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Tag: Silk Woven Tie Raise your hand if you moved into your home months or even years ago,

yet you still have those paper Redi Shades on your windows.Dealing with window treatments —

or not — is a major design quandary for residents and designers alike. There are so many

options in window-treatment fabrics, colors and function that picking them can be

overwhelming. So do-it-yourselfers often install temporary paper shades for immediate

privacy and then don't give their windows a second thought.Or they do nothing at all because

they are totally lost."People see window treatments as an afterthought," says Jackie Von

Tobel, an interior designer and author of "The Design Directory of Window Treatments" ($60,

Gibbs Smith), a reference book she intended to serve as a window-coverings guide for

homeowners and interior designers. "But every single window in your house has a different

set of needs, depending on its size, location and function."Selecting window treatments is a

precise process that "deals with measuring and knowing how to hang rods and materials," says

Toni Palmer, who has been designing luxury homes in Cherry Creek for 37 years.Window

treatments also complete a room's look by adding color and movement to a space that might

otherwise feel static. They can soften hard edges, enhance architecture or detract from sore

spots."A lot of people have beautiful homes, but when they don't furnish them completely and

never get around to window treatments, they really cheat themselves," says Nora Stewart, a

20-year residential interior designer in Denver who specializes in custom window

treatments.Stewart and designer Toni Palmer used examples from Von Tobel's book to help do-

it-yourselfers dress up some of the most problematic windows. Their advice should help

everyday homeowners take down those Redi Shades once and for all.Bay windowsHighlands Ranch

designer Nora Stewart often confronts bay windows in high-end home construction,

particularly in breakfast nooks.To create a traditional look, she says, use a one piece

pull-up valance and extend it over all the windows in the bay. The pull-up valance has a

scalloped edge, making it appear to dance around the window and create visual movement, says

this owner of Nora Stewart Interiors Inc. The goal is to treat the windows as a whole unit

instead of working with them separately.If there is wall space between the windows and you

have enough space at each side of the outer windows, try hanging a stationary floor-length

panel between each window and on each side with a decorative rod. "It surprises people to

put the long curtain panels between windows, but it creates a really cozy nook," Stewart

says.Or cover the windows with a separate valance, or one long continuous valance with

longer sides to create a visual anchor."People make the mistake of putting treatments right

on top of the window," Stewart says. "Instead extend the treatments up to the ceiling."Toni

Palmer has a bay window in the master suite of her home. She says the key is to enhance the

window's architecture instead of masking it with fabric.She prefers to pair woven wood

blinds with four fixed drapery panels or blinds behind a cornice or valance. One of Palmer's

clients, on the other hand, wanted to soften the ceiling line near her bay window. So Palmer

created a contemporary look with a serpentine, zigzag cornice board.Stacked windowsIn

Colorado construction, it's common to see two or three sets of windows running the full

height of a two-story house in a living room or great room. Usually there is a set of

windows at floor level with another set stacked above them, Stewart says.In this case, she

recommends running very long curtain panels from the ceiling all the way down to the

floor.On each side of the row of windows, hang a curtain panel with a decorative rod and

nice-looking support brackets. Or try short curtain rods about 24 inches wide with a finial

on each end, hanging a panel from the rod with rings.For an old-world look, layer fabrics

with valances, a banner or flag treatment over the panels. Or sew panels with two or three

bands of complementary fabric or trim.Using panels will typically result in some empty wall

space in between the upper and lower windows. To solve this problem, Stewart uses

accessories such as scrolled metal brackets or oversized plates to embellish the

drywall.Arched windowsNewly built homes typically have a set of three windows with a large

single arched window over the top of the center window. That configuration is called a

Palladian window.In one Cherry Creek home, Palmer used an arched valance cornice board to

contend with a rectangular window that had a curved insert."I completed the niche instead of

fighting with it," she says, "by doing a cornice board valance with drapery gathered panels

that hit the floor."Simplicity is good, Palmer adds. A common mistake she sees in homes is

piling on fabrics. The result is a convoluted mess. She uses Roman shades and woven wood

blinds and draperies for a lighter, contemporary look and avoids heavy treatments.Stewart

also suggests having a carpenter come in and remove any sheet rock between the windows. Then

surround all of them with casing and put in one sill for uniformity.Allow the architecture

to shine by using a multitiered valance with a higher center-point rosette, a middle-point

and a lower point. Or leave the arch open.

Tag: Shoe Outsole The days of anything that looks good on the feet and does not snap into

two are finally over in India. This summer, the hip-and-happening are putting their best

foot forward, thanks to new technology and increased awareness about health.The new brands

of footwear in the market flaunt special effects and aids like breathing technology, built-

in heel and footbed support system and shock absorption points and lightweight soles.Experts

put the spurt in technological innovations in footwear to acknowledgement of international

brands by Indian consumers."Several factors are influencing trends in the Indian footwear

segment, one of the fastest-growing consumer goods sectors, in the country. A rough estimate

by major footwear manufacturers says business in quality national brands is growing at 20

percent every year," I D Musafir, managing director of M&B Footwear, a leading national

footwear manufacturer.Musafir's company Geox Shoes has launched a range of formal footwear

for summer with breathing technology.According to him, the soles of these shoes contain a

special micro-porous membrane that absorbs and expels sweat. It is resistant to water. Sweat

in the form of water vapour passes through the membrane and exits through the perforated

soles. The gradual elimination of humidity from the shoe recreates a microclimate for

healthy feet.The smart range of men's shoes is priced between Rs 2,985 and Rs 7,985 while

the price of women's footwear begins from Rs 2,985 and goes up to Rs 5,285. The company

sells its shoes in 70 countries.The company also manufactures casual canvas summer shoes,

under the brand name 'Cult ID Canvas' with a flip down tongue and a built-in support

system."The middle-class now has more money to spend on quality and designer footwear, the

number of working women who need to wear comfortable, durable and yet trendy shoes to work

has risen in cities across the country and the youth is more brand conscious than before,"

said Musafir.Shoes, say lifestyle pundits, are second only to clothes in terms of importance

and the styles are mostly Western.Narendra Tiwari, a 40-year-old businessman who owns a firm

in Greater Noida, boasts of an impressive collection of sports shoes and has just added a

new pair to his wardrobe - a V-Lite multiterra sandal.It is called "Grey Core Gold", a cross

between sports shoes and inter-locking toggles with free ends for air circulation."I use it

on days when I do not have important appointments. It's a bit casual," he says. Tiwari

forked out Rs 2,699 for the shoes that he says can take on rough terrain and wet trails with

tractions.It is equipped with lightweight leathers and synthetic "uppers" and has several

shock absorption points at the heel and the forefront. The jolts and the impacts of walking

on uneven surface are cushioned by the lightweight mid-soles and outsole, he explains

pointing to the aids.The footwear industry this summer is operating on the troika of

technology-aided high performance, quality and comfort. Shoe manufacturers say footwear has

now become a lifestyle accessory more than the traditional shield for the feet that can be

purchased from any shoe-shop across the street."Customers are looking for performance,

longevity, relevance and the user-friendliness of the products. Style is little low on the

list of priorities," Hemant Sachdeva, managing director of Chogori India, which is marketing

V-Lite.He will introduce three new footwear brands in a couple of months in the country.Bata

India, one of the oldest and the biggest footwear companies in India, has launched two new

brands of shoes that the company spokesperson describes as durable, flexible, easy on the

feet and sophisticated. 'Flexible' for women, priced at Rs.1,999, is a new comfort shoe that

offers lightness and speed while walking.A new footwear line for men, 'Westminster', is a

range of handcrafted shoes fitted with specialised sandwich soles to create an acupressure

effect."There has been a shift in the pattern of spending on consumer accessories. People

are willing to shell out more money on footwear, nearly Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 on an average.

It has fuelled the demand for long-term value for money," says Sachdeva.

Tag: Rubber Heel If you haven’t yet read the profile of Lehman CFO Erin Callan by the

Journal’s Susanne Craig, do. It was filled with great details. The photo also had a telling

one: Ms. Callan’s high, high heels.Immediately my mind raced with questions: Does she wear

those to work, or keep them under her desk? What if she has a meeting across town? Does she

switch into sneaks, and with or without socks? Does she carry a briefcase that can fit the

shoes, or a luxury tote? If she does the tote and switch, where and when does she make the

change?Selecting just-right shoes for the day is a Juggle taxer for women. (Perhaps for men

too, but I’d wager that while Allen Edmonds may not be Geox, men don’t contend with the

same comfort differential that women face.) Like most New Yorkers, I spend a decent chunk of

time on the pavement getting where I need to go. So as I ponder each morning what to wear, I

try to factor in how much walking I’ll need to do. Not much, and I can pull off the skirt

with heels. A lot, and maybe I’ll go with slacks with more-comfortable shoes. Problem is,

you can’t always predict.As for getting to work, I wear “function” shoes in transit, and

switch to “form” once I arrive. But there are complications. If I need to get around town,

there’s the stress of deciding whether to stay in the office shoes or switch and tote. And

where to make the switch out of the sneaks? Sidewalk? Ladies room? Subway?Sure, summer can

be easier. A gladiator sandal or ballet flat (are those still in style?) can be both sleek

and comfortable. But they still might not deliver needed support on city streets.Then there

’s this wrinkle — I keep a wardrobe’s worth of shoes at the office. But come that

occasional Saturday night when I actually have plans, too often the just-right strappy

sandals or my black boots are still under my desk.I confess to investing more mental time in

this than one should. Perhaps I should just buy cloddy, comfy shoes and be done with it. But

to me that defeats the purpose of putting on a great suit.