Motorized Solar Shades are Featured on Designing Spaces’ Military Makeover

Budget Blinds® has just completed its second home renovation project with Designing Spaces’ Military Makeover, airing on Lifetime television®. This special mini-series focuses on home renovations for deserving members of the military, injured in the line of duty. Budget Blinds and vendor partner, Custom Brands Group, were proud to supply custom roller shades from our private label, Enlightened Style®, and vendor partner, Draper, was honored to supply a custom graphic shade for the little girl’s bedroom. Additionally, the local Budget Blinds franchise owner provided professional measuring and installation services for this makeover.

Making home a beautiful experience

Military Makeover gives “a little boost, a help up” to wounded military Veterans by renovating their homes, says the show’s host, R. Lee Ermy, “The Gunny.”  He and co-host, Art Edmonds, coordinate decorators, designers, landscapers, neighbors, volunteers…and Budget Blinds…to accomplish an amazing transformation in a short amount of time.

“We are thrilled to participate in Military Makeover on many levels. Not only does Budget Blinds have a long-standing history and commitment for supporting our veterans, but because one of Budget Blinds’ goals is to help educate consumers on products, options, and features to keep homes with children safe, while still enjoying beautiful window coverings.” –Tracy Christman, VP of Vendor Alliance and international design and style expert at Budget Blinds

This transformation in sunny Florida is for Lance Corporal Devin Kyle, his wife, Joanna, and three-year-old daughter, Raelynn. A decorated war veteran now retired, LCpl Kyle suffered a severe, life-threatening wound from an enemy sniper in Afghanistan in 2013, leaving him with impaired mobility, remaining metal fragments that cannot be safely removed, and effects of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Incorporating some amazing features and highlights from Budget Blinds and other contributors to the show, this home makeover will enable the family to move forward, planning a bright future.

• A SAGE home automation security system
• Stainless steel barbeque in the backyard
• A hot tub Retreat Spa with whirlpool therapy for Devin
• Custom roller shades throughout the home, providing light and privacy control with child-safe cordless operation

Solar shades, the shade for all seasons

Budget Blinds’ Tracy Christman was aptly introduced by co-host, Art Edmonds, as “bringing the latest and the greatest when it comes to window coverings.”  As the largest window coverings franchise in the U.S. and Canada, Budget Blinds is definitely on the cutting edge of window treatment innovation, including blinds, shades, shutters, drapes and more. Tracy explained how and why stylish and trending solar shades were the perfect solution for the Kyle family, whose concerns included light control and child safety. Custom solar shades:

• Are light diffusing, available in a wide range of opacity, styles and colors
• Increase energy efficiency by blocking the sun during the hottest hours, keeping indoors cooler
• Can be customized for any size window or door
• Come in cordless styles, eliminating the danger of dangling cords around children and pets
• Can be motorized and programmed to open and close even when you’re not at home

Custom solar shades were designed to meet the specific needs of the family for each room. Angela Sansom, franchise owner of Budget Blinds Serving the Emerald Coast, assisted Joanne with style and color choices and measured and installed for professional excellence. For continuity throughout the home, shades with matching fabric-covered valances in Oyster were chosen, a soft neutral, compatible with all the home’s furnishings and décor. Lighthouse Powder White was chosen as the secondary blackout shade color for the master bedroom, keeping things bright. (No…blackout or room-darkening shades don’t have to be black!)

Intelligent design for every window

The master bedroom’s need for privacy and natural light were met with dual roller shades, a front solar shade for diffused light during the day, and a secondary blackout shade that can be lowered at night. With remote control motorization, you can manage the shades independently from the comfort of the bed, either inviting in the morning sun or leaving the blackout shade in place for a little extra sleep.

The dining room and living room had expansive exposure, with four windows of differing sizes, one very large plus a set of French doors, letting in natural light all day long. The 1% opacity of the solar shades ensures a comfortable, softly-filtered light, eliminating glare and excessive heat gain that you would get with uncovered windows.

With a young child in the home, every window covering needed to be free of dangling cords as a safety factor. This was accomplished by cordless roller shades, with added motorization in the master bedroom, the guest room/play-room where Raelynn hangs out, and her bedroom.

Raelynn’s bedroom also received a very special treat. “One of our designers created an amazing shade to reflect what she likes…which is a mermaid. You can put any high-res image on a shade and make it somebody’s dream,” shares Tracy. A custom, graphic roller shade was decorated with a mermaid in coordinating colors to her bedroom’s pink color scheme. She’ll have an excellent view whether her shade is up for sunshine or down, displaying the mermaid design.

The family was overwhelmed with all the new features, both inside and out, including a playset for Raelynn in the beautifully landscaped backyard, a totally updated kitchen, and the full restoration of Devin’s crumpled stock car. The makeover was a complete success, with Gunny declaring, “This is what we live for; we get to turn the keys over to the Kyle family. I claim victory!”

If new window treatments could help you claim victory in renovating or updating your own home, call 866-879-9730 today to schedule a FREE, in-home consultation or go online to www.budgetblinds.com  to find the Style Consultant nearest you. You’ll be amazed at the transformation new window coverings can give your entire home! You have unlimited design potential with our wide range of styles, colors and finishes in blinds, shutters, shades and soft treatments including drapes, rugs and custom bedding. See our latest Inspired Drapes Lookbook for inspiration and trending window fashions.

You can view the full episode of the Kyle family reveal show, or click here to see the Budget Blinds segment with Tracy Christman to learn more about our graphic shades and Enlightened Style solar shades.