The one thing I really enjoy about working with Budget Blinds is meeting the many people in the Wilmington, NC area. Seeing so many wonderful people and their beautiful homes is a great privilege. One such family I worked with was Chuck and Donna Earney. Chuck and Donna moved into their beautiful Mayfair condo and asked me to help them with their Shutter, Closet and Drapery needs.

Chuck and Donna enjoyed the Shutters Wilmington, NC we installed in their last home so much, that they decide to have them install throughout their new home. Previously they had purchased a 1 7/8” shutter louver which is considered small, in their new home they decided on a 3 ½” louver, much larger in size. By using a larger louver, the view looking through shutter is unobstructed. Also in their home they have what is commonly referred to as French doors in the center of the living area, over-looking the porch. Sometimes you will have these doors in which both of them operate, however many times and in their case, one door opened and the other was a stationary glass that did not operate. Since they had lever style door handles we added a beautiful shutter door handle cut out, this allow- a shutter to be installed on the door to maintain the same look as the windows in the same room. So as not to make the non-moving door look unbalanced, we decided to do the same shutter door handle cut out but also install a fake handle so that the French doors looked symmetrical, since they were a focal point in the room.

Along with the shutters we also installed Closet Maid closet systems Wilmington, NC in their closets, pantry, and laundry room. Closet Maid wood laminate systems make a great look to any closet but also allows for maximum storage space and great organization. Since these systems are designed off common sizes, they can be changed by the homeowner if their needs change later in life.

Last we installed a hard cornice in the front bedroom for added look and color. Since Plantation Shutter doors open many don’t realize that you can still include a topper. By choosing the correct valance and professionally installing it with a hinge system, you can have the best of both worlds.

I loved working with Donna and Chuck and look forward to their lasting friendship.

RaDonna Torgeson         910.790-3630

Window Covering, Window Blind, Window Treatment Specialist Wilmington, NC

Budget Blinds of Wilmington, NC

Being part of the largest Window Covering Franchise in the world allows me to make many wonderful friends. Recently, I worked with Wade and Phyllis Shanklin, and they proved to be just that. They are wonderful people with great taste and I truly took great pleasure in helping them make their house their home.

The Shanklin’s had several concerns for which we needed to provide solutions. To begin with, their beautiful Landfall home came with three large sliding glass doors. Each door provided a wonderful view to the rear of the house, which included viewing the pool and the golf course. Providing a covering for this opening needed to be functional, beautiful, and allow for great visibility to the outdoors. To keep the uniformity throughout the home, we decided to install Norman Open By-Pass Plantation Shutters, since shutters with a 3 ½” louver is what was selected in the rest of the house. An Open By-Pass Shutter allows for much privacy, light control, easy operation, and beauty. It operates much like the sliding glass door itself, allowing for convenient entry and exit. The louvers allocate light control and privacy, while the Open By-Pass feature permits the doors to be open and not obstruct the view. A wonderful choice for sliding glass doors.

The Shanklin’s also had a concern with their front entry doors. Containing arched topped glass and stained in color, this opening can be a challenge to treat without taking away from any of the elegance and beauty. There is a great solution and it worked very well. A stained, wood, arch top shutter is a perfect selection. This keeps the beauty of the door intact and gives the Shanklin’s the needed privacy. Many people don’t realize that leaving front doors uncovered can reveal much at night when the lights are on inside the home and it is dark outside. Privacy is no longer available. Treating it with this product not only solved the problem, but also added to the beauty of the door and tied in nicely with the other shutters located inside the home.

Finally, in solving the Shanklin’s organizational needs, they asked us to help them organize their closets. After consulting with them and determining their wants, needs, what they had contained in their last closets, and their budget, we were able to design the closets to fit their individual needs. They chose the color Chocolate, one of the newest colors in Wood Laminated Closet Systems by ClosetMaid. This added a great richness and sophistication to their beautiful new closets.

I meet many friends in my career and Wade and Phyllis were no exception. I count it a joy, a privilege, and just plan fun working with such wonderful people. They are not just customers, but they are now my friends.

RaDonna Torgeson     Call 910-790-3630 

Window Treatment Specialist and Closet Designer

Open By-Pass Shutter

Arch Top Stained Wood Shutter

ClosetMaid Wood Laminate Closet

ClosetMaid Garage System

I recently had the privilege to work with the Smiths* in the Brunswick Forest development located in the Leland area outside Wilmington, NC. Like many people with outdoor porches in the Wilmington area, they may not use them as often as they wish because of issues like heat, humidity, cold, glare and many other issues. As an experienced Window Covering Consultant, I have seen this problem many times and there haven’t been many products available for this type of application. Now there are.

The product Mr. Smith* chose was Solar Shades, also sometimes referred to as Outdoor Shades, Porch Shades or Roller Shades. With many new companies specializing in this product, there are now a variety of fabrics, colors, and textures available. Since these shades must withstand the elements, the material should be made with Fiberglass, PVC or a combination of the two. This will help ensure its stability when faced with intense sun. Mr. Smith’s* main issue was glare, which hindered him from sitting on the porch during certain times of the day; however, he now has the ability to sit without much glare, but still be able to see through the material so his view isn’t hindered.

I enjoyed working with friends like the Smiths* and being able to assist them in enhancing their beautiful home.

Aaron Yarborough     Call 910-790-3630

Window Covering Consultant                                                              * Name has been changed.

Sheer Roller Shades in Raised Position

Sheer Roller Shades Partially Lowered

Sheer Roller Shades Completely Lowered