Window treatments are one of the more thought-intensive decisions in a home. There are more product options than most people realize, more ways to get it wrong than most people expect, and more ways to get it beautifully right than a catalog can show you. This page is our short guide — the things we'd tell a neighbor over coffee before they started the project. No pressure, no pitch.
Start with how you actually live in the room
The most expensive mistakes in window treatments aren't about fabric or motorization — they're about choosing a product that doesn't fit how the room is used.
A primary bedroom that needs to stay dark until 7am asks different questions than a dining room used a few times a month. A family room where afternoon sun glares on the TV is a different problem than a formal living room with one good view. Before you think about product, think about the daily moments. When do you want privacy? When do you want light? Where does glare bother you? Where do you want the outside to stay part of the room?
The clearer you are on the living, the easier every other decision becomes.
Think about light before you think about product
Most homeowners spend months thinking about paint colors, counter surfaces, cabinets, and furniture — the things you can touch. Very few stop to think about the light itself. How it moves through the room. Where it lands at different times of day. What it does to everything else.
Light is the one thing every other design decision quietly depends on. A paint color reads differently at 7am than it does at 5pm. A wood tone looks warmer in filtered light than in direct sun. Window treatments are what give you control over all of it.
Before your consultation, notice your rooms at different times of day. Which wall gets washed out at 3pm. Which window faces a neighbor. Which space goes dark earlier than you'd like. The best consultations start with a homeowner who has already paid quiet attention to these things.
Know where the project sits in the construction timeline
If your window treatments are part of a new build or a remodel, timing matters more than most homeowners expect. A few decisions are much easier — and much less expensive — to make before the walls are closed up.
Worth deciding before framing and drywall:
- Motorization wiring.
Motorized Hunter Douglas window treatments can be hard-wired so the wires disappear into the walls. If you think you might want motorization anywhere in the home, plan the wiring before drywall goes up.
- Motorization control.
Motorized treatments can be controlled by remote, app, or integrated smart home system (Apple HomeKit, Google Home, Alexa). Deciding early lets the electrician and smart home installer coordinate with the window treatment plan.
- Recessed or built-in mechanisms.
Many window treatments can be recessed into the ceiling above the window — a clean, architectural look that tucks the mechanism out of sight. These need to be identified before framing to avoid costly retrofitting.
- Specialty windows.
Skylights, clerestory windows, arched or triangular shapes, sliding glass doors, and hard-to-reach openings all have solutions — but planning them early opens up more options and fewer workarounds.
- Climate and energy control.
Cellular shades and insulating treatments make a real, measurable difference in Minnesota — especially on large or north-facing windows. Factoring them into the envelope plan alongside windows, insulation, and HVAC is smarter than adding them after the fact.
- Light and energy control by room.
Think room by room about where you want darkness, where you want translucence, and where insulation matters most. The right answer shifts from the primary bedroom to the family room to the powder room — and knowing in advance makes the conversation with your consultant faster and sharper.
If your project is already further along, don't worry — most decisions can still be made well. But if you're still in the planning phase, schedule the design consultation early. It's one of the easiest ways to save money and protect your options.
Consider the room's role — and match the investment to it
Not every room needs the same solution. A primary bedroom often calls for full blackout and motorization. A powder room may need something more decorative than functional. A family room with direct afternoon sun asks different questions than a formal dining room used a few times a year.
Our product range spans a wide spectrum — in both functionality and investment level. A thoughtful plan prioritizes premium features where they make the biggest difference, and lets simpler solutions do their work beautifully elsewhere. Many of our clients start with the rooms that matter most — the primary bedroom, the main living space — and build from there, one room at a time, at whatever pace makes sense.
You don't have to do the whole home at once. You just have to start somewhere that matters.
Plan for the long arc — service, repair, and the years after install
Window treatments are one of the few things in a home you interact with every single day. Which means the company you choose isn't just someone you work with once — it's someone you may want to call years from now, when a cord wears, a motor needs service, or a new room comes into focus.
When evaluating companies, worth asking:
- How long have they been in the Twin Cities? Has the team been there long enough to stand behind older installations?
- Are the installers in-house, or subcontracted? The same team that installs should be the team that services.
- What does the warranty actually cover, and who handles it — the manufacturer, the dealer, or both?
- If something needs repair five years from now, is there a clear path to getting it done?
The right answer to these questions is what separates a transaction from a relationship.
Questions worth asking before your consultation
You don't need answers to all of these before your design consultation — that's what the consultation is for. But thinking about them in advance will make the conversation faster, clearer, and more useful.
- Which rooms feel finished to you, and which don't?
- Which windows bother you most — and what specifically is the problem (too much sun, not enough privacy, an awkward shape)?
- Are both decision-makers in the household aligned on the project, or still talking through priorities?
- Are you working with a designer, architect, builder, or remodeler? If so, how are they involved?
- Do you have existing window treatments you're keeping, or is this a whole-home reset?
- Do you want motorization anywhere? Smart home integration?
- What's the project timeline? Are you working around a move-in, a renovation completion, or a season?
- Are you starting with one or two rooms, or is this a full-home project?
If some of these feel overwhelming, that's normal. Many homeowners come to us with answers to a few of them and uncertainty on the rest. Part of our job is helping you sort through it.
When you're ready
Our design consultants come to you — to your home, your room, your actual windows in your actual light. From there, one team handles everything: design, measurement, custom ordering, professional installation, and long-term service. Nothing is subcontracted. Nothing falls through the cracks.
We've been doing this in the Twin Cities since 1978. When the timing feels right, we're here.
