Whether you’re looking for a stylish way to manage the intensity of the sun at certain times of day or you want to enjoy a beautiful view while maintaining privacy, today’s window coverings are problem solvers. Long gone are the days when fabric draperies or metal blinds are your only options.
“Today, it’s more about light control and privacy with a single treatment rather than layering of materials,” says Terri Gorney, manager of Zeigler’s Window Coverings in Fort Wayne.
Zeigler’s sells and installs custom blinds, shades, shutters and draperies. It has the distinction of being a Hunter Douglas Gallery, which means the manufacturer chose it to carry its complete line of products and has trained the staff on how each product works.
Guidance from experienced staff members makes all the difference when customers need to address problems in specific rooms of their homes, says Gorney.
“When people come into our store, they not only see a wide selection of products to choose from, but they also work with a trained window covering specialist to help answer questions and make choices,” she explains. “We don’t just hand out samples. We know our products.”
The business has witnessed an evolution of technology, tastes and trends since it opened in 1947. For example, with more people than ever before working from home, daytime light control and privacy have become bigger issues.
“So often people tell me that, because they were never home during the day, they didn’t realize how much sun was pouring in and what it was doing to their home,” says Gorney.
Ultraviolet sunlight can fade colors in carpeting and artwork and dry out woodwork.
One new Hunter Douglas problem solver is the Sonnette, a cross between a Roman shade and a cellular shade that offers a soft, luxurious look in one product. Another is the Solera, a cellular roller shade that filters light for room darkening and privacy but can be hidden inside a headrail when not in use.
Zeiglers’ seven decades of experience began when brothers Robert and Bert Zeigler designed and made steel blinds in Robert’s basement and sold them to neighbors and friends. Robert’s son, Mike Zeigler, expanded the business and brought on his son, Todd Zeigler, to continue the family tradition. Todd now owns the store.
Todd marvels at the improvements made in window covering technology, such as motorized shades and shutters that can be programmed and operated from a smart device. You can control sunlight coming through an uncovered window in the middle of summer so that the air conditioner doesn’t run nonstop. If you’re getting home after dark, shades can be closed before you get home, he explains.
“Energy concerns are more important than ever. You will see and feel the difference,” he says.
If there’s a room you avoid at certain times of the day or year because it’s uncomfortably cold or hot or causes too much glare on a television screen, there’s now something you can do about it, Todd says.
“I have people tell me all the time they didn’t realize what a difference a window covering can make. They can now use rooms whenever they want to that they had been avoiding.”
Make an appointment for a free consultation by calling (260) 744-2111 or stop in at 1829 Fairfield Ave. ❚