THE TWO SIDES OF WINDOW COVERINGS

By Linda Thorsen Bond

Photos: Innovative Openings

Finding the right window coverings is not a toss-up between function and style at Innovative Openings, according to Sales Manager Kevin Anderson. Success means considering both sides.

“We never approach the needs of a customer as just style or just functionality,” Anderson said. “We have a very consultative approach. We want to figure out what is the most important – is it the need for privacy? To manage heat or cold? Do you need to eliminate light so your baby can sleep? It’s functionality first, then we find a product that suits that functionality with style.”

Innovative Openings is a Colorado success story. It started in 1980 and turned 40 years old in 2020. “We take great pride in the relationships we’ve created with our customers and industry partners. On any given project, multiple employees are involved with making your ideas a reality. We’ve developed a team of professionals to help you through each step of the process.”

The newest innovations are hybrid products that would make space travelers feel at home. “Motorization plays a big part in window coverings,” Anderson said. “Ten or fifteen years ago, motorization would have only been available in the highest luxury builds. Now there are home automation platforms already in homes and digital assistants like Alexa and Google Home that make it easy for us to incorporate technology at a more affordable price.”

“We carry Hunter Douglas and Insolroll products so we are in a position for unique innovation,” Anderson said. “We’ve grown our campus to three buildings in Louisville, and in two of them we manufacture Insolroll interior and exterior roller shades.”

The most advanced motorization technology is available for roller shades, including ultra-quiet motors, hardwired, battery motors and complete UL-Listed systems. Roller shades by design are clean-lined and sleek and can be recessed into the ceiling to stay completely hidden from view when retracted.

Innovative Openings has its finger on the pulse of style, too. “Texture and color preferences change a little each year,” he said. “Grays have been popular for quite a while, but we’re seeing a melding of gray with brighter colors including blues and greens. There’s also a trend toward the clean, fresh aspect of white to give things a pop of newness.”

During 2020, the way a home is used has changed. “Home used to be a place you cook and sleep, and the same home may now be a home office and daycare,” Anderson said. “Priorities have changed as people want to make every room more comfortable. They want to moderate temperature and light. We’re working on window coverings that are insulating to keep heat out of the home in summer and keep the heat in the winter.”

There is an increased focus on adding awnings and patio shades to expand living space to the outdoors. Innovative Openings has been offering patio shades and awnings in the Boulder and Denver area for over three decades.

With many Front Range decks and patios oriented toward western mountain views, providing a shade with excellent view-through characteristics is important. Shades are designed with several sidetrack, cable and bungee hold-down options. Oasis® Patio Shades and Retractable Insect Screens and KE Durasol Patio Awnings by KE Outdoor Living are increasingly popular.

Solar screen fabric used in patios is available in an array of openness factors to provide the right glare control and privacy required for every application. Oasis Patio Shade models provide protection from glare, heat, golf balls and insects and offer enhanced privacy.

Awnings are innovative too. The Lateral Arm awnings don’t require an added structure; Pinnacle One structure awnings create their own structure and Pinnacle Two structure awnings are designed for pergolas, gazebos and other structures.

When function is as important as style, Innovative Openings provides design consultation, expert measurement, professional and conscientious installation, repairs and warranty service.

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