Window Treatments 101 | Roman Shades & Draperies

Did you know curtains have been around since 3rd-century Egypt? Though they were primarily used to separate rooms, these first generation curtains inspired the use of soft window coverings. Becoming popular in 16th-century England, window coverings were commonly made from linen, flax and cotton… just like today’s roman shades and draperies!

Renaissance styled draperies — Renaissance draperies
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Roman shades are just as old and date back to- you guessed it- ancient Roman times. But they were originally designed to function horizontally, like an awning. This was to block the hot sun while spectators enjoyed the spectacles at the Colosseum. Now used vertically on our windows and doors, Roman shades still function as they did back then.

Design of the construction of the awning system used at the Colosseum
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Flat roman shades in a modern industrial loft.
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We won’t bore you with a full history lesson, but it’s fun to know where our modern fabric window treatments got their start. This month, we’re expanding our Window Treatments 101 series to the most timeless treatments you can put in your home— roman shades and draperies.

June 28, 2019 Veronica 0

Window Treatments 101: Venetian Blinds

Window treatments are often the most defining decor in a room. How you adorn your windows contributes greatly to the vibe of the whole space based on scale, color, and coherency of styles. In this five-part mini series about window treatments, we’re going to dive into the history, the making, and the designing of five super relevant window treatments— the first of which is Venetian Blinds. So let’s start from the beginning!

Where Did Venetian Blinds Originate?

Somehow the Italians always get credit for incredible design but the blinds we know and love aren’t actually Venetian. They were first recorded in use in 18th-century Persia and rapidly gained popularity throughout Europe, starting in Venice. They made their way over to the U.S. in 1767 and were later patented in England in 1769. Natural roll-up shades used to be the norm. But the easy light control and privacy of Venetian blinds quickly put roll-up shades on the back burner. The functionality of these blinds made them perfect for commercial and office spaces. In fact, a little company in Vermont made every Venetian blind for the Empire State Building in the 1930’s.

February 25, 2019 Veronica 0

Interior Design | A Closer Look at the Design Process

Download your FREE copy of the Wilmot’s Interior Design Handbook to guide you through your own interior design!Download

“Where do I even begin?”

You may have asked yourself that question a time or two before diving into interior design. Whether you’re making a newly built house your Home or redesigning a space you’ve already furnished, these tried-and-true steps are essential to the design process.

Each space should tell the story of the people who live there and should be their ideal version of luxurious living; whatever luxury means to them.
Veronica Solomon — Casa Vilora Interiors

If you don’t know how or where to start, or find yourself struggling in the middle of the project, let these helpful guidelines, directly from designers, lead the way. And once you’re done, you’ll have all the tools to do it again!

But hopefully not right away…

January 28, 2019 Veronica 0

The Ultimate for Do-It-Yourself and Design Resource

For over 45 years, Wilmot’s Decorating Centers have been serving our local market with top notch design and decorating elements. Servicing our customers is our main priority, especially as we have expanded our horizons to the greater New Bedford market. The design teams in Middleboro and New Bedford stay up to date with modern trends and classic styles to benefit our customers in the best way possible.

Design — to create according to plan…to have as a purpose.

Sometimes achieving the plan or purpose of a home can take a village. With the Wilmot’s Design Collective, our ambition is to cultivate a community that furthers each other’s design skills and creativity. So let’s become that “village” for each other and see how the design community can flourish collectively.

June 29, 2018 Veronica 0