Governor Shumlin Celebrates GWD!

As the rain poured down over Vermont last Friday night, nothing could dampen the spirits of the GWD team as we celebrated the grand opening of our new factory and showroom with friends, family and Governor Shumlin! Check out the photo of the whole gang.

It was so gratifying to see everyone having a really lovely time in the new space. I think back to when I was just a little kid running around the old GWD and though our old spaced served us well for 25 years we were bursting at the seams and it was time to move on. Seeing my dad speak about this company that he and my mom built from scratch with the Governor standing by made me incredibly proud.

The food by Sugarsnap was amazing, the wine from Cheese Traders was delicious, the many babies who joined us were angels...all in all I'd say it was a perfect evening!

After 25 Years in Essex Junction, Gordon’s Window Décor is Moving

On February 25^th, after 25 years in The Fort Ethan Allen, Gordon’s Window Décor will be moving on.

“We have loved being in Essex Junction for all of these years.” Says Gordon Clements, President “and having one of the historic Fort buildings provided some “frugal down-to-earth” character. But we have just outgrown our building and the moment I saw the factory at 8 Leroy Road in Williston I knew it was perfect for our new home. It will more than double our production space in both area and height, and with a receiving dock on the east and a shipping dock on the west, we will get much better material flow through the building.

“We manufacture 70% or more of what we sell so it is really important that our production crew have the space we need to make the best possible shade we can.” Say Shannon Partridge and Julie Krebser, Production Managers “The 8 Leroy Road building definitely fits the bill”

So on February 25^th, with some sadness, Gordon’s Window Décor will be closing their doors on 4 Laurette Drive as they make the move over to Williston. “It is kind of the end of an era- I remember helping out as a 6 year old as Gordon’s and I grew up in this building” says Kelly Conklin, Clements’ daughter and the next generation of the company “but it is definitely time and I am really excited and optimistic as I take on the next 25 years of Gordon’s in Vermont!”

The new building at 8 Leroy Road in Williston

Design Solution of the Month!

Today we’re talking with Joan. She has been a designer with Gordon’s Window Décor for 18 years. She recently encountered a job that required some creative solutions!

KC: So Joan, tell us about the job.

JS: Well, the customer has a living room part of which functions as a guest room when she has folks visiting from out of town. What the customer wanted a way to split up the room to offer guests some privacy when they were in their “room”, but she did not want the solution to be permanent so she could have full use of the living room when no one was visiting. AND she was on a pretty tight budget.

KC: Wow, that sounds like a tricky one! What did you come up with?

JS: We thought that a curtain hung on a rod installed with drop brackets from the ceiling would be perfect. This way, guests could pull the curtain across when they want privacy and they can easily open up the curtain to give the customer back her living room.

KC: Perfect! The rod from the ceiling sounds pretty challenging though.

JS: It was absolutely challenging for a couple of reasons. The dimension of the curtain is 206"wide X 103" long so that is a VERY heavy curtain and there are not a lot of rods that can handle that weight nor are there a lot of brackets, especially if the customer is on a budget. So I went over to Lowes to check out their plumbing supplies and found a not too obtrusive copper pipe that would hold the weight of the curtain, was not too heavy itself, and was very affordable. We splurged a little on the brackets, but that was okay with what we saved on the rod and voila! The perfect solution!

KC: That is so creative! We will be installing the curtain in a few weeks and will be sure to post pictures of the finished product then.

Lowe's Stores Recall to Repair Roman Shades and Roll-Up Blinds; Two near Strangulations Involved Young Children

In light of the recent recall of 6 million Roman shades and 5 million roll-up blinds from Lowe’s Home Centers, Gordon Clements, of Gordon's Window Décor would like to discuss his company’s policy on child/pet safe window coverings. Gordon and Dianne moved to Vermont 27 years ago to raise their 3 daughters. And now with 2 grandchildren, are particularly concerned for child and pet safety.

Every year there are too many children whose lives are taken or forever altered in tragic accidents near windows that can so easily be prevented. Parents who replace their older window coverings with new cordless and motorized products can feel more confident about their child’s safety.

Gordon’s, along with the Window Covering Safety Council highlights these areas to address for optimum child safety.

1) Cordless and motorized are the recommended window coverings in homes with young children.

2) Check you present shades for cord loops that a child can get his/her head through; consider replacing any that do. Product origin may help as most, although not all, American manufacturers recognize child safety in their product design.

3) Keep all window pull cords and inner lift cords out of the reach of children.

4) Make sure that tasseled pull cords are short and continuous-loop cords are permanently anchored to the floor or wall.

5) Make sure cord stops are properly installed and adjusted to limit movement of inner lift cords.

6) Lock cords into position whenever horizontal blinds or shades are lowered, including when they come to rest on a windowsill.

7) Utilize Tensioner Devices (available at Gordon's Window Décor) on corded shades.

8) Don’t forget about your pets. Window covering cords can be dangerous for curious cats and dogs.

Make your windows beautiful for you as well as safe for your children and pets. Most custom window treatment companies offer an amazing variety of product to meet every need as well as on staff designers to assist and offer advice. Some, like Gordon's Window Décor manufacture locally so in addition to following safety protocols, as much as 80 cents on the dollar stays in Vermont. We hope that this article will help keep our children and pets free from needless and tragic accidents.