Brilliant Blind & Design urges Northern Virginia families to check corded blinds before the holidays

A Fairfax window treatment company is warning Northern Virginia homeowners to inspect older blinds and shades for exposed cords ahead of holiday gatherings with young children. Brilliant Blind & Design is also promoting cordless and motorized options as safer replacements and as a way to improve winter energy efficiency.

Why it matters: - Accessible cords on window coverings can pose a strangulation risk to young children. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says about nine children under age 5 die each year, on average, from strangulation in corded blinds, shades, draperies and other window coverings. - Homes with children are safer when window coverings are cordless in every room where children may be present. - Winter is also a good time to switch, because shades can help reduce heat loss near windows.

What happened: - Brilliant Blind & Design is urging Northern Virginia families to check homes for corded blinds and shades before the holidays. - The Fairfax company says older window coverings often remain in homes installed before newer safety standards took effect. - The company is also explaining cordless options, including motorized blinds and smart shades. - Brilliant Blind & Design serves Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia and has worked in the region for nearly 20 years.

The details: - The company recommends a room-by-room review, starting with bedrooms, nurseries and living rooms. - Free-hanging cords are the main hazard because a child can reach them or wrap them around a neck. - Continuous loops and bead chains should be secured to the wall or window frame with a tension device. - Inner cords on horizontal blinds can become a loop if cord stops are missing. - The CPSC advises moving cribs, beds, furniture and toys away from windows and window-covering cords, preferably to another wall. - Where replacement is not immediate, cords should be shortened as much as possible and kept out of reach. - The voluntary ANSI/WCMA A100.1-2022 standard took effect for manufacturers on June 1, 2024. - That standard eliminated free-hanging operating cords, free-hanging tilt cords and multiple cord connectors on custom window coverings. - Many homes still have older blinds and shades installed before the standards changed. - A federal appeals court vacated a mandatory CPSC rule for custom window coverings and sent it back to the agency for further work. - Cordless options include spring-loaded cordless shades, wand-controlled systems, motorized blinds and smart blinds. - Motorized shades have no operating cords and can be controlled by remote, wall switch, smartphone app or voice assistant. - Motorized systems can also be scheduled to open and close automatically. - Systems such as Hunter Douglas PowerView and Somfy motorized shades are widely used in homes and can be grouped by room. - Motorization is especially useful for tall or hard-to-reach windows, including those over stairwells and behind furniture. - Cellular shades trap air in honeycomb cells and are among the most energy-efficient window treatments. - Cellular shades can be paired with motorization so they stay open on sunny days and close in the late afternoon. - Brilliant Blind & Design says its consultants can review existing window coverings and explain which can be retrofitted and which should be replaced. - The company has working displays of cordless and motorized systems at its showroom at 11930U Fair Oaks Mall, Fairfax, VA 22033. - Homeowners can call (703) 987-7720 for questions. - Renters who find corded window coverings in homes with young children should raise the issue with a landlord and, in the meantime, shorten cords and move furniture away from windows. - More safety information is available from the CPSC at cpsc.gov.

Between the lines: - The timing suggests a seasonal safety push aimed at holiday visits, when grandparents and other relatives may bring toddlers into homes with older window treatments. - The messaging blends child safety with comfort and efficiency, which could make replacement easier to justify for homeowners. - Motorization is being framed as more than convenience; it is presented as a way to remove a known cord hazard entirely.

What's next: - Homeowners can inspect existing blinds now and decide whether to retrofit, replace or move to cordless systems. - Brilliant Blind & Design is positioning showroom consultations as the next step for families comparing options. - The CPSC continues to be the main federal source for window-covering safety guidance.