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You might remember our journey of designing and building our sport court and us sharing about the wonderful experience of choosing and installing Custom Motorized Graber Shades. I can't believe it's already been over a year since we wrapped up the final touches of that space. Time really does fly. And we couldn't be happier with our decision. These shades are our favorite and we've been so happy with them in our sport court and now within the main level of our home. So it was a no-brainer when deciding on what to put into our living room and kitchen. The back of our house faces south, and from sunrise to sunset, we have plenty of natural light coming in hot. We wouldn't have it any other way, especially during Minnesota winters. However, at certain times of the day, we have a need to manage and regulate the amount of light coming into our spaces, such as when Jamie works from our music room and the natural light is always blinding his screen.
So let's get to it! Here's a look into our experience with the Graber brand, the details on the quality of products, designs, and our process with their install team.
Music Room
Before
First up, the music room aka Jamie's home office and where you can find the family hanging, chilling, and recharging every single day.
After
We went back on forth on many different colors, patterns and textures for all three rooms, but in the end we chose Natural shade in Admiral Navy for this space. We loved the dark navy blue, yet it also is banded with black binding within to pull the the shiplap wall. We also love how the navy played off our emerald green couch and also the blue within our rug, and also within our rug off of our dining room that this space opens up into. When you look out this window, it's a view to our pool which with the water, black metal railing off the deck and our black and blue patio furniture, it all played in and paired up perfectly for the vibe we were going for.
Design Process + Advantages
When we first heard about Graber, we were so impressed with all of the options that there are out there with natural custom shades. We had a handful of goals we wanted to achieve with the custom shades throughout our entire home. Light filtering with privacy for when we wanted to make the golf simulator into a movie night, ensure electronic for those hard to reach windows, safety with cordless for the kids, and it to be aesthetic with the rest of the space. Then when it came to our main level living rooms and kitchen, being it wasn't in hard to reach places - we wanted it to be a bit more natural, and design a custom layered look. Something that flowed with the design element and that we were able to open and close, with the safety for our kids - no cords.
Installation Team: Expertise and Delivery
Like with the sport court, when the day of installation was finally here, our Graber rep coordinated her install team to make the magic happen. We worked with the same installers from Custom Drapery & Blinds by M.E. and we can't say enough good things about them. They were very efficient and clean, worked great as a team, and to my surprise - even offered to check their own work from last year in the sports court over a year ago, when they came out to install these new areas. They wanted to make sure our shades were working properly and batteries were charged. It is so rare for a company to be this proactive and willing to go an extra mile and initiate their product or process maintenance. We were impressed and grateful all at the same time.
For those not in the Minneapolis, MN area, you can use the Graber Find a Dealer form to find a local dealer near you.
Light Management
I often say that we built this home for our family and friends to come and enjoy, and you know I mean it. We love hosting and entertaining and it brings us joy. We have a lot of friends whose kids are the same age as ours. They enjoy coming over to jump on the trampoline and play, but now we can host fun movie nights for them, and they can happen during the day. The ability to regulate the light in our living room allows us to make it completely dark at 5 pm, and kids can watch cartoons and enjoy the movie theater atmosphere. Our home is quite eclectic and we thrive on mixing fabrics and textures and when it came to Graber blinds, it wasn't an exception. They have a sleek finish to them and the edges look flawless.
Safety
While style and design are essential and could serve as a drive for upgrades and renovations, they should go hand in hand with safety. Homes with children must feel safe, be free from potentially dangerous window cord accidents and give you peace of mind.
Graber window treatments have many beautiful features to help ensure that safety. And that is one of the main reasons why we chose this product.
Natural Shades, Colors and Textures
And let me tell you about their colors. Rich, versatile, unexpected and unique. From jet black and ebony all the way to admiral navy and fossil gray. We saw all the samples when a representative from the installation team visited us and spent time educating and walking us through the selection process, discussing the pros and cons of different designs, colors, and materials. It felt seamless and natural. Although we added in the custom motorized shades into our sport court, being we had windows on all sides of the room and in hard-to-reach places, we opted for something new and different for our kitchen and living room and we went with their natural shades.
Kitchen
Now the kitchen is where I spend a lot of my days! Our kitchen is not only a place for family gatherings and meal prep, but it has been faithfully serving as a platform for content creation. Many professional photoshoots took place here, and while photographers were always ready to block unnecessary light with their props, now Graber shades are fulfilling this function.
Living Room
Design Selections
There are hundreds of design options when it comes to Graber blinds,
but for these spaces we went with their Natural line for all three windows. Naturally organic and beautifully handwoven, Graber Natural Shades are an elegant way to incorporate the colors and patterns of nature into your décor. Crafted from sustainable materials such as jute, bamboo, wood, and grasses, they are both smart and green for unique, casual luxury and style.
Colors linked below. Bonus, you can get free swatches straight from their website here.
Family Living Room - Fossil Gray | Kitchen - Fossil Gray | Music Room - Admiral Navy
