes to getting proper window treatments, I highly recommend Joseph Rice Interiors Inc–he is by far the best place a homeowner can go to get draperies or window coverings in Chicago. Joseph has a superb eye for detail and stands behind his work–he is even recommended by Luminaire, Chicago’s premier luxury furniture store. He is sought after by the city’s best architects and designers, with 25 years of experience working with even the most “hard-to-treat” windows found in some of Chicago’s real estate.

Working with a Window Coverings Expert
My personal recommendation comes from the work Joseph did in my own condo–I am an avid fan of his work, as are many of my clients. The process begins with a client interview to ensure that Joseph understands their lifestyle, taste, color palette and budget. From there, he goes to the Chicago Merchandise Mart (with more than 35 fabric lines at his disposal, making the options nearly limitless) to choose fabrics and hardware that best fit what the client is looking for and the space. He always takes the time to explain to clients about the different types of fabrics and their light-filtering effects. As far as aesthetic goes, Joseph has hands-on experience in styling rooms for home catalogs and has a great eye for what look will suit a space best. His knowledge of fabrics serves clients well, as he is able to explain what works best for pleating, what will best withstand wear and tear, etc.

From there, Joseph leaves nothing to chance, he takes all measurements himself and has his installer measure again to make certain that the treatments will fit and hang perfectly and surpass his client’s expectations. He also keep clients in the know, always following up on a project’s progress and being present for the final installation.

Window Treatments in Chicago Luxury Condos
Joseph has just completed installation of electric shades in a large condo at Lincoln Park 2550, a brand-new construction building from renowned Chicago architect Lucien Lagrange. This luxury building pays tribute to European design, featuring windows that make attention to details extremely important. The windows must be measured to 1/16 of an inch, ensuring precision in planning and installation so that the window coverings blend in perfectly with the elegance of the building.

Joseph also recently completed a project at 150 West Superior, which required an entire floor of draperies for floor-to-ceiling windows, which requires extreme planning, taking into account things like special soffits and heating or air elements in the floor that can affect how the fabric will react.

But perhaps the pièce de résistance in his portfolio is his work for a co-realtor’s client who recently bought a Chicago duplex apartment on East North Water with seemingly troublesome windows: 60 windows in all, each 10 or 12 feet and each measuring slightly different than the next, and all in need of electric blinds. The client was headed overseas, which meant Joseph put a quote together in just three days. When all was said and done, Joseph had installed a set of blinds in this Chicago home that, with the press of a button on each floor, went up and down at exactly the same time and height. Quite impressive.

Finding the appropriate window treatments in Chicago that will best suit your home doesn’t have to be a challenge.

To learn more about window treatments for your Chicago home or Chicago condo, I would be happy to introduce you to Joseph Rice. You can contact him at jos.riceinteriors@att.net or visit his website at www.josephriceinteriors.com.