Here at Gordon’s we are committed to manufacturing and designing window treatment solutions that are safe for your home and family. Child safety is so important to us. We design and provide compliant shades to homes, businesses and schools. Because we are the factory our talented production team can convert shades that may pose hazards to the children in your life into shades that are beautiful and safe.
In honor of this national awareness, we encourage all homes, with small children to examine their homes for possible dangers, including your window treatments and make the switch to cordless.
You can purchase a Roomba to sweep your floors, program your thermostat to keep your home at YOUR ideal temperature, command your dishwasher to start after your party guests have all gone home and you’re in bed.
Home automation can also alert you to events that you might want to know about right-away while you are gone like unexpected water leaks and unwarranted access to your home.
At any time, you can grab your iPhone, Android device or other remote control and change the settings for your house.Yes, read that again, out loud.
“Settings for your house.”
Shouldn’t your window treatments get in on the home automation FUN!?!
Oh they have, IN a BIG way! I am sure your interest has been piqued, by automated shades but you’re probably not quite sure what all the benefits are.
You’re in grrrrreeeat company! Many homeowners who are considering automated options for their window treatments are fascinated by the possibilities but aren’t quite sure if that warrants the investment.
Safety
Convenience
Protect your flooring, furniture, art and YOU from harmful UV rays.
We take steps to insure we can completely unplug while our toes are in the sand.
We all have our to do list: Pet sitter, stop the mail, ask our good ol’ neighbors to water the plants and/or pick up the daily paper.
Automating your shades can increase the appearance of someone being at home. This can reduce your home of becoming a target for a break in. That makes that ‘vacation margarita’ even sweeter, doesn’t it?
When you’re away, place your shades on an AM/PM timer, or EVEN better (and more fun, when you know your neighbor is watering your ficus) operate your shades from your smart device. (Make sure they don’t believe in ghosts and that their ticker is good shape!)
Convenience:
From a tap on your smart phone, you’ll be able to raise/lower and even program your entire shading system!
Now with current technology, you can automate just about every device and appliance within your home whether you are at home or swishing down the Alps.
When the TV remote came into our world, it was life changing. Now you can dim the lights for the ultimate at-home movie experience.
“Oh could someone lower the shades?!!” Don’t get up, command them to close, with Alexa.
And c’mon, you gotta admit it, we ALL lose remote controls…but not THIS time. Because the remote is your phone! It’s always on you. It’s the handy dandy remote that is always by your side.
Not assured that your alarm clock will do the trick? Program your bedroom room-darkening shades to open. That will SURELY wake you.
Rise and Shine! Use your Automate Timers to open your shades at 7am. You’ll never hit the snooze again. Let us apologize now for that. *wink*
Automating your window treatments to do a repetitive task, will free you up to do more important things. Consider those hard-to-reach areas. Automating them will allow you to adjust your window treatments with the touch of a button, at home and remotely. Easy Peasy, Lemon Squeezy! No climbing ladders, or climbing over the sofa any more!
Imagine adjusting the temperature once you are all snugly in bed or controlling the volume of your home audio system at the same time. Many smarthome products also save energy – “Alexa, close the bedroom shades.” – we’ll all agree that’s a niiiiiiiiice convenience.
Protect flooring, furniture, art & YOU from harmful UV rays:
One amazing benefit that automated shades can extend to your home is protecting your floors, rugs, upholstery, art and YOU, from damaging sunlight.
Sun beats through your windows, it sure does warm your face, invites Fido to stretch out and take a niiiiiice long nap, but in time it, it WILL wash out all of the vibrant colors.
EEK! Think of what it’s doing to YOU!
Programming your automated shades to lower during the brightest part of the day will protect and prolong the life of your furniture, rugs, and even your wall paint! Of course, any window treatment our team would recommend for your home or office, will protect your interiors from Sun damage. However, many people forget to change the position of their shades to accommodate the position of the Sun. We get it, it’s both repetitive and boring (and you gotta be home to do it). Home Automation is the solution.
Energy Efficiency:
It may feel counterintuitive to close your shades on a GORGEOUS Summer day. After all, you did conquer those brutal Northeast Winters, just so you could bask in the Sun. But let’s be energy smart here. You didn’t buy new insulated windows, and put solar panels on your roof, just to spend that money on your AC all Summer long, now did you?Your automated shades provide you with a quick, convenient way to save energy and money, NOT to mention the very comfortable living space. Want to hear something even BETTER?! Use sensors or timers with your automated shades, THIS way, you can automate your shades to do this all for you, so you don’t even have to THINK about it.
Think about this, in those brutal, harsh, can’t-catch-my breath Winter days, make the MOST of that Solar gain to warm your home and you will find yourself VERY happy with the savings you’ll see!
A friend of a friend of a friend started doing this ingenious thing on his personal Facebook page a few years ago. He’s a realtor, a house flipper, a jack of all trades, if you will.
He asked his friends, clients, prospective buyers/sellers, “Hey, do you need the name of a good_______?”
Such a simple thing, right? But think of it this way, a new kid on the block, who doesn’t know the area, or who to trust.
Yellow pages? (Do they even make them anymore?!)
Numerous home renovation referral sites(who, as we all know, you have to pay to play and the really good ones might be completely off-grid)
Not knowing your neighbors, I wouldn’t be about to ask for a good electrician.
So he decided to start “Referral Wednesday” annnnnnd we adopted it here at GWD.
Every Wednesday, on our Facebook page, we referral a biz or service we simply adore.
Picture this, a Neanderthal cave, rain, VICIOUS predators, the inability to sleep in (the real crime) because of that pesky bright orb in the sky…something HAD to be created to block light, provide privacy, and keep heat out.
The very first coverings were made of animal hides and hung in cave openings with hooks. Believe it or not, animal hides, membranes and fur are the ancestors of today’s curtains used in numerous window treatments.
Now the Egyptians…did something completely different.
From the early 3100 B.C. to the 3rd Century B.C., the great Egyptians invented curtains and used them throughout their entire rule. It was HOT in that desert.
The papyrus of Egypt is most closely associated with writing – in fact, the English word ‘paper’ comes from the word ‘papyrus’ .
The Egyptians found many uses for Papyrus. It was used as a food source, to make rope, for sandals, for boxes and baskets and mats, as window shades, material for toys such as dolls, as amulets to ward off throat diseases, and even to make small fishing boats. It also played a part in religious devotion as it was often bound together to form the symbol of the ankh and offered to the gods as a gift.
Papyrus also served as a political symbol through its use in the Sma-Tawy, the insignia of the unity of Upper and Lower Egypt. This symbol is a bouquet of papyrus (associated with the Delta of Lower Egypt) bound with a lotus (the symbol of Upper Egypt).
Ok, so yeah, papyrus was SO money.
But what was happening on the windows in the rest of the world?
Reed-laced bamboo was inserted into windows at the time of construction. But it was permanent. Not terribly efficient…but we’re getting there.
Fast forward to TODAY, they’re known as Pinoleum blinds. These shades are made up of small wooden twigs laid horizontally which are joined together by vertical threading. Endless natural hues as well as dyed reeds. Not to mention the fabric trims that can be added.
The Japanese and Chinese have also been credited with creating a form of Venetian Blind using bamboo slats.
Also in Asia, they were doing fantastical things with rice….
Shoji Screens-
Japanese shoji screens were adapted from Chinese folding screens created hundreds of year prior to 400 B.C. Their history dates back thousands of years and has traveled across many different countries with diverse cultures.
In present day, these ‘shades’ are more popular as a room-divider. Because of the thinness of the material, lack of durability, lack of sound-deadening qualities & insulation, they weren’t the best for exterior walls.
Visual privacy, ohh yeah, but not masking mom and dad’s yelling or throwing dishes from the nosy neighbors. The town gossips were in their heyday! *wink*
Modern day Sliding Panels, imitate the rice paper-translucent light that Shoji Screens created.
Now in Persia, (Modern-day Iran) it was all about sacred geometry.
Aesthetics were very important, as you see in this home’s elegant window covering.
Traditionally, the guiding formative motif of Iranian architecture has been its cosmic symbolism “by which man is brought into communication and participation with the powers of heaven”. This theme has not only given unity and continuity to the architecture of Persia, but has been a primary source of its emotional character as well.
Modern day Roller Shade fabrics imitate the sacred geometry of Persian window decor.
Whatever the truth of the matter, it seems that it was the rise in international trading that brought products such as slatted blinds from Asia and the Middle East to places in Europe, such as Venice, in the 1700s.
Venetian blinds-
Some believe that it was freed Persian slaves migrating from Venice to France who helped to spread the knowledge of Venetian Blinds.
Venetian blinds, are made from horizontal slats. Their design, as we know them, was developed in 1794. They received the name Venetian blinds because they originally came from Venice, Italy.
Further evidence for the Persian theory might be found in the name the French use for shutters or blinds, which is ‘Les Persiennes’.
“Venetian” or wood blinds are still a strong design. A classic, multi-use window covering.
Now window shutters and Roman shades…that’s a WHOLE different history. Stay tuned!
VBSR is a statewide, nonprofit business association with a mission to foster a business ethic in Vermont that recognizes the opportunity and responsibility of the business community to set a high standard for protecting the natural, human, and economic environments of our citizens. – courtesy of VBSR.org
That’s Kelly Clements, our president! (Standing beside are her two kiddos!) “Since 1986, Gordon’s Window Decor has designed, manufactured and installed quality window decor. We have always focused on building the most attractive, best valued, energy efficient window coverings possible, and our made in Vermont EcoSmart shades are high quality with a sleek design and proven energy efficiency. We take immense pride being an active member of the local Vermont business community!”
Right at the heart of it, Gordon’s is about manufacturing!
That’s Penny! She’s been with GWD for over 10 years!
We asked GWD staffers, what does ‘support local’ mean to them!
I support local…“because I love being a part of my community. I chose to live in Vermont because I am in love with this state, the people, and of course the huge number of incredibly innovative small businesses. By choosing to buy my shoes at Lenny’s Shoe and Apparel and my eyeglasses at Eye’s of the World and my toilet paper from Seventh Generation I am choosing to make this state I love so dearly stronger.”
I support local…“because growing up in a VERY small town in Southern Vermont, I knew from the beginning that every dollar spent was a vote for the world I wanted around me. Supporting families, neighbors & friends.”
I support local...“to me, two things are near the top of the list when I think of Vermont and Vermonters, and they go hand-in-hand… First, Vermont is built largely on small business – people rolling up their sleeves, putting a sign on the door, and getting things done! Second, Vermonters have each others backs. Got an overwhelming project or a sudden tragedy? We’re there for each other! So I don’t think of it so much as “supporting local” as I think of it as embracing Vermont values. It’s a no-brainer!” -David- eCommerce Manager
I support local…“because it supports my community which I’m a part, and my community supports me. I love knowing where my product is coming from, who it’s made by and how it’s made.”
I support local…“because in an increasingly global world where everything is a click away, I like knowing that my dollars are helping my neighbors and friends and not some big corporation who doesn’t appreciate my business nearly as much.
Cost To Attend:
Nonmembers – $10
VBSR Members – Free
Registration is open
Join us for an evening of networking and education! VBSR members and friends are invited to a Networking Get-Together hosted by Gordon’s Window Decor in Williston. Attendees will see a demonstration of how shades and blinds are made!
“Since 1986, Gordon’s Window Decor has designed, manufactured and installed quality window decor. They have always focused on building the most attractive, best valued, energy efficient window coverings possible, and their EcoSmart shades are high quality with a sleek design and proven energy efficiency. Gordon’s Window Decor is an active member of the local Vermont business community and proud to be part of it!”
Sponsorships are still available for VBSR members and include:
-30 seconds of “podium time” at the event
-Logo on printed invitation to 700 VBSR members and friends
-Logo, link and short company description on the event’s webpage
-Social media recognition/thank yous related to event
-Logo and link on e-vites
-Logo featured at the event
If you’re interested in a sponsorship, please contact VBSR Membership Manager Toby Aronson, at [email protected] or (802) 862-8347. They are available on a first come, first served basis.
In honor of Small Business Week, the Vermont Small Business Adminstration office featured three of its superhero entrepreneurs.
What a way to start Small Business Week! Attorney General TJ Donovan, Kelly Conklin-President of Gordon’s Window Decor, Congressman Peter Welch, Gordon Clements -Owner and Darcy Carter-SBA came for a visit!
Attorney General T.J. Donovan talks with chief operations manager in the showroom at Gordon’s Window Decor during a tour celebrating #SmallBusinessWeek
“Gordon’s window treatments are fancied halfway across the globe in Australia and New Zealand (a blogger Down Under recommended them a few years ago, showing the influence of social media on modern marketing). Upwards of 20 percent of their approximate $3 million in sales are exported outside the US. “
Felix Hardy has been with Gordon’s since 1989, he says “If you can dream it, I can build it”
Owner, Gordon Clements said, “…not only is Gordon’s the only manufacturer of shades in Vermont, you’d probably have to go all the way to Boston to find another one. “
Kelly Conklin, President of Gordon’s Window Decor, holds a blind which was delivered to the store for repair and was originally manufactured in 1998. “These shades don’t ever end up in landfills”, says Kelly.
“Gordon Clements started Gordon’s Window Décor in 1986 by building shades in his basement. He moved into Fort Ethan Allen in Colchester in 1987 and called that home for 25 years. The business has grown steadily and now has over 26 employees supplying shades and comprehensive window treatments to businesses, schools, and homeowners all over the world.”
ing Vermont values. It’s a no-brainer!” 
