"DRESSED UP" WINDOWS REFLECT A FORMAL ATTIRE

The Shop at Home custom decorating teams at Fabricland of North Plainfield and Nassaus Window Fashions of Paramus are creating more formal window treatments and furnishings for their clients. "Overall, the trend indicates that the 'shabby chic', dressed -down casual look so popular in recent years is definitely waning, " explains Bruce Heyman, owner of the stores and current president of the WCAA, the Window Coverings Association of America. " There appears to be a genuine desire to decorate one area of the home -- perhaps a living room and dining room -- in a very special and beautiful way."

"Our customers are asking for very luxurious styles and fabrics at the windows and on furniture -- silks, damasks, embroidered sheers, brocades and velvets, " cites Heyman. " Our decorators are creating very formal Austrian and Empire valances, intricately layered draperies, richly upholstered cornices with lots of trims and tassles -- ornate, decorative styles that reflect a bygone era. Decorating is definitely going through a 'refinement ' period." As for colors, Heyman sees a palette of warm, earth-toned hues once again back in style. "We're designing with beautiful shades of terracottas, cinnamons, rusts, browns, olive greens, gold, camel. colors that we have associated with the 1950's and 1960's. It seems like 'everything old is new again' and we are striving to return to happier times".

Trimmings have become very popular as this formal look gains strength in design. "Nothing looks more beautiful than a custom window treatment finished with color-coordinated cording, fringe, tassles orbeading, said Mr. Heyman. "With more than 1,200 styles to choose from at Fabricland and Nassaus, we can always find the finishing touch that adds beauty and class ".

In addition to creating stylish window fashions, the Shop at Home decorators at Fabricland and Nassaus also reupholster all furniture and design bedding such as comforters, duvets, pillow shams with coordinated tableclothes to give space a brand new look. "Our designers are very experienced in providing ideas and concepts that help rooms come alive with light, color and character. They are knowledgeable and well-trained in every phase of the decorating process -- from creative selections to measurement and installation," said Mr. Heyman. The store houses the Hunter Douglas Window Fashions Gallery of shadings, shutters and blinds - enabling customers to combine both "hard" and "soft" treatments at their windows to give their decorating scheme a unified look.