Joseph Rice Interiors, Inc. Blog

2014-05-07T13:22:00.000-05:00

MORE THAN JUST SELLING WINDOW TREATMENTS

I love selling window treatments, but more than that, I love designing window treatments!

What makes this such a passion?

I would have to say that it is because I understand window treatments and all that goes into them. I have made draperies, Roman shades, pillows, slip covers and many other decorative items. I have done this for a very long time.

This hands-on knowledge gives me an edge in knowing what fabrics and hardware will do, what they will not do, what is architecturally possible, and how the final appearance will come out.

Take the photo above. This was part of a series of window treatments for a national company's ads.

I was called in literally at the last minute to create several sets of fourteen foot long draperies in addition to multiple Roman shades. By create, I mean to pick out the fabrics and actually sew and hang all of the treatments myself!

My greatest pleasure was the contribution of my work on the sets and the success of the final shots!

This is the same satisfaction that I get when I see a client's window treatments completed. I know that the carefully chosen fabrics and hardware, along with the vision based on my many years of hands-on experience have come together for a successful istallment!

It's so much more personally rewarding than just "selling window treatments"!

Call me for a FREE ESTIMATE 773.271.2361

2014-02-04T14:22:00.000-06:00

ARCHED LOFT WINDOWS

Before

After

Detail

A new client of mine came to me recently with a problem of what to do with these beautifully arched windows in a loft space. Each window was in a recessed brick space of about eight feet wide and ten foot high.

The first problem was the arch itself. She had thought of roller shades, but of course there are no arched roller shades.

Also, the space between the top of the arch and the white steel beam was so small that a roller shade would have hidden the top of the arch, spoiling the architectural detail.

My client didn't want to necessarily block the view either - just tone down the sunlight, get a little privacy, and give the windows a sophisticated finished look.

Careful attention had to be paid to the type of window treatment, the hardware involved and the difficulties of mounting anything on old brick and steel.

My solution was to have ripplfold sheers made for each window space. The draperies are on traverse rods, split in the enter and are made of a smoke color sheer fabric.

I used white rods that were mounted directly to the white steel beams - they look as though they heave always been there as part of the architecture!

My client is able to filter the sunlight if needed, have a little more privacy, and maintain a spectacular view of the nighttime city lights of Chicago!

So simple and so so sophisticated!

2013-12-15T13:24:00.000-06:00

"Less is More" Brought to Life

Living room in a Mies van der Rohe Building

Chicago is very rich in architecture! We have representation of the leading architects of the past and present and continue to grow with the future!

One of the leading architects of the 20th Century was Mies van der Rohe and he is certainly well represented with several buildings in Chicago.

I have designed window treatments for units in just about all of the buildings and they are varied!

Some people have chosen roller shades with various levels of opaqueness to catch the city views. Other have chosen different styles of draperies.

The above living room is in a Mies van der Rohe building in the Lincoln Park area. The quiet palette of off white and beige, along with classic contemporary furniture (notice the classic Mies van der Rohe cocktail table), and contemporary artwork called for a simple treatment.

We decided to go with ripplefold draperies - no top pleating , just the gently undulating of the fabric, attached to a simple steel rod with no glides visible.

The look is a perfect foil not only for the interior furnishings, but the architecture of the man who gave us the decree that "Less is more"!

I am currently working on another unit in one of his buildings at 900 North Lake Shore Drive.

The owners have remodeled in a style that Mies van der Rohe would certainly approve and I am adding a classic drapery background there as well!

2013-11-24T20:15:00.000-06:00

The Most Fun Room in the House

An Old Time Theater Media Room

In designing window treatments, I am often asked for help in deciding how to treat the windows in a media room, or more commonly, the TV room.

The biggest challenge is usually how to cut down or eliminate light for television and video viewing. This is especially needed in order to watch daytime sports events.

With a distinct style, the media room above is a master of deception!

The owners wanted to create an old time theater look for entertaining friends with movies in their newly built home. The room has a pitched ceiling, but otherwise was very plain. You would never know it once inside, but the wall with the screen has a widow to the left and the adjoining wall has sliding glass doors that open to a patio!

I resolved the light issue and created the ambiance by having wine color velvet draperies made with a gold tassel border, lining them in sun block lining. This shuts all light out of the room, even at midday. The drapery treatment was topped with a matching cornice that runs the perimeter of the room. What little wall was left is painted in the same wine color.

It really is like watching movies in a dark vintage theater!

There are many other ways and styles to accomplish the same thing! I have used contemporary draperies, roller shades, Roman shades, and combinations of treatments!

Finishing the media room with the right window treatments is well worth it for years of viewing pleasure!

2013-11-10T15:07:00.000-06:00

When you Want to Dress Formal!

Today's living spaces are not entirely about casual or contemporary window treatments!

I do have clients of all ages in and around Chicago who dream of having a formal window treatment of luxurious draperies topped with valances and cornices!

The above widow treatment is a fine example from the dining room of a younger couple in Chicago.

They wanted draperies for the living and dining areas of their home in a very traditional style made of silk and trimmed with rich borders.

In this room and the adjoining living room I used a rich red silk for the custom draperies. The fabric is lined with cotton and interlined with flannel to give it a very plush look and feel. The custom valance consists of three swags and two flags in the same fabric. The above treatment uses a combination of three different trims in red and gold - the draperies match with a double tape border on the inside edges.

Two unseen single windows in the living room use the same fabric and trims scaled down with a top treatment of one single swag and two flags each.

As opulent as the drapery treatment is, the space can take it without looking overdone because of the size and details in the architecture, not to mention the rich furnishings as well!

Just as in a wardrobe, the right formal look never really goes out of style!

2013-11-03T12:53:00.000-06:00

Beautiful Windows in Lincoln Park!

Roman Shades Feature the Woodwork!

Our beautiful section of Chicago, known as Lincoln Park, has so much variety in living spaces!

Many of these are gorgeous vintage apartment buildings that have been converted to condos. Some have been left intact, others modernized, and still others completely gutted and reconstructed. There are also many new constructions of condominium buildings, single family homes, and townhouses as well.

My work over the years has taken me to many of these living spaces and each is very unique!

The homeowners have much varied needs based on the architecture and their individual tastes!

Take for example the picture above. This was from vintage condo in a beautiful old building. Here we had a narrow room with one wall of windows on a long wall. Full draperies would have made the space even more confined and were just too heavy. The solution was to use Roman shades set inside the windows (they had deep enough windows to house them).

The shades added elegance to the traditional furnishings and allow the beautiful vintage woodwork to be shown to it's best advantage!

I have used just about every type of window treatment in the Lincoln Park area from stark modern to richly layered traditional! And I still need to keep my mind open and searching for new possibilities!

The jobs are always a welcome challenge to enhance the architecture of the living spaces and make the homeowners' visions a reality!

2013-10-27T14:37:00.000-05:00

Simple Sheers In Andersonville Do So Much!

Sometimes the answer is really simple!

With so many of my jobs in the city of Chicago, I have had a lot clients over the years who just need a window treatment to shield the sunlight in the morning (or evening)! They do not want to sacrifice any of the spectacular views.

Opaque roller shades can sometimes work, but there are many times when they don't. This can be due to architectural limitations, massive windows, and sometimes just the client's needs on decor.

Many times I recommend sheer drapery panels. They are nothing new, but have withstood time for a good reason!

They offer protection for furniture and floors by filtering the sunlight. They can provide privacy without shutting a person inside the home. Clients are able to enter the rooms without being assaulted with harsh sunlight.

Most versatile about this window treatment is that it can be done to compliment any decor! Fabrics come in all different price ranges, but are usually very inexpensive in comparison to others. The treatment can be designed very traditional with pinch pleats, modern with a ripplefold top, transitional with Euro pleats, and many other options in fabric and hardware!

A simple solution that is cost effective!

2013-10-20T09:52:00.000-05:00

Roman Shades: A Soft Alternative to Roller Shades!

Sometimes my clients want or need a different type of window treatment other than draperies. They may want a more tailored and simple look, or perhaps the room is a size that would be overpowered by draperies.

Roller shades can work in some cases, but in others, a softer look is needed.

Roman shades provide the perfect solution!

They can be made is just about any fabric and the style of the shade can vary from a very simple tailored look to very fancy with trim and gathering! It also takes far less fabric for a Roman shade than a drapery treatment!

The shades in the picture above were made of a linen fabric. The owner of the home wanted a simple and earthy window treatment to provide a background for his tailored furniture and collection of pottery. This particular linen is a looser weave that allows sunlight to come through.

I have also layered Roman shades over roller shades to give the clients options. See through roller shades are down during the day to shield sunlight and maintain the view, the roman shades are drawn at night time for privacy.

Roman shades can work in every interior style from traditional to contemporary!

2013-10-13T12:24:00.000-05:00

Two Layers of Draperies Offer So Much More!

A recent client of mine moved into a space near Michigan Avenue that had breathtaking views!

The one problem was in the master bedroom which faced east and had floor to ceiling windows that made up two walls of the room.

They wanted to be able to see the views during the day without feeling like they were in a fishbowl and also wanted to be able to shut the room down to complete darkness for sleeping late in the morning.

We resolved this by installing sheer ripplefold drapery panels from floor to ceiling. This softens the look of the concrete ceiling and enables my client to enjoy the spectacular views.

To block the sunlight and city nights for a good night's sleep, we added separately controlled panels of blackout draperies behind the sheers.

My client is able to have the sheer panels open or closed and can close the black out panels to darken the room.

As extra bonuses, the blackout fabric helps greatly with temperature control and filters out much of the city traffic noise!

Beauty and function come together!

Color Makes the Statement

2009-09-20T15:03:00.009-05:00

There are many tools for maximizing a small space, and color is one of them!

A client of mine had recently moved into a condo at The Pinnacle (Chicago) at 21 East Huron. The single bedroon unit had a nice layout, but small square footage in the living/dining area.

She made the most of this small area by first limiting her furnitue to a few very well scaled pieces. The sensuous curve of the small white suede sofa, along with the classic Eileen Gray table eliminates what could otherwise have been a "boxy" feel to the room.

The real key to the room's excitement came in my client's selction of background colors! She first had the walls painted in a rich dark chocolate brown. This made the small area immdiately very warm and intimate.

The final step was when we added silk draperies in a bright robin's egg blue! These heavily lined panels run from floor to ceiling and break slightly on the floor.

The color rich panels really pop and add a note of pure elegance in a small space where every detail counts!

Panel Track

2009-09-16T15:12:00.005-05:00

Natural Texture Panel Track

For a sleek modern twist on drapery treatments, consider the panel track system!

Panel tracks operate very much like vertical blinds - but without all those plastic strips rattling around!

Each of my tracks are custom made for your specific window. They can be designed to open in the center, or to all draw to one side. The panels completely cover your window and draw back smoothly, stacking neatly behind each other. They can be set up to operate with a draw cord or batons.

Terrific choices in materials are available for your decorating needs! Natural textures, sun block panels, durable plastics and soft panels that let in just the right amount of sunlight are just some of the choices! You can even have them custom made in a fabric of your choosing!

Best of all, the durable panel track system is very affordable! It will last for many years and packs a lot of style for the price!

The Value of Staging!

2009-08-06T16:23:00.013-05:00

Sheldon Salnick, of Rubloff Residential Properties, recently had me stage one of his Chicago listings for a client.

The "bones" were there in terms of space and layout, but we needed to arrange the clients' furniture and accessories to show the space to it's best advantage.

I worked with the owners, moving things around - we can take this out, move this over here, let's put this in storage, we need to clear this surface - until we were all satisfied!

I used only the existing furniture and accessories - the owners did not have to buy or bring in anything else!

In just three hours, we had completely transformed the living space! The owners were delighted and commented that the condo looked much bigger and newer!

Best of all, the unit sold within a week after going on the market!

There is no doubt in any of our minds that staging this living space helped make the sale!

Contact http://www.jos.riceinteriors@att.net and let me show you how staging can help sell your property!

Kitchen Remodeling for a Vintage Condo

2009-04-26T15:01:00.037-05:00

Before

After

Before

After

A client of mine recently decided to so some remodeling rather than move to a new living space. First on his list was the outdated kitchen.

The condo is in a beautiful vintage building on the north side of Chicago. The client had done nothing to the kitchen after purchasing the unit several years ago. A shoddy remodeling job by the former owner had left him with a cracked tile floor, cheap cabinetry that was outdated, and poor use of the space.

I recommended that we maintain the vintage style of the condo, so we started by selecting warm oak cabinets that matched well with the woodwork throughout the rest of his living space. The flow of the galley kitchen space was improved by resizing the cabinets and giving them more height for better scale and storage. A double height cabinet was eliminated to create more counter work space. Granite for the new counter top was selected on sight and custom cut to exact specifications for placement.

The cracked tile floor was replaced, starting by laying a more firm sub floor. New 18" square ceramic tile was installed on the diagonal to create a larger look for the narrow space.

In order to bring the electical work up to date, we reconfigured switches. We also replaced a dreary fluorescent ceiling fixture and adding under cabinet lighting.

Finally, an awkward laundry space with exposed washer and dryer was enclosed in a closet with bi fold door.

Since the appliances had been recently purchased, we did not replace them.

The client is extremely pleased with the new and improved kitchen! The vintage look of the kitchen blends perfectly with the rest of his condo and the space is far more functional.

The remodeled kitchen will definitely add value to the condo, should he ever decide to sell!

Silk Draperies

2009-03-30T13:04:00.009-05:00

Nothing says luxury in a window treatment like a beautifully draped silk!

But people are often afraid of choosing silk for draperies.

One misconception is that silk is extremely expensive and out of range on most budgets - but this is not true. Although there are expensive European grades on the market, good silk fabric can be had for about the same price as other cottons and cotton/polyester blends.

Another worry with consumers is that silk is too fragile. Actually silk is extremely strong and as long it is properly lined to protect from sun damage, it will last for many years. I always use an additional interlining on silk draperies. This is a layer of flannel placed between the silk and the lining. It gives the drapery treatment that extra body to create a luxurious texture.

Timeless beauty that lasts for years is what I call a good investment!

Contemporary Custom Window Treatments

2008-01-05T21:44:00.003-06:00

30 West Oak

This is a corner shot of a custom contemporary window treatment that I recently designed and installed at 30 West Oak Street in Chicago! As simple as this white line drapery treatment looks, it was a challenge in many ways!

The large drapery panels cover a curved window that is over 21 feet wide and almost 11 feet in length! The heavy duty track system was carefully installed, avoiding all heating and electrical systems contained within the concrete ceiling!

Crisp white linen panels are lined in a blockout fabric that completely seals the bedroom from early morning sunlight for late sleeping.

Media Room Draperies

2007-12-11T15:24:00.007-06:00

Media Room Entrance

Media Room Interior

What better time of year to be sitting in your own cozy media room, watching your favorite movie! This 1920’s style media room was recently designed by Joseph Rice Interiors, Inc. for a Chicago couple. The excitement starts at the entrance with over- the-top velvet draperies and a swag valance in Bordeaux color velvet with gold fringe and trim. The interior space was painted in the same rich color. Matching velvet draperies and valances with gold trimmings were installed on all the windows and either side of the screen! The luxurious surroundings transport the movie viewers to the nostalgic era of long ago!